Patent · US Expired

In-situ short-circuit protection system and method for high-energy electrochemical cells

US6548206B1 · kind B1 · utility

9Cited by
157References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 2, 2000
Grant dateApr 15, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 15, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E60/10
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An in-situ thermal management system for an energy storage device. The energy storage device includes a plurality of energy storage cells each being coupled in parallel to common positive and negative connections. Each of the energy storage cells, in accordance with the cell's technology, dimensions, and thermal/electrical properties, is configured to have a ratio of energy content-to-contact surface area such that thermal energy produced by a short-circuit in a particular cell is conducted to a cell adjacent the particular cell so as to prevent the temperature of the particular cell from exceeding a breakdown temperature. In one embodiment, a fuse is coupled in series with each of a number of energy storage cells. The fuses are activated by a current spike capacitively produced by a cell upon occurrence of a short-circuit in the cell, thereby electrically isolating the short-circuited cell from the common positive and negative connections.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.