Method for assessment of the state of batteries in battery-supported power supply systems

• US 7,400,149 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Walter, Harald, Köster, Kay
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane; Adolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): Berhanu; Samuel
• Application Number:
  US10/850,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20050007074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 324/429, 320/132, 320/134, 320/136
• US Class Current: 324/429
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/388 involving voltage measurements

Abstract

After disconnection from the power supply system, a discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage is recorded automatically by means of a control unit across a discharge resistance during a stage-by-stage discharge cycle from a charged battery which is being operated for the first time on the power supply system. This stage-by-stage discharge cycle is repeated at times which can be defined, in order to record an instantaneous discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage, and an alarm no-load voltage is determined from the instantaneous discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage from a previously defined reserve time and from the final discharge voltage as determined in the first measurement, which alarm no-load voltage represents a measure of the energy which in each case still remains in the battery, and on reaching which during operation on the load, an alarm is produced for the operator of the power supply system.

Claims

1. A method for assessment of a state of batteries in battery-supported power supply systems having at least two parallel battery paths, which alternately supply a load with power or are recharged from a generator depending on the state of charge, comprising:

after disconnection from the power supply system, automatically recording a discharge characteristic of a no-load voltage by means of a control unit across a discharge resistance during a stage-by-stage discharge cycle from a charged battery which is being operated for a first time on the power supply system;

repeating the stage-by-stage discharge cycle at times which can be defined to record an instantaneous discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage; and

determining an alarm no-load voltage from the instantaneous discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage from a previously defined reserve time and from a final discharge voltage as determined in the first measurement, which alarm no-load voltage represents a measure of energy which remains in the battery, and on reaching which during operation on the load, an alarm is produced for an operator of the power supply system, wherein instantaneous discharge characteristics of the no-load voltage during recharging by photovoltaic systems are recorded in a time window, which can be defined, in the area of sufficiently high solar radiation.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein individual significant points on the discharge characteristic are driven to during the measurement of the instantaneous discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least the most recently recorded instantaneous discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage is stored.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the time for recording the next instantaneous discharge characteristic is determined from the reduction in the discharge time between successive battery discharges.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the remaining availability of a battery is determined from a reduction in the discharge time between successive battery discharges.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in addition to the reserve time, an additional prewarning time is determined using the same mode as for the reserve time.

7. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein once a defined discharge current has been exceeded during normal operation of the battery, an instantaneous discharge characteristic for the no-load voltage is recorded, and the battery is taken out of use if there is any discrepancy from the most recently recorded, stored discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage beyond defined values.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a mean value of the discharge current is determined at the load, and a remaining capacity of the battery is determined therefrom and from the defined reserve time for the remaining availability of the power supply, from which the alarm no-load voltage is corrected based on the discharge voltage profile until the final charge voltage is reached.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the profile of the no-load voltage is measured using the load within a time period which can be determined, and the alarm no-load voltage is corrected therefrom and from the defined reserve time for the remaining availability of the power supply, and from the final charge voltage.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a value which is dependent on the instantaneous temperature is added to the determined instantaneous alarm no-load voltage.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in an island mode, the batteries are connected to the load in a chosen time pattern, and the battery which was in each case connected to the load most recently is recharged.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in an island mode, the battery which is connected to the load is in each case discharged down to its alarm no-load voltage, and the battery which is most heavily discharged is in each case recharged.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in an island mode, the batteries are charged cyclically in the standby mode.

14. The method as claimed in claims 11, wherein cyclic switching takes place between the charging/discharge method.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the time basis for the time window is determined as a relative time basis, which is independent of the actual time, by measurement of the daily daytime/nighttime hours and also the change therein from the power supply system itself.

16. An arrangement having a processor, comprising at least two parallel battery paths, which alternately supply a load with power or are recharged by a generator depending on a state of charge, wherein after disconnection from the power supply system, a discharge characteristic of a no-load voltage is recorded across a discharge resistance during a stage-by-stage discharge cycle from a charged battery which is being operated for a first time on the power supply system,

the stage-by-stage discharge cycle repeated at times which can be defined in order to record an instantaneous discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage, and

an alarm no-load voltage is determined from the instantaneous discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage from a previously defined reserve time and from a final discharge voltage as determined in a first measurement, which alarm no-load voltage represents a measure of energy which in each case still remains in the battery, and on reaching which during operation on the load, an alarm is produced for the operator of the power supply system, wherein

instantaneous discharge characteristics of the no-load voltage during recharging by photovoltaic systems are recorded in a time window, which can be defined, in the area of sufficiently high solar radiation.

17. A computer program product, which has a computer-readable medium, on which a program is stored, and in conjunction with at least two parallel battery paths, which alternately supply a load with power or are recharged by a generator depending on the state of charge, comprising:

after disconnection from the power supply system, recording a discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage across a discharge resistance during a stage-by-stage discharge cycle from a charged battery which is being operated for a first time on the power supply system, wherein the stage-by-stage discharge cycle is repeated at times which can be defined in order to record an instantaneous discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage; and

determining an alarm no-load voltage from the instantaneous discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage from a previously defined reserve time and from a final discharge voltage as determined in a first measurement, which alarm no-load voltage represents a measure of energy which in each case still remains in the battery, and on reaching which during operation on the load, an alarm is produced for the operator of the power supply system, wherein

instantaneous discharge characteristics of the no-load voltage during recharging by photovoltaic systems are recorded in a time window, which can be defined, in the area of sufficiently high solar radiation.

18. A computer-readable memory medium which is loaded into a memory of a computer, performs the following in conjunction with a battery-supported power supply system having at least two parallel battery paths, which alternately supply a load with power or are recharged by a generator depending on the state of charge, comprising:

after disconnection from the power supply system, a discharge characteristic of a no-load voltage is recorded across a discharge resistance during a stage-by-stage discharge cycle from a charged battery which is being operated for a first time on the power supply system, wherein the stage-by-stage discharge cycle is repeated at times which can be defined in order to record an instantaneous discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage; and

determining an alarm no-load voltage from the instantaneous discharge characteristic of the no-load voltage from a previously defined reserve time and from a final discharge voltage as determined in a first measurement, which alarm no-load voltage represents a measure of energy which in each case still remains in the battery, and on reaching which during operation on the load, an alarm is produced for the operator of the power supply system, wherein

instantaneous discharge characteristics of the no-load voltage during recharging by photovoltaic systems are recorded in a time window, which can be defined, in the area of sufficiently high solar radiation.