Modular battery with battery cell and submodule interconnectivity

A modular power system (10) configured to supply configurable electrical power to a load (12), the modular power system comprising:

• a first battery submodule (20A) and a second battery submodule (20B), each of the first and second battery submodules including:
• a submodule positive bus (22),
• a submodule negative bus (24), and
• at least one submodule circuit configured to replaceably connect one or more of a plurality of battery cells (16) to the submodule positive bus and the submodule negative bus;
• a power output (40) in operable connection with the first and second battery submodules and configured to receive electrical power transmission from one or more of the plurality of battery cells, via the first and second battery submodules, and transmit electrical power to the load;
• a configuration circuit (30) configured to interconnect each of the first and second battery submodules, operably connect the first and second battery submodules to the power output, and reconfigure characteristics of electrical power output;
• a battery management system (70) communicatively coupled with the first and second battery submodules, the battery management system being configured to:
• control, at least in part, power output of a first battery cell array (18A) of the plurality of battery cells, the first battery cell array operatively coupled with the first battery submodule and configured to selectively provide electrical power for the power output;
• control, at least in part, power output of a second battery cell array (18B) of the plurality of battery cells, the second battery cell array operatively coupled with the second battery submodule and configured to selectively provide electrical power for the power output;
• and
• a plurality of switches (25), each of the plurality of switches configured to connect or disconnect one or more of one of the battery cells of the first battery cell array, one of the battery cells of the second battery cell array, the first battery submodule, the second battery submodule, and any combinations thereof, and
• wherein the battery management system is configured to control the plurality of switches to connect or disconnect the one or more of one of the battery cells of the first battery cell array, one of the battery cells of the second battery cell array, the first battery submodule, the second battery submodule, and any combinations thereof, based on power demand scaling instructions provided to the battery management system.

A modular power system (10) configured to supply configurable electrical power to a load (12), the modular power system comprising:

• one or more battery submodules (20), each of the one or more battery submodules including:
• a submodule positive bus (22),
• a submodule negative bus (24), and
• at least one submodule circuit configured to replaceably connect one or more of a plurality of battery cells (16) to the submodule positive bus and the submodule negative bus;
• a power output (40) in operable connection with each of the one or more battery submodules and configured to receive electrical power transmission from one or more of the plurality of battery cells, via the one or more battery submodules, and transmit electrical power to the load;
• a configuration circuit (30) configured to interconnect each of the one or more battery submodules, operably connect the one or more battery submodules to the power output, and reconfigure characteristics of electrical power output;
• and
• a housing, the housing (82) including:
• a floor (83) configured to receive the one or more battery submodules,
• a plurality of panels (84) substantially attachable to the floor and surrounding the one or more battery submodules, when the modular power system is configured to provide power to the load, and
• a removable panel (85) configured to, in combination with the floor and plurality of side walls, enclose the one or more battery submodules, when the modular power system is configured to provide power to the load, and the power output is, at least in part, integrated with the removable panel, the power output having an output positive bus and an output negative bus, each of the output positive bus and the output negative bus protruding, at least in part, outward of the removable panel such that each of the output positive bus and the output negative bus are connectable to the load.

A battery submodule (20) for use with a modular battery (10, 80) for use in a modular power system (10), the modular battery configured to supply configurable power to a load (12), the battery submodule comprising:

• a positive bus (42);
• a negative bus (44);
• and
• at least one circuit board (26) configured to replaceably connect one or more of a plurality of battery cells (16) to the positive bus and the negative bus, the at least one circuit board configured to provide interconnection of the battery submodule with one or more additional battery submodules and to selectively transmit electrical power from one or more of the plurality of battery cells to an output of the modular power system;
• and
• wherein the at least one circuit board includes a first circuit board (21) and a second circuit board (23), the first circuit board operatively associated with the positive bus and a positive terminal of at least one of the plurality of battery cells, and the second circuit board operatively associated with the negative bus and a negative terminal of at least one of the plurality of battery cells.

A battery submodule (20) for use with a modular battery (10, 80) for use in a modular power system (10), the modular battery configured to supply configurable power to a load (12), the battery submodule comprising:

• a positive bus (42);
• a negative bus (44);
• and
• at least one circuit board (26) configured to replaceably connect one or more of a plurality of battery cells (16) to the positive bus and the negative bus, the at least one circuit board configured to provide interconnection of the battery submodule with one or more additional battery submodules and to selectively transmit electrical power from one or more of the plurality of battery cells to an output of the modular power system;
• and
• wherein the at least one circuit board includes a weldable connection layer (52), the weldable connection layer being a layer of a weldable metal that is capable of having at least one terminal of one of the plurality of battery cells replaceably welded thereto, and
• wherein the at least one circuit board is configured to replaceably connect the at least one terminal of one of the plurality of battery cells to one of the positive bus and the negative bus via the weldable connection layer.

A battery submodule (20) for use with a modular battery (10, 80) for use in a modular power system (10), the modular battery configured to supply configurable power to a load (12), the battery submodule comprising:

• a positive bus (42);
• a negative bus (44);
• and
• at least one circuit board (26) configured to replaceably connect one or more of a plurality of battery cells (16) to the positive bus and the negative bus, the at least one circuit board configured to provide interconnection of the battery submodule with one or more additional battery submodules and to selectively transmit electrical power from one or more of the plurality of battery cells to an output of the modular power system;
• a modular battery core (19), the modular battery core for housing a number of battery cells of the plurality of battery cells and configured to be sizable in proportion with the number of battery cells of the plurality of battery cells desired for design of the battery submodule;
• and
• flexible connectors (28) configured to connect the modular battery core and the at least one circuit board, the flexible connectors capable of being sizable in proportion with sizing of the modular battery core.

