US 10,097,013 B2Granted

Battery management system and method for managing isolation and bypass of battery cells

AssigneeCheevc Ltd

InventorKenneth Hamilton Norton

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Abstract

A battery management system can be provided which can include a plurality of battery management units connected in series and a host controller. Each battery management unit can include a battery cell, an isolation element, and at least one bypass element. The isolation element is connected with the battery cell in series, and the battery cell is isolated by turning off the isolation element. The bypass elements can be in parallel connection with the battery cell and isolation element, and the battery cell is bypassed by turning on the bypass element. A battery management method can include: activating the battery cell of the battery management unit by turning on the isolation element and turning off the bypass elements of the battery management unit; and deactivating the battery cell of the battery management unit by turning off the isolation element and turning on the bypass elements of the battery management unit.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A battery management system, comprising:

a host controller;
and
a plurality of battery management units connected with each other in series, and each battery management unit comprising:
a battery cell;
one or more isolation elements connected with the battery cell in series for disconnecting the battery cell;
and
one or more bypass elements provided in a parallel connection with the battery cell and the one or more isolation elements for bypassing the battery cell
wherein the host controller is coupled with the isolation elements and the bypass elements of the battery management units,
wherein the host controller is configured to control the isolation elements and the bypass elements of the battery management units to disconnect or reconnect the battery cells of the battery management units to provide each battery cell with a period for quiescent recovery, by way of:
disconnecting a first battery cell of a first battery management unit for a first period of time, while keeping other battery cells of other battery management units activated and connected in series with each other;
and
at the end of the first period of time, reconnecting the first battery cell of the first battery management unit, and disconnecting a second battery cell of a second management unit for a second period of time,
wherein the host controller is further configured to activate the battery management units incrementally over a predetermined time period on an initial demand to softly start the battery management system so as to reduce high inrush current spikes which may damage or reduce battery performance, by activating only one cell each time until all of the battery cells are activated, including:
activating only the first battery cell;
and
in response to the first battery cell being activated, activating only the second battery cell to be connected to the first battery cell in series.

13 more elements

A battery management method for a battery management system which comprises a plurality of battery management units, wherein each of the battery management units has a battery cell, the battery management units being connected with each other in series, the method comprising:

deactivating a first battery cell of the plurality of battery management units for a first period of time by turning off an isolation element of a first one of the plurality of battery management units and turning on one or more bypass elements of the first battery management unit, while keeping other batter cells of other batter management units connected in series with each other;
and
at the end of the first period of time, activating the first battery cell by turning on the isolation element of the first battery management unit and turning off the one or more bypass elements of the first battery management unit and deactivating a second battery cell of the plurality of battery management units for a second period of time, and
the method further comprising:
activating the battery management units incrementally over a predetermined time period on an initial demand to softly start the battery management system so as to reduce high inrush current spikes which may damage or reduce battery performance, by activating only one cell each time until all of the battery cells are activated, including:
activating only the first battery cell;
and
in response to the first battery cell being activated, activating only the second battery cell to be connected to the first battery cell in series.

5 more elements

A battery management method for a periodic cycling of a redundant battery cell of a battery cells series string to benefit from a quiescent recovery of the redundant battery cell, the method comprising:

turning off an isolation element which is in a same battery management unit with a first battery cell for disconnecting the first battery cell for a first period of time;
turning on at least one bypass element which is in the same battery management unit with the first battery cell for maintaining other battery cells of the battery cells series string activated and connected in series with each other;
and
at the end of the first period of time,
turning off the at least one bypass element and turning on the isolation element for reconnecting the first battery cell in the battery cells series string,
turning off an isolation element which is in a same battery management unit with a second battery cell for disconnecting the second battery cell for a second period of time, and
turning on at least one bypass element which is in the same battery management unit with the second battery cell for maintaining an overall connection of the battery cells series string, and
the method further comprising:
activating the battery cells incrementally over a predetermined time period on an initial demand to softly start the battery cells series string so as to reduce high inrush current spikes which may damage or reduce battery performance, by activating only one cell each time until all of the battery cells are activated, including:
activating only the first battery cell;
and
in response to the first battery cell being activated, activating only the second battery cell to be connected to the first battery cell in series.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/885,329Filed 25 Nov 2010
Published: US 2013/0234667 A112 Sep 2013
Granted: 9 Oct 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H02J 7/54
For charge balancing, e.g. equalisation of charge between batteries: passive balancing, e.g. using resistors or parallel MOSFETs
H01M 10/441
Methods for charging or discharging: for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
H02J 7/52
Acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially: for charge balancing, e.g. equalisation of charge between batteries
Y02E 60/10
Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation: energy storage using batteries