Patent Application
20110223468
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to energy systems, and, more particularly, relate to a variable, reconfigurable, upgradeable, maintainable, and remanufacturable energy system.
Energy storage and generation technologies are rapidly evolving as consumers increase their demand for energy solutions that are both convenient and environmentally-friendly. Systems often include a number of smaller cells, such as rechargeable battery cells, that are electrically connected together. In many systems, these cells are tack welded together to form the electrical connections between the cells. The connections between the cells may be configured such that the system supports a permanent voltage and current capacity configuration for use in a single application for the energy system.
Example embodiments of the present invention include an energy system that is readily reconfigurable to thereby vary the voltages and current capacities to support the operational requirements of different loads. In this regard, a reconfigurable energy system may include a plurality of power cells and a releasable modular interconnect configured to form releasable electrical connections to a terminal of each of the plurality of power cells. The releasable modular interconnect may be removable and replaceable with another releasable modular interconnect to thereby generate different electrical configuration of the power cells. The electrical connections may be releasable through application of a non-destructive interconnect removal force to the releasable modular interconnect. The releasable electrical connections also contribute to generating an electrical configuration of the plurality of power cells defined by a number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells and a number of power cells in each parallel group via a releasable modular interconnect or a set of complementary releasable modular interconnects. It should be understood that although electrical configurations may be expressed herein as defined by a series connected, parallel group relationship; in fact, series connected power cells and parallel connected power cell electrical configurations are also included in this definition. Further, by removing the first releasable modular interconnect, or the set of complementary releasable modular interconnects, from the reconfigurable energy system and installing a different releasable modular interconnect, or a different set of complementary releasable modular interconnects, in the reconfigurable energy system, different output voltages and current carrying capacities can be achieved. Access to add, remove, exchange, or replace power cells or other components of the energy system for repair, upgrade, or remanufacture is facilitated by removing the first releasable modular interconnect, or the set of complementary releasable modular interconnects, from the reconfigurable energy system. A detailed description of example reconfigurable energy systems and additional example embodiments of the present invention are further described below.
Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
Example embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
According to various example embodiments of the present invention, a reconfigurable energy system including a plurality of power cells is provided that may be configured, via releasable modular interconnects, to generate an electrical configuration of the power cells to support a desired voltage and current capacity output for the energy system. According to some example embodiments, the releasable modular interconnect may be configured to form releasable electrical connections with the plurality of power cells within an energy system. A power cell may be any type of apparatus that outputs power. Differing technologies of power cells may include, for example electrochemical or electrostatic cells, which may include batteries (e.g., lithium-ion, lead-acid, metal-air batteries, and the like), capacitors (e.g., ultracapacitors, supercapacitors, and the like), fuel cells, photovoltaic cells, Peltier junction devices, piezoelectric cells, thermopile devices, other solid state conversion cells, other hybrids of electrochemical and electrostatic cells, or the like, and combinations thereof. Further, different power cell technologies may also include different chemistries. Each power cell may, for example, be a cylindrical or prismatic device that includes a positive and negative terminal. Releasable electrical connections may be formed with the positive or negative terminals of a power cell via releasable contacts of a releasable modular interconnect. The releasable modular interconnect may be designed in accordance with one of a variety of patterns for connecting the power cells. For a given pattern, parallel and series connections between the power cells are formed, which determines the output voltage and current capacity of the reconfigurable energy system. A releasable modular interconnect can also include positive and negative polarity interconnect output terminals for outputting the voltage and current capacity that is provided by the electrical configuration of the power cells. In this regard, the output voltage of the reconfigurable energy system may be measured across the interconnect output terminals.
