Complementary engagement of battery banks to augment life, performance and capacity of energy storage system

• US 10,361,567 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Indian Institute of Technology Madras
• Original Assignee: Indian Institute of Technology Madras
• Inventors: Jhunjhunwala, Ashok, Kaur, Prabhjot
• Primary Examiner(s): Pacheco, Alexis B
• Application Number:
  US15/447,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20170229876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 320128, 320134, 320135, 320103, 320119, 320130, 320132
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007188 the charge cycle being controlled or terminated in response to non-electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

The embodiments herein provide an energy storage battery system constituting multiple banks of individual batteries, each of which may have different characteristics, and methods of operation of the system. The multiple battery banks configuration is based on split battery configuration derived by a splitter based on a probability distribution function (pdf) of expected usage pattern, optimization goal, and battery characteristics of a corresponding single battery system. The energy system optimizes at least one of cost, weight or size of the overall system by rotating usage of various battery banks based on usage pattern.

Claims

1. An energy storage system comprising:

a plurality of battery banks of individual batteries based on a split configuration derived by a splitter, pre-configured with a probability distribution function (pdf) of an usage pattern of each of the plurality of battery banks between two charging opportunities, wherein each of the plurality of battery banks have varying characteristics, and, wherein the split battery configuration of the plurality of banks varies based on the pdf, an optimization goal, and battery characteristics of a corresponding single battery system; and

a logic unit, connected to the plurality of battery banks, configured to;

obtain performance data of each of the plurality of battery banks based on the pdf of expected usage pattern of each of the plurality of battery banks between two charging opportunities;

select at least one battery bank, from the plurality of battery banks, to provide power to a load based on desired performance, the performance data of each said battery bank and at least one selection criterion; and

rotate use of each battery bank from the plurality of battery banks in sequential order until next charging opportunity;

wherein the split from a single battery bank is to optimize at least one among cost, weight or size of the system;

wherein the selection of at least one battery bank is based on the pdf of usage pattern of each of the plurality of battery banks between two charging opportunities; and

wherein the selection of battery banks of different characteristics are selected is to optimize at least one among weight, cost, size, and life of the system for the usage pattern without compromising on a range of the system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein characteristic of each battery bank is different based on at least one among chemistry, variability in chemistry, energy density, size, weight, and cost.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a required storage capacity is obtained by using the plurality of battery banks, and reducing a total cost of the system by using the required battery bank or battery banks according to the selection criterion.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein learning from the performance data of the split battery configuration is fed back to the split battery banks to improve performance.

5. The system of claim 1, where learning of performance of each battery bank under partial charge-discharge and its impact on life-time is also fed back to battery characteristic repository, to further optimize the split.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said criteria is configured to select a battery bank out of the plurality of battery banks in a sequential order according to usage requirements based on pre-defined priorities for the plurality of battery banks or in an adaptive manner for a given application.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic unit is further configured to dynamically switch from a first energy harnessing mode to a second energy harnessing mode, wherein said harnessing modes are based on usage parameters.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the selection criteria comprises at least one threshold dynamically defined based on the plurality of usage parameters.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the selection criteria depends upon the said battery usage parameters comprising at least one among Depth of Discharge (DoD), rate of charging, rate of discharging, and operation temperature which vary based on an application usage of the system.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the selection criteria depends upon the said battery usage parameters comprising at least one among Depth of Discharge (DoD), rate of charging, rate of discharging, and operation temperature which vary based on the application usage of the system.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the selection criteria depends upon the said battery usage parameters comprising at least one among Depth of Discharge (DoD), rate of charging, rate of discharging, and operation temperature which vary based on the application usage of the system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein performance data comprises at least one of a state of charge, generated current, generated voltage, state of health and lifetime of the battery bank(s).

13. The system of claim 1, said logic unit further configured to update its logic based on said pre-configured pdf with an updated pdf based on actual usage patterns observed.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein frequency of use of different battery banks and life of the batteries from said plurality of battery banks varies based on usage probability distribution function in use.

15. An energy management method for an energy storage system configured with a plurality of battery banks, the method comprising:

deriving a split battery configuration with a plurality of battery banks by a splitter, wherein the split battery configuration of the plurality of banks varies based on a probability distribution function (pdf) of usage pattern of each of the plurality of battery banks between two charging opportunities, an optimization goal, and battery characteristics of a corresponding single battery system;

obtaining, by the energy storage system, performance data of each of the plurality of battery banks based on the pdf of expected usage pattern of each of the plurality of battery banks between two charging opportunities;

selecting, by the energy storage system, at least one battery bank to provide power to a load based on desired performance, the performance data of each said battery bank and at least one selection criterion; and

rotating use of each battery bank from the plurality of battery banks in sequential order until next charging opportunity,

wherein the split from a single battery bank is to optimize at least one among cost, weight or size of the system, and wherein the selection of at least one battery bank is based on the pdf of usage pattern of each of the plurality of battery banks between two charging opportunities, and wherein the selection of battery banks is to optimize at least one among weight, cost, size, and life of the system for the usage pattern without compromising on a range of the system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein characteristic of each battery bank is different based on at least one among chemistry, variability in chemistry, energy density, size, weight, and cost.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein a required storage capacity is obtained by using the plurality of battery banks, and reducing a total cost of the system by using the required battery bank or battery banks according to the selection criterion.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said criteria is configured to select a battery bank out of the plurality of battery banks in a sequential order according to usage requirements based on pre-defined priorities for the plurality of battery banks or in an adaptive manner.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the logic unit is further configured to dynamically switch from a first energy harnessing mode to a second energy harnessing mode, wherein said harnessing modes are based on usage parameters.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the selection criteria comprises at least one threshold dynamically defined based on the plurality of usage parameters.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the selection criteria depends upon the said battery usage parameters comprising at least one among Depth of Discharge (DoD), rate of charging, rate of discharging, and operation temperature which vary based on an application usage of the system.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the selection criteria depends upon the said battery usage parameters comprising at least one among Depth of Discharge (DoD), rate of charging, rate of discharging, and operation temperature which vary based on the application usage of the system.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the selection criteria depends upon the said battery usage parameters comprising at least one among Depth of Discharge (DoD), rate of charging, rate of discharging, and operation temperature which vary based on the application usage of the system.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein performance data comprises at least one of a state of charge, generated current, generated voltage, state of health and lifetime of the battery bank(s).

25. The method of claim 15, said logic unit further configured to update its logic based on said pre-configured pdf with an updated pdf based on actual usage patterns observed.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein frequency of use of different battery banks and life of the batteries from said plurality of battery banks varies based on usage probability distribution function in use.