Corvus Energy Inc.

Other

David Lokhorst

Siu Lun Isaac Tang

Jeremy Lindstrom

Jerome Ronne

Chi-Kiu Tsang

A system comprising one or more battery modules mounted in a rack assembly has a structure which defines a cooling air pathway for flowing cooling air across the side and/or bottom of each battery module thereby cooling the battery module, or alternatively, across the energy calls in the battery module. Further, the system has a structure which defines a thermal runaway gas pathway for flowing thermal runaway gases from a battery module out of the system. The system structure is configured to ensure that the cooling air pathway and thermal runaway gas pathway are physically separated, thereby minimizing the risk of the thermal runaway gas substantially mixing with cooling air thereby potentially resulting in a spontaneous ignition and an explosion.

Method and apparatus for managing thermal runaway gases in a battery system

There is described a method of balancing a multi-cell battery. An alignment distance for each cell of the multi-cell battery is determined. The alignment distance defines a change in charge quantity required to achieve a target alignment point, based on a current charge quantity of the cell. Based on the determined alignment distances, one or more unbalanced cells are identified. Each unbalanced cell is then balanced by adjusting its current charge quantity according to the alignment distances. In one embodiment, the target alignment point is a target state of charge. In another embodiment, the target alignment point is a target charge quantity.

Balancing a multi-cell battery

An optically communicative battery management system includes a pack controller and one or more module controllers optically coupled to the pack controller. The module controllers may themselves be optically coupled together in series, and communication from an upstream module controller may be relayed through one or more downstream controllers en route to the pack controller. The pack controller may also send an optical signal that is used by the pack controller to determine whether any one or more of the battery modules is experiencing a safety fault, and the communication channel used to transmit that optical signal may, absent any safety faults, be used to multiplex message data to the module controllers.

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Richmond, CA, United States of America

David Lokhorst