A method (200) for manufacturing a battery submodule (20), the battery submodule for use in a modular power system (10) for providing configurable power to a load (12), the method comprising:

• determining a number of battery cells for an array of battery cells (18), each of the array of battery cells selected from a plurality of battery cells (16);
• manufacturing at least one circuit board (26) based, at least in part, on the number of battery cells for the array of battery cells, the at least one circuit board manufactured to include a plurality of positive input terminals corresponding to a plurality of positive battery cell terminals, each of the plurality of positive battery cell terminals of a corresponding one of the array of battery cells, and the at least one circuit board manufactured to include a plurality of negative input terminals corresponding to a plurality of negative battery cell terminals, each of the plurality of negative battery cell terminals of a corresponding one of the array of battery cells;
• connecting each of the plurality of positive input terminals of the at least one circuit board to a positive bus (22) for the battery submodule;
• connecting each of the plurality of negative input terminals of the at least one circuit board to a negative bus (24) for the battery submodule;
• and
• replaceably connecting one or more of the array of battery cells to the at least one circuit board at one of the plurality of positive input terminals and one of the plurality of negative input terminals.

A method (100) for configuring a modular power system (10), the modular power system configured to supply configurable electrical power to a load (12), the method comprising:

• selecting a quantity of battery submodules for one or more battery submodules (20), the one or more battery submodules including at least a first battery submodule (20A) and a second battery submodule (20B), each of the one or more battery submodules including a submodule positive bus (22), a submodule negative bus (24), and at least one submodule circuit (26) configured to replaceably connect one or more of a plurality of battery cells (16) to the submodule positive bus and the submodule negative bus;
• selecting a first quantity of battery cells, from the plurality of battery cells, for inclusion in a first battery cell array (18A), and selecting a second quantity of battery cells, from the plurality of battery cells, for inclusion in a second battery cell array (18B);
• replaceably connecting the first battery cell array to the at least one submodule circuit of the first battery submodule, and replaceably connecting the second battery cell array to the at least one submodule circuit of the second battery submodule;
• interconnecting each of the first and second battery submodules using a configuration circuit (30) of the modular power system;
• operably connecting each of the first and second battery submodules to a power output (40) of the modular power system, via the configuration circuit, such that electrical power from at least one of the first and second battery cell arrays is capable of being output to the load via the power output;
• communicatively coupling the first battery submodule with the second battery submodule via a battery management system (70), the battery management system including:
• a first controller (74A) operatively associated with the first battery submodule and configured to provide instructions to the first battery submodule to control power output of at least the first battery cell array (18A);
• and
• a second controller (74B) operatively associated with the second battery submodule and configured to provide instructions to the second battery submodule to control power output of at least the second battery cell array (18B);
• and
• configuring the first and second controllers to operate in a peer-to-peer communicative configuration to perform one or more of data communication amongst the first and second controllers, monitoring of one or both of the first and second battery cell arrays, controlling power output of one or both of the first and second battery cell arrays, connection and disconnection of one or more members of the first battery cell array, connection and disconnection of one or more members of the second battery cell array, and any combinations thereof.

A method (100) for configuring a modular power system (10), the modular power system configured to supply configurable electrical power to a load (12), the method comprising:

• selecting a quantity of battery submodules for one or more battery submodules (20), the one or more battery submodules including at least a first battery submodule (20A) and a second battery submodule (20B), each of the one or more battery submodules including a submodule positive bus (22), a submodule negative bus (24), and at least one submodule circuit (26) configured to replaceably connect one or more of a plurality of battery cells (16) to the submodule positive bus and the submodule negative bus;
• selecting a first quantity of battery cells, from the plurality of battery cells, for inclusion in a first battery cell array (18A), and selecting a second quantity of battery cells, from the plurality of battery cells, for inclusion in a second battery cell array (18B);
• replaceably connecting the first battery cell array to the at least one submodule circuit of the first battery submodule, and replaceably connecting the second battery cell array to the at least one submodule circuit of the second battery submodule;
• interconnecting each of the first and second battery submodules using a configuration circuit (30) of the modular power system;
• operably connecting each of the first and second battery submodules to a power output (40) of the modular power system, via the configuration circuit, such that electrical power from at least one of the first and second battery cell arrays is capable of being output to the load via the power output;
• communicatively coupling the first battery submodule with the second battery submodule via a battery management system (70), the battery management system including:
• a first controller operatively associated with the first battery submodule and configured to provide instructions to the first battery submodule to control power output of at least the first battery cell array,
• a second controller operatively associated with the second battery submodule and configured to provide instructions to the second battery submodule to control power output of at least the second battery cell array;
• and
• a master (72) controller operatively associated with the first controller and the second controller,
• wherein the first controller is a first slave controller and the second controller is a second slave controller, and
• the method further comprising configuring the first, second, and master controllers to operate in accordance with a master-slave communication relationship to perform one or more of data communication amongst the first and second controllers, monitoring of one or both of the first and second battery cell arrays, controlling power output of one or both of the first and second battery cell arrays, connection and disconnection of one or more members of the first battery cell array, connection and disconnection of one or more members of the second battery cell array, and any combinations thereof.