RU-2861383-C1 - STORAGE BATTERY FOR UNDERWATER EQUIPMENT

RU2861383C1RU 2861383 C1RU2861383 C1RU 2861383C1RU-2861383-C1

Abstract

FIELD: storage batteries. SUBSTANCE: this invention relates to storage batteries for underwater equipment, comprising at least one electrochemical storage cell, a protection, control and balancing unit, a frame made of electrically insulating material, on which said at least one electrochemical storage cell and the protection, control and balancing unit are fixed, a cable for charging and powering external equipment. According to the invention, the battery is enclosed in a monolithic polymer shell obtained by pouring a polymer compound into a mould. Polymer supports made of the same polymer material as the monolithic polymer shell are pre-fixed on the frame. Said supports, when the assembly is installed in the mould, ensure a guaranteed minimum gap between the assembly and the mould and, after pouring, are integrated with the monolithic polymer shell, forming a single monolith with it. EFFECT: ensuring operability and mechanical integrity of the storage battery under the action of increased hydrostatic pressure, increasing reliability, simplifying the design, and reducing weight/dimensions. 7 cl, 2 dwg

Inventors

DIKAREV ALEKSANDR VASILEVICH
DMITRIEV STANISLAV MIKHAILOVICH
Kubkin Vitalii Anatolevich
Vasilenko Andrei Vladimirovich
Abelentsev Artur Pavlovich

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20251115

Claims (7)

1. A battery for underwater equipment, comprising at least one electrochemical battery cell, a protection, control and balancing unit, a frame made of electrically insulating material on which said at least one electrochemical battery cell and the protection, control and balancing unit are fixed, a cable for charging and powering external equipment, characterized in that the battery is enclosed in a monolithic polymer shell obtained by pouring a polymer compound into a mold, wherein polymer supports made of the same polymer material as the monolithic polymer shell are pre-fixed to the frame, wherein said supports, when installing the assembly in the mold, provide a guaranteed minimum gap between the assembly and the mold and, after pouring, are integrated with the monolithic polymer shell, forming a single monolith with it, wherein the polymer compound has a Shore A hardness of at least 70 to ensure uniform transmission of hydrostatic pressure to the internal elements of the battery at operating depths of up to at least 20 MPa, and One of the control contacts of the protection, control and balancing unit is configured to make electrical contact with the external aqueous medium, and the return contact is located on the side of the connected consumer and/or sealed connector, wherein the protection, control and balancing unit is configured to automatically turn on the power supply to the consumer when the electrical resistance between said contacts decreases below a specified threshold value.
2. The storage battery according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the polymer compound is cast polyurethane.
3. A storage battery according to paragraph 1 or 2, characterized in that the hardness of the polymer compound according to Shore A is from 70 to 95.
4. A storage battery according to any one of paragraphs 1-3, characterized in that the minimum thickness of the monolithic polymer shell provided by the supports is from 2 to 10 mm.
5. A storage battery according to any one of paragraphs 1-4, characterized in that the supports are made with a geometry that ensures the distribution of the external load on the monolithic polymer shell without the formation of local stress concentrations in the area where the electrochemical cells and the protection, control and balancing unit are located.
6. A storage battery according to any one of paragraphs 1-5, characterized in that the frame is made of a dielectric polymer material and/or in the form of a continuation of the monolithic polymer sheath of the cable.
7. A storage battery according to any one of paragraphs 1-6, characterized in that the monolithic polymer shell is formed in a one- or two-stage pouring process with preliminary degassing of the compound to minimize air inclusions.

Description

Field of technology to which the invention relates This invention relates to batteries for underwater equipment, comprising at least one electrochemical battery cell, a protection, control and balancing unit, a frame made of electrically insulating material on which said at least one electrochemical battery cell and the protection, control and balancing unit are fixed, and a cable for charging and powering external equipment. State of the art The present invention relates to power sources for underwater equipment. Such a battery for underwater use is described in U.S. Patent No. US9637994 (published May 2, 2017) for "Pressure-Tolerant Battery." This battery is the closest in technical essence and achievable technical result and was chosen as a prototype of the proposed invention. A drawback of the known device is the inability to guarantee the battery's operability and mechanical integrity when exposed to increased hydrostatic pressure. This drawback is due to the use of a liquid-oil pressure compensation system and a metal casing. When the carrier maneuvers, the fluid inside the casing shifts ("sloshing"), shifting the battery's center of mass and creating parasitic torques. Furthermore, the presence of a rigid casing and sealed entries increases the dimensions and weight of the device and complicates balancing. The proposed battery, designed as a monolithic polymer shell with a fixed arrangement of internal components, eliminates these problems and ensures stable dynamic performance of the underwater carrier under operating hydrostatic pressure. Disclosure of invention The present invention is primarily aimed at providing a battery for underwater equipment that allows at least one of the above-mentioned disadvantages to be mitigated, namely, to ensure the operability and mechanical integrity of the battery under the action of increased hydrostatic pressure, which is the problem being solved. In order to achieve this objective, the battery is enclosed in a monolithic polymer shell obtained by pouring a polymer compound into a mold, wherein polymer supports made of the same polymer material as the monolithic polymer shell are pre-fixed to the frame, wherein said supports, when installing the assembly into the mold, provide a guaranteed minimum gap between the assembly and the mold and, after pouring, are integrated with the monolithic polymer shell, forming a single monolith with it, wherein the polymer compound has a Shore A hardness of at least 70 to ensure uniform transmission of hydrostatic pressure to the internal elements of the battery at operating depths of up to at least 20 MPa, and one of the control contacts of the protection, control and balancing unit is configured to make electrical contact with the external aqueous environment, and the return contact is located on the side of the connected consumer and/or sealed connector, wherein the protection, control and balancing unit is configured to automatically turn on the power supply to the consumer when the electrical resistance between said contacts decreases below a specified threshold value. The battery's enclosure in a monolithic polymer shell, created by pouring the compound into a mold, eliminates external detachable seams and seals, ensuring the housing remains waterproof at great depths. Furthermore, the shell transmits external pressure evenly and directly to the cells, eliminating the need for a rigid, normobaric housing, reducing weight and cost. The fact that polymer supports made of the same material as the shell are pre-attached to the frame ensures that the supports secure the assembly in the mold, guaranteeing a minimum gap and uniform thickness of the future layer. After pouring, the supports chemically fuse with the shell, forming a single monolith without interphase boundaries—there is no risk of delamination under cyclic loading. The polymer compound's hardness of at least 70 Shore A ensures that, despite its rigidity, the material does not deform significantly under 20 MPa of pressure and distributes it evenly to the batteries. This also eliminates the "micro-pumping" effect (electrolyte pumping), reducing mechanical fatigue of the cells. The fact that one of the BMS control contacts has direct electrical contact with the water, while the opposite contact is on the consumer side, allows the BMS to automatically turn on power when the resistance between the contacts drops below a threshold. This allows for automatic on/off switching during immersion and removal without mechanical switches, eliminating potential leakage points. Furthermore, energy is saved: the battery will only close when the consumer is physically connected to the water. All of these features combined provide: hermetic sealing without an expensive metal casing, resistance to 20 MPa and above, protection of electronics from corrosion, and convenient automatic power management. There is also a variant of the invention in which the polymer compound is a cast poly