Device and Method for Protecting a Battery

• US 20130063122A1
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: V2 Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle Partnership Handelsbolag
• Original Assignee: V2 Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle Partnership Handelsbolag
• Inventors: Martaeng, Jesper
• Granted Patent: US 9,391,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/312
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4264 with capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/637 characterised by the use of reversible temperature-sensitive devices, e.g. NTC, PTC or bimetal devices; characterised by control of the internal current flowing through the cells, e.g. by switching means for preventing undesired use or discharge H01M50/572
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/15 using active elements
• 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

A battery protection device for protecting a battery (1;41) comprises an electrical circuit arranged to generate or suppress a ripple current through said battery. Said electrical circuit comprises a ripple generator arranged to produce an electrical ripple current, a first ripple injector (21;48) to be arranged on a positive power line to the battery, said first ripple injector being arranged to transfer said electrical ripple current to said positive power line, and a second ripple injector (22;49) to be arranged on a negative power line to the battery. Said second ripple injector is arranged to transfer said electrical ripple current to said negative power line. Said first and second ripple injector are arranged to operate in a differential mode, e.g. opposite sign on injected current.

Claims

1. Battery protection device for protecting a battery, said device comprising an electrical circuit arranged to generate or suppress a ripple current through said battery, wherein said electrical circuit comprises:

a ripple generator arranged to produce an electrical ripple current;

a first ripple injector to be arranged on a positive power line to the battery, said first ripple injector being arranged to transfer said electrical ripple current to said positive power line;

a second ripple injector to be arranged on a negative power line to the battery, said second ripple injector being arranged to transfer said electrical ripple current to said negative power line,

wherein said first and second ripple injector are arranged to operate in a differential mode.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein said ripple generator comprises two half bridge circuits to be powered by a power supply.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein each of said half bridges comprises two switching devices.

4. Device according to claim 3, wherein ripple generator comprises a Pulse Width Modulation drive circuit arranged to produce electrical pulses, said PWM drive circuit being arranged to drive the switching devices.

5. Device according to according to claim 1, wherein said protection device comprises a signal processor arranged to output a control signal to said ripple generator.

6. Device according to claim 5, wherein said signal processor is arranged to receive first input from a temperature sensor indicative for the temperature of the battery and to control said PWM drive circuit using said first input.

7. Device according to claim 5, wherein said protection device comprises a current sensor arranged to measure a current in at least one of said positive or negative power lines, wherein said signal processor is arrange to receive a second input from said current sensor and to control said PWM drive circuit using said second input.

8. Device according to claim 7, wherein said current sensor comprises a transformer.

9. Device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second ripple injector each comprise at least one of a transformer or a capacitor.

10. Device according to claim 1, wherein said ripple generator is arranged to produce a reactive ripple current that is out of phase with the applied voltage across said battery.

11. Device according to claim 1, wherein said ripple generator is arranged to absorb a ripple current on the power lines and release this energy into a power source.

12. Electrical powering device comprising a battery and a protection device according to claim 1.

14. Device according to claim 1, wherein the differential mode includes opposite sign on injected current.

13. Method of protecting a battery, said method comprising generating or suppressing a ripple current through said battery, by means of:

injecting a first ripple current on a positive power line to the battery;

injecting a second ripple current on a negative power line to the battery, wherein said first and second ripple current have opposite sign.