CELL MODELING

• US 20130282353A1
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sendyne Corp. (Sensata Technologies Holding Plc)
• Original Assignee: Sendyne Corp. (Sensata Technologies Holding Plc)
• Inventors: Tsividis, Yannis
• Application Number:
  US13/515,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20130282353A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/18
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2848 using simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/367 Design verification, e.g. using simulation, simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis [SPICE], direct methods or relaxation methods

Abstract

An arrangement provides simulation of important battery factors such as state of charge or state of health, and the estimates are provided to the human user in ways that permit the human user to make better use of the battery, for example in an electric car. The arrangement uses modeling elements that communicate with each other by means of an analog bus. Some lines on the analog bus are voltages that are intended to be inputs to the simulation or actual measured values from a physical system. Other lines, importantly, are “voltages” that are intended to communicate characteristics of interest such as open-circuit voltage of a cell. Still other lines may be “voltages” that merely pass messages between modeling elements, the voltages not necessarily representing any real-life measurable such as the afore-mentioned temperature value.

Claims

1-4. -4. (canceled)

5. A method of arriving at an estimate of a state of a battery having at least first and second electrical terminals, and communicating said estimate to a human user, the battery having at least a current measurement device in series therewith, and having at least a first temperature sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

defining at least one first line in a circuit simulator, each of the at least one first lines indicative of a physical measurable value at a real-world location;

defining a plurality of second lines in the circuit simulator, each of the second lines indicative by means of a virtual voltage of a parameter at a real-world respective physical location being simulated, and at least one of the plurality of second lines defined as indicative of the state of the battery being estimated;

the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines defining an analog bus within the circuit simulator providing at least first and second modeling elements in the circuit simulator, each of the modeling elements connected within the circuit simulator to at least one of the lines among the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines,

carrying out a simulation within the circuit simulator as to the at least one first line and as to all of the second lines, thereby arriving at an estimate of the state of the battery; and

communicating the estimate of the state of the battery to a human user;

wherein the circuit simulator is electronic circuitry comprising circuit elements bringing about the at least first and second modeling elements, the electronic circuitry communicating the estimate of the state of the battery to the human user.

6. A method of arriving at an estimate of a state of a battery having at least first and second electrical terminals, and communicating said estimate to a human user, the battery having at least a current measurement device in series therewith, and having at least a first temperature sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

defining at least one first line in a circuit simulator, each of the at least one first lines indicative of a physical measurable value at a real-world location;

defining a plurality of second lines in the circuit simulator, each of the second lines indicative by means of a virtual voltage of a parameter at a real-world respective physical location being simulated, and at least one of the plurality of second lines defined as indicative of the state of the battery being estimated;

the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines defining an analog bus within the circuit simulator;

providing at least first and second modeling elements in the circuit simulator, each of the modeling elements connected within the circuit simulator to at least one of the lines among the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines;

carrying out a simulation within the circuit simulator as to the at least one first line and as to all of the second lines, thereby arriving at an estimate of the state of the battery; and

communicating the estimate of the state of the battery to a human user;

wherein at least a first one of the at least first and second modeling elements is electronic circuitry comprising circuit elements bringing about the at least a first one of the at least first and second modeling elements, and wherein at least a second one of the at least first and second modeling elements is simulated circuitry in a software simulator executed on a computer.

7-10. -10. (canceled)

11. An apparatus for arriving at an estimate of a state of a battery having at least first and second electrical terminals, and for communicating said estimate to a human user, the battery having at least a current measurement device in series therewith, and having at least a first temperature sensor, the apparatus comprising:

at least one first line in a circuit simulator, each of the at least one first lines indicative of a physical measurable value at a real-world location;

a plurality of second lines in the circuit simulator, each of the second lines indicative by means of a virtual voltage of a parameter at a real-world respective physical location being simulated, and at least one of the plurality of second lines defined as indicative of the state of the battery being estimated;

the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines defining an analog bus within the circuit simulator;

at least first and second modeling elements in the circuit simulator, each of the modeling elements connected within the circuit simulator to at least one of the lines among the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines,

the apparatus further comprising a communications means for communicating the estimate of the state of the battery to a human user;

wherein the circuit simulator is electronic circuitry comprising circuit elements bringing about the at least first and second modeling elements, the electronic circuitry communicating the estimate of the state of the battery to the human user.

