POWER SOURCE MODULE AND METHOD FOR USING THE SAME

• US 20110130907A1
• Filed: 01/12/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Olsson, Hakan, GAU, Tien Ho, Peng, Yu Yin
• Application Number:
  US12/685,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20110130907A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A power source module comprises a plurality of socket modules, at least one exchangeable battery module, and at least one system control unit. The socket modules are connected in parallel. The exchangeable battery module can be arbitrarily inserted into one of the socket modules. The system control unit is configured to transmit an instruction signal for controlling a switch of the exchangeable battery module according to a state of charge of the exchangeable battery module, a sensing result, and operating information of an external device (for example, a motor or a charger), so as to charge or discharge only one exchangeable battery module during a charging and discharging period.

Claims

1. A power source module, comprising:

a plurality of socket modules, wherein the plurality of the socket modules are connected in parallel;

at least one exchangeable battery module arbitrarily inserted into at least one socket module of the plurality of the socket modules; and

at least one system control unit configured to transmit at least one instruction signal for controlling a switch of the at least one exchangeable battery module according to a state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module, a sensing result, and operating information of an external device, so as to charge or discharge only one exchangeable battery module during a charging and discharging period.

2. The power source module of claim 1, wherein the at least one exchangeable battery module has a battery management control unit configured to measure status and the state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module, or to control the switch of the at least one exchangeable battery module according to the instruction signal.

3. The power source module of claim 1, further comprising a sensor set for generating the sensing result.

4. The power source module of claim 1, wherein the sensing result is conditions of the at least one exchangeable battery module, current of the at least one exchangeable battery module, speed of the vehicle, accelerator pedal position, a braking signal, or the combination thereof.

5. The power source module of claim 3, further comprising an independent power source for providing required power to the at least one system control unit or the sensor set.

6. The power source module of claim 2, wherein the system control unit comprises:

an interface control unit configured to control the external device and provide the operating information of the external device;

a main battery management control unit configured to transmit the at least one instruction signal, or obtain the state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module through the battery management control unit; and

a device control unit configured to control the main battery management control unit for transmitting the at least one instruction signal according to the state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module, the sensing result, and the operating information of the external device, so as to control the switch of the at least one exchangeable battery module.

7. A power source module, comprising:

a plurality of socket modules, wherein the plurality of the socket modules are connected in parallel;

at least one exchangeable battery module arbitrarily inserted into at least one socket module of the plurality of the socket modules; and

at least one system control unit configured to control a switch of the at least one socket module according to a state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module, a sensing result, and operating information of an external device, so as to charge or discharge only one exchangeable battery module during a charging and discharging period.

8. The power source module of claim 7, wherein the at least one exchangeable battery module has a battery management control unit configured to measure status and the state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module.

9. The power source module of claim 7, further comprising a sensor set for generating the sensing result.

10. The power source module of claim 7, wherein the sensing result is conditions of the at least one exchangeable battery module, current of the at least one exchangeable battery module, speed of the vehicle, accelerator pedal position, a braking signal, or the combination thereof.

11. The power source module of claim 9, further comprising an independent power source for providing required power to the at least one system control unit or the sensor set.

12. The power source module of claim 8, wherein the system control unit comprises:

an interface control unit configured to control the external device and provide the operating information of the external device;

a main battery management control unit configured to control the switch of the at least one socket module, or to obtain the state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module through the battery management control unit; and

a device control unit configured to control the main battery management control unit according to the state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module, the sensing result, and the operating information of the external device, so as to control the switch of the at least one socket module.

13. A power source module, comprising:

a plurality of socket modules;

at least one exchangeable battery module arbitrarily inserted into at least one socket module of the plurality of the socket modules; and

at least one system control unit configured to either switch the plurality of socket modules and battery modules connected in parallel or in series according to the load requirement of the electric vehicle, or the plurality of socket modules are connected in parallel to transmit at least one instruction signal for controlling a switch of the at least one exchangeable battery module according to a state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module, a sensing result, and operating information of an external device, so as to charge or discharge only one exchangeable battery module during a charging and discharging period.

