US 10,938,221 B1Granted

Large-format battery management system with limp home mode

AssigneeInventus Power, Inc.

InventorWilliam Tenorio

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Abstract

A battery system with a large-format Li-ion battery powers attached equipment by discharging battery cells distributed among a plurality of battery packs. The discharging of the battery cells is controlled in an efficient manner while preserving the expected life of the Li-ion battery cells. Each battery pack internally supports a battery management system and may have identical components, thus supporting an architecture that easily scales to higher power/energy. Battery packs may be added or removed without intervention with a user, where one of battery packs serves as a master battery pack and the remaining battery packs serve as slave battery packs. When the master battery pack is removed, one of the slave battery packs becomes the master battery pack. Charging and discharging of the battery cells is coordinated by the master battery pack with the slave battery packs over a communication channel such as a controller area network (CAN) bus.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A first battery pack configured for installation in a battery system for electrically powering an end device, wherein all installed battery packs are communicatively coupled by a communication channel in the battery system and have identical electrical and electronic components, the first battery pack comprising:

one or more battery cells;
a communication interface circuit configured to interface to the communication channel;
a power bus interface circuit configured to interface with a power bus and to provide electrical power to the end device;
a controller comprising at least one processor, wherein the controller of the first battery pack is configured to be either one of the controller of a master battery pack or the controller of a slave battery pack of the battery system;
and
a memory storing controller instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to:
determine that the first battery pack is the master battery pack of the battery system;
when the first battery pack receives a first failure notification message indicative of a first catastrophic failure at a second battery pack over the communication channel via the communication interface circuit, determine that a first spare battery pack is available;
when the first spare battery pack is available and an additional battery pack is needed to power the end device, send a first enable message to the first spare battery pack over the communication channel, wherein the first enable message instructs the first spare battery pack to discharge onto the power bus;
and
when the first battery pack receives the first failure notification message indicative of the first catastrophic failure at the second battery pack, send a first disable message to the second battery pack over the communication channel, wherein the first disable message instructs the second battery pack to terminate discharging onto the power bus.

8 more elements

A method of powering an end device by a power bus of a battery system, the method comprising:

after receiving a failure notification message indicative of a catastrophic failure at a slave battery pack over a communication channel, determining, by the master battery pack, that a first spare battery pack is available;
when the first spare battery pack is available and an additional battery pack is needed to power the end device, sending, by the master battery pack, an enable message to the first spare battery pack over the communication channel, wherein the enable message instructs the first spare battery pack to discharge onto the power bus;
and
when the master battery pack receives the failure notification message indicative of a catastrophic failure at the slave battery pack, sending, by the master battery pack, a disable message to the slave battery pack, wherein the disable message instructs the slave battery pack to terminate discharging onto the power bus.

1 more element

A battery system configured for electrically powering an end device and comprising a plurality of battery packs, the battery system comprising:

a slave battery pack;
and
a master battery pack including:
a first communication interface circuit configured to interface to a controller area network (CAN) bus;
a first controller comprising at least one processor;
and
a first memory storing controller instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first controller to:
when the master battery pack receives a failure notification message from the slave battery pack over the CAN bus via the first communication interface circuit and when an extra battery pack is needed, determine whether a first spare battery pack is available, wherein the failure notification message is indicative of a catastrophic failure at the slave battery pack;
when the first spare battery pack is an only spare battery pack and when the extra battery pack is needed, send an enable message to the first spare battery pack, wherein the enable message instructs the first spare battery pack to discharge onto a power bus;
and
when the master battery pack receives the failure notification message from the slave battery pack, send a disable message to the slave battery pack, wherein the disable message instructs the slave battery pack to terminate discharging onto the power bus.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/938,008Filed 24 Jul 2020 · continuation
Priority: 2 Jun 2020
Granted: 2 Mar 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification35 codes

H02J 7/40
Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries: characterised by the exchange of charge or…
H01M 10/0525
Li-accumulators: rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
H01M 10/425
Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells: structural combination with electronic…
H01M 10/4257
Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing: smart batteries, e.g.…