According to various example embodiments, because the electrical connections between the releasable modular interconnect and the power cells are releasable, a reconfigurable energy system that utilizes a releasable modular interconnect can be readily maintained. In this regard, a releasable electrical connection may be an electrical connection that is formed by a force or pressure that is applied between a conductive releasable contact of the releasable modular interconnect and a terminal of a power cell. According to some example embodiments, the releasable modular interconnect can be removed or detached from the power cells and the reconfigurable energy system by overcoming any forces that hold the releasable modular interconnect in place. The forces that hold the releasable modular interconnect in place may be overcome by, for example, lifting the releasable modular interconnect away from the power cells. A non-destructive interconnect removal force (e.g., a lifting force) may be applied to the releasable modular interconnect to separate the releasable modular interconnect from the power cells and the reconfigurable energy system, and provide access to the power cells. According to some example embodiments, the releasable modular interconnect, after being accessed through removal of, for example, a housing cover, may be removed without the use of tools. The releasable modular interconnect may be held in alignment by, for example, alignment pins, grooves, springs, magnets, or a cover associated with a housing, wherein the cover may have springs, alignment pins, or the like for holding the releasable modular interconnect in place. According to some example embodiments, the removal of the releasable modular interconnect can be performed in a non-destructive manner such that no component of the reconfigurable energy system must be discarded or repaired as a result of removal of the releasable modular interconnect from the reconfigurable energy system. For example, a non-destructive removal force can be used to remove a releasable modular interconnect, which may be a force that does not alter the components affected by the force in a manner that cannot be remedied by a replacement force. As a result of this feature, some example embodiments provide for maintenance of the reconfigurable energy system in an efficient and inexpensive manner.
Further, a reconfigurable energy system can be utilized in environments that experience vibrations, such as, for example, being affixed to a moving vehicle or bike. Because, according to some example embodiments, the connections between the releasable contacts of the releasable modular interconnect are permitted to move slightly while maintaining an electrical connection, fatigue on the releasable contacts is reduced or eliminated, relative to a fixed, for example tack welded, connection. Fatigue can cause degradation in the quality of a fixed connection, and result in reduced power transfer efficiency. Since some example embodiments are not affected by vibrations in the same way a fixed connection is affected, improved power transfer can be realized, particularly over the life of a reconfigurable energy system.
The releasable electrical connections also facilitate removal of a releasable modular interconnect from the reconfigurable energy system for replacement with another releasable modular interconnect resulting in a different electrical configuration of the power cells and corresponding voltage and current capacity. Further, under, for example, maintenance conditions, the removed releasable modular interconnect may be re-installed in the reconfigurable energy system after maintenance of, for example, the cells is complete. Since the removal and replacement of the releasable modular interconnect may be performed in a non-destructive manner, the releasable modular interconnect provides for increased application flexibility for a reconfigurable energy system. A reconfigurable energy system having a first electrical configuration of power cells via a first releasable modular interconnect, can be removed and replaced by a second releasable modular interconnect that provides a second electrical configuration of the power cells. In this manner, an energy system can be reconfigured to support a variety applications that require different voltages or current carrying capacities. Replacement of a releasable modular interconnect can also facilitate electrical reconfiguration of energy systems that have already been deployed in the field.
Further, according to some example embodiments, the forces applied to form the releasable electrical connections between the contacts of the releasable modular interconnect and the terminals of power cells may be generated through implementation of one or more magnetic members. In this regard, a magnetic member may be associated with each contact of the releasable modular interconnect (e.g., either affixed to the contact or affixed to the terminal of the power cell) that magnetically couples to the power cell or the terminal of the power cell. The magnetic coupling can generate a force that holds the releasable contact in electrical connection with the terminal of the power cell to form the releasable electrical connection.
According to various example embodiments, the layout of conductive interconnect members of a releasable modular interconnect may be defined by a pattern for connecting the various power cells in a desired electrical configuration. The conductive interconnect members may include releasable contacts that are configured to form the electrical connections with the terminals of the power cells. According to some example embodiments, a releasable modular interconnect may be constructed to be flexible. In this regard, a flexible releasable modular interconnect may be comprised of one or more layers of a flexible substrate and, the conductive interconnect members may be comprised of a conductive, flexible foil. According to some example embodiments, the flexibility of a releasable modular interconnect not only supports the non-destructive removal of the releasable modular interconnect, as described herein, but also allows the releasable contacts of the releasable modular interconnect to deform or deflect to maximize the amount of surface area of the contacts that interacts with the terminals of the power cells. As a result, improved electrical connections can be realized. Further, according to some example embodiments, due to a thin profile of some example releasable modular interconnects, heat dissipation from the power cells may also be increased.
