BATTERY FAULT TOLERANT ARCHITECTURE FOR CELL FAILURE MODES SERIES BYPASS CIRCUIT

• US 20120091964A1
• Filed: 10/14/2010
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Vance, Steven J., Leutheuser, Andrew H., Mentzer, John C., Guerin, John T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,024,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/122
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/24 for controlling the temperature of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A battery cell by-pass circuit that has particular application for by-passing cells in a high voltage battery for a vehicle. The battery includes a plurality of battery cells electrically coupled in series. The by-pass circuit includes a first switch electrically coupled in series with one or more of the battery cells, a by-pass line electrically coupled around the one or more battery cells and a second switch electrically coupled in the by-pass line and in parallel with the one or more battery cells. During normal cell operation, the first switch is closed and the second switch is open so that current flows through the one or more battery cells. If the one or more battery cells fail or are failing, the first switch is opened and the second switch is closed so that current by-passes the one or more cells and they are removed from the battery circuit.

Claims

1. A battery by-pass circuit comprising:

a battery including a plurality of battery cells electrically coupled in series;

a first switch electrically coupled in series with at least one battery cell;

a by-pass line electrically coupled around the at least one battery cell;

a second switch electrically coupled within the by-pass line and electrically coupled in parallel with the at least one battery cell; and

a controller being configured to control the position of the first and second switches, said controller closing the first switch and opening the second switch during normal operation of the at least one battery cell and opening the first switch and closing the second switch during a performance loss of the at least one battery cell.

2. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the first and second switches are solid-state switches.

3. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the first and second switches are relays.

4. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the first and second switches are mechanical disconnects.

5. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the at least one battery cell is a set of more than one battery cell where opening the first switch disconnects the set of battery cells from the plurality of battery cells and closing the second switch by-passes the set of battery cells.

6. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the battery cells are lithium-ion battery cells.

7. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of battery cells are part of a battery module that is electrically coupled in parallel with other battery modules in the battery where all of the battery modules include a plurality of battery cells electrically coupled in series.

8. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the battery is a vehicle battery.

9. The circuit according to claim 8 wherein the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle.

10. A battery circuit comprising at least one battery module including a plurality of battery cells electrically coupled in series, said battery module including at least one by-pass circuit having a first switch electrically coupled in series with at least one battery cell, a by-pass line electrically coupled around the at least one battery cell and a second switch electrically coupled within the by-pass line and electrically coupled in parallel with the at least one battery cell, wherein closing the first switch and opening the second switch allows current to flow through the at least one battery cell and opening the first switch and closing the second switch allows current to flow around the at least one battery cell so that the at least one battery cell can be electrically by-passed.

11. The circuit according to claim 10 wherein the first and second switches are solid-state switches.

12. The circuit according to claim 10 wherein the first and second switches are relays.

13. The circuit according to claim 10 wherein the first and second switches are mechanical disconnects.

14. The circuit according to claim 10 wherein the at least one battery cell is a set of more than one battery cell where opening the first switch disconnects the set of battery cells from the plurality of battery cells and closing the second switch by-passes the set of battery cells.

15. The circuit according to claim 10 wherein the battery cells are lithium-ion battery cells.

16. The circuit according to claim 10 wherein the battery module is electrically coupled in parallel with other battery modules in the battery where all of the battery modules include a plurality of battery cells electrically coupled in series.

17. The circuit according to claim 10 wherein the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle.

20. The circuit according to claim 17 wherein the battery cells are lithium-ion battery cells.

18. A battery circuit for a hybrid vehicle, said circuit including a plurality of battery modules electrically coupled in parallel, each of the battery modules including a plurality of battery cells electrically coupled in series, each battery module including at least one by-pass circuit having a first switch electrically coupled in series with a set of the plurality of battery cells, a by-pass line electrically coupled around the set of battery cells and a second switch electrically coupled within the by-pass line and electrically coupled in parallel with the set of battery cells, wherein closing the first switch and opening the second switch allows current flow to flow through the set of battery cells and opening the first switch and closing the second switch allows current to flow around the set of battery cells so that the set of battery cells can be electrically by-passed.

19. The circuit according to claim 18 wherein the first and second switches are selected from the group consisting of solid-state switches, relays and mechanical disconnects.