CN102447275A - Battery Control System - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a battery control system for controlling a battery pack in a vehicle, the battery pack including battery cells, the system comprising: a plurality of control modules each comprising: a microprocessor; (b) at least one sensor for monitoring an operating characteristic of the plurality of battery cells, the sensor communicatively coupled to the microprocessor via a series connection; (c) the isolation circuit is connected with the microprocessor and the sensor in series, and is used for isolating the microprocessor from the higher voltage of the storage battery pack; (d) a communication unit connected to the microprocessor for transmitting the operating characteristics monitored by the at least one sensor to other control modules via a communication network, wherein the communication unit of the control modules communicates with the communication network in a parallel manner; at least one of the plurality of control modules is designated as a master control module for outputting a control signal to control the operation of the plurality of battery cells according to the operation characteristics sensed by the control module.

Description

Battery Control System

technical field

The present invention relates to a battery control system and method, and more particularly to a battery control system for use in controlling a battery pack of an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle.

Background technique

The market for electric vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles is becoming more and more lucrative because of increasing customer demand for environmentally friendly technologies.

A key issue is proper monitoring and maintenance of the operation of the battery pack powering such a vehicle to ensure that the performance of the vehicle is not compromised. However, existing battery pack monitoring and management systems currently available for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles are often not adapted to operate with a variety of vehicle battery systems and capabilities. Furthermore, there is a significant need to reduce the manufacturing costs of such existing battery monitoring and management systems.

Contents of the invention

The present invention seeks to alleviate at least one of the above-mentioned problems.

The invention can encompass several generalized forms. Embodiments of the invention may comprise one of the various generalized forms described herein or any combination thereof.

In a first generalized form, the invention provides a battery control system for controlling a battery pack in a vehicle, said battery pack comprising a plurality of battery packs electrically connected together within the battery pack to produce an output of the battery pack voltage battery unit, where the system includes:

Multiple control modules, including:

(a) a microprocessor;

(b) at least one sensor for monitoring an operating characteristic of at least one of the plurality of battery cells, said at least one sensor being communicatively coupled to the microprocessor via a series connection;

(c) an isolation circuit communicatively coupled to the microprocessor and at least one sensor via the series connection, wherein the isolation circuit is used to isolate the microprocessor from a higher voltage of the battery pack;

(d) a communication unit communicatively connected to the microprocessor for sending the operating characteristics monitored by the at least one sensor to other control modules through a communication network, wherein the communication unit of the control module communicates in parallel communicate with the communication network; and

Wherein at least one of the plurality of control modules is designated as a main control module for outputting a control signal to control the operation of the plurality of battery units according to the operating characteristics sensed by the plurality of control modules.

Typically, the vehicle includes at least one of an electric vehicle and a hybrid electric vehicle.

Preferably, the communication network may comprise a controller area network. In addition, preferably, each of the plurality of control modules can be configured with a unique hardware address so as to be identifiable when communicating through the controller area network. Advantageously, faults arising in a particular battery cell can be more easily identified based on the control module's unique hardware address assigned for monitoring the operating characteristics of that particular battery cell or group of battery cells. In addition, preferably, the controller area network can be used for communication between the battery control system, the battery pack, the battery charger, the vehicle control system, the self-test and diagnosis module, and the vehicle status inquiry system.

Preferably, the serial connection comprises a serial peripheral interface. Advantageously, the use of a serial peripheral interface may allow a single isolation circuit to be placed in series with the sensor and microprocessor within the control module, thereby protecting the microprocessor from the high voltage of the battery pack. Thus, this can support the reduction of production costs associated with the present invention due to the reduction of components used.

Preferably, the at least one sensor may comprise an integrated circuit measurement sensor. Typically, each of the plurality of control modules may include one to three integrated circuit measurement sensors.

Preferably, the operating characteristic monitored by the at least one sensor may include at least one of a voltage signal, a current signal and a temperature measurement related to at least one of the monitored plurality of battery cells. Typically, the at least one sensor can be used to monitor an operating characteristic of at least one of the plurality of battery cells at least every 100 milliseconds.

Preferably, the isolation circuit may include an optical isolator.

Preferably, each of the plurality of control modules may include at least an 8-bit microprocessor. In addition, preferably, the main control module may include a 32-bit microprocessor.

