SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING A Li-ION BATTERY PACK

• US 20100283430A1
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Ahmed, Jasim, Chaturvedi, Nalin, Christensen, John F., Kozinsky, Boris
• Granted Patent: US 8,354,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/134
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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

An electrochemical battery system in one embodiment includes a plurality of first electrochemical cells, a memory in which command instructions are stored, and a processor configured to execute the command instructions to (i) evaluate each of the plurality of first electrochemical cells, and (ii) selectively connect a first of the plurality of first electrochemical cells to a power provider based upon the evaluation while selectively isolating a second of the plurality of first electrochemical cells from the power provider based upon the evaluation.

Claims

1. An electrochemical battery system, comprising:

a plurality of first electrochemical cells;

a memory in which command instructions are stored; and

a processor configured to execute the command instructions to (i) evaluate each of the plurality of first electrochemical cells, and (ii) selectively connect a first of the plurality of first electrochemical cells to a power provider based upon the evaluation while selectively isolating a second of the plurality of first electrochemical cells from the power provider based upon the evaluation.

2. The electrochemical battery system of claim 1, wherein the evaluation comprises identifying for each of the plurality of first electrochemical cells a respective state of charge (SOC).

3. The electrochemical battery system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the command instructions to:

identify one of the plurality of first electrochemical cells that has been discharged below a predetermined threshold;

selectively connect the one of the plurality of first electrochemical cells to the power provider;

identify an amount of current passed into the one of the plurality of first electrochemical cells; and

identify a maximum SOC for the one of the plurality of first electrochemical cells based upon the amount of current passed into the one of the plurality of first electrochemical cells.

4. The electrochemical battery system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the command instructions to:

identify each of the plurality of first electrochemical cells with a SOC above a first SOC threshold and below a second SOC threshold; and

preferentially connect each of the identified plurality of first electrochemical cells to the power provider when the power provider is receiving power from the electrochemical battery system.

5. The electrochemical battery system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the command instructions to:

identify each of the plurality of first electrochemical cells with a SOC below the first SOC threshold; and

preferentially connect each of the identified plurality of first electrochemical cells with a SOC below the first SOC threshold to the power provider when the power provider is providing power to the electrochemical battery system.

6. The electrochemical battery system of claim 1, wherein the power provider is a second electrochemical cell.

7. The electrochemical battery system of claim 1, wherein the power provider is a commercial power grid.

8. An electrochemical battery system, comprising:

a first electrochemical cell;

a second electrochemical cell;

a memory in which command instructions are stored; and

a processor configured to execute the command instructions to (i) evaluate the first electrochemical cell and the second electrochemical cell, and (ii) selectively connect the first electrochemical cell to a power provider based upon the evaluation while selectively isolating the second electrochemical cell from the power provider based upon the evaluation.

9. The electrochemical battery system of claim 8, wherein the evaluation comprises identifying a respective state of charge (SOC) for the first electrochemical cell and for the second electrochemical cell.

10. The electrochemical battery system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the command instructions to:

evaluate the SOC of the first electrochemical cell and the SOC of the second electrochemical cell with respect to a predetermined threshold;

identify an amount of current passed into the first electrochemical cell from the power provider; and

identify a maximum SOC for the first electrochemical cell based upon the amount of current passed into the first electrochemical cell.

11. The electrochemical battery system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the command instructions to:

evaluate the SOC of the first electrochemical cell and the SOC of the second electrochemical cell with respect to a predetermined threshold;

identify an amount of current passed into the power provider from the first electrochemical cell; and

credit an account based upon the amount of current passed into the power provider from the first electrochemical cell.

12. The electrochemical battery system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the command instructions to:

determine that the SOC of the first electrochemical cell is above a first SOC threshold and below a second SOC threshold; and

preferentially connect the first electrochemical cell to the power provider based upon the determination.

13. The electrochemical battery system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the command instructions to:

selectively connect the second electrochemical cell to the power provider and selectively disconnect the first electrochemical cell from the power provider after a charge has been transferred from the first electrochemical cell to the power provider.