Reconfigurable energy systems that utilize releasable modular interconnects may be employed in a variety of settings. For example, vehicles, including cars, trucks, bikes, and the like, may be powered by a reconfigurable energy system and recharged when the vehicles are not in use or though mechanisms, such as, for example, energy recapture techniques. Additionally, reconfigurable energy systems may be utilized in coordination with smart grid technologies to perform, for example, grid services such as peak shaving, backup power, and the like. Further, due to the adaptability of reconfigurable energy systems via replacement of releasable modular interconnects, an energy storage system may be reconfigured and repurposed such that, for example, a reconfigurable energy system may be used with an electric bike that requires a 12 volt supply, and through replacement of the releasable modular interconnect, the same energy storage system may be used as backup power system for a household inverter that requires a 24 volt supply voltage.
In some embodiments, a reconfigurable energy system, via removal of releasable modular interconnects, can provide access to the power cells and other components of the system that are themselves removable (e.g., containment panels, output buses, balancing circuitry, etc.). In some of these example embodiments, power cells and other components may be replaced, for example, if they have failed, or removed permanently or temporarily as part of a maintenance cycle for a reconfigurable energy system. In some of example embodiments, a maintenance cycle may require additional power cells or components be added to or removed from a reconfigurable energy system. In some of example embodiments, power cells and other components may be exchanged for different technology or new components, or technology may be added as part of an upgrade or remanufacture of the reconfigurable energy system. In some example embodiments, the number of power cells may be increased or decreased depending upon new power cell technology being introduced into a reconfigurable energy system. In some example embodiments, a reconfigurable energy system may be deployed into the field without a full complement of power cells, leaving room for additional or different power cells to be added to a reconfigurable energy system based upon a customer's or seller's preference for performance, price, or other market-based characteristics of a reconfigurable energy system.
In some embodiments, a reconfigurable energy system is comprised of a variety of components which may be independently integrated into a system, including mixing different power cell technologies together into the same system.
As such, according to various example embodiments, a reconfigurable energy system may be reconfigurable by (a) changing an releasable modular interconnect (or complementary set of releasable modular interconnects) with another releasable modular interconnect (or complementary set of releasable modular interconnects) of a different pattern, (b) replacing the power cells of the energy system with power cells of a different technology, for example, one battery cell for a battery cell of a different battery chemistry, (c) adding power cells if room is available, or (d) removing power cells. In this manner, any component of the energy system may be reconfigured, replaced, or otherwise maintained. Further, as a result of the flexibility that is realized, a energy system may be remanufactured and components may be recycled for a second purpose (i.e., Second Life or downstream applications) after, for example, an energy system requires maintenance or a pressing need arises for an alternatively configured energy system. In this regard, an energy system may be remanufactured to support deployment in a solar photovoltaic setting, a wind farm setting, or a grid/off-grid storage system.