Preferably, the main control module may include a thermal controller for controlling the temperature of the battery cell, the temperature of the battery pack, and the battery cell temperature difference of at least one.

Preferably, the main control module may include a contactor driver for selectively disconnecting the voltage of the battery pack from the motor and/or the charger and connecting the voltage of the battery pack to the motor and/or the charger.

Preferably, the main control module may include an analog-to-digital converter for converting an analog signal representing a current signal flowing through the battery pack into a digital current reading readable by the microprocessor unit of the main control module .

Preferably, the main control module may further include at least one of RS485 and RS232 communication interfaces.

Preferably, the main control module can be used to determine the state of charge of at least one of the plurality of battery cells according to the operating characteristics monitored by at least one sensor of the plurality of control modules.

Preferably, the main control module can be used to determine the health status of at least one of the battery units according to the operating characteristics monitored by at least one sensor of the plurality of control modules.

Preferably, the main control module is operatively connected to an active balancing circuit, and the active balancing circuit actively balances a plurality of battery cells in the battery pack in response to a control signal output by the main control module. Generally, the main control module can be used to output control signals to the active balancing circuit according to the state of charge of the plurality of battery cells.

Preferably, the present invention may include a data logging module for monitoring and storing data representing the operating history of the battery unit. Typically, this data includes at least one of the following:

(a) minimum, maximum and average voltage readings;

(b) minimum, maximum and average current readings;

(c) minimum, maximum and average temperature readings;

(d) details of overrunning events, including the timing, extent, and frequency of such overrunning events; and

(e) The number of times the battery has been charged.

Preferably, the present invention may include a self-test and diagnostic module for performing self-test and diagnostics of the battery control system including the microprocessor, sensors, isolation circuits, series connections and communication network.

Preferably, the invention may include a fault management module for implementing a fail-safe protocol upon detection of a fault on the battery unit. Typically, the fault may include at least one of an overrun condition of the battery pack and a battery cell leak. Preferably, the fail-safe protocol includes at least one of the following:

(a) disconnecting at least one of the plurality of battery cells from the motor and/or charger; and

(b) sending an alert indicating the detected fault to the vehicle user.

Preferably, the present invention includes a verification and identification module for recording information about the battery pack comprising at least one of the following:

(a) information identifying the manufacturer of the battery pack;

(b) information identifying the battery pack's nominal and battery cell chemistry;

(c) information identifying the lot and serial numbers associated with the manufacture of the battery pack; and

(d) Information identifying the date of manufacture of the battery pack.

Preferably, the vehicle control system may further comprise a visual display operatively connected to the main control module, wherein in response to a control signal received from the main control module, the visual display may be adapted to display an indication of Information about at least one of:

(a) the state of charge of at least one of the plurality of battery cells;

(b) the state of health of at least one of the plurality of battery cells;

(c) the temperature of at least one of the plurality of battery cells, the battery pack, or battery cell temperature difference;

(d) vehicle speed indicative of the voltage of the battery pack connected to the vehicle's motor;

(e) the detected failure condition of the battery unit; and

(f) Detected overvoltage faults and/or undervoltage faults.

Preferably, at least one of the data recording module, the self-test and diagnosis module, the fault management module, the verification and identification module, and the thermal controller may include, stored on the main control module, A computer program executed by the module's microprocessor.

Description of drawings

According to the following detailed description of non-limiting preferred embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the present invention can be more fully understood, wherein:

1 shows a functional block diagram of a first embodiment of a battery control system that interacts with the battery pack and other systems of a hybrid electric vehicle;

2 illustrates another aspect of the first embodiment of the battery control system interacting with multiple battery packs and other systems of a hybrid electric vehicle;

3 illustrates a master control module and a plurality of slave modules communicatively connected in parallel through a controller area network of a hybrid electric vehicle;

Fig. 4 shows the functional block diagram of the main control module according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5 shows a functional block diagram of a slave control module according to a first embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a dynamic balancing circuit for dynamically balancing battery cells of a battery pack according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Now, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6 , a first embodiment of a battery control system 1 for controlling a battery pack 3 and other systems of a hybrid electric vehicle or an electric vehicle will be described. The storage battery control system 1 includes: a master control module 10 and a plurality of slave control modules 11, as shown in FIG. 3 , they are connected in parallel through a controller area network (controller area network) 2, so as to facilitate communication between them. Furthermore, the main control module 10 is also adapted to communicate with other systems of the vehicle, optionally via RS232 and/or RS485 type communication interfaces.

