Battery monitoring system for bipolar batteries

1 . A bipolar battery system comprising:

N battery cells, where N is an integer greater than one,

wherein each of the N battery cells comprises:

M cores each comprising a first current collector, cathode active material, a separator, anode active material, and a second current collector, where M is an integer greater than one,

wherein the M cores are connected in parallel by connecting the first current collectors of the M cores in each of the N battery cells together and by connecting the second current collectors of the M cores in each of the N battery cells together; and

N−1 clad plates including first sides made of a first material and second sides made of a second material, wherein the N−1 clad plates are arranged between adjacent ones of the N battery cells and the N battery cells are connected in series by the N−1 clad plates,

a battery enclosure including a base and a lid arranged over the base, wherein the N battery cells and the N−1 clad plates are arranged in the battery enclosure, wherein the base includes an inner surface defining slots, and wherein the N−1 clad plates are arranged in the slots, wherein the lid includes N−1 tabs extending through opposing sides of the lid and are connected to the first sides of the N−1 clad plates, respectively;

a first terminal extending through the base of the battery enclosure and in contact with the first current collector of a first one of the N battery cells;

a second terminal extending through the base of the battery enclosure and in contact with the second current collector of a last one of the N battery cells; and

a voltage sensing system connected to the N−1 tabs, the first terminal, and the second terminal and configured to determine N voltages across the N battery cells, respectively.

2 . The bipolar battery system of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are arranged on opposite sides of the base of the battery enclosure.

3 . The bipolar battery system of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are arranged on a same side of the base of the battery enclosure.

4 . The bipolar battery system of claim 1 , wherein the voltage sensing system comprises N voltage sensors.

5 . The bipolar battery system of claim 4 , wherein:

a first one of the N voltage sensors is connected between the first terminal and a first one of the N−1 tabs,

a second one to an (N−1) th one of the N voltage sensors are connected between the N−1 tabs, respectively, and

an N th one of the N voltage sensors is connected between the second terminal and one of the N−1 tabs.

6 . The bipolar battery system of claim 4 , wherein:

a first one of the N voltage sensors is connected between the first terminal and the second terminal, and

a second one to an N th one of the N voltage sensors are connected between the N−1 tabs and the second terminal.

7 . The bipolar battery system of claim 6 , further comprising a controller configured to calculate N voltages across the N battery cells in response to voltages output by the N voltage sensors.

8 . The bipolar battery system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to:

calculate a first voltage across a first one of the N battery cells based on a first voltage sensed by a first one of the N voltage sensors,

calculate a second voltage across a second one of the N battery cells based on a difference between a voltage sensed by a second one of the N voltage sensors and the first voltage, and

calculate an M th voltage across an M th one of the N battery cells based on a difference between a voltage sensed by an M th one of the N voltage sensors and an (M−1) th voltage.

9 . The bipolar battery system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust charging or discharging thresholds of the bipolar battery system in response to a difference between a measured voltage of one or more of the N battery cells relative to one or more others of the N battery cells.

10 . The bipolar battery system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to disconnect at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal in response to a difference between a measured voltage of one or more of the N battery cells relative to one or more others of the N battery cells.

11 . A bipolar battery system comprising:

N battery cells, where N is an integer greater than one,

wherein each of the N battery cells comprises:

M cores each comprising a first current collector, cathode active material, a separator, anode active material, and a second current collector, where M is an integer greater than one,

wherein the M cores are connected in parallel by connecting the first current collectors of the M cores in each of the N battery cells together and by connecting the second current collectors of the M cores in each of the N battery cells together;