Based on the releasable contact locations, various patterns for a releasable modular interconnects may be designed to generate desired voltages and current capacity characteristics for the reconfigurable energy system 100. The reconfigurable energy system 100 also includes output buses 120 and 121 that are positioned to form an electrical connection with interconnect output terminals of a releasable modular interconnect, and in some example embodiments, the connection with the output buses can be formed with the assistance of a magnetic force produced by associated magnetic members. The output busses may be positioned at various locations within the reconfigurable energy system, such as, for example, on any one side or arrangement of two sides. Similar to the releasable electrical connection between the releasable contacts and the terminals of the power cells, the electrical connection between the interconnect output terminals and the output buses 120 and 121 may be releasable. According to some example embodiments, the output buses 120 and 121 may be electrically connected to energy system output terminals 140 and 141, respectively. The energy system output terminals may ultimately be connected to an external device, such as, for example, a load or other reconfigurable energy system to facilitate, for example, the delivery of power. While the output buses 120 and 121, and the energy system outputs 140 and 141 are depicted at opposite ends of the reconfigurable energy system 100 in
A reconfigurable energy system may be designed to be adaptable to a number of component technologies. For example, various power cell technologies may be supported by the design of the reconfigurable energy system. Further, differing technologies of other components of the reconfigurable energy system may be supported. For example, the reconfigurable energy system may be configured to support a battery management system technology that perform cell bleed-off for power cell balancing, or a battery management system that supports impendence balancing for power cell balancing. According to some example embodiments, components, such as the battery management system, may be replaceable via a non-destructive removal force because the removal of an releasable modular interconnect provides accessibility to the components.
Once the power cells are in position, a releasable modular interconnect 150 can be positioned overlay the upward facing surfaces of the power cells to form releasable connections with one or more of the terminals of each power cell and contribute to forming a desired electrical configuration of power cells. Generally, a releasable modular interconnect 150 comprises conductive interconnect members acting to connect the power cells together to form an electrical configuration of power cells. In some example embodiments, an electrical connection between the releasable contacts of the releasable modular interconnect and the terminals of the power cells is formed by disposing an electrically conductive paste or grease between the terminals of the power cells and the releasable contacts. Although not shown in
With reference to
Through removal of the releasable modular interconnect 150 via, for example a non-destructive interconnect removal force, the power cells 2 may be accessible as depicted in
The upper releasable modular interconnect 215 and the lower releasable modular interconnect 230 may include substrates 220, 240 and releasable contacts 225, 235, respectively. The substrates 220 and 240 may be comprised of any type of insulating material, for example plastic, polyurethane, polyester, polymeric material, other non-conducting organic material, mica, other non-conducting inorganic material, or the like. In some example embodiments, due to the thickness or characteristics of the material that is used for the substrate 220, the substrate may be rigid or flexible. In some example embodiments, where the power cells may need to discharge a reactant gas, a flow path through, for example, apertures in the substrate may be provided.
The releasable contacts 225 and 235 may be portions of conductive interconnect members that form the releasable electrical connections to the terminals of the power cells. The conductive interconnect members may be affixed to a substrate, or disposed between layers of the substrate. In some example embodiments, the conductive interconnect members may be affixed (e.g., glued, thermally bonded, laminated, screen printed, or the like) to a layer of the substrate and apertures may be cut or otherwise removed from the substrate to allow the releasable contacts of the conductive interconnect members to make an electrical connection with a terminal of cell. An opposite side of the conductive interconnect member may be laminated with another layer of the substrate. According to some example embodiments, multiple layers of interconnect members, possibly isolated from each other by non-conductive substrate layers may be used to generate a desired electrical configuration. The conductive interconnect members may be comprised of any type of conductive material including copper, aluminum, silver, conductive inorganic, conductive organics, or the like, and may be embodied as a thin, flexible foil. In some example embodiments, the conductive interconnect members may be punched or cut from a copper sheet (e.g., 1 ounce copper sheet). In some example embodiments, the conductive interconnect members may be configured to support high currents and may have a perimeter to thickness aspect ratio normal in the direction of current flow of, for example, 10:1 or higher.
