Energy Storage Pack Having Overvoltage Protection and Method of Protection
First Claim
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1. An energy storage pack specially adapted for a hybrid electric vehicle, the energy storage pack comprising:
- a plurality of energy storage cells grouped into a plurality of strings, each of the strings having a string positive node and a string negative node;
an electrical interface with the hybrid electric vehicle, the electrical interface with the hybrid electric vehicle electrically coupled to the plurality of energy storage cells grouped into the plurality of strings and configured to deliver electrical energy to and from the plurality of energy storage cells;
an energy storage pack communication bus;
a communication interface with the hybrid electric vehicle, the communication interface with the hybrid electric vehicle communicatively coupled to the energy storage pack communication bus;
a plurality of overvoltage protection circuits, each of the plurality of overvoltage protection circuits singularly electrically coupled to one of the plurality of strings and communicatively coupled to the energy storage pack communication bus, each of the plurality of overvoltage protection circuits configured to register voltage across it'"'"'s respective string'"'"'s string positive node and string negative node, and each of the plurality of overvoltage protection circuits further configured to communicate an overvoltage condition to the energy storage pack communication bus.
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Abstract
An energy storage pack specially adapted for a hybrid electric vehicle, the energy storage pack having overvoltage protection and a method of protecting the same. In particular, the energy storage pack includes a robust, low-cost, parasitic circuit configured to detect overvoltage conditions within the vehicle energy storage and report it to the vehicle.
64 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An energy storage pack specially adapted for a hybrid electric vehicle, the energy storage pack comprising:
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a plurality of energy storage cells grouped into a plurality of strings, each of the strings having a string positive node and a string negative node; an electrical interface with the hybrid electric vehicle, the electrical interface with the hybrid electric vehicle electrically coupled to the plurality of energy storage cells grouped into the plurality of strings and configured to deliver electrical energy to and from the plurality of energy storage cells; an energy storage pack communication bus; a communication interface with the hybrid electric vehicle, the communication interface with the hybrid electric vehicle communicatively coupled to the energy storage pack communication bus; a plurality of overvoltage protection circuits, each of the plurality of overvoltage protection circuits singularly electrically coupled to one of the plurality of strings and communicatively coupled to the energy storage pack communication bus, each of the plurality of overvoltage protection circuits configured to register voltage across it'"'"'s respective string'"'"'s string positive node and string negative node, and each of the plurality of overvoltage protection circuits further configured to communicate an overvoltage condition to the energy storage pack communication bus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for protecting an energy storage pack, the energy storage pack specially adapted for a hybrid electric vehicle, and communicatively coupled to a vehicle communication bus, the energy storage pack having an energy storage pack communication bus and a plurality of energy storage cells grouped into a plurality of strings, the method comprising:
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detecting an overvoltage condition across at least one of the plurality of strings with reference to a predetermined trigger voltage; switching an on/off device in response to the detecting the overvoltage condition; and
,communicating the overvoltage condition to the vehicle communication bus in response to the switching the on/off device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification