BATTERY OVERCHARGE MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20150022150A1
• Filed: 07/18/2013
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Momcilovich, Paul Theodore, Gale, Allan Roy, Blakemore, Bruce Carvell, Degner, Michael W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,325,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/12 : for vehicles propelled by dc motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 : for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 : Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 : using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

An exemplary battery charge monitoring method includes, among other things, calculating expected charge data for a battery using at least a capacity of the battery and a charge rate, and comparing actual charge data to the expected charge data to identify differences between the actual charge data and the expected charge data.

Claims

1. A battery charge monitoring method, comprising:

calculating expected charge data for a battery using at least a capacity of the battery and a charge rate; and

comparing actual charge data to the expected charge data to identify differences between the actual charge data and the expected charge data.

2. The battery charge monitoring method of claim 1, including ending the charging in response to the comparing.

3. The battery charge monitoring method of claim 1, wherein the expected charge data comprises an expected charge time, and the actual charge data comprises an actual charge time.

4. The battery charge monitoring method of claim 3, including ending the charge in response to the expected charge time exceeding the actual charge time.

5. The battery charge monitoring method of claim 1, wherein the expected charge data and the actual charge data comprise electric charge data, and charging of the battery is terminated in response to an actual amount of electrical charge exceeding an expected amount of electrical charge.

6. The battery charge monitoring method of claim 1, wherein the expected charge data and the actual charge data comprise voltage data, and charging of the battery is terminated in response to an actual voltage exceeding an expected amount of voltage.

7. The battery charge monitoring method of claim 1, wherein the expected charge data and the actual charge data comprise energy data, and charging of the battery is terminated in response to an actual energy to charge the battery exceeding an expected amount of energy required to charge the battery.

8. The battery charge monitoring method of claim 1, wherein the expected charge data comprises a substantially monotonic increase of the voltage such that a change in the voltage during the charging is substantially non-negative, and charging is terminated if the change in the voltage is negative.

9. The battery charge monitoring method of claim 1, wherein the expected charge data comprises a substantially monotonic decreasing battery current such that a change in the battery current during the charging is less than or equal to zero, and charging is terminated if the change in the current is greater than zero.

10. The battery charge monitoring method of claim 1, wherein the capacity of the battery comprises a maximum voltage for cells of the battery.

11. The battery charge monitoring method of claim 1, wherein the capacity of the battery comprises a percentage of a maximum voltage for cells of the battery.

12. The battery charge monitoring method of claim 1, wherein the capacity of the battery comprises an amp-hour capacity for cells of the battery.

13. The battery charge monitoring method of claim 1, including using a battery charge controller for the calculating and the comparing.

14. The battery charge monitoring method of claim 1, wherein the battery is a vehicle battery.

15. A battery charging system, comprising:

a battery charger to charge a battery; and

a controller configured to selectively end a charge of the battery in response to a comparison of an expected charge amount to an actual charge amount, the expected charge amount calculated using at least a capacity of the battery and a charge rate.

16. The battery charging system of claim 15, wherein the actual charge amount comprises a measurement of time spent charging the battery with the battery charger.

17. The battery charging system of claim 15, wherein the controller selectively ends the charge in response to the expected charge amount exceeding the actual charge amount.

18. The battery charging system of claim 15, wherein the battery is an electric vehicle battery.