Electrical systems and battery assemblies

• US 8,779,718 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lithion Battery Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Valence Technology Incorporated (Lithium Werks B.V.)
• Inventors: Stone, Lawrence, Lamoreux, Joseph, Darilek, Christopher, Bjorklund, Tage, St. Angelo, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US13/158,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20110254560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/112, 320/110
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0019 using switched or multiplexed charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Electrical systems, power supply apparatuses, and power supply operational methods are described. According to one aspect, an electrical system includes an electrical entity configured to utilize electrical energy, and wherein the electrical entity comprises a communications interface, and a power supply apparatus configured to provide the electrical energy for use by the electrical entity, and wherein the power supply apparatus comprises a support system, a plurality of battery assemblies configured to be removably coupled with and supported by the support system, wherein individual ones of the battery assemblies comprise at least one rechargeable electrochemical device configured to provide the electrical energy, at least one power terminal configured to couple with the electrical entity and to provide the electrical energy from the electrochemical device to the electrical entity, and a communications interface configured to implement communications with the communications interface of the electrical entity, and wherein the electrical entity and the power supply apparatus are configured to implement the communications comprising at least one of status information regarding the power supply apparatus from the power supply apparatus to the electrical entity and a command regarding an operation of the power supply apparatus from the electrical entity to the power supply apparatus.

Claims

1. An electrical system comprising:

an electrical entity configured to utilize electrical energy; and

a power supply apparatus configured to provide the electrical energy for use by the electrical entity, and wherein the power supply apparatus comprises a battery assembly comprising;

a rechargeable electrochemical device configured to store the electrical energy;

a power terminal configured to electrically couple with the electrical entity and to provide the electrical energy from the rechargeable electrochemical device to the electrical entity; and

storage circuitry comprising status information regarding the battery assembly stored during different operational modes of the battery assembly including a normal operational mode and a sleep operational mode wherein the electrical energy of the rechargeable electrochemical device is consumed at a reduced rate in the sleep operational mode compared with the normal operational mode.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the battery assembly further comprises:

a communications interface configured to output the status information externally of the battery assembly and to receive a command from externally of the battery assembly; and

control circuitry configured to control an operation of the battery assembly responsive to the command.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the communications interface is configured to output the status information to a device external of the battery assembly and to receive the command from the device external of the battery assembly.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the device external of the battery assembly comprises a system manager.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the device external of the battery assembly comprises the electrical entity.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the storage circuitry stores the status information comprising capacity information of the rechargeable electrochemical device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the battery assembly comprises a plurality of the rechargeable electrochemical devices individually configured to store the electrical energy, and wherein the storage circuitry stores the status information comprising capacity information of individual ones of the rechargeable electrochemical devices.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the storage circuitry stores the status information comprising state of charge information of the rechargeable electrochemical device.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the battery assembly comprises a plurality of the rechargeable electrochemical devices individually configured to store the electrical energy, and wherein the storage circuitry stores the status information comprising state of charge information of individual ones of the rechargeable electrochemical devices.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the storage circuitry stores the status information comprising charge/discharge cycle information of the rechargeable electrochemical device.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the battery assembly comprises a plurality of the rechargeable electrochemical devices individually configured to store the electrical energy, and wherein the storage circuitry stores the status information comprising charge/discharge cycle information of individual ones of the rechargeable electrochemical devices.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the storage circuitry stores the status information comprising charging current information of the rechargeable electrochemical device.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the battery assembly comprises a plurality of the rechargeable electrochemical devices individually configured to store the electrical energy, and wherein the storage circuitry stores the status information comprising charging current information of individual ones of the rechargeable electrochemical devices.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the storage circuitry stores the status information comprising discharging current information of the rechargeable electrochemical device.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the battery assembly comprises a plurality of the rechargeable electrochemical devices individually configured to store the electrical energy, and wherein the storage circuitry stores the status information comprising discharging current information of individual ones of the rechargeable electrochemical devices.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the storage circuitry stores the status information comprising temperature information of the battery assembly.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the storage circuitry stores the status information comprising a history of operations of the battery assembly including temporal information of the status information at a plurality of moments in time.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the storage circuitry stores the status information determined at a plurality of moments in time according to a period.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the storage circuitry stores the status information comprising a length of time of use of the battery assembly.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the power supply apparatus further comprises a plurality of the battery assemblies.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the battery assembly further comprises a housing configured to house the rechargeable electrochemical device and the storage circuitry, and wherein the power terminal is configured to conduct the electricity from the rechargeable electrochemical device externally of the housing.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one component of the battery assembly is at least partially powered down during the sleep operational mode to consume less of the electrical energy of the rechargeable electrochemical device compared with the normal operational mode.

