Self-supporting capacitor structure
View Patent ↗A plurality of high capacitance capacitors are coupled to supply or accept large currents. Bus bars are welded to the capacitors to provide improved thermal performance as well as self-supporting rigidity to the geometrical structure formed by the capacitors and the bus bars.
1. A capacitor based system, comprising
at least three double-layer capacitors, the capacitors comprising terminals through which a high current may flow safely; and
at least two bus bars, each bus bar comprising two attachment points, wherein at the two attachment points a double-layer capacitor and the bus bar form an integral structure that passes the high current,
wherein the at least three capacitors and the at least two bus bars comprise a self supporting-structure and the at least three double-layer capacitors are connected in series by the at least two bus bars.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the high current is greater than 2000 amps.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one bus bar comprises a relatively ductile metal.
4. The system of claim 2 , wherein at least one bus bar comprises an increased surface area.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the increased surface area comprises one or more rib.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an electrical device, wherein two of the terminals are coupled to the electrical device.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least three capacitors provide about 42 volts when charged.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein two capacitor balancing circuits are interconnected between terminals of the at least three capacitors.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the self-supporting structure comprises welds.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the welds are laser welds.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the welds are ultrasonic welds.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the welds are cold formed.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein two terminals are disposed along one axis of each double layer capacitor.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the terminals and the at least two bus bars comprise the same metal.
15. A capacitor structure, comprising:
a plurality of capacitors; and
a plurality of bus bars for carrying a current between the plurality of capacitors,
wherein the plurality of bus bars and the plurality of capacitors form an integrally interconnected self-supporting structure in which the plurality of capacitors are connected in series by the plurality of bus bars.
16. The structure of claim 15 , wherein one or more of the bus bars comprise an increased surface area.
17. The structure of claim 15 , wherein the bus bars are welded to the plurality of capacitors.
18. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the current is at least 250 amps.
19. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the capacitors are double-layer capacitors.
20. The structure of claim 15 , wherein the capacitors comprise terminals and the integral interconnected structure is comprised of the bus bars and the terminals.
21. The structure of claim 20 , wherein the capacitors comprise an aluminum housing and aluminum lid, wherein the housing and lid each comprise a terminal.
22. The structure of claim 15 , wherein the self-supporting structure includes at least one capacitor balancing circuit connected between two of the capacitors.
23. A capacitor based system, comprising:
at least two double-layer capacitors, the capacitors having axially disposed terminals through which current may flow safely; and
at least one bus bar, the bus bar comprising two attachment points, the at least one bus bar for carrying the current between the double-layer capacitors, the at least one bus bar welded at the two attachment points to respective terminals of the double-layer capacitors,
wherein a charge balancing circuit is electrically interposed between the respective terminals of the double lever capacitors.
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the at least one bus bar comprises at least one void within which one of the terminals is disposed.
25. A capacitor based system, comprising
at least three double-layer capacitors, the capacitors comprising terminals through which a high current may flow safely; and
at least two bus bars, each bus bar comprising two attachment points, wherein at the two attachment points a double-layer capacitor and the bus bar form an integral structure that passes the high current,
wherein the at least three capacitors and the at least two bus bars comprise a self supporting-structure and at least one bus bar comprises an increased surface area.
26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the increased surface area comprises one or more rib.
27. A capacitor based system, comprising
at least three double-layer capacitors, the capacitors comprising terminals through which a high current may flow safely; and
at least two bus bars, each bus bar comprising two attachment points, wherein at the two attachment points a double-layer capacitor and the bus bar from an integral structure that passes the high current,
wherein the at least three capacitors and the at least two bus bars comprise a self supporting-structure and two capacitor balancing circuits are interconnected between the terminals of the at least three capacitors.
28. A capacitor based system, comprising
at least three double-layer capacitors, the capacitors comprising terminals through which a high current may flow safely; and
at least two bus bars, each bus bar comprising two attachment points, wherein at the two attachment points, double-layer capacitor and the bus bar form an integral structure that passes the high current,
wherein the at least three capacitors and the at least two bus bars comprise a self supporting-structure and the terminals and the at least two bus bars comprise the same metal.