US 2006/0132089 A1 · Battery management and equalization system for batteries using power line carrier communications

Abstract

A battery charging system uses power line carrier communications, for communicating battery state information associated with charging batteries, between a battery charger and a battery management system (BMS) located on the battery or battery pack. The power line carrier includes transmitters and receivers transmitting and receiving battery state information, such as current, voltage and temperature, as digital signals on existing cable conductors located between the battery/battery pack and the battery charger. The battery management system (BMS), which is physically located on the battery pack, receives the information from the power line carrier, in order to measure a variety of parameters relating to charging the battery, which may be a motor vehicle battery or a battery for operating machinery, such as fork lifts, bulldozers and other earth moving and product transportation vehicles.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A battery charging system comprising:

at least one battery having positive and negative terminals;
at least one battery charger having a pair of DC charging wires to said positive and negative terminals for delivering charging current to said at least one battery;
an AC or DC power source for said battery charger;
a battery management system for controlling said at least one battery charger connected to said positive and negative terminals having means for monitoring relevant state conditions of said battery;
and
said battery management system including a power line carrier having electronic transmitters and receivers using said DC charging wires to provide digital information signals to said battery charger about said relevant state conditions of said battery provided by said monitoring system.

3 more elements

A battery charging system comprising:

a battery pack of multiple batteries having positive and negative terminals;
a battery charger having a pair of DC charging wires to said positive and negative terminals for delivering charging current to said batteries;
an AC or DC power source for said battery charger;
a battery management system for controlling said battery charger through an isolated communication network;
said battery charger sending charger information including charger temperature, communications protocol or errors, and stop signals through said isolated communications network to said battery management system;
an individual measurement and equalization node in each said battery for measuring battery temperature current flow in or out of each said battery, voltages of each said battery, and temperatures of cells within said batteries;
and
means providing digital communication between said battery charger and said battery management system over said DC charging wires.

5 more elements

A battery charging system comprising:

at least one battery having positive and negative terminals;
a bulk battery charger having a pair of DC charging wires to said positive and negative terminals for delivering charging current to said at least one battery;
an AC or DC power source for said battery charger;
a battery management system for controlling said at least one bulk battery charger connected to said positive and negative terminals having means for monitoring relevant state conditions of said battery;
and
a DC equalization bus circuit for a plurality of said batteries, said circuit being powered from a central equalization power supply and being connected to said at least one battery via a measurement and equalization node associated with said at least one battery, said node providing a direct connection to a DC equalization bus through a switching network charging said at least one battery to equalize all said batteries within a battery compartment to reach an equal state of capacity, said DC equalization bus circuit being powered by said equalization power supply, said DC output of said equalization power supply being matched to a predetermined voltage range of an individual battery within a series or series-parallel string of said plurality of batteries.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Battery management and equalization system for batteries using power line carrier communications

Life of this patent

Battery management and equalization system for batteries using power line carrier communications

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33