UNITARY ENERGY STORAGE AND SENSING BATTERIES

• US 20130157093A1
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Sisk, Brian C., Roberts, Jason L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,356,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/91
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/374 with means for correcting the measurement for temperature or ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/633 characterised by algorithms, flow charts, software details or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery apparatus having an electrochemical cell that includes an electrically insulating hollow mandrel, a pair of active materials wound on the mandrel, and a sensing unit located within the mandrel and coupled to the pair of active materials through a pair of contacts. The active materials are connected and separated by an electrolyte. The sensing unit is configured to monitor conditions of the cell and to generate a signal indicative of a sensed condition for communication to a battery management unit.

Claims

1. A battery apparatus having an electrochemical cell, the cell comprising:

an electrically insulating hollow mandrel;

a pair of active materials wound on the mandrel, wherein the pair of active materials corresponds to an anode and a cathode that connected and separated by an electrolyte; and

a sensing unit located within the mandrel and coupled to the pair of active materials through a pair of contacts, wherein the sensing unit is configured to monitor conditions of the cell and to generate a signal indicative of a sensed condition for communication to a battery management unit.

2. The battery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit comprises a sensor head and a microprocessor unit that carries out supporting electronic functions.

3. The battery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the monitored conditions include a temperature level and/or a voltage level.

4. The battery apparatus of claim 1, wherein pair of active materials and the electrolyte are wound around the mandrel in a jelly roll arrangement.

5. The battery apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a monobloc container configured to house a plurality of cells, each of which is substantially similar to the electrochemical cell.

6. The battery apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a cover for sealing the monobloc container.

7. The battery apparatus of claim 6, wherein the container and cover are made of at least one material that can withstand organic solvents associated with the plurality of electrochemical cells.

8. The battery apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a power line affixed to the cover, wherein the power line is configured to couple to the plurality of cells when the cover seals the housing, and wherein the power line provides power to their respective sensing units.

9. The battery apparatus of claim 8, wherein the power line is configured to provide the indicative signal to a communications unit located within the battery apparatus, and wherein the communications unit is configured to transmit the indicative signal to the battery management unit.

10. A battery apparatus having an electrochemical cell, the cell comprising:

an electrically insulating hollow mandrel;

a pair of active materials wound on the mandrel, wherein the pair of active materials corresponds to an anode and a cathode that are connected and separated by an electrolyte; and

a communications unit configured to transmit wirelessly signals indicative of conditions of the cell to a battery management unit.

11. The battery apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a monobloc container configured to house a plurality of cells, each of which is substantially similar to the electrochemical cell.

12. The battery apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a cover for sealing the monobloc container.

13. The battery apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a power line affixed to the cover, wherein the power line is configured to couple electrically the plurality of electrochemical cells when the cover seals the container, and to provide power to the communications unit.

14. A battery apparatus, comprising:

an electrochemical cell comprising;

an electrically insulating hollow mandrel;

a pair of active materials wound on the mandrel, wherein the pair of active materials corresponds to an anode and a cathode that are connected and separated by an electrolyte;

a sensing unit located within the mandrel and coupled to the pair of active materials through a pair of contacts, wherein the sensing unit is configured to monitor conditions of the cell and to generate a signal indicative of a sensed condition for communication to a battery management unit; and

a communications unit located within the battery apparatus and coupled to the sensing unit, wherein the communications unit is configured to transmit wirelessly the indicative signal to the battery management unit.

15. The battery apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a monobloc container configured to house a plurality of cells, each of which is substantially similar to the electrochemical cell.

16. The battery apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a cover for sealing the monobloc container.

17. The battery apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a power line affixed to the cover, wherein the power line is configured to couple electrically the plurality of electrochemical cells when the cover seals the container, and to provide power to the communications unit and the sensing units.

18. The battery apparatus of claim 16, wherein the container and cover are made of at least one material that can withstand organic solvents associated with the plurality of electrochemical cells.

19. The battery apparatus of claim 14, wherein the sensing unit comprises a sensor head and a microprocessor unit that carries out supporting electronic functions.

20. The battery apparatus of claim 14, wherein the monitored conditions include a temperature level and/or a voltage level.