Method for operating a battery system

A battery system comprising multiple strings connected to one another in parallel, wherein:

• each of the strings includes at least one battery module in which multiple battery cells are interconnected in a series connection and/or in a parallel connection;
• the strings are switchable on and off from one another by respective string switches, each of the string switches controlling a respective one of the strings as a whole by an opening of the respective string switch switching off an entirety of the respective string;
• for each of one or more of the strings, individual battery cells of the battery cells of the respective string and/or individual battery cell packets which each includes multiple battery cells of the battery cells of the respective string are switchable on and off from one another by respective cell switches, each of the cell switches controlling a respective one of the individual battery cells or individual battery cell packet by an opening of the respective cell switch switching off the respective battery cell or respective battery cell packet for a bypass of the respective battery cell or battery cell packet;
• and
• the battery system configured to:
• recognize a fault of one of the battery cells of the battery system;
• in response to the recognition of the fault, perform a switch-off procedure that includes:
• switching off and bypassing the faulty battery cell and/or a faulty battery cell packet in which the faulty battery cell is located using the respective one of the cell switches that controls the faulty battery cell and/or the faulty cell packet;
• and
• switching off a faulty one of the strings which includes the faulty battery cell and/or the faulty battery cell packet using the respective one of the string switches that controls the faulty electrical battery;
• and
• subsequent to the switch-off procedure:
• compare voltages of (a) the faulty string and (b) each of one or more intact ones of the strings in which no fault was recognized to obtain a voltage difference;
• and
• based on a result of the comparison being that the voltage difference exceeds a voltage threshold value, discharge the intact strings while the faulty string remains switched off.

A vehicle, comprising:

• a battery system that includes multiple strings connected to one another in parallel, wherein:
• each of the strings includes at least one battery module in which multiple battery cells are interconnected in a series connection and/or in a parallel connection;
• the strings are switchable on and off from one another by respective string switches, each of the string switches controlling a respective one of the strings as a whole by an opening of the respective string switch switching off an entirety of the respective string;
• for each of one or more of the strings, individual battery cells of the battery cells of the respective string and/or individual battery cell packets which each includes multiple battery cells of the battery cells of the respective string are switchable on and off from one another by respective cell switches, each of the cell switches controlling a respective one of the individual battery cells or individual battery cell packet by an opening of the respective cell switch switching off the respective battery cell or respective battery cell packet for a bypass of the respective battery cell or battery cell packet;
• and
• the battery system configured to:
• recognize a fault of one of the battery cells of the battery system;
• in response to the recognition of the fault, perform a switch-off procedure that includes:
• switching off and bypassing the faulty battery cell and/or a faulty battery cell packet in which the faulty battery cell is located using the respective one of the cell switches that controls the faulty battery cell and/or the faulty cell packet;
• and
• switching off a faulty one of the strings which includes the faulty battery cell and/or the faulty battery cell packet using the respective one of the string switches that controls the faulty electrical battery;
• and
• subsequent to the switch-off procedure:
• compare voltages of (a) the faulty string and (b) each of one or more intact ones of the strings in which no fault was recognized to obtain a voltage difference;
• and
• based on a result of the comparison being that the voltage difference exceeds a voltage threshold value, discharge the intact strings while the faulty string remains switched off.