US 12,237,479 B2
Electric battery cell discharge firewall
John P. Harvey, Round Rock, TX (US)
Assigned to Dell Products L.P., Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed by Dell Products L.P., Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed on Nov. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/515,803.
Prior Publication US 2023/0137717 A1, May 4, 2023
Int. Cl. H01M 10/44 (2006.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC H01M 10/443 (2013.01) [H01M 10/441 (2013.01); H02J 7/00309 (2020.01); H02J 7/0031 (2013.01); H02J 7/007194 (2020.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A battery module array for use in a battery-powered system, the battery module array comprising:
a plurality of battery modules; and
a battery management unit configured to control operation of the plurality of battery modules, and further configured to, in response to a critical condition occurring with respect to an affected battery module of the plurality of battery modules:
establish a discharge firewall comprising the affected battery module and one or more additional battery modules of the plurality of battery modules proximate to the affected battery module; and
prioritize discharging of the affected battery module and one or more additional battery modules of the plurality of battery modules proximate to the affected battery module over discharging of at least one battery module of the plurality of battery modules outside of the discharge firewall by discharging the affected battery module and one or more additional battery modules of the plurality of battery modules proximate to the affected battery module to a system load of the battery-powered system, the system load comprising one or more components of the battery-powered system configured to draw electrical energy from the plurality of battery modules in the absence of the critical condition.