# US 9,882,401 B2 · Battery energy storage system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,882,401 B2 - Document ID: US9882401B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/932,688 - Filed: 2015-11-04 - Published: 2017-05-04 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-04 - Assignees: Powin Energy Corporation - Applicants: Powin Energy Corporation - Inventors: Virgil Lee Beaston - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882401B2 ## CPC - H01M 10/4207: {for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially} - H02J 3/32: using batteries or super capacitors with converting means - H02J 7/54: Passive balancing, e.g. using resistors or parallel MOSFETs - H02J 7/80: including monitoring or indicating arrangements - H02J 7/865: {Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence)} - H02J 13/12: Monitoring network conditions, e.g. electrical magnitudes or operational status - H02J 3/16: by adjustment of reactive power - H02J 7/61: against overcharge - H02J 7/62: against overcurrent - H02J 7/63: against overdischarge - H02J 7/68: using circuits for correcting or protecting against reverse-polarity - H02J 7/825: {Detection of fully charged condition} - H02J 13/1331: {using wireless data transmission} - H02J 13/1333: {by means of mobile telephony} - H02J 13/1337: {involving the use of Internet protocols} - Y02E 40/10: Flexible AC transmission systems [FACTS] - Y02E 40/30: Reactive power compensation - Y02E 40/70: Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector - Y02E 60/00: Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02E 70/30: Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin - Y04S 10/00: Systems supporting electrical power generation, transmission or distribution - Y04S 10/14: Energy storage units - Y04S 10/22: Flexible AC transmission systems [FACTS] or power factor or reactive power compensating or correcting units - Y04S 10/30: State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a battery energy storage system (BESS) that can be used to store energy that is produced by conventional sources (e.g., coal, gas, nuclear) as well as renewable sources (e.g., wind, solar), and provide the stored energy on-demand. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A battery energy storage system comprising: a plurality of battery packs; a string controller coupled to the plurality of battery packs and configured to control charging and discharging of the plurality of battery packs via a power control system that is external to the battery energy storage system; and an array controller coupled to the string controller and configured to instruct the string controller to charge or discharge the plurality of battery packs via a first communication bus, wherein the array controller is coupled to a system controller that comprises a communication interface that is configured to couple to a communications network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A battery energy storage system of claim 1, further comprising: another plurality of battery packs; another string controller coupled to the another plurality of battery packs and configured to control charging and discharging of the another plurality of battery packs via the power control system, wherein the array controller is coupled to the another string controller and is further configured to instruct the another string controller to charge or discharge the another plurality of battery packs via the first communication bus. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the first communication bus is a control area network (CAN) bus. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is further configured to encrypt communications transmitted over the communications network. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is further configured to receive instructions over the communications network and instruct the array controller to charge or discharge the plurality of battery packs in response to receiving the instructions. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is further configured to transmit a status report of the battery energy storage system over the communications network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of battery packs are vertically stacked. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of battery packs are connected in series to form a string of battery packs. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The battery energy storage system of claim 7, wherein the string controller is coupled to a terminal of a first battery pack and a terminal of a last battery pack of the string of battery packs. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The battery energy storage system of claim 7, wherein the string controller comprises a ground fault detection system that is coupled to a middle battery pack of the string of battery packs. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the string controller comprises a controller that is configured to monitor current of the plurality of battery packs. ### Claim 12 A battery energy storage system comprising: a battery pack array comprising n battery pack strings, wherein each battery pack string comprises m battery packs connected in series; n string controllers, wherein each string control box is coupled to one of the n battery pack strings and configured to control charging and discharging of the m battery packs; and an array controller configured to instruct the n string controllers to charge or discharge each of the m battery packs via control area network (CAN) bus, wherein n is greater than or equal to 2 and m is greater than 2, wherein the array controller is coupled to a system controller that comprises a communication interface that is configured to couple to a communications network, and is further configured to receive instructions over the communications network and instruct the n string controllers to charge or discharge each of the m battery packs in response to receiving the instructions. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The battery energy storage system of claim 12, further comprising an enclosure housing the battery pack array, n string controllers, and the array controller. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The battery energy storage system of claim 13, wherein an exterior of the enclosure is configured to support a power converter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The battery energy storage system of claim 12, wherein, for each of the n battery pack strings, the m battery packs are vertically stacked on server racks. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The battery energy storage system of claim 12, wherein each of the n string controllers are coupled to a terminal of a first battery pack and a terminal of a last battery pack of the m battery packs. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The battery energy storage system of claim 16, wherein each of the n string controllers comprise a power interface that is configured to couple to a power control system, and are further configured to charge or discharge the m battery packs via the power control system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The battery energy storage system of claim 16, wherein each of the n string controllers comprises a ground fault detection system coupled to a middle battery pack of the m battery packs.