N−1 clad plates including a first side made of a first material and a second side made of a second material, wherein the N−1 clad plates are arranged between adjacent ones of the N battery cells and the N battery cells are connected in series by the N−1 clad plates;

a battery enclosure including a base and a lid arranged over the base, wherein the N battery cells and the N−1 clad plates are arranged in the battery enclosure, wherein the base includes an inner surface defining slots, and wherein the N−1 clad plates are arranged in the slots, wherein the lid includes N−1 tabs extending through opposing sides of the lid and are connected to the first sides of the N−1 clad plates, respectively;

a first terminal extending through the base of the battery enclosure and in contact with the first current collector of a first one of the N battery cells;

a second terminal extending through the base of the battery enclosure and in contact with the second current collector of a last one of the N battery cells; and

a voltage sensing system connected to the N−1 tabs, the first terminal, and the second terminal and configured to determine N voltages across the N battery cells, respectively,

wherein the voltage sensing system comprises N voltage sensors, and wherein a first one of the N voltage sensors is connected between the first terminal and a first one of the N−1 tabs, a second one to an (N−1) th one of the N voltage sensors are connected between two adjacent tabs of the N−1 tabs, respectively, and an N th one of the N voltage sensors is connected between the second terminal and one of the N−1 tabs.

12 . The bipolar battery system of claim 11 , wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are arranged on opposite sides of the base of the battery enclosure.

13 . The bipolar battery system of claim 11 , wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are arranged on a same side of the base of the battery enclosure.

14 . The bipolar battery system of claim 11 , further comprising a controller configured to at least one of:

adjust charging or discharging thresholds of the bipolar battery system in response to a difference between a measured voltage of one or more of the N battery cells relative to one or more others of the N battery cells, and

disconnect at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal in response to a difference between a measured voltage of one or more of the N battery cells relative to one or more others of the N battery cells.

15 . A bipolar battery system comprising:

N battery cells, where N is an integer greater than one,

wherein each of the N battery cells comprises:

M cores each comprising a first current collector, cathode active material, a separator, anode active material, and a second current collector, where M is an integer greater than one, wherein the M cores are connected in parallel by connecting the first current collectors of the M cores in each of the N battery cells together and by connecting the second current collectors of the M cores in each of the N battery cells together;

N−1 clad plates including a first side made of a first material and a second side made of a second material, wherein the N−1 clad plates are arranged between adjacent ones of the N battery cells and the N battery cells are connected in series by the N−1 clad plates;

a battery enclosure including a base and a lid arranged over the base, wherein the N battery cells and the N−1 clad plates are arranged in the battery enclosure, wherein the base includes an inner surface defining slots, and wherein the N−1 clad plates are arranged in the slots, wherein the lid includes N−1 tabs extending through opposing sides of the lid and are connected to the first sides of the N−1 clad plates, respectively;

a first terminal extending through the base of the battery enclosure and in contact with the first current collector of a first one of the N battery cells;

a second terminal extending through the base of the battery enclosure and in contact with the second current collector of a last one of the N battery cells; and

a voltage sensing system comprising N voltage sensors connected to the N−1 tabs, the first terminal, and the second terminal and configured to determine N voltages across the N battery cells, respectively, wherein a first one of the N voltage sensors is connected between the first terminal and the second terminal, and a second one to an N th one of the N voltage sensors are connected between the N−1 tabs and the second terminal.

16 . The bipolar battery system of claim 15 , wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are arranged on opposite sides of the base of the battery enclosure.

17 . The bipolar battery system of claim 15 , wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are arranged on a same side of the base of the battery enclosure.

18 . The bipolar battery system of claim 15 , further comprising a controller configured to:

calculate a first voltage across a first one of the N battery cells based on a first voltage sensed by a first one of the N voltage sensors,

calculate a second voltage across a second one of the N battery cells based on a difference between a voltage sensed by a second one of the N voltage sensors and the first voltage, and

calculate an M th voltage across an M th one of the N battery cells based on a difference between a voltage sensed by an M th one of the N voltage sensors and an (M−1) th voltage.

19 . The bipolar battery system of claim 18 , wherein the controller is further configured to adjust charging or discharging thresholds of the bipolar battery system in response to a difference between a measured voltage of one or more of the N battery cells relative to one or more others of the N battery cells.

20 . The bipolar battery system of claim 18 , wherein the controller is further configured to disconnect at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal in response to a difference between a measured voltage of one or more of the N battery cells relative to one or more others of the N battery cells.