For illustration purposes, the upper releasable modular interconnect 215 is shown with a gap between the releasable contacts 225 and the terminals 205, but when in operation, the upper releasable modular interconnect 215 is positioned such that releasable contacts 225 form an electrical or physical connection with the terminals 205. According to various example embodiments, the upper releasable modular interconnect 215 thereby overlays an upper plane formed by the top surfaces of the power cell 200. Similarly, for illustration purposes, the lower interconnect substrate 240 is also shown with a gap between the releasable contacts 235 and the terminals 210, but when in operation, the lower releasable modular interconnect 230 is positioned such that releasable contacts 235 form an electrical or physical connection with the terminals 210. According to various example embodiments, the lower releasable modular interconnect 230 thereby underlays a lower plane formed by the bottom surfaces of the power cell 200. According to some example embodiments, a conductive paste or grease may be applied between the releasable contacts and the power cell terminals to facilitate the formation of a high quality (e.g., low impedance) electrical connection. In this regard, according to some example embodiments, the releasable contacts and the terminals may not be in physical releasable contact, but an electrical connection between the releasable contact and the terminal of the power cell may be generated via the conductive paste.
Additionally, the releasable electrical connections that are formed between the terminals 205 and 210 and the releasable contacts 225 and 235 may be facilitated by a force that is applied to bring the releasable contacts toward the terminals. The force may be the result of magnetic coupling between a magnetic member that is affixed, for example, to the releasable modular interconnect or to the power cell. The magnetic member may be paramagnetic, ferromagnetic, ferrimagnetic, or the like. In some example embodiments, the magnetic member may be affixed to the releasable modular interconnect and the power cell case may be imprinted with a magnetic field. In this regard, the magnetic field generated by the power cell may facilitate generation of the connection force.
With the cells 200 and the releasable modular interconnects 215 and 230 installed in a reconfigurable energy system, the releasable modular interconnects 215 and 230 may be removed via a non-destructive interconnect removal forces 245 and 250, respectively. The forces 245 and 230 are sufficient to overcome any connection forces between, for example, the releasable contacts 225, 235 and the power cell terminals 205, 210, such as, for example, those forces generated by magnetic coupling of magnetic members to the power cells. After removal of the upper releasable modular interconnect 215, the releasable modular interconnect 215 may be replaced by another upper releasable modular interconnect. Similarly, after removal of the lower releasable modular interconnect 230, the releasable modular interconnect 230 may be replaced by another lower releasable modular interconnect. The newly installed upper and lower releasable modular interconnects may generate a different electrical configuration of the power cells. In this regard, the electrical configuration of the power cells may be different because a different number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells or a different number of power cells in each parallel group may be achieved through installation of the replacement releasable modular interconnects.
If the cells 300 and the releasable modular interconnect 305 are installed in a reconfigurable energy system, the releasable modular interconnect 305 may be removed via a non-destructive interconnect removal force 345. The force 345 is sufficient to overcome any connection forces between, for example, the releasable contacts 310, 320 and the power cell terminals 305, 325, such as, for example, those forces generated by magnetic coupling of magnetic members to the power cells. After removal of the releasable modular interconnect 305, the releasable modular interconnect 305 may be replaced by another releasable modular interconnect. In this regard, the electrical configuration of the power cells may be different because a different number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells or a different number of power cells in each parallel group may be achieved through installation of the replacement releasable modular interconnect.
The force 1207 may be generated in a variety of ways. In some example embodiments, a magnetic member may be affixed to the top-side substrate tab 1206 or the releasable contact 1203 to form a magnetic coupling, and thereby generate or contribute to the connection and holding force. Alternatively, in some example embodiments, a pressure cushion may be placed on the releasable modular interconnect 1200 that includes pressure points that push on the substrate tabs to produce the connection and holding force and facilitate forming an electrical connection with terminals of the power cells.
As described above and otherwise herein, the releasability of the releasable modular interconnects facilitate the reconfiguration of energy systems to support different voltage and current carrying capacities. In this regard, a variety of voltages and current capacities can be achieved by a reconfigurable energy system, based on the connections that are made amongst the cells by the releasable modular interconnect.
According to various example embodiments, a releasable modular interconnect or a set of complementary releasable modular interconnects may be constructed that generate the electrical configuration 400 when installed into a reconfigurable energy system. Due to the releasable nature of the releasable modular interconnects, the releasable modular interconnect or set of complementary releasable modular interconnects that form the electrical configuration 400 may be removed from a reconfigurable energy system, and replaced by a second releasable modular interconnect or a second set of complementary releasable modular interconnects to form a different electrical configuration of power cells, such as, for example, the electrical configuration 450.
