Locomotive having a battery system and method for monitoring a battery

• US 20070120536A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Salasoo, Lembit, King, Robert, Runkle, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,750,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/136
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/005 Testing of electric installations on transport means
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/054 Accumulators with insertion or intercalation of metals other than lithium, e.g. with magnesium or aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A locomotive, a battery system and a method for monitoring a battery are provided. The battery has a first plurality of cells electrically coupled in series to one another. The first plurality of cells includes a second plurality of cells and a third plurality of cells electrically coupled together at a node. The method includes calculating a first number of failed cells in the first plurality cells. The method further includes calculating a second number of failed cells in the second plurality cells and a third number of failed cells in the third plurality cells.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a battery, the battery having a first plurality of cells electrically coupled in series to one another, the first plurality of cells comprising a second plurality of cells and a third plurality of cells electrically coupled together at a node, each cell of the first plurality of cells having a desired output voltage level during desired operation and failing in a shorted operational condition, the method comprising:

measuring a first voltage level of the first plurality of cells of the battery when the first plurality of cells are not electrically coupled to a load;

measuring a second voltage level at the node between the second plurality of cells and the third plurality of cells when the first plurality of cells are electrically coupled to the load;

calculating a first number of failed cells in the first plurality cells based on the first voltage level, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells and a number of cells in the first plurality of cells;

calculating a second number of failed cells in the second plurality cells based on the first number of failed cells, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells, and the second voltage level; and

calculating a third number of failed cells in the third plurality cells based on the first number of failed cells, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells, and the second voltage level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when the battery has a failed operational condition based on at least one statistical test using the first number of failed cells.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when the battery has a failed operational condition based on at least one statistical test using at least two of the group comprising the first number of failed cells, the second number of failed cells and the third number of failed cells.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when the battery has a failed operational condition based on a least one statistical test using at least two of the group comprising the first number of failed cells, the second number of failed cells and the third number of failed cells and wherein the statistical test further indicates the cell failures are not random to a statistical confidence level.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when the battery has a failed operational condition based on at least one statistical test using at least two of the group comprising the first number of failed cells, the second number of failed cells and the third number of failed cells and wherein the statistical test further indicates the cell failures are not random based upon a sequence of cell failures.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery has been assigned a useful life, further comprising:

storing at least two of the group comprising first number of failed cells, the second number of failed cells and the third number of failed cells; and

storing an operating parameter of the battery related to a useful life of the battery.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing a number of times the battery has been charged.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing a number of times the battery has been discharged.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing a time in service of the battery.

10. A battery system, comprising:

a battery having a first plurality of cells electrically coupled in series to one another between a first battery terminal and a second battery terminal, the first plurality of cells comprising a second plurality of cells and a third plurality of cells coupled together at a node, each cell of the first plurality of cells having a desired output voltage level during desired operation; and

a battery monitor electrically coupled to the battery at the node and at the first and second battery terminals, the battery monitor configured to measure a first voltage level of the first plurality of cells of the battery when the first plurality of cells are not coupled to a load, the battery monitor further configured to measure a second voltage level at the node between the second plurality of cells and the third plurality of cells when the first plurality of cells are coupled to the load, the battery monitor further configured to calculate a first number of failed cells of the first plurality of cells based on the first voltage level, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells and a number of cells in the first plurality of cells, the battery monitor further configured to calculate a second number of failed cells of the second plurality of cells based on the second voltage level, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells and the first number of failed cells, and the battery monitor further configured to calculate a third number of failed cells of the third plurality of cells based on the second voltage level, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells and the first number of failed cells.

11. The battery system of claim 10, wherein the battery monitor is further configured to generate battery failure information indicative of a failed operational condition of the battery based upon at least two of the group comprising the first number of failed cells, the second number of failed cells and the third number of failed cells.

12. The battery system of claim 11, further comprising an indicator coupled to the battery monitor and responsive to the battery failure information for alerting service personnel to a failure of the battery.

13. The battery system of claim 11, further comprising a controller operably coupled to the battery monitor, the controller configured to disconnect the battery by causing a switch to electrically decouple the first battery terminal from the load based on the battery failure information.

14. The battery system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to charge the battery by causing the switch to couple the first battery terminal to an electrical power source;

and wherein the controller is further configured to discharge the battery by causing the switch to couple the first battery terminal to the load.

15. The battery system of claim 10, wherein the battery monitor is further configured to determine when the battery has a failed operational condition based on at least one statistical test using at least two of the group comprising the first number of failed cells, the second number of failed cells and the third number of failed cells.

16. The battery system of claim 10, wherein the battery monitor is further configured to determine when the battery has a failed operational condition based on at least one statistical test using at least two of the group comprising the first number of failed cells, the second number of failed cells and the third number of failed cells and wherein the statistical test further indicates the cell failures are not random to a statistical confidence level.

17. The battery system of claim 10, wherein the battery monitor is further configured to determine when the battery has a failed operational condition based on at least one statistical test using at least two of the group comprising the first number of failed cells, the second number of failed cells and the third number of failed cells and wherein the statistical test further indicates the cell failures are not random based upon a sequence of the cell failures.

18. A locomotive, comprising:

an electrically powered traction motor;

a battery configured to supply electrical power to the traction motor, the battery having a first plurality of cells electrically coupled in series to one another between a first battery terminal and a second battery terminal, the first plurality of cells comprising a second plurality of cells and a third plurality of cells coupled together at a node, each cell of the first plurality of cells having a desired output voltage level during desired operation; and

a battery monitor electrically coupled to the battery at the node and at the first and second battery terminals, the battery monitor configured to measure a first voltage level of the first plurality of cells of the battery when the first plurality of cells are not coupled to a load, the battery monitor further configured to measure a second voltage level at the node between the second plurality of cells and the third plurality of cells when the first plurality of cells are coupled to the load, the battery monitor further configured to calculate a first number of failed cells of the first plurality of cells based on the first voltage level, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells and a number of cells in the first plurality of cells, the battery monitor further configured to calculate a second number of failed cells of the second plurality of cells based on the second voltage level, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells and the first number of failed cells, and the battery monitor further configured to calculate a third number of failed cells of the third plurality of cells based on the second voltage level, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells and the first number of failed cells.