A123 Systems LLC

Apple Inc.

Whedco, Inc.

Other

Paul W Firehammer

Dylan Erb

Abraham Bruno Caulk

John Harry Floros

Ross L Johnstal

Edward T Hillstrom

Brian Moorhead

Alexander J Clarabut

Andrew C Chu

Christopher T Campbell

Zhongying Shi

Ian E O'Connor

William B Henry

Brian D Rutkowski

Qingcheng Zeng

Donald G Dafoe

Tobias Zeilinger

John M Schoech

Mario Tippelhofer

John William Wagner

Hunter H Wu

Hamza W Derbas

Isaac S Harper

Benjamin J Sinsheimer

Robert J Kromer

Alexander A Bondarenko

Energy storage devices, battery cells, and batteries of the present technology may include a first battery cell. The first battery cell may include an anode current collector, and an anode active material disposed on the anode current collector. The first battery cell may include a cathode current collector and a cathode active material disposed on the cathode current collector. The current collectors may be polymeric materials. The batteries may include a first conductive band electrically coupled with the first battery cell. The first conductive band may be seated on the second surface of one of the anode current collector or the cathode current collector. The first conductive band may extend about a perimeter of the one of the anode current collector or the cathode current collector. The batteries may include a cell module including a first flexible extension electrically coupled with the first conductive band.

Battery configurations for cell balancing

Exemplary electrical disconnects may include a housing defining a first access at a first end of the housing and a second access at a second end of the housing. The second access may extend vertically along a height of the housing beyond a vertical location of the first access. The electrical disconnects may include a busbar characterized by a first segment and a second segment. The first segment and the second segment may be coupled at a break section of the busbar. The first segment of the busbar may extend through the first access of the housing. The second segment of the busbar may extend through the second access of the housing. The electrical disconnects may include a pyrotechnic initiator disposed within the housing. The electrical disconnects may include a blade laterally aligned with the break section of the busbar. The electrical disconnects may include a plunger within which the blade is seated.

Switchable pyro fuse

Energy storage devices, battery cells, and batteries of the present technology may include a base plate. The batteries may include a first circuit board overlying the base plate. The batteries may include a battery stack overlying the first circuit board and electrically coupled with the first circuit board. The battery stack may include a plurality of battery cells. The battery stack may define an aperture through an active region of the battery stack. The batteries may include a second circuit board overlying the battery stack and electrically coupled with the battery stack. The batteries may include a compression plate overlying the second circuit board. The batteries may include a retaining member compressibly coupling the compression plate with the base plate. The retaining member may extend through the aperture through the active region of the battery stack.

Battery configurations having through-pack fasteners

Energy storage devices, battery cells, and batteries of the present technology may include a first circuit board defining a plurality of apertures through the first circuit board. The batteries may include a battery stack overlying the first circuit board and electrically coupled with the first circuit board. The battery stack may include a plurality of battery cells. The battery stack may define a plurality of apertures axially aligned with a corresponding aperture through the first circuit board. The batteries may include a second circuit board that defines a plurality of apertures through the second circuit board. The batteries may include a plurality of fasteners, each fastener extending through a separate channel of the plurality of channels. The batteries may include a plurality of conductive extensions electrically coupling each battery cell of the battery stack with one or more fasteners of the plurality of fasteners.

Energy storage devices, battery cells, and batteries of the present technology may include a first circuit board characterized by a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The second surface may include a conductive layer. The batteries may include a battery stack overlying the first circuit board and electrically coupled with the second surface of the first circuit board. The battery stack may include a plurality of battery cells. The batteries may include a second circuit board overlying the battery stack. The second circuit board may be characterized by a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The second surface may include a conductive layer, and the battery stack may be electrically coupled with the second surface of the second circuit board. The batteries may include a power distribution block electrically coupled with the first and second circuit boards.

Battery configurations having balanced current collectors

A high-voltage DC floating system includes a source, a power rail, a power bus, a load, and a pre-charge circuit. The power bus includes a positive bus portion and a negative bus portion. The pre-charge circuit includes a first pre-charge circuit portion that is configured to equalize a voltage across the positive power supply switch between the source and a Y-capacitance of the load and a second pre-charge circuit portion that defines a switched path to ground that is configured to equalize a voltage associated with a Y-capacitance of the negative power rail.

Capacitance pre-charging

Energy storage devices, battery cells, and batteries may include a first current collector having an anode active material disposed along a first surface of the first current collector. The cells may include a plurality of first electrodes positioned along a second surface of the first current collector opposite the first surface. The plurality of first electrodes may be characterized by a first orientation. The cells may include a second current collector having a cathode active material disposed along a first surface of the second current collector. The cells may include a separator positioned between the anode active material and the cathode active material. The cells may also include a plurality of second electrodes positioned along a second surface of the second current collector opposite the first surface. The plurality of second electrodes may be characterized by a second orientation substantially orthogonal to the first orientation.

Selective charging matrix for rechargeable batteries

Systems and methods for assessing voltage threshold detection circuitry of individual battery cells within a battery pack supplying power to a vehicle are disclosed. One example system comprises, a plurality of battery cells within a battery pack, a plurality of voltage threshold detecting circuits detecting voltage of the plurality of battery cells, a voltage of a first battery cell of the plurality of battery cells coupled to a first voltage threshold detecting circuit of the plurality of voltage threshold detecting circuits, and a network that selectively couples a second battery cell to the first voltage detecting circuit while the first battery cell is coupled to the first voltage detecting circuit.

System and method for assessing voltage threshold detecting circuitry within a battery pack

Systems and methods for a scalable battery controller are disclosed. In one example, a circuit board coupled to a battery cell stack is designed to be configurable to monitor and balance battery cells of battery cell stacks that may vary depending on battery pack requirements. Further, the battery pack control module may configure software instructions in response to a voltage at a battery cell stack.

System and method for monitoring and balancing voltage of individual battery cells within a battery pack

Systems and methods for balancing charge of battery cells of a battery pack are disclosed. In one example, battery cell balancing may be improved by balancing battery cells of a battery cell stack simultaneously. The system and method may be particularly useful battery packs that may be constructed with battery cell stacks that vary in a number of series battery cells.

System and method for balancing charge between battery cells

Systems and methods for verifying a reference voltage within a battery pack are disclosed. In one example, an assessment of a reference voltage is made via a band-gap voltage of a microcontroller. The system and method may be particularly useful determining whether or not the reference voltage has drifted from a desired voltage.

System and method for verifying a reference voltage for battery cell monitoring

Systems and methods for assessing operation of analog digital converters (ADCs) of a battery pack supplying power to a vehicle are disclosed. One example system comprises, a first ADC for determining a voltage of at least one battery cell; a second ADC for determining a voltage of a plurality of battery cells; and a controller performing an action in response to comparing an output of said first ADC to an output of said second ADC.

Growing community of inventors

Livonia, MI, United States of America

Paul W Firehammer