Further, while a releasable modular interconnect designed to generate, for example, a 4s10p configuration will have a different pattern than a releasable modular interconnect designed to generate an 8s5p configuration, the arrangement of the power cells within a particular housing, according to various example embodiments, may be the same. For example, using the PCAR 105 of
Additionally, according to various example embodiments, a releasable modular interconnect or a set of complimentary releasable modular interconnects may be configured to generate an electrical configuration of the power cells that causes the current flow through the parallel groups of cells in a particular manner. For example, the conductive member patterns of a uni-polar releasable modular interconnect or the complementary conductive member patterns of a complementary set of releasable modular interconnects in a bi-polar arrangement may be constructed such that parallel electrical connections are formed in a direction normal to the direction of current flow for the complete electrical configuration.
In
For example, in a reconfigurable energy system where a set of complementary (e.g., upper and lower) releasable modular interconnects are used, a first set comprising a first releasable modular interconnect and second releasable modular interconnect, may be replaced by a second complementary set of releasable modular interconnects comprising a third releasable modular interconnect and a forth releasable modular interconnect. In this regard, the first releasable modular interconnect may be replaceable with at least the third releasable modular interconnect and the second releasable modular interconnect may be replaceable with at least the fourth releasable modular interconnect. The third and fourth releasable modular interconnects may be configured to form releasable electrical connections with the plurality of power cells that contribute to generating a different electrical configuration of the plurality of power cells. The different electrical configuration may be defined by a second number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells and a second number of power cells in each parallel group.
According to some embodiments, at 1510, the example method includes removing one of the plurality of power cells (e.g., a failed power cell), via a non-destructive cell removal force. The power cells may be accessible for removal or replacement, due to the prior removal of the releasable modular interconnect. Further, according to some embodiments, at 1520, the example method includes replacing the removed power cell with another power cell.
At 1530, the example method also includes replacing the first releasable modular interconnect with a second releasable modular interconnect, according to some embodiments. In this regard, replacing the first releasable modular interconnect may comprise replacing the first releasable modular interconnect with the second releasable modular interconnect, where the second releasable modular interconnect is configured to form releasable electrical connections with the plurality of power cells that contribute to generating a second electrical configuration of the plurality of power cells. The second electrical configuration may be defined by a second number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells and a second number of power cells in each parallel group, where either the second number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells differs from the first number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells, or the second number of power cells in each parallel group differs from the first number of power cells in each parallel group.
At 1540, according to some embodiments, the example method includes removing a third (e.g., a lower) releasable modular interconnect from the reconfigurable energy system. In this regard, the third releasable modular interconnect may be removed, via a second non-destructive interconnect removal force, from a position underlaying the plurality of power cells within the reconfigurable energy system. The third releasable modular interconnect may be configured to form releasable electrical connections to the second terminal of each of the plurality of power cells.
At 1550, the example method includes replacing the third releasable modular interconnect with a fourth releasable modular interconnect, according to some embodiments. In this regard, the second and fourth releasable modular interconnects may be configured to form electrical connections with the plurality of power cells that contribute to generating a second electrical configuration of the plurality of power cells. The second electrical configuration may be defined by a second number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells and a second number of power cells in each parallel group, where either the second number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells differs from the first number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells, or the second number of power cells in each parallel group differs from the first number of power cells in each parallel group.
According to some embodiments, the example method, at 1620, includes providing energy system output terminals electrically connected through the first releasable modular interconnect to at least some of the plurality of power cells. In this regard, the energy system output terminals may be configured to be connected to an external device for supplying power to the external device.
According to some embodiments, the example method includes, at 1630, providing a power cell array receiver with at least one containment panel. In this regard, the containment panel may include a plurality of apertures, where each aperture is configured to receive one of the plurality of power cells and laterally hold the one power cell in a position that corresponds to a respective contact of the first releasable modular interconnect. According to some embodiments, the plurality of apertures may be arranged in a hexagonal grid.