Conveniently, the battery control system 1 can be scaled, ie, the required number of control modules 10, 11 for controlling the battery pack 3 can be selectively configured according to the specific voltage capacity of the battery pack 3 of the vehicle. Typically, in many electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, 1-9 control modules are usually suitable for controlling the battery pack 3 voltage of 12-1000V. If the number of battery cells does not exceed 36V, only one master module is required to control the battery pack. If battery cells greater than 36V are included, several slave modules and a master module are usually configured to control the battery pack. For example, a battery control system for use with a battery pack system of a given voltage capacity can be efficiently configured by using a touch screen LCD display as a user input device.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a battery control system 1 interconnected with various system functions of the vehicle via a controller area network 2 . Such a system includes: the vehicle's battery pack 3, an electric motor 4 and associated motor driver 5 for driving the motor 4, an on-board battery charger 6, and a vehicle speed controller 7b including a liquid crystal display (LCD) 7a and, for example, an accelerator pedal vehicle control system.

The vehicle includes several battery packs 3 for powering electric motors 4 , as shown in FIG. 2 . In this embodiment, a high-capacity storage battery pack 3 such as a lead-acid storage battery, a nickel-cadmium storage battery, a metal hydride-nickel storage battery, a lithium ion storage battery, or a lithium polymer battery is employed. The battery pack 3 can be selectively connected and disconnected to the electric motor 4 via battery contactors 8 a , 8 b arranged between the battery pack 3 and the positive and negative bus lines 9 a , 9 b of the electric motor 4 . The battery pack 3 respectively includes a plurality of independent battery cells ( B1 . . . Bn ), which are electrically connected together to provide the overall voltage of the battery pack 3 . In order to facilitate the understanding of the first embodiment, each slave control module and master control module are allocated separately so as to individually monitor the battery cells of the independent battery pack 3 , as shown in FIG. 3 . However, those skilled in the art appreciate that a given slave control module and master control module may be configured to monitor many cells across more than one battery pack, or multiple control modules may be configured to monitor a single battery pack battery cells in the pack.

In this embodiment, the electric motor 4 of the vehicle is either a brushed DC motor, or a brushless DC motor, or an AC asynchronous motor, or a traction motor. The motor driver 5 is suitable for being electrically connected between the battery pack 3 and the motor 4 . The motor driver 5 is also communicatively connected to the main control module 10 of the battery control system 1 . When the user inputs a speed command through the vehicle accelerator pedal 7 b of the vehicle, the speed command is received as an input of the main control module 10 . Then, the main control module 10 converts the speed command into a command readable by the motor driver 5, and then instructs the motor driver 5 to adjust the motor 4 sent from the battery pack 3 to drive the motor 4 at the required speed. power. If a DC motor is used, the motor driver 5 can be configured to adjust the DC power supplied by appropriately pulsing the DC voltage output of the battery pack 3 to the required DC voltage level. As an option, if an AC motor is used, the motor drive 5 can be configured to convert the DC voltage of the battery pack 3 into a three-phase AC voltage of proper phase, amplitude and polarity for driving at the required speed The AC motor.

The on-board battery charger 6 is a low power device adapted to provide a slower charging of the battery pack 3 . The battery control system 1 is also configured for controllable communication of the battery pack 3 with an external battery charging station 12 . The external battery charging station 12 is a high-power device for rapidly charging the battery pack 3 with a relatively high current.

The LCD7a of the vehicle control system is located on the vehicle dashboard and displays information to the vehicle user, including the state of charge and state of health of the battery pack, temperature of the battery cells (B1...Bn), vehicle speed, visual alarms for overruns and audible warning indicators and/or fault conditions of the battery pack 3, as well as visual and audible warning indicators of faults detected on the battery control system during self-tests and diagnostics. Through the controller area network 2 or a separate RS232 or RS485 type communication interface, the battery control system 1 is communicatively connected to the LCD 7a, so that according to the operating characteristics of the battery pack 3 and other systems of the vehicle monitored by the battery control system 1, the display on the LCD 7a information can be continuously updated. As mentioned above, the vehicle control system further includes an accelerator pedal 7b, and the accelerator pedal 7b communicates with the main control module 10 of the battery control system 1 through a potentiometer. The potentiometer converts the physical position of the accelerator pedal 7 b into a speed control signal sent to the battery control system 1 . Next, by setting the speed, current and power commands, the battery control system 1 sends the speed command to the motor driver 5 through the controller area network 2, so that the motor driver 5 drives the motor 4 at the required speed.

