Modular battery network systems and methods for managing modular battery network systems

• US 10,381,691 B1
• Filed: 08/12/2015
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Song Ci
• Original Assignee: Nova Greentech Incorporated
• Inventors: Ci, Song
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Thai H
• Application Number:
  US14/824,753
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 320121
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/003 Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/30 Wind power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/12 Monitoring or controlling equipment for energy generation units, e.g. distributed energy generation [DER] or load-side generation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/221 General power management systems

Abstract

A battery network is disclosed. The battery network may include a plurality of battery blades. Each battery blade may include a plurality of battery cells; a connection mechanism configured to establish an adjustable connection between the plurality of battery cells; and a processor in communication with the connection mechanism and the plurality of battery cells. The processor may be configured to control the connection mechanism at least partially based on a state of charge of at least one of the plurality of battery cells, and the processor of each battery blade of the plurality of battery blades may be further configured to communicate with each other to support operation of the battery network as an integrated electric power source.

Claims

1. A battery network, comprising:

a plurality of battery blades, each comprising;

a plurality of cell groups, wherein each cell group of the plurality of cell groups includes a plurality of battery cells and a connection mechanism configured to establish an adjustable connection between the plurality of battery cells in a cell group; and

a processor in communication with the plurality of cell groups, the processor configured to control each connection mechanism at least partially based on a state of charge of at least one of the plurality of battery cells in each of the plurality of cell groups,

wherein the processor is further configured to optimize output power of each of the plurality of cell groups based on state of charge (SOC) C and load L of each of the plurality of cell group i by determining whether cell group i have sufficient SOC based on C_i−

L_i≥

C_threshold and calculating a supplemental power Δ

L_i=L_i−

C_i+C_threshold when cell group i have insufficient SOC, wherein the processor is further configured to determine an optimal solution for an optimization function defined as;

Minimize;

2. The battery network of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cell groups forms a plurality of battery bricks.

3. The battery network of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to estimate the state of charge of at least one of the plurality of battery cells, the plurality of cells groups or the plurality of battery bricks.

4. The battery network of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to control the connection mechanism based on the estimated state of charge of at least one of the plurality of battery cells, the plurality of cells groups, or the plurality of battery bricks.

5. The battery network of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to control the connection mechanism to bypass one or more of the plurality of batteries when an output provided by a battery blade is more than sufficient to satisfy a given requirement.

6. The battery network of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to control the connection mechanism to reconfigure one or more battery connections to satisfy a given requirement.

7. The battery network of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to control the connection mechanism to increase the number of participating battery cells to satisfy a given requirement.

8. The battery network of claim 4, wherein the processor of each battery blade of the plurality of battery blades is further configured to communicate with the processor of each battery blade wirelessly.

9. The battery network of claim 1, wherein the battery blades are co-located.

10. The battery network of claim 1, wherein the battery blades are distributed.

11. A battery, comprising:

a plurality of battery cells;

a connection mechanism configured to establish an adjustable connection between the plurality of battery cells; and

a processor in communication with the connection mechanism and the plurality of battery cells, the processor configured to control the connection mechanism at least partially based on a state of charge of at least one of the plurality of battery cells, and the processor further configured to communicate with at least one other processor of at least one other battery to form a battery network that operates as an integrated electric power source,

wherein the processor is further configured to optimize output power of the battery and the at least one other battery based on state of charge (SOC) C and load L of each of the battery i by determining whether battery i have sufficient SOC based on C_i−

L_i≥

C_threshold and calculating a supplemental power Δ

L_i=L_i−

C_i+C_threshold when battery i have insufficient SOC, wherein the processor is further configured to determine an optimal solution for an optimization function defined as;

Minimize;

12. The battery of claim 11, wherein the plurality of battery cells forms a plurality of cell groups.

13. The battery of claim 12, wherein the plurality of cell groups forms a plurality of battery bricks.

14. The battery of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to estimate the state of charge of at least one of the plurality of battery cells, the plurality of cells groups or the plurality of battery bricks.

15. The battery of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to control the connection mechanism based on the estimated state of charge of at least one of the plurality of battery cells, the plurality of cells groups, or the plurality of battery bricks.

16. The battery of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to control the connection mechanism to charge one or more of the plurality of battery cells containing a critically low charge first.

17. The battery of claim 11, wherein the battery and said at least one other battery are co-located.

18. The battery of claim 11, wherein the battery and said at least one other battery are distributed.

19. The battery of claim 11, wherein the plurality of battery cells are not uniform.