Manual service disconnect system and method for energy storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10756552-B2
Application number	US-201815993881-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2018
Priority date	Oct 31, 2017
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

An energy storage module includes a module housing, a positive polarity module terminal and a negative polarity module terminal accessible via an external surface of the housing, and a plurality of battery cells contained within the housing and coupled in series between the positive polarity terminal and a negative polarity terminal to form a battery cell string. A removable manual service disconnect (MSD) unit is physically coupled to the external surface of the housing and electrically coupled between at least one battery cell in the battery cell string and one of the module terminals. The MSD unit has at least a first MSD operating state to allow current conduction between the positive polarity module terminal and the negative polarity module terminal, and a second MSD operating state to prevent current conduction between the positive polarity module terminal and the negative polarity module terminal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An energy storage module comprising:
a module housing;
a positive polarity module terminal and a negative polarity module terminal accessible via an external surface of the module housing;
a plurality of battery cells contained within the module housing and coupled in series between the positive polarity module terminal and the negative polarity module terminal to form a battery cell string; and
a removable manual service disconnect (MSD) unit comprising a socket and a plug configured to be coupled to the socket to provide an electrical path between the positive polarity module terminal and the negative polarity module terminal, the removable MSD unit physically coupled to the external surface and electrically coupled between at least one battery cell in the battery cell string and one of the module terminals, the manual service disconnect unit having at least a first MSD operating state in which the plug is coupled to the socket to allow current conduction between the positive polarity module terminal and the negative polarity module terminal, and a second MSD operating state in which the plug is removed from the socket to prevent current conduction between the positive polarity module terminal and the negative polarity module terminal, wherein the plug is further configured to be coupled to and removed from the socket using a non-conductive pole.

2. The energy storage module of claim 1 , wherein the manual service disconnect unit is physically coupled between the positive polarity module terminal and the negative polarity module terminal.

3. The energy storage module of claim 1 , wherein the first MSD operating state corresponds to a high voltage operating mode of the energy storage module and the second MSD operating state corresponds to a low voltage shipping mode of the energy storage module.

4. The energy storage module of claim 1 , wherein the manual service disconnect unit comprises a user accessible non-conductive portion protruding from the external surface which, when rotated or removed, causes the MSD unit to change from the first MSD operating state to the second MSD operating state.

5. The energy storage module of claim 4 , wherein the manual service disconnect unit is switchable between the first MSD operating state and the second MSD operating state, by removal of the MSD.

6. The energy storage module of claim 4 , wherein the manual service disconnect unit is switchable between the first MSD operating state and the second MSD operating state, by rotation of the non-conductive portion.

7. The energy storage module of claim 1 , wherein each battery cell has a positive and a negative terminal, a first battery cell in the battery cell string electrically coupled to one of the positive polarity module terminal and the negative polarity module terminal, a last battery cell in the battery cell string electrically coupled to a first terminal of the manual service disconnect unit and a second terminal of the manual service disconnect unit is coupled to a remaining one of the positive polarity module terminal and the negative polarity module terminal.

8. The energy storage module of claim 7 , further comprising a fusible link coupled between a positive terminal of one battery cell and a negative terminal of another battery cell.

9. An energy storage system comprising:
a container;
a high voltage DC electrical bus within the container; and
a first battery module string electrically coupled to the DC electrical bus, the first battery module string including a plurality of energy storage modules located adjacent to one another and electrically coupled in series or parallel series combinations, each module comprising;
a module housing;
a positive polarity module terminal and a negative polarity module terminal accessible via an external surface of the module housing;
a plurality of battery cells contained within the module housing and coupled in series between the positive polarity module terminal and a negative polarity module terminal to form a battery cell string;
a removable manual service disconnect (MSD) unit comprising a socket and a plug configured to be coupled to the socket to provide an electrical path between the positive polarity module terminal and the negative polarity module terminal, the removable MSD unit physically coupled to the external surface of the module housing and electrically coupled between at least one battery cell in the battery cell string and one of the positive polarity or negative polarity module terminals, the manual service disconnect unit having at least a first MSD operating state in which the plug is coupled to the socket to allow current conduction between the positive polarity module terminal and the negative polarity module terminal, and a second MSD operating state in which the plug is removed from the socket to prevent current conduction between the positive polarity module terminal and the negative polarity module terminal, wherein the plug is further configured to be coupled to and removed from the socket using a non-conductive pole;

wherein the positive polarity module terminal of a first energy storage module is electrically coupled to the negative polarity module terminal of an adjacent second energy storage module and the negative polarity module terminal of the first energy storage module is electrically coupled to the positive polarity module terminal of an adjacent third energy storage module.

10. The energy storage system of claim 9 , wherein the container comprises an intermodal shipping container.

11. The energy storage system of claim 9 , wherein the first, second and third energy storage modules are horizontally adjacent along a length dimension of the container.

12. The energy storage system of claim 9 , wherein the first, second and third energy storage modules are vertically adjacent along a height dimension of the container.

13. The energy storage system of claim 9 , wherein the manual service disconnect unit is physically located on an external surface positioned between the positive polarity module terminal and the negative polarity module terminal.

14. The energy storage system of claim 9 , wherein the first MSD operating state corresponds to a high voltage operating mode of the energy storage module and the second MSD operating state corresponds to a low voltage shipping mode of the energy storage module.

15. The energy storage system of claim 9 , wherein the manual service disconnect unit comprises a user accessible non-conductive portion protruding from the external surface which, when rotated or removed, causes the manual service disconnect unit to change from the first MSD operating state to the second MSD operating state.

16. The energy storage system of claim 9 , further comprising a controller and a signal line coupled between the controller and the manual service disconnect unit to remotely sense the MSD operating state.

17. The energy storage system of claim 9 , further comprising a second battery module string electrically coupled to the DC electrical bus in parallel with the first battery module string, the second battery module string including a plurality of energy storage modules located adjacent to and coupled in series or parallel series combinations with each other.

18. The energy storage system of claim 9 , further comprising a DC converter coupled to the DC electrical bus having a DC bus voltage (m) on one side and is coupled to the first battery module string on the other side, wherein the DC converter comprises a first manual service disconne

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Rush Kenneth McClellan
• Hickey Darren Bawden
• Brown Keith Garrette
• Tonini Luca

Classifications

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• H02J7/68 Primary

  using circuits for correcting or protecting against reverse-polarity · CPC title

• H02J7/663 Primary

  using battery or load disconnect circuits (H02J9/002 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/516

  by welding, soldering or brazing · CPC title

• H01M50/204

  Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells · CPC title