As shown in Figure 5, each slave control module 11 includes: 8-bit microprocessor 11a; 3 integrated circuit measurement sensors 11b, used to sense the battery cells (B1...Bn) in the battery pack 3 various operating characteristics; an opto-isolator 11c to protect the microprocessor 11a from the higher voltage of the battery pack 3; Each slave control module 11 is also configured with a unique hardware address 11f so as to be able to be correctly identified when communicating through the controller area network 2 . Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that in this embodiment, although an 8-bit microprocessor 11a is selected as the microprocessor for the slave control module 11, any low-cost microprocessor with appropriate functionality may be used as an option. devices can be used.

The integrated circuit measurement sensor 11b on each slave control module 11 is connected in series with the microprocessor 11a through a serial peripheral interface 11d. In this embodiment, each integrated circuit measurement sensor 11b can measure up to 12 battery cells in its assigned battery pack 3 . The sensor 11b measures operating characteristics such as the voltage across the battery cell and the temperature of the battery cell every 100 milliseconds. The measurement reading is transmitted from the sensor to the microprocessor 11a of the slave control module 11 via the serial peripheral interface 11d. The microprocessor converts the sensor readings received through the serial peripheral interface 11d into a format suitable for communication with other control modules, in particular the main control module 10, via the controller area network 2.

The optical isolator 11c is also connected in series with the integrated circuit measurement sensor 11b and the microprocessor 11a along the serial peripheral interface 11d to prevent the microprocessor 11a from being affected by the higher voltage of the battery pack 3 and electromagnetic interference. Because the sensor 11b and opto-isolator 11d are configured in series with the microprocessor 11a, fewer components are required, and this can reduce the cost and complexity of the battery control system 1 .

Fig. 4 shows the architecture of the master control module 10, which is the same as the case of the slave control module 11, which includes: a microprocessor 10a; 3 integrated circuit measurement sensors 10b for sensing each storage battery unit ( B1...Bn) various operating characteristics; optical isolator 10c, for preventing microprocessor 10a from being affected by the higher voltage of battery pack 3; , to communicate with the parallel slave control modules 11 and other vehicle systems. The main control module 10 is also configured with a unique hardware address 10f so that it can be correctly identified when communicating through the controller area network 2 .

The microprocessor 10a of the main control module 10 is a more powerful 32-bit microprocessor 10a, which is used to execute various processing and control functions of the storage battery control system 1 . Those skilled in the art will readily understand that although in this embodiment a 32-bit microprocessor 10a is selected as the microprocessor of the main control module 10, any low-cost microprocessor with appropriate functionality may be substituted. . The main control module 10 also includes: a current sensor 10g, used to sense the current flowing through the battery pack 3; an analog-to-digital converter 10k, used to convert the analog signal current reading into a digital value, so that the 32-bit microprocessor 10a Processing; contactor driver 10h for selectively connecting and disconnecting contactors 8a, 8b, 14b according to whether power from battery pack 3 is connected or disconnected to electric motor 4 or charger 6, 12; fan/ a heater 10i responsive to a thermal controller for controlling the temperature of the battery pack (B1...Bn); and an additional RS232 and/or RS485 type communication interface 10j for communication between the 32-bit microprocessor 10a and other vehicle systems communication.

The 32-bit microprocessor 10a receives: current readings from current sensors 10g via an analog-to-digital interface 10k, battery packs (B1...Bn ) temperature reading and voltage reading, and the speed command through the controller area network 2 input through the accelerator pedal 7b. Therefore, for the input received, the main control module 10 includes a stored program executable on the 32-bit microprocessor 10 to execute an algorithm that at least realizes one of the following functions:

(a) determining whether the current signal passing through the battery cells of the battery pack 3 works within a predetermined safety parameter range;

(b) Thermally control the battery cells (B1...Bn), the battery pack 3 or the temperature difference between the cells;

(c) determining the state of charge of the battery cells (B1...Bn);

(d) determining the state of health of the battery cells (B1...Bn);

(e) controlling the charging and discharging of the battery cells (B1...Bn);

(f) Control the contactor of battery pack 3;

(g) control of fault management and battery cell protection in response to detection of a fault in the operation of the battery pack 3;

(h) Execute self-test and diagnosis of battery control system 1;

(i) data records of battery pack 3 operating history; and

(j) Verify and identify the storage battery pack 3 manufacturing information.

