Expandable Energy Storage Control System and Method
First Claim
1. A control system specially adapted for a propulsion energy storage of a hybrid electric vehicle, the hybrid electric vehicle including a vehicle communication bus, a low voltage power supply, and a propulsion power supply, the propulsion energy storage including one or more energy storage modules each having a plurality of energy storage cells, the control system comprising:
- a system controller configured to communicate with the hybrid vehicle via the vehicle communication bus, the system controller powered by the low voltage power supply;
a controller communication bus communicatively coupled with the system controller;
a first module controller associated with a first energy storage module of the one or more energy storage modules, the first module controller configured to communicate with the system controller via the controller communication bus; and
a first energy storage cell communication link communicatively coupled with the first module controller;
the first module controller further configured to communicate with a first plurality of energy storage cells associated with the first energy storage module via the first energy storage cell communication link, the first module controller powered by the first energy storage module.
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Abstract
An expandable energy storage system for a hybrid electric vehicle has one or more energy storage modules each including a plurality of energy storage cells and a module controller, and a system controller which communicates with the module controller or controllers of the one or more energy storage modules via a controller communication bus and which is powered by the vehicle'"'"'s low voltage power supply. Each module controller communicates with the energy storage cells in the associated module via an energy storage cell communication link, and is powered by the energy storage cells in the associated module. The system controller communicates with the hybrid electric vehicle via the vehicle communication bus. The modular design provides an energy storage system which can be expanded by connecting additional energy storage modules to the system.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A control system specially adapted for a propulsion energy storage of a hybrid electric vehicle, the hybrid electric vehicle including a vehicle communication bus, a low voltage power supply, and a propulsion power supply, the propulsion energy storage including one or more energy storage modules each having a plurality of energy storage cells, the control system comprising:
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a system controller configured to communicate with the hybrid vehicle via the vehicle communication bus, the system controller powered by the low voltage power supply; a controller communication bus communicatively coupled with the system controller; a first module controller associated with a first energy storage module of the one or more energy storage modules, the first module controller configured to communicate with the system controller via the controller communication bus; and a first energy storage cell communication link communicatively coupled with the first module controller; the first module controller further configured to communicate with a first plurality of energy storage cells associated with the first energy storage module via the first energy storage cell communication link, the first module controller powered by the first energy storage module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. The control system of 1, wherein the system controller communicates over the vehicle communication bus using a first communication protocol and over the controller communication bus using a second communication protocol.
- 12. The control system of 11, wherein the first communication protocol is a controller area network (CAN) protocol and the second communication protocol is a local interconnect network (LIN) protocol.
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14. The control system of 13, wherein the third protocol is a serial peripheral interface (SPI) protocol.
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15. A propulsion energy storage system specially adapted for a hybrid electric vehicle, the hybrid electric vehicle including a vehicle communication bus and a low voltage power supply, the energy storage system comprising:
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a system controller configured to communicate with the vehicle communication bus, the system controller having a low voltage power input configured for connection to the low voltage power supply of the vehicle; a controller communication bus communicatively coupled with the system controller; and a first energy storage module having a first plurality of energy storage cells, a first module controller, and a first energy storage cell communication link communicatively coupled with the first module controller and the first plurality of energy storage cells; the first module controller being powered by the first plurality of energy storage cells and configured to communicate with the system controller via the controller communication bus. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27)
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- 23. The system of 15, wherein the system controller communicates over the vehicle communication bus using a first communication protocol and over the controller communication bus using a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol.
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28. A method for controlling propulsion energy storage of a hybrid electric vehicle, the hybrid electric vehicle including a vehicle communication bus, a low voltage power supply, and a propulsion power supply, the propulsion energy storage including a system controller, a controller communication bus, and one or more energy storage modules, each energy storage module having a module controller and a plurality of energy storage cells, the method comprising:
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powering the system controller with the low voltage power supply; powering a first module controller of a respective first energy storage module with a first plurality of energy storage cells associated with the first energy storage module; communicating between the hybrid electric vehicle and the system controller via the vehicle communication bus according to a first communication protocol; communicating between the system controller and the first energy storage module via the controller communication bus according to a second communication protocol; and communicating between the first module controller and the first plurality of energy storage cells via a first energy storage cell communication link according to a third communication protocol. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification