Monitoring circuit for an energy store and method for monitoring an energy store

• US 8,310,240 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Gilch, Markus, Zimmermann, Uwe, Büchel, Mathias
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US12/809,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20100308836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 32476201-7621, 324/764.01, 324/761.01, 324433-434, 324/426, 324/430, 320/116, 320/119, 257/48, 438 14- 18
• US Class Current: 324/434
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery

Abstract

A monitoring circuit is provided for an energy storage device. The energy storage device has a plurality of cells which each provide a voltage between their first and second connections and are switched in series. At least two voltage measuring circuits are provided, wherein the voltage measuring circuits each measure the voltage between a first measurement input and a second measurement input. A first connection conductor connects the first terminal of the first cell to the first measurement input of a first voltage measurement circuit. A second connection conductor connects the second terminal of the first cell to the second measurement input of a first voltage measurement circuit. A first load resistor can be switched between the first measurement input of the second voltage measurement circuit and a first fixed potential.

Claims

1. A monitoring circuit for an energy storage device, the energy storage device having a multiplicity of cells each having a first terminal and a second terminal, that provide a voltage in each case between the first terminal and second terminal, and which are connected in series, wherein in each case the second terminal of a first cell is connected to the first terminal of a second cell, the monitoring circuit comprising:

at least two voltage-measuring circuits including a first voltage-measuring circuit and a second voltage-measuring circuit each having a first measuring input and a second measuring input, said voltage-measuring circuits each measuring a voltage between said first measuring input and said second measuring input of said voltage-measuring circuits, said second measuring input of said first voltage-measuring circuit is connected to said first measuring input of said second voltage-measuring circuit;

a first connecting lead for connecting the first terminal of the first cell to said first measuring input of said first voltage-measuring circuit;

a second connecting lead for connecting the second terminal of the first cell to said second measuring input of said first voltage-measuring circuit; and

a first loading resistor capable of being switched between said second measuring input of said first voltage-measuring circuit and a first fixed potential.

2. The monitoring circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a second loading resistor capable of being switched between said first measuring input of said first voltage-measuring circuit and a second fixed potential.

3. The monitoring circuit according to claim 2, wherein said voltage-measuring circuits each have an internal resistor between said first and second measuring inputs with an ohmic resistance value of Rh and said first loading resistor and said second loading resistor each have an ohmic resistance value of Rn, wherein the following applies:

Rn<

Rh.

4. The monitoring circuit according to claim 3, wherein Rn<

10·

Rh.

5. The monitoring circuit according to claim 2, further comprising:

diodes and said first loading resistor and said second loading resistor are each connected in series with one of said diodes, and a series connections formed from said loading resistor and said diode each having a first and a second external terminal; and

a transistor having a load path with a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal of said load path connected to the fixed potential and said second terminal of said load path connected to said second external terminals of said series connections formed from said loading resistor and said diode.

6. The monitoring circuit according to claim 2, wherein the first fixed potential and the second fixed potential are at a same potential.

7. The monitoring circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a switch connected in series with said first loading resistor, said series connection and said first loading resistor are connected between said first measuring input of said voltage-measuring circuit and the fixed potential, wherein said switch is switched on and off cyclically.

8. The monitoring circuit according to claim 1, wherein the cells are rechargeable batteries.

9. The monitoring circuit according to claim 1, wherein the cells are embodied as capacitors.

10. The monitoring circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first fixed potential is connected to ground.

11. The monitoring circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third connecting lead for connecting the second terminal of the second cell to said second measuring input of said second voltage-measuring circuit; and

a third loading resistor for a connection that can be switched between said second measuring input of said second voltage-measuring circuit and a fixed potential.

12. A method for monitoring an energy storage device, the energy storage device having a multiplicity of cells each having a first and a second terminal that provide a voltage in each case between the first and second terminals and are connected in series, wherein in each case a second terminal of a first cell is connected to a first terminal of a second cell, which comprises the steps of:

a) providing a monitoring circuit containing;

at least two voltage-measuring circuits including a first voltage-measuring circuit and a second voltage-measuring circuit each having a first measuring input and a second measuring input, the voltage-measuring circuits each measuring a voltage between the first measuring input and the second measuring input of the voltage-measuring circuits, the second measuring input of the first voltage-measuring circuit is connected to the first measuring input of the second voltage-measuring circuit;

a first connecting lead for connecting the first terminal of the first cell to the first measuring input of the first voltage-measuring circuit;

a second connecting lead for connecting the second terminal of the first cell to the second measuring input of the first voltage-measuring circuit; and

a first loading resistor capable of being switched between the second measuring input of the first voltage-measuring circuit and a first fixed potential;

b) switching the first loading resistor such that the first loading resistor does not form a connection between the second measuring input of the first voltage-measuring circuit and the first fixed potential;

c) measuring the voltage at the first and second measuring inputs of the first voltage-measuring circuit resulting in a first measurement;

d) switching the first loading resistor such that the first loading resistor forms a connection between the second measuring input of the first voltage-measuring circuit and the first fixed potential;

e) measuring the voltage at the first and second measuring inputs of the first voltage-measuring circuit resulting in a second measurement; and

f) comparing the first measurement with the second measurement.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

at step a) the monitoring circuit is provided in which a second loading resistor is provided capable of being switched between the first measuring input of the first voltage-measuring circuit and a second fixed potential;

at step c) an additional step is provided at which the second loading resistor is switched in such a way that the second loading resistor does not form a connection between the first measuring input of the first voltage-measuring circuit and the second fixed potential; and

at step e) an additional step is provided at which the second loading resistor is switched in such a way that the second loading resistor forms a connection between the first measuring input of the first voltage-measuring circuit and the second fixed potential.

14. The method according to claim 12, which further comprises:

outputting status information in each case during the measuring at step c);

during the measuring at step e), the status information indicating whether one of an undervoltage, an overvoltage and a normal voltage is present; and

in step f), comparing the status information output at step c) with the status information output at step e).