12. An apparatus for arriving at an estimate of a state of a battery having at least first and second electrical terminals, and for communicating said estimate to a human user, the battery having at least a current measurement device in series therewith, and having at least a first temperature sensor, the apparatus comprising:

at least one first line in a circuit simulator, each of the at least one first lines indicative of a physical measurable value at a real-world location;

a plurality of second lines in the circuit simulator, each of the second lines indicative by means of a virtual voltage of a parameter at a real-world respective physical location being simulated, and at least one of the plurality of second lines defined as indicative of the state of the battery being estimated;

the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines defining an analog bus within the circuit simulator;

at least first and second modeling elements in the circuit simulator, each of the modeling elements connected within the circuit simulator to at least one of the lines among the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines,

the apparatus further comprising a communications means for communicating the estimate of the state of the battery to a human user;

wherein at least a first one of the at least first and second modeling elements is electronic circuitry comprising circuit elements bringing about the at least a first one of the at least first and second modeling elements, and wherein at least a second one of the at least first and second modeling elements is simulated circuitry in a software simulator executed on a computer.

13-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method of arriving at a simulation of a battery having at least first and second electrical terminals, and communicating results of said simulation to a human user, the method comprising the steps of:

defining at least one first line in a circuit simulator, each of the at least one first lines indicative of an input to the simulation;

defining a plurality of second lines in the circuit simulator, each of the second lines indicative by means of a virtual voltage of a simulated parameter, and at least one of the plurality of second lines defined as indicative of the state of the battery being estimated;

the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines defining an analog bus within the circuit simulator;

providing at least first and second modeling elements in the circuit simulator, each of the modeling elements connected within the circuit simulator to at least one of the lines among the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines,

carrying out a simulation within the circuit simulator as to the at least one first line and as to all of the second lines, thereby arriving at an estimate of the state of the battery as a function of simulated use of the battery; and

communicating the estimate of the state of the battery to a human user;

wherein the circuit simulator is electronic circuitry comprising circuit elements bringing about the at least first and second modeling elements, the electronic circuitry communicating the estimate of the state of the battery to the human user.

18. A method of arriving at a simulation of a battery having at least first and second electrical terminals, and communicating results of said simulation to a human user, the method comprising the steps of:

defining at least one first line in a circuit simulator, each of the at least one first lines indicative of an input to the simulation;

defining a plurality of second lines in the circuit simulator, each of the second lines indicative by means of a virtual voltage of a simulated parameter, and at least one of the plurality of second lines defined as indicative of the state of the battery being estimated;

the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines defining an analog bus within the circuit simulator;

providing at least first and second modeling elements in the circuit simulator, each of the modeling elements connected within the circuit simulator to at least one of the lines among the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines,

carrying out a simulation within the circuit simulator as to the at least one first line and as to all of the second lines, thereby arriving at an estimate of the state of the battery as a function of simulated use of the battery; and

communicating the estimate of the state of the battery to a human user;

wherein at least a first one of the at least first and second modeling elements is electronic circuitry comprising circuit elements bringing about the at least a first one of the at least first and second modeling elements, and wherein at least a second one of the at least first and second modeling elements is simulated circuitry in a software simulator executed on a computer.

19-22. -22. (canceled)

23. An apparatus for arriving at a simulation of a battery having at least first and second electrical terminals, and for communicating results of said simulation to a human user, the apparatus comprising:

at least one first line in a circuit simulator, each of the at least one first lines indicative of an input to the simulation;

a plurality of second lines in the circuit simulator, each of the second lines indicative by means of a virtual voltage of a simulated parameter, and at least one of the plurality of second lines defined as indicative of the state of the battery being estimated as a function of simulated use of the battery;

the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines defining an analog bus within the circuit simulator;

at least first and second modeling elements in the circuit simulator, each of the modeling elements connected within the circuit simulator to at least one of the lines among the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines,

the apparatus further comprising a communications means for communicating the estimate of the state of the battery to a human user;

wherein the circuit simulator is electronic circuitry comprising circuit elements bringing about the at least first and second modeling elements, the electronic circuitry communicating the estimate of the state of the battery to the human user.

24. An apparatus for arriving at a simulation of a battery having at least first and second electrical terminals, and for communicating results of said simulation to a human user, the apparatus comprising:

at least one first line in a circuit simulator, each of the at least one first lines indicative of an input to the simulation;

a plurality of second lines in the circuit simulator, each of the second lines indicative by means of a virtual voltage of a simulated parameter, and at least one of the plurality of second lines defined as indicative of the state of the battery being estimated as a function of simulated use of the battery;

the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines defining an analog bus within the circuit simulator;

at least first and second modeling elements in the circuit simulator, each of the modeling elements connected within the circuit simulator to at least one of the lines among the at least one first line and the plurality of second lines,

the apparatus further comprising a communications means for communicating the estimate of the state of the battery to a human user;

wherein at least a first one of the at least first and second modeling elements is electronic circuitry comprising circuit elements bringing about the at least a first one of the at least first and second modeling elements, and wherein at least a second one of the at least first and second modeling elements is simulated circuitry in a software simulator executed on a computer.