BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20120188714A1
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akasol GmbH (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Akasol GmbH (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Von Borck, Felix, Eberleh, Björn
• Granted Patent: US 8,830,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/688
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/653 characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6553 Terminals or leads
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/663 the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/262 with fastening means, e.g. locks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/291 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/293 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery management system for a battery module comprising a plurality of cells connected to one another which each have a positive and a negative terminal. The invention is in particular concerned with a battery management system which is used with accumulators especially lithium ion cells for forming a traction battery or a traction battery module for vehicles with an electrical drive drain. Such battery modules can for example be used in electrical vehicles, hybrid vehicles with combustion engines or hybrid vehicles with fuel cells, can however also be used for other purposes, for example for stationary applications or for small traction applications, such as for example in a wheelchair.

Claims

1. A battery management system for a battery module having a plurality of battery cells which each have positive and negative terminals wherein the battery management system is arranged on a circuit board and the circuit board has a plurality of electrical contacts which can be brought into direct contact with conducting elements of the battery cells, with the conducting elements being formed by at least one of the terminals of the battery cells of the battery module and by conducting spacer elements which are provided between adjacent terminals of the battery cells.

2. A battery management system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the terminals and the conducting spacer elements are arranged on one side of the battery module and form a contact plane in which the circuit board has at least one of electrical and thermal contact to at least one of the terminals and to the spacer elements.

3. A battery management system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the battery management system includes at least one interface, a processor, a flash memory, an ADC and a current supply, wherein at least one of the interfaces is preferably an automotive interface.

4. A battery management system in accordance with claim 1, wherein it is designed to measure voltage differences or values proportional thereto at different points of the battery cells.

5. A battery management system in accordance with claim 1, wherein it is designed to monitor the measured voltages of the battery cells.

6. A battery management system in accordance with claim 1, wherein it is designed to monitor the state of charge of the battery module with reference to the measured voltages of the battery cells and to regulate them by changing resistances associated with the battery cells.

7. A battery management system in accordance with claim 1, wherein it is designed to measure temperatures from at least one point of the battery module.

8. A battery management system in accordance with claim 1, wherein it is designed to monitor the measured temperatures.

9. A battery management system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the circuit board has heating resistors associated with the battery cells which serve for the heating up of the battery cells.

10. A battery management system in accordance with claim 1, wherein it is designed to initiate at least one of the following processes:

a heating process when a measured temperature amounts to less than a prespecified minimum temperature and a cooling process when the measured temperature amounts to more than a prespecified maximum temperature.

11. A battery management system in accordance with claim 1, wherein circuits are arranged on the board for the monitoring at least one of temperatures of the battery cells and voltages of the battery cells.

12. A battery management system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the individual circuits are arranged between the said contacts of the circuit board to the individual battery cells in the region of the circuit board between the terminals and are arranged between the conducting spacer elements of the battery cells.

13. A battery management system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the circuits are arranged on the circuit board in the region of the contact plane.

14. A battery management system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a signal processing device is arranged on the circuit board and is designed to convert at least one of measured temperatures, measured voltages, monitored temperatures and monitored voltages into digital signals which are evaluated in an evaluation unit.

15. A battery management system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the signal processing device is designed to modulate the digital signals onto at least one of the output voltage of the battery cells and the output voltage of the battery module which is made available by the connection lines of the battery module, whereby the digital signals are measured by an evaluation unit via the connection lines of the battery module.

16. A battery management system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the contact between the battery management system and the battery module is established by at least one of screws and spring contacts.

17. A battery management system in accordance with claim 1 in combination with a battery module unit consisting of a plurality of cells connected to one another which each have a positive and a negative terminal, wherein the terminals which are provided with cutouts are arranged in at least first and second rows such that broad sides of adjacent terminals of a respective row confront one another, wherein, the terminals of each row are held spaced from one another by systematically arranged conducting spacer elements and an optionally insulating spacer element, wherein the cells are connected electrically in series and/or parallel to one another inside the module by a systematic arrangement of their positive and negative terminals in the first row or in the second row and wherein the terminals of each row and also the spacer elements arranged there between are pressed against one another by a clamping device.

19. A battery measurement system in accordance with claim 4, wherein it is designed to at least temporarily store the measured voltage differences.

20. A battery management system in accordance with claim 7, wherein it is designed to at least temporarily store the measured temperatures.

21. A battery management system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the heating resistors contact conducting elements i.e. the terminals of the cells or the conducting spacer elements.

22. A battery management system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the digital signals are at least temporarily stored.

23. A battery management system in accordance with claim 22, wherein the evaluation unit is decoupled from the circuit board.

18. A battery management system, wherein the at least one interfaces is an automotive interface.