ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING IT

• US 20150333543A1
• Filed: 10/11/2013
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: H-Tech Ag
• Original Assignee: H-Tech Ag
• Inventors: HEMPEL, Jrg
• Granted Patent: US 10,008,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• 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 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/19 Switching between serial connection and parallel connection of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0018 using separate charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• 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

An energy storage device and a method for the operation of an energy storage device. In order to state an energy storage arrangement and a method for the operation of the latter, which in their characteristics are adapted to complex requirements and show both high-current and high-energy characteristics, an energy storage arrangement is stated, including: at least one high-current cell and at least one high-energy cell, with the at least one high-energy cell and the at least one high-current cell being connected in parallel, with the cells being charged and/or discharged with a current pulse and in the inter-pulse periods a charge balancing taking place between the cells.

Claims

1-56. -56. (canceled)

57. Energy storage arrangement, comprising:

at least one high-current cell and at least one high-energy cell, with the at least one high-energy cell and the at least one high-current cell being connected in parallel, with the cells being charged and/or discharged with a current pulse and charge balancing between the cells taking place in the inter-pulse periods,

a control unit to control the pulse lengths and/or pulse amplitudes of the current pulse for charging and/or discharging of the cells.

58. Energy storage arrangement according to claim 57, further comprising a first switch unit being arranged upstream of at least the high-energy cell, and/or a second switch unit being arranged upstream of at least the high-current cell.

59. Energy storage unit according to claim 58, wherein the at least one switch unit is adapted to control the discharging and/or charging process of the high-energy cell and/or of the high-current cell.

60. Energy storage arrangement according claim 58, wherein the control unit is provided for pulsing of the at least one switch unit for controlling the pulse lengths and/or inter-pulse periods of the current pulse during charging and/or discharging of the cells.

61. Energy storage arrangement according to claim 57, wherein the at least one switch unit is adapted to interrupt the supply of current into and/or the current consumption from the associated cell for a predetermined time and preferably cause a periodic pulsing of the current supply and/or of the current consumption.

62. Energy storage arrangement according to claim 57, further comprising at least one current measuring device and/or voltage measuring device and/or temperature measuring device wherein the measured values are used for the controlling of the charging and/or discharging process.

63. Energy storage arrangement according to claim 57, further comprising a third switch unit being arranged upstream of the connection in parallel of the at least one high-current cell and the at least one high-energy cell and serving the purpose of current limiting for both cells.

64. Energy storage arrangement according to claim 58, wherein the pulsing of the first switch unit for the at least one high-current cell being adapted to and coordinated with the pulsing of the second switch unit for the at least one high-energy cell.

65. Energy storage arrangement according to claim 57, wherein the at least one high-current cell and the at least one high-energy cell being coupled via a fourth switch unit.

66. Energy storage arrangement according to claim 65, wherein the fourth switch unit being closed in order to make possible a flow of current from the high-current cell into the high-energy cell or vice versa and/or the fourth switch unit being pulsed in order to achieve current limiting.

67. Energy storage arrangement according to one of the claim 65, wherein by means of closing of the fourth switch unit during the inter-pulse periods the at least one high-current cell being discharged by a load pulse.

68. Energy storage arrangement according to claim 57, wherein during a pulsed discharging process in the inter-pulse periods or during stationary phases offload with a closed connection between the at least one high-energy cell and the at least one high-current cell a current flowing from the at least one high-energy cell into the at least one high-current cell, in order to recharge the latter.

69. Energy storage arrangement according to claim 58, wherein the current from the energy storage arrangement being able to be limited during a discharging process by means of one of the switch units.

70. Energy storage arrangement according to claim 57, wherein the current pulse switching back and forth between a low level of zero amps and a fixed positive current value.

71. Energy storage arrangement according to claim 65, wherein the control unit being connected to the first, second, third and/or fourth switch unit, in order to supply a switch pulse to the latter to open and/or close the respective switch unit, with the switch unit continuing to be connected to the current, voltage and/or temperature measuring devices in order to receive measuring signals from the latter.

72. Energy storage arrangement according to claim 58, wherein at least one of the switch units being controlled in such a way that upon reaching the end of discharge voltage of one of the two types of cells, current limiting is carried out by means of pulsing of one of the switches.

73. Energy storage arrangement according to claim 57, wherein the length of the current pulses and/or of the inter-pulse periods being set as a function of the measured state of the two cell types.

74. Method for the charging or discharging of an energy storage arrangement comprising a connection in parallel of at least one high-current cell and at least one high-energy cell, comprising the steps:

charging or discharging of at least one high-current cell and at least one high-energy cell by using a current pulse, wherein charge balancing between the cells taking place in the inter-pulse periods,

controlling the pulse lengths and/or pulse amplitudes of the current pulse for charging and/or discharging of the cells by use of a control unit.

75. Method according to claim 74, wherein upon reaching of the end of charge voltage of the high-current cells or of the high-energy cells switching-off of the supply of the current pulse to the appropriate cell and further charging of the other one of the two cells up to the reaching of the end of charge voltage of the other one of the two cells, wherein during an inter-pulse period between the current pulses the two high-current cells and high-energy cells are connected to each other to allow a flow of current from the high-current cells to the high-energy cells.

76. Method according to claim 74, further comprising the steps:

monitoring of end of discharge voltage, current flow and/or temperature of the at least one high-current cell and/or at least one high-energy cell;

upon exceeding of a limit value of the end of discharge voltage, current flow or temperature limiting of the discharging current from the high-energy cell or from the high-current cell by pulsing of a switch unit, wherein due to the closing of a switch unit between the two high-current cells and high-energy cells connected in parallel, charge balancing taking place between the high-current cells and the high-energy cells.