STATE OF CHARGE RANGE

• US 20110156652A1
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Mehta, Vineet H., Kohn, Scott I., Kishiyama, Clay H., Gadda, Christopher D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,629,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A management system for a battery cell pack, the management system including a controller determining an adjustable charge profile for the battery cell pack wherein the adjustable charge profile includes an operational parameter identifying a next operation drive range mode from a set of drive range modes for the battery cell pack wherein each the drive range mode includes a state of charge (SOC) window between a charge SOC and a discharge SOC, with the set of drive range modes including a first drive range mode having a first SOC window and including a second drive range mode having a second SOC window less than the first SOC window; and one or more energy transfer stages to produce the charge SOC of the next operation drive range mode in the battery cell pack.

Claims

1. A management system for a battery cell pack, the management system comprising:

a controller determining an adjustable charge profile for the battery cell pack wherein said adjustable charge profile includes;

an operational parameter identifying a next operation drive range mode from a set of drive range modes for the battery cell pack wherein each said drive range mode includes a state of charge (SOC) window between a charge SOC and a discharge SOC, with said set of drive range modes including a first drive range mode having a first SOC window and including a second drive range mode having a second SOC window less than said first SOC window; and

one or more energy transfer stages to produce said charge SOC of said next operation drive range mode in the battery cell pack.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said second SOC window varies over time.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said first SOC window is substantially constant over time.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said variation of said second SOC window increases over time.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said discharge SOC of said second SOC window is substantially constant over time.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said charge SOC of said second SOC window is substantially constant over time.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein a variation of said charge SOC over time is different from a variation of said discharge SOC over time.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein said variation in said second SOC window is configured to produce a substantially constant discharge energy from the battery cell pack over a plurality of operational years while a total energy capacity of the battery cell pack substantially decreases over said plurality of operational years.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said variation in said second SOC window is responsive to one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of estimated pack capacity fade, discharge Ah, time, miles driven, number of pack charging cycles, change in pack impedance, Ah of total charge/discharge, Wh of total charge/discharge, vehicle driving range, hours of use, and combinations thereof.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said second drive range mode is selected N % of charging cycles, wherein N % is in a range between about 66.67% and 100%.

11. A management system for a battery cell pack, the management system comprising:

a controller determining an adjustable charge profile for the battery cell pack wherein said adjustable charge profile includes;

an operational parameter identifying a next operation drive range mode for the battery cell pack wherein said drive range mode includes a state of charge (SOC) window between a charge SOC and a discharge SOC; and

one or more energy transfer stages to produce said charge SOC in the battery cell pack.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said SOC window varies over time.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said variation of said SOC window increases over time.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said discharge SOC is substantially constant over time.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said charge SOC is substantially constant over time.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein a variation of said charge SOC over time is different from a variation of said discharge SOC over time.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein said variation in SOC window is configured to produce a substantially constant discharge energy from the battery cell pack over a plurality of operational years while a total energy capacity of the battery cell pack substantially decreases over said plurality of operational years.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said variation in said SOC window is responsive to one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of estimated pack capacity fade, discharge Ah, time, miles driven, number of pack charging cycles, change in pack impedance, Ah of total charge/discharge, Wh of total charge/discharge, vehicle driving range, hours of use, and combinations thereof.

19. A battery cell pack charging method for charging a battery cell pack, the battery cell pack charging method using a processor and comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying a next operation drive range mode from a set of drive range modes for the battery cell pack wherein each said drive range mode includes a state of charge (SOC) window between a charge SOC and a discharge SOC, with said set of drive range modes including a first drive range mode having a first SOC window and including a second drive range mode having a second SOC window less than said first SOC window;

(b) charging the battery cell pack to produce said charge SOC of said next operation drive range mode; and

(c) implementing said plan by a charger coupled to the battery cell pack in anticipation of a next operation post-charge performance identified by said next operation post-charge performance characteristic.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said second SOC window varies over time.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said first SOC window is substantially constant over time.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said variation of said second SOC window increases over time.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said discharge SOC of said second SOC window is substantially constant over time.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said charge SOC of said second SOC window is substantially constant over time.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein a variation of said charge SOC over time is different from a variation of said discharge SOC over time.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein said variation in said second SOC window is configured to produce a substantially constant discharge energy from the battery cell pack over a plurality of operational years while a total energy capacity of the battery cell pack substantially decreases over said plurality of operational years.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said variation in said second SOC window is responsive to one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of estimated pack capacity fade, discharge Ah, time, miles driven, number of pack charging cycles, change in pack impedance, Ah of total charge/discharge, Wh of total charge/discharge, vehicle driving range, hours of use, and combinations thereof.

28. The method of claim 19 wherein said second drive range mode is selected N % of charging cycles, wherein N % is in a range between about 66.67% and 100%.

29. A battery cell pack charging method for charging a battery cell pack, the battery cell pack charging method using a processor and comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying a next operation drive range mode for the battery cell pack wherein said drive range mode includes a state of charge (SOC) window between a charge SOC and a discharge SOC;

(b) charging the battery cell pack to produce said charge SOC of said next operation drive range mode; and

(c) implementing said plan by a charger coupled to the battery cell pack in anticipation of a next operation post-charge.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said SOC window varies over time.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said variation of said SOC window increases over time.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said discharge SOC is substantially constant over time.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein said charge SOC is substantially constant over time.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein a variation of said charge SOC over time is different from a variation of said discharge SOC over time.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein said variation in SOC window is configured to produce a substantially constant discharge energy from the battery cell pack over a plurality of operational years while a total energy capacity of the battery cell pack substantially decreases over said plurality of operational years.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said variation in said SOC window is responsive to one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of estimated pack capacity fade, discharge Ah, time, miles driven, number of pack charging cycles, change in pack impedance, Ah of total charge/discharge, Wh of total charge/discharge, vehicle driving range, hours of use, and combinations thereof.