23. A battery assembly comprising:

a rechargeable electrochemical device configured to store electrical energy;

a power terminal electrically coupled with the rechargeable electrochemical device and configured to conduct the electrical energy from the rechargeable electrochemical to an electrical entity configured to utilize the electrical energy;

storage circuitry configured to store status information regarding the battery assembly;

control circuitry configured to determine a plurality of periodic moments in time according to a predetermined period and to control the storage of the status information regarding the battery assembly using the storage circuitry at the plurality of periodic moments in time; and

a communications interface configured to communicate the status information regarding the battery assembly externally of the battery assembly after the storage of the status information using the storage circuitry.

24. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the control circuitry is configured to control an operation of the battery assembly as a result of the communications interface receiving a command from externally of the battery assembly.

25. The assembly of claim 24 wherein the power terminal provides the electrically energy to an electrical entity which is configured to utilize the electrical energy, and the communications interface receives the command from the electrical entity.

26. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the status information stored at the periodic moments in time is indicative of a status regarding the battery assembly at the periodic moments in time.

27. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the stored status information comprises capacity information of the rechargeable electrochemical device.

28. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the battery assembly comprises a plurality of rechargeable electrochemical devices individually configured to store electrical energy, and the stored status information comprises capacity information of individual ones of the rechargeable electrochemical devices.

29. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the stored status information comprises state of charge information of the rechargeable electrochemical device.

30. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the battery assembly comprises a plurality of rechargeable electrochemical devices individually configured to store electrical energy, and the stored status information comprises state of charge information of individual ones of the rechargeable electrochemical devices.

31. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the stored status information comprises charge/discharge cycle information of the rechargeable electrochemical device.

32. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the battery assembly comprises a plurality of rechargeable electrochemical devices individually configured to store electrical energy, and the stored status information comprises charge/discharge cycle information of individual ones of the rechargeable electrochemical devices.

33. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the stored status information comprises charging current information of the rechargeable electrochemical device.

34. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the battery assembly comprises a plurality of rechargeable electrochemical devices individually configured to store electrical energy, and the stored status information comprises charging current information of individual ones of the rechargeable electrochemical devices.

35. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the stored status information comprises discharging current information of the rechargeable electrochemical device.

36. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the battery assembly comprises a plurality of rechargeable electrochemical devices individually configured to store electrical energy, and the stored status information comprises discharging current information of individual ones of the rechargeable electrochemical devices.

37. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the stored status information comprises temperature information of the battery assembly.

38. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the stored status information comprises a history of operations of the battery assembly including temporal information of the status information at the plurality of moments in time.

39. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the stored status information comprises a length of time of use of the battery assembly.

40. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the stored status information comprises a characteristic of the rechargeable electrochemical device.

41. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the battery assembly comprises a plurality of rechargeable electrochemical devices individually configured to store electrical energy, and further comprising a housing configured to house the rechargeable electrochemical devices, the storage circuitry and the control circuitry.

42. The assembly of claim 23 further comprising a housing configured to house the rechargeable electrochemical device, the storage circuitry and the control circuitry, and wherein the communications interface is configured to communicate the status information externally of the housing.