Design of a 10 kWh Modular Battery Pack for Marine Craft and Stationary Energy Storage Applications

Abstract

As seen in the automotive industry, there is a global shift towards sustainability through electrification. The battery and power electronics industry is exponentially expanding, leaving tremendous room for growth and innovation. Often underesti-mated, battery packaging technology is extremely important. This thesis explores the design process of a 350 volt, 10kWh battery pack for use in marine environments. Along with the physical construction of the pack, a fundamental battery management system was applied to monitor cell voltages and temperatures with the capability to passively balance the cells. Unconventional cooling methods were explored to mini-mize costs and pack complexity while maintaining the potential for a fully waterproof enclosure. In addition to developing a method to cool the battery pack, we also investigated the development of a customized external cooling system which could utilize an in-water heat exchanging fin design through the use of an outboard motor’s skeg. Our final product is a demonstrative iteration of future commercially-viable battery systems that can be used in both marinecraft and stationary energy stor-age systems. This thesis aids in the mission to bring the marine industry on-board towards a sustainable energy future.