In this embodiment, the main control module 10 is the only control module, which is operatively connected to the current sensor 10g. The current sensor 10g generates an analog sense current signal representing a current signal through the battery pack 3, for example, when the battery pack 3 is charged. This high-current analog signal is converted by the analog-to-digital interface 10k into a digital reading in the range of 0-5V, and then, as an input, is fed to a 32-bit microprocessor 10a for processing to determine whether the battery pack 3 is under safe operating parameters run. For example, if during charging, the current signal passing through the battery pack 3 is determined to be overrun, the 32-bit microprocessor 10a outputs a control signal to the contactor driver 10h, so that the battery pack contactors 8a, 8b and the charger 6 , 12 are disconnected, thereby reducing the damage to the battery pack 3 caused. In addition, the 32-bit microprocessor 10a is configured to communicate with the vehicle control system when such a fault is detected, thereby causing a visual warning to be displayed on the LCD 7a. Alternatively and/or additionally, an audio alarm can be output if desired.

The main control module 10 further includes a data recording module which monitors and stores data representing the operation history of the battery pack 3 . In particular, such data may include: voltage and current readings, temperature readings, details of overrun events including timing, extent and frequency of such overrun events, battery charge times, and the like. In this embodiment, the data recording module is implemented by a computer program stored on the main control module 10 and executable by the microprocessor 10a of the main control module 10 to perform the data recording function.

The fan/heater 10i responds to a control signal from the thermal controller to control battery cells (B1...Bn) and/or battery packs as measured by sensors 10b, 11b of the slave and master control modules 10, 11 3 internal temperature and ambient temperature, heating or cooling specific battery cells (B1...Bn) or the entire battery pack, the thermal controller includes a computer program executable on a 32-bit microprocessor 10a. These thermal measurements can be periodically sent to the main control module 10, which is responsible for deciding whether a particular battery cell (B1...Bn) in the battery pack 3 requires heating or cooling.

From sensor readings received from the control modules 10, 11 via the controller area network 2, the 32-bit microprocessor 10a of the main control module 10 determines the state of charge of the battery cells (B1...Bn). The state of charge of the battery unit is sent from the 32-bit microprocessor 10a to the vehicle control system, and then it is displayed on the LCD 7a as a fuel gauge reading. The state of charge measurements of the battery cells (B1...Bn) are also processed by the 32-bit microprocessor 10a to determine if battery cell balancing is required to mitigate overvoltage in each battery cell (B1...Bn). Next, battery cell balancing will be further described. The state of charge readings of the battery cells (B1...Bn) are also processed by the 32-bit microprocessor 10a to determine the end of the charging process for that battery cell (B1...Bn).

The main control module 10 also includes a fault management module for executing a fail-safe protocol to protect the battery units (B1...Bn) when a fault is detected. Such faults include overruns, leaks, etc. detected on the battery cells ( B1 . In response to detecting a fault condition, the fault management module is configured to execute fail-safe procedures including disconnecting the battery pack contactors 8a, 8b from the chargers 6, 12 and causing a fault alarm to be displayed on the LCD 7a. In this embodiment, the fault management module is implemented by a computer program stored on the main control module 10 and executable by the microprocessor 10a of the main control module 10, so as to perform fault management functions and fail-safe protection functions.

Overcharging of the battery cells is the main cause of failure of the battery pack 3 and needs to be monitored and properly controlled to ensure the useful life of the battery pack 3 . This fault management module helps to protect the battery pack 3 from this problem in at least two ways. First, it monitors the end of the charging process based on the measured state of charge of the battery cells (B1...Bn), and then, through the contactor driver 10h, outputs appropriate control signals to the battery pack contactors 8a, 8b so that the The battery pack 3 is disconnected from the charger 6 , 12 . Secondly, the fault management module monitors whether the current signal flowing through the battery pack 3 exceeds safe operating parameters for charging, and opens the battery pack contactors 8a, 8b if so.

