Battery cell voltage balancing system and method
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsBruce Carvell Blakemore, Allan Roy Gale
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle may include an electric machine that generates motive power for the vehicle, a plurality of cells that store energy for the electric machine, and at least one controller. The at least one controller may cause the cells to receive current for a period of time and, during the period of time, cause at least some of the cells to supply cell load current such that at the expiration of the period of time, the amount of energy stored by the cells is at least equal to a predetermined target energy level.
Claims12
A vehicle comprising:
- an electric machine configured to generate motive power for the vehicle;
- a battery including a plurality of cells configured to store energy for the electric machine;
- and
- at least one controller configured to cause the cells to receive current for a predetermined period of time and, during the predetermined period of time, to cause at least some of the cells to supply cell load current such that at the expiration of the predetermined period of time, the cell voltages are approximately equal to a target voltage and the amount of energy stored by the cells is at least equal to a predetermined target energy level, wherein the predetermined period of time is based on the target voltage.
A method for charging a vehicle battery comprising:
- causing cells of the battery to receive current for a predetermined period of time;
- and,
- during the predetermined period of time, causing at least some of the cells to supply cell load current such that at the expiration of the predetermined period of time, the cell voltages are approximately equal to a target voltage, wherein the predetermined period of time is based on the target voltage.
A power system comprising:
- a battery including a plurality of cells;
- and
- at least one controller configured to cause the cells to acquire charge for a predetermined period of time such that at the expiration of the predetermined period of time, the voltages of the cells are approximately equal to a target voltage, wherein the rate at which charge is acquired by the cells is different among at least some of the cells for at least a determined portion of the predetermined period of time and wherein the predetermined period of time is based on the target voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.