14. The power source module of claim 13, wherein the at least one exchangeable battery module has a battery management control unit configured to measure status and the state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module, or control the switch of the at least one exchangeable battery module according to the instruction signal.

15. The power source module of claim 13, further comprising a sensor set for generating the sensing result.

16. The power source module of claim 13, wherein the sensing result is conditions of the at least one exchangeable battery module, current of the at least one exchangeable battery module, speed of the vehicle, accelerator pedal position, a braking signal, or the combination thereof.

17. The power source module of claim 15, further comprising an independent power source for providing required power to the at least one system control unit or the sensor set.

18. The power source module of claim 14, wherein the system control unit comprises:

an interface control unit configured to control the external device and provide the operating information of the external device;

a main battery management control unit configured to transmit the at least one instruction signal, switch the plurality of socket modules connected in parallel or in series, or obtain the state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module through the battery management control unit; and

a device control unit configured to control the main battery management control unit for transmitting the at least one instruction signal or switching the plurality of socket modules connected in parallel or in series according to the state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module, the sensing result, and the operating information of the external device, so as to control the switch of the at least one exchangeable battery module.

19. A power source module, comprising:

a plurality of socket modules;

at least one exchangeable battery module arbitrarily inserted into at least one socket module of the plurality of the socket modules; and

at least one system control unit configured to either switch the plurality of socket modules and battery modules connected in parallel or in series according to the load requirement of the electric vehicle, or the plurality of socket modules are connected in parallel or to control a switch of the at least one socket module according to a state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module, a sensing result, and operating information of an external device, so as to charge or discharge only one exchangeable battery module during a charging and discharging period.

20. The power source module of claim 19, wherein the at least one exchangeable battery module has a battery management control unit configured to measure status and the state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module.

21. The power source module of claim 19, further comprising a sensor set for generating the sensing result.

22. The power source module of claim 19, wherein the sensing result is conditions of the at least one exchangeable battery module, current of the at least one exchangeable battery module, speed of the vehicle, accelerator pedal position, a braking signal, or the combination thereof.

23. The power source module of claim 21, further comprising an independent power source for providing required power to the at least one system control unit or the sensor set.

24. The power source module of claim 20, wherein the system control unit comprises:

an interface control unit configured to control the external device and provide the operating information of the external device;

a main battery management control unit configured to control the switch of the at least one socket module, switch the plurality of socket modules connected in parallel or in series, or obtain the state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module through the battery management control unit; and

a device control unit configured to control the switch of the at least one socket module or switch the plurality of socket modules connected in parallel or in series according to the state of charge of the at least one exchangeable battery module, the sensing result, and the operating information of the external device.

25. A method for using a power source module, comprising:

determining whether a state of charge of a first exchangeable battery module is lower than a first threshold value and a second threshold value and generating a first decision and a second decision, respectively;

determining if a motion state of a vehicle is in a preferred switching state and generating a third decision according to the first decision;

determining whether the first exchangeable battery module is in an abnormal state and generating a fourth decision;

stopping a torque output of an external device according to the second decision, or the third decision, or the fourth decision;

determining whether output current of the first exchangeable battery module is equal to zero and generating a fifth decision; and

activating a second exchangeable battery module according to the fifth decision for providing required power to the external device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the external device is a motor.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the preferred switching states comprise a static state, a coasting state, a braking state, or a downslope state.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the abnormal states comprise an overheating state, an over current state, or a state where a voltage is out of an allowable range.

29. A method for using a power source module, comprising:

determining whether a state of charge of a first exchangeable battery module is lower than a threshold value and generating a first decision;

determining whether the first exchangeable battery module is in an abnormal state and generating a second decision;

stopping a torque output of an external device according to the first decision or the second decision;

determining whether output current of the first exchangeable battery module is equal to zero and generating a third decision; and

activating a second exchangeable battery module according to the third decision for providing required power to the external device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the external device is a motor.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the abnormal states comprise an overheating state, an over current state, or a state where a voltage is out of an allowable range.