The main control module 10 also includes a self-test and diagnosis module, which is configured to perform self-test and diagnosis on the key components of the battery control system 1 when the system 1 is powered on, so as to confirm that the system works correctly. In this embodiment, self-test and diagnosis can also be realized by a computer program executable on the 32-bit microprocessor 10a of the main control module 10, to test and diagnose the slave control modules and the main control modules 10, 11, sensors 10b, 11b, opto-isolators 10c, 11c, serial peripheral interfaces 10d, 11d, controller area network 2 and any failure in operation of related systems. If such a malfunction is diagnosed, the malfunction is indicated to the vehicle user through the LCD 7a of the vehicle control system. The user can then perform appropriate maintenance on the battery control system 1 to correct the detected fault. In this embodiment, the self-test and diagnosis module is implemented by a computer program stored on the main control module 11 and executable by the microprocessor 10a of the main control module 10 to perform self-test and diagnosis functions.

The performance or "health" of the battery pack 3 tends to progressively deteriorate over its lifetime due to irreversible physical and chemical changes that occur with use and lifespan until eventually the battery pack 3 is no longer usable or discarded. Therefore, the main control module 10 further comprises a state of health module for determining the state of health of the battery packs 3, ie indicating the normal condition of the battery packs 3 and their ability to provide their specified performance relative to a predetermined performance level. When the vehicle is in operation, it is particularly important to determine the state of health of the battery pack 3 in order to ensure that the emergency power supply system of the vehicle is in a standby state when required. The sensor readings stored in the data logger can be accessed by the main control module 10 to calculate various parameters indicative of the state of health of the battery pack 3, such as charge acceptance, internal resistance/conductance, battery cells (B1...Bn) voltage and self-discharge, and battery cell (B1...Bn) temperature. When the state of health of the battery pack 3 is no longer deemed fit for use as determined by the main control module 10 not satisfying a predetermined threshold level, the main control module 10 is adapted to send this state of health condition to the vehicle control system as The alarm indicator is displayed on LCD7a. Thus, a user of the vehicle can perform maintenance and/or replacement of one or all of the battery packs 3 .

As shown in FIG. 6 , a balancing circuit 16 is also provided to compensate the weak point in a specific battery cell, otherwise, the battery pack 3 may fail. In a first embodiment, active balancing is employed to balance the battery cells. Unlike passive balancing, where the power dissipation on each battery cell (B1...Bn) is balanced across resistors to balance the battery cells (B1...Bn), for the battery cells (B1...Bn) to be balanced during the balancing process The energy on Bn) is preserved in the magnetic field of transformer, and active balance is more effective.As shown in Figure 6, the active balance circuit 16 of this embodiment comprises: the primary winding 16a of transformer, is connected in all accumulator cells of accumulator pack 3 (B1...Bn) at both ends; and the secondary winding 16b of the transformer, respectively connected to each of the battery cells (B1...Bn) or both ends of the battery cell group. The balancing circuit 16 is operable The ground is connected to the main control module 10, and in response to the control signal output by the main control module 10, battery cell balancing is performed as required.

After the master control module 10 receives the voltage readings of all the battery cells (B1...Bn) in the battery pack 3 from the master control module and the slave control modules 10, 11, the specific voltage and The average voltage is processed to calculate the state of charge of each battery cell (B1...Bn). In this embodiment, the microprocessor 10a activates the active balancing circuit 16 so that the battery cells ( B1...Bn) perform active balancing. The active balancing circuit 16 continues to operate until the state of charge deviation between the battery cells (B1...Bn) falls within a 3% deviation. As an example, in active balancing, if battery cell B3 is determined to have the highest voltage (i.e., highest state of charge), both switch S and main switch T are closed so that energy from battery cell B3 is stored in the transformer as magnetic field. The battery cell (B1...Bn) with the largest deviation from the average is also identified, and if its voltage is lower than the average voltage of the battery cells (B1...Bn), it is selected by the main control module 10 to use the stored The energy in this magnetic field charges. For example, if battery cell B2 is the battery cell with the greatest deviation from the average cell voltage, and is below this average cell voltage, switch S2 is closed and main switch T is opened to allow the stored energy on battery cell B3 to flow into the battery cell B2, thereby effectively balancing the battery cells (B1...Bn).

