Low-voltage-drop bypass of failed battery cell

A battery system, comprising:

• an electrical storage cell having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
• a normally open bypass circuit path comprising
• a first electrical conductor connected to the positive terminal of the electrical storage cell,
• a second electrical conductor connected to the negative terminal of the electrical storage cell, and
• a shorting gap between the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor;
• a mass of a metallic alloy positioned at an initial mass location;
• a diode having a cathode and an anode, the cathode of the diode being electrically connected to the positive terminal of the electrical storage cell and the anode of the diode being electrically connected to the negative terminal of the electrical storage cell heat source activatable upon the occurrence of an opencircuit condition of the electrical storage cell, the diode having a sufficient heat output to melt the mass of the fusible metallic alloy;
• and
• a metal flow path extending from the initial mass location into the shorting gap so that molten fusible material flows into the shorting gap.

A battery system, comprising:

• an electrical storage cell having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
• a normally open bypass circuit path comprising
• a first electrical conductor connected to the positive terminal of the electrical storage cell,
• a second electrical conductor connected to the negative terminal of the electrical storage cell, and
• a shorting gap between the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor;
• a mass of a fusible electrically conductive material positioned at an initial mass location;
• and
• a heat source having a first connection in electrical communication with the first electrical conductor and a second connection in electrical communication with the second electrical conductor, wherein the heat source is activatable upon the occurrence of an open-circuit condition of the electrical storage cell, the heat source being operable to melt at least a portion of the mass of the fusible material whereupon the fusible material flows to close the shorting gap so that the first electrical conductor is in electrical communication with the second electrical conductor.