Controllers for managing a plurality of stacks of electrochemical cells, and associated methods
AssigneeElement Energy, Inc.
InventorsSeth Marshall Kahn, Corrado Cammi, Anthony John Stratakos, Rainer Johannes Fasching
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Abstract
A method for managing a plurality of stacks of electrochemical cells, where the plurality of stacks are electrically coupled in parallel in a battery. The method includes (a) operating the plurality of stacks to execute a global operating strategy of the battery, (b) changing respective operating points of one or more first stacks of the plurality of stacks to execute a local operating strategy, and (c) changing respective operating points of one or more second stacks of the plurality of stacks to maintain the global operating strategy of the battery while executing the local operating strategy.
Claims21
A method for managing a plurality of stacks of electrochemical cells, the plurality of stacks being electrically coupled in parallel in a battery, the method comprising:
- operating the plurality of stacks to execute a global operating strategy of the battery;
- controlling one or more first power converters to change operation of one or more first stacks of the plurality of stacks to execute a first local operating strategy for determining one or more of (a) open circuit voltage of the one or more first stacks and (b) leakage current of the one or more first stacks;
- and
- controlling one or more second power converters to change operation of one or more second stacks of the plurality of stacks to compensate for change in operation of the one or more first stacks caused by executing the first local operating strategy for determining one or more of (a) open circuit voltage of the one or more first stacks and (b) leakage current of the one or more first stacks, and thereby maintain the global operating strategy of the battery while executing the first local operating strategy.
A method for managing a plurality of stacks of electrochemical cells, the plurality of stacks being electrically coupled in parallel in a battery, the method comprising:
- operating the plurality of stacks to execute a global operating strategy of the battery;
- controlling one or more first power converters to change operation of one or more first stacks of the plurality of stacks to execute a local operating strategy of causing the one or more first stacks to move toward a different state of charge than one or more second stacks of the plurality of stacks, to perform state of charge recalibration of the one or more first stacks;
- and
- controlling one or more second power converters to change operation of the one or more second stacks to compensate for change in operation of the one or more first stacks caused by executing the local operating strategy of causing the one or more first stacks to move toward the different state of charge than one or more second stacks of the plurality of stacks, and thereby maintain the global operating strategy of the battery while executing the local operating strategy.
A method for managing a plurality of stacks of electrochemical cells, the plurality of stacks being electrically coupled in parallel in a battery, the method comprising:
- operating the plurality of stacks to execute a global operating strategy of the battery;
- controlling one or more first power converters to change operation of one or more first stacks of the plurality of stacks to execute a local operating strategy for reducing degradation of the one or more first stacks;
- and
- controlling one or more second power converters to change operation of one or more second stacks of the plurality of stacks to compensate for change in operation of the one or more first stacks caused by executing the local operating strategy for reducing degradation of the one or more first stacks, and thereby maintain the global operating strategy of the battery while executing the local operating strategy.
A method for managing a plurality of stacks of electrochemical cells, the plurality of stacks being electrically coupled in parallel in a battery, the method comprising:
- operating the plurality of stacks to execute a global operating strategy of the battery;
- controlling one or more first power converters to change operation of one or more first stacks of the plurality of stacks to execute a local operating strategy in response to a state of safety of the one or more first stacks crossing a threshold value;
- and
- controlling one or more second power converters to change operation of one or more second stacks of the plurality of stacks to compensate for change in operation of the one or more first stacks caused by executing the local operating strategy in response to the state of safety of the one or more first stacks crossing the threshold value, and thereby maintain the global operating strategy of the battery while executing the local operating strategy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.