As shown in FIG. 2, the main control module 10 is also operatively connected to a pre-charging circuit 14, which supports control of the boost time of the voltage applied to the electric motor 4 at power-up to alleviate stress on the electric motor 4. The overvoltage applied by the electric motor 4 . In this circuit, a pre-charging resistor 14a and a pre-charging contactor 14b are arranged in series. When powered up, the pre-charge contactor 14b is switched on if the voltage between the positive bus 9a and the negative bus 9b of the electric motor 4 is below 80% of the total voltage of the battery pack 3 . When the voltage exceeds 80%, the contactor 8a is first turned on, followed by the opening of the pre-charging contactor 14b on the parallel path. A high-voltage fuse 15 is also arranged between the battery pack 3 and the pre-charging circuit 14, the fuse 15 being configured to disconnect the circuit when the current flowing through the fuse 15 exceeds a predetermined threshold. Therefore, the high voltage fuse 15 helps to prevent the battery cells from being destroyed.

The main control module 10 also includes an identification and verification module for recording information about the storage battery pack 3, such as the manufacturer's type designation, chemical properties of the storage battery unit, manufacturing batch and serial numbers, manufacturing date, and the like. In this embodiment, the identification and verification module is implemented by a computer program stored on the main control module 10 and executable by the microprocessor 10a of the main control module 10 to perform identification and verification functions.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications of the invention herein described, other than those specifically described, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are considered to be within the true scope of the invention as broadly described herein. It should be understood that the present invention includes all such variations and modifications. The present invention also includes all the steps and features cited or indicated in this specification individually or together, as well as any combination and all combinations of any two or more of the steps or features.

References to prior art in this specification are not, and should not be considered, an acknowledgment or suggestion of any kind that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

Claims (27)

1. storage battery control system that is used to control the batteries of vehicle; It is characterized in that; Said batteries comprises a plurality of secondary battery units that in this batteries, are electrically connected, and to produce the output voltage of described batteries, wherein said system comprises:

A plurality of control modules, each control module comprises:

(a) microprocessor;

(b) at least one transducer is used for keeping watch at least one operation characteristic of described a plurality of secondary battery units, and said at least one transducer can be connected with described microprocessor through being connected in series communicatedly;

(c) buffer circuit, described buffer circuit can be connected with at least one transducer with described microprocessor through described being connected in series communicatedly, and wherein said buffer circuit is used for the high voltage of described microprocessor and described batteries is isolated;

(d) communication unit; Described communication unit can be connected with described microprocessor communicatedly; With through communication network with described at least one sensor monitoring to operation characteristic deliver to other control modules, the said communication unit of wherein said control module is with parallel mode and described communication; And

In wherein said a plurality of control module at least one is designated as main control module, is used for the operation characteristic that senses according to described a plurality of control modules, and the output control signal is to control the operation of described a plurality of secondary battery units.

2. storage battery control system according to claim 1 is characterized in that described vehicle comprises at least one in motor vehicle and the hybrid electric vehicle.

3. according to claim 1 or 2 described storage battery control system, it is characterized in that described communication network comprises controller local area network.

4. storage battery control system according to claim 1 is characterized in that, each in described a plurality of control modules all has been configured unique hardware address, when communicating through described controller local area network, can discern.

5. storage battery control system according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described being connected in series comprises Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI).

6. storage battery control system according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described at least one transducer comprises the integrated circuit measuring transducer.

7. storage battery control system according to claim 1 is characterized in that, each in described a plurality of control modules all comprises one to three transducer.

8. storage battery control system according to claim 1; It is characterized in that, the operation characteristic of described at least one sensor monitoring comprise following at least one: with by at least one relevant voltage signal, current signal and the measured temperature of a plurality of secondary battery units of being kept watch on.

9. storage battery control system according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described at least one transducer is used at least whenever at a distance from 100 milliseconds of supervision at least one operation characteristic of described a plurality of secondary battery units once.

10. storage battery control system according to claim 1 is characterized in that described buffer circuit comprises optical isolator.

11. storage battery control system according to claim 1 is characterized in that, each of described a plurality of control modules comprises 8-bit microprocessor respectively at least.