At 1640, according to some embodiments, the example method further includes providing a second releasable modular interconnect configured to form releasable electrical connections to the second terminal of each of the plurality of power cells. The releasable electrical connections to the second terminal of each of the plurality of power cells may be releasable through application of a second non-destructive interconnect removal force to the first releasable modular interconnect.
If the energy system includes sufficient energy at 1705, then a determination may be made at whether the correct voltage is provided by the present configuration of the energy system at 1710. If the present configuration does not support the correct voltage, then a determination may be made as to whether the current output of the system may be reduced at 1730. If the current output can be reduced, then a reconfiguration of the electrical configuration may be performed at 1735 (e.g., by replacing one or more releasable modular interconnects) to achieve a higher series count and a lower parallel count electrical configuration for the cells, and the example method may continue at 1715. Additionally, at 1735, in some example embodiments, the cell count may be reduced. If the current output cannot be reduced at 1730, a determination may be made as to whether the additional parallel groups of cells may be loaded into the energy system. If additional parallel groups of cells may be loaded into the energy system (e.g., due to previously empty receiving locations), then additional cells can be loaded at 1770, and a subsequent check of the voltage may be performed again at 1710. In some example embodiments, in addition to adding more cells at 1770, one or more releasable modular interconnects may be replaced to support a new electrical configuration of the cells. If at 1760 it is determined that additional parallel groups cannot be loaded, then at 1765, the cells may be removed and replaced with higher density cells (similar to 1755), and a subsequent check of the voltage may be performed again at 1710.
If sufficient energy and the correct voltage are attributes of the present configuration of the energy system, then a determination may be made at 1715 as to whether sufficient power or current is provided by the present configuration for the new application. If sufficient power or current is not available via the present configuration, then a determination may be made as to whether more cells may be loaded into the energy system at 1740. If more cells can be loaded, then at 1745, more cells may be loaded to increase the parallel count (i.e., the size of the parallel groups) at 1745, and a subsequent check of the sufficiency of the power or current may be performed at 1715. If more cells cannot be loaded at 1740, then at 1765, the cells may be removed and replaced with higher power density cells (similar to 1755), and a subsequent check of the voltage may be performed again at 1710. If, at 1715, it is determined that sufficient power or current is available in the present configuration, then the present configuration satisfies the requirement of the new application and the example method can end at 1720.
With respect to the replacement of components, which include cells for reconfiguration purposes, the components may be replaced when a releasable modular interconnect is removed from a reconfigurable energy system. In some example embodiments, the components may be removed and replaced because removal of the releasable modular interconnect provides access to the components. Further, as part of a reconfiguration process cells may be added (e.g., when space allows) or removed thereby changing the number of cells prior to re-installation or replacement of the releasable modular interconnect. Further, according to some example embodiments, cells being re-installed or replaced may be oriented differently, in some instances, such that an opposite polarity position of the cell is achieved.
Further, a method of remanufacturing a reconfigurable energy system may include providing a first reconfigurable energy system. In some example embodiments, a second reconfigurable energy system may also be provided of the same or a differing technology as the first reconfigurable energy system. According to various example embodiments, components of the first reconfigurable energy system may be exchanged with components, including power cells, of the second reconfigurable energy system to generate a remanufactured energy system. The components exchanged as part of the remanufacturing process may be of the same or different technologies. Further, in some example embodiments, a PCAR for receiving the cells of a reconfigurable energy system may be removed, replaced or exchanged with a PCAR of a different or the same technology. Different PCAR technologies may support different cell counts or placements within a reconfigurable energy system.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements or functions other than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
This application is related to application Ser. No. 12/______ (titled “Modular Interconnection System”), Ser. No. 12/______ (titled “Impedance Balancer”), and Ser. No. 12/______ (titled “Power Cell Array Receiver”), each filed on Mar. 15, 2010, and each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
