BATTERY COMPRISING CIRCUITRY FOR CHARGE AND DISCHARGE CONTROL, AND METHOD OF OPERATING A BATTERY
First Claim
1. A battery, comprising:
- a first battery module that includes a first plurality of submodules electrically connected to each other, each submodule including a first submodule terminal, a second submodule terminal, and a cell, wherein;
the submodules include a first switchable submodule that includes a first submodule switching circuit, the first submodule switching circuit being configured to be switched between a first state and a second state;
the first submodule switching circuit is configured to electrically couple the cell of the first switchable submodule between the first and second submodule terminals of the first switchable submodule when the submodule switching circuit is in the first state;
the first submodule switching circuit is configured to provide an electrical bypass connection between the first and second submodule terminals of the first switchable submodule and electrically decouple the cell of the first switchable submodule from at least one of the first and second submodule terminals of the first switchable submodule when the first submodule switching circuit is in the second state; and
the first battery module comprises a battery balancing circuit configured to balance a state of charge of the cells of the first plurality of submodules of the first battery module, the battery balancing circuit including an active charge balancing circuit configured to temporarily store energy from one or more of the cells of the submodules of the first battery module and to pass the stored energy to one or more other ones of the cells of the submodules of the first battery module;
a control unit configured to operate the first submodule switching circuit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A battery includes a battery module that includes a plurality of submodules electrically connected in series. Each submodule comprises first and second submodule terminals and a cell. At least one submodule in each battery module is a switchable submodule comprising a submodule switching circuit. The submodule switching circuit is switchable between a first state and a second state. The submodule switching circuit electrically connects the cell of the switchable submodule between the first and second submodule terminals when the submodule switching circuit is in the first state. The submodule switching circuit provides an electrical bypass connection between the first and second submodule terminals and the cell of the switchable submodule is electrically disconnected from at least one of the first and second submodule terminals when the switching circuit is in the second state. The battery further comprises a control unit for operating the switching circuit of each module.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A battery, comprising:
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a first battery module that includes a first plurality of submodules electrically connected to each other, each submodule including a first submodule terminal, a second submodule terminal, and a cell, wherein; the submodules include a first switchable submodule that includes a first submodule switching circuit, the first submodule switching circuit being configured to be switched between a first state and a second state; the first submodule switching circuit is configured to electrically couple the cell of the first switchable submodule between the first and second submodule terminals of the first switchable submodule when the submodule switching circuit is in the first state; the first submodule switching circuit is configured to provide an electrical bypass connection between the first and second submodule terminals of the first switchable submodule and electrically decouple the cell of the first switchable submodule from at least one of the first and second submodule terminals of the first switchable submodule when the first submodule switching circuit is in the second state; and the first battery module comprises a battery balancing circuit configured to balance a state of charge of the cells of the first plurality of submodules of the first battery module, the battery balancing circuit including an active charge balancing circuit configured to temporarily store energy from one or more of the cells of the submodules of the first battery module and to pass the stored energy to one or more other ones of the cells of the submodules of the first battery module; a control unit configured to operate the first submodule switching circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method, comprising:
operating a battery that includes a plurality of battery modules, each battery module includes a plurality of submodules electrically coupled to each other, each submodule comprising a first submodule terminal, a second submodule terminal, and at least one cell, the operating including; selecting a subset of the plurality of submodules of at least one of the battery modules; electrically decoupling the at least one cell of each submodule in the subset from at least one of the first and the second submodule terminal of the submodule; providing an electrical bypass connection between the first and second submodule terminals of each submodule in the subset; and for each battery module, balancing a state of charge of the cells of the plurality of submodules of the battery module using an active charge balancing circuit that temporarily stores energy from one or more of the cells of the submodules of the battery module and passes the stored energy to one or more other ones of the cells of the submodules of the battery module. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
Specification