12. storage battery control system according to claim 1 is characterized in that described main control module comprises 32-bit microprocessor.

13. storage battery control system according to claim 1; It is characterized in that; Described main control module comprises heat controller; Be used to respond the determined measured temperature of at least one transducer of described a plurality of control modules, control at least one the temperature and the secondary battery unit temperature difference of described a plurality of secondary battery units of described batteries.

14. storage battery control system according to claim 1; It is characterized in that; Described main control module comprises the contactor driver; Be used for optionally the voltage of described batteries and motor and/or charger are broken off, and the voltage of described batteries is connected with described motor and/or charger.

15. storage battery control system according to claim 1; It is characterized in that; Described main control module comprises analog to digital converter; Being used for analog signal conversion is the readable digital current reading of microprocessor unit of described main control module, and said analog signal representes to flow through at least one current signal of described secondary battery unit.

16. storage battery control system according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described main control module further comprises at least one of RS485 type communication interface and RS232 type communication interface.

17. storage battery control system according to claim 1; It is characterized in that; Described main control module is used for the operation characteristic of keeping watch on according at least one transducer of described a plurality of control modules, confirms at least one charged state of described a plurality of secondary battery units.

18. storage battery control system according to claim 1; It is characterized in that; Described main control module is used for the operation characteristic of keeping watch on according at least one transducer of described a plurality of control modules, confirms at least one health status of described secondary battery unit.

19. storage battery control system according to claim 1; It is characterized in that; Described main control module is operably connected to active balancing circuit; Said active balancing circuit responds the control signal of described main control module output, has the seedbed to make a plurality of secondary battery units in the described batteries realize balance.

20. storage battery control system according to claim 19; It is characterized in that; Described main control module is used for control signal is outputed to described active balancing circuit, with charged state according to described a plurality of secondary battery units, and the described a plurality of secondary battery units of balance.

21. storage battery control system according to claim 1 is characterized in that described system comprises data recordin module, be used to keep watch on and the data of the history run of the described secondary battery unit of storage representation, said data comprise following at least one:

(a) minimum, maximum and average voltage readings;

(b) minimum, maximum and average current indication;

(c) minimum, maximum and mean temperature reading;

(d) details of overrun incident comprise time, degree and the frequency of this overrun incident; And

(e) charge in batteries number of times.

22. storage battery control system according to claim 1; It is characterized in that; Described system comprises self check and diagnostic module, is used to carry out comprise described microprocessor, transducer, buffer circuit, be connected in series and the self check and the diagnosis of the storage battery control system of communication network.

23. storage battery control system according to claim 1; It is characterized in that; Described system comprises fault management module; Be used for carrying out the failure safe agreement according to detected fault on described secondary battery unit, it is at least a that said fault comprises that overrun condition and the described secondary battery unit of described batteries leak.

24. storage battery control system according to claim 23 is characterized in that, described failure safe agreement comprises following at least one:

(a) at least one and described motor and/or the charger with described a plurality of secondary battery units breaks off; And

(b) will indicate the warning of described seized fault to deliver to described vehicle user.

25. storage battery control system according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described system comprises checking and identification module, is used to write down comprise following at least one information about described batteries:

(a) information of the manufacturer of the described batteries of identification;

(b) nominal of the described batteries of identification and the information of secondary battery unit chemical property;

(c) lot number that identification is relevant with making described batteries and the information of sequence number; And

(d) information of the date of manufacture of the described batteries of identification.

26. storage battery control system according to claim 1; Be characterised in that; Described vehicle control system comprises the display that is operably connected to described main control module, at least one information below wherein said display is suitable for responding the control signal of receiving from described main control module represented:

(a) at least one charged state of described a plurality of secondary battery units;

(b) at least one health status of described a plurality of secondary battery units;

(c) temperature one of at least of described a plurality of secondary battery units;

(d) be used for representing the voltage of the batteries that is connected to described vehicle motor of the speed of a motor vehicle;

(e) failure condition of detected described secondary battery unit; And

(f) detected fault among the present invention.

27. according to any one the described storage battery control system in the claim 22 to 28; Be characterised in that at least one in described data recordin module, described self check and diagnostic module, described fault management module and described checking and the identification module comprises: be stored in computer program on the described main control module, that can carry out by the microprocessor of described main control module.

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