Circuits and methods for heating batteries in parallel using resonance components in series

• US 8,829,856 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BYD Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (BYD Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: BYD Company Limited
• Inventors: Xu, Wenhui, Han, Yaochuan, Feng, Wei, Yang, Qinyao, Xia, Wenjin, Ma, Shibin
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US13/187,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20120025755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 320/128, 320/103, 320/166, 320/129
• US Class Current: 320/129
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/657 by electric or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6571 Resistive heaters arrangements for heating the battery by its resistance to the internal current H01M10/637
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Circuit and method for heating first and second batteries. The heating circuit includes first and second switch units, first and second damping components, first and second current storage components, switching control module and energy storage component. The first battery, first damping and current storage components, energy storage component and first switch unit are connected in a first loop to constitute a first charging/discharging circuit. The second battery, second damping and current storage components, energy storage component and second switch unit are connected in a second loop to constitute a second charging/discharging circuit. When the energy storage component is charged/discharged, current in the second charging/discharging circuit is reverse to current in the first charging/discharging circuit. The switching control module controls the first and second switch units to switch on in alternate, so as to control electric energy to flow among the first battery, energy storage component and second battery.

Claims

1. A heating circuit for a battery comprising a first battery and a second battery, the heating circuit comprising a first switch unit, a second switch unit, a first damping component, a second damping component, a first current storage component, a second current storage component, a switching control module and a first energy storage component, wherein:

the first battery, the first damping component, the first current storage component, the first energy storage component and the first switch unit are connected in a first loop to constitute a first charging/discharging circuit;

the second battery, the second damping component, the second current storage component, the first energy storage component and the second switch unit are connected in a second loop to constitute a second charging/discharging circuit;

when the first energy storage component is charged or discharges, a direction of a charging/discharging current in the second charging/discharging circuit is reverse to a direction of a charging/discharging current in the first charging/discharging circuit; and

the switching control module is electrically connected with the first switch unit and the second switch unit, and the switching control module is configured to control the first switch unit and the second switch unit to switch on in alternate, so as to control electric energy to flow among the first battery, the first energy storage component and the second battery.

2. The heating circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first damping component and the second damping component are parasitic resistances in the first battery and the second battery respectively, and the first current storage component and the second current storage component are parasitic inductances in the first battery and the second battery respectively.

3. The heating circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first energy storage component is an inductor.

4. The heating circuit according to claim 3, wherein the switching control module is configured to control the first switch unit and the second switch unit to switch their ON/OFF states when a current in the inductor reaches a preset value.

5. The heating circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first energy storage component is a capacitor.

6. The heating circuit according to claim 1, wherein the heating circuit further comprises a second energy storage component;

the first battery, the first damping component, the first current storage component, the second energy storage component and the second switch unit are connected in a third loop to form a third charging/discharging circuit;

the second battery, the second damping component, the second current storage component, the second energy storage component and the first switch unit are connected in a fourth loop to form a fourth charging/discharging circuit;

wherein when the second energy storage component is charged or discharges, a direction of a charging/discharging current in the third charging/discharging circuit is reverse to a direction of a charging/discharging current in the fourth charging/discharging circuit; and

wherein the switching control module is configured to control electric energy to flow among the first battery, the first energy storage component, the second energy storage component and the second battery by controlling the first switch unit and the second switch unit to switch on in alternate.

7. The heating circuit according to claim 6, wherein the first energy storage component is a first inductor, and the second energy storage component is a second inductor.

8. The heating circuit according to claim 7, wherein the switching control module is configured to control the first switch unit and the second switch unit to switch their ON/OFF states when a current in the first inductor or the second inductor reaches a preset value.

9. The heating circuit according to claim 6, wherein the first energy storage component is a first capacitor, and the second energy storage component is a second capacitor.

10. The heating circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first switch unit and/or the second switch unit comprises a switch and a one-way semiconductor component connected in parallel with the switch in a reverse direction, the switching control module is electrically connected with the switch, and the switching control module is configured to control ON/OFF of forward direction branches of the first switch unit and/or the second switch unit by controlling ON/OFF of the switch.

11. A heating circuit for a battery comprising a first battery and a second battery, the heating circuit comprising a first switch unit, a second switch unit, a first damping component, a second damping component, a first current storage component, a second current storage component, a switching control module and a first energy storage component, wherein:

the first battery, the first damping component, the first current storage component, the first energy storage component and the first switch unit are connected in a first loop to constitute a first charging/discharging circuit;

the second battery, the second damping component, the second current storage component, the first energy storage component and the second switch unit are connected in a second loop to constitute a second charging/discharging circuit;

when the first energy storage component is charged or discharges, a direction of a charging/discharging current in the second charging/discharging circuit is reverse to a direction of a charging/discharging current in the first charging/discharging circuit; and

the switching control module is electrically connected with the first switch unit and the second switch unit, and the switching control module is configured to control the first switch unit and the second switch unit to switch on in alternate, so as to control electric energy to flow among the first battery, the first energy storage component and the second battery;

the heating circuit further comprises a second energy storage component;

the first battery, the first damping component, the first current storage component, the second energy storage component and the second switch unit are connected in a third loop to form a third charging/discharging circuit;

the second battery, the second damping component, the second current storage component, the second energy storage component and the first switch unit are connected in a fourth loop to form a fourth charging/discharging circuit;

when the second energy storage component is charged or discharges, a direction of a charging/discharging current in the third charging/discharging circuit is reverse to a direction of a charging/discharging current in the fourth charging/discharging circuit;

the switching control module is configured to control electric energy to flow among the first battery, the first energy storage component, the second energy storage component and the second battery by controlling the first switch unit and the second switch unit to switch on in alternate;

the first energy storage component is a first capacitor, and the second energy storage component is a second capacitor; and

the switching control module is configured to control the first switch unit and the second switch unit to switch their ON/OFF states when a current in the first capacitor or the second capacitor reaches zero after a pair of continuous positive and negative half cycles or a pair of continuous negative and positive half cycles.

12. A heating circuit for a battery comprising a first battery and a second battery, the heating circuit comprising a first switch unit, a second switch unit, a first damping component, a second damping component, a first current storage component, a second current storage component, a switching control module and an energy storage component, wherein:

the first battery, the first damping component, the first current storage component, the energy storage component and the first switch unit are connected in a first loop to constitute a first charging/discharging circuit;

the second battery, the second damping component, the second current storage component, the energy storage component and the second switch unit are connected in a second loop to constitute a second charging/discharging circuit;

when the energy storage component is charged or discharges, a direction of a charging/discharging current in the second charging/discharging circuit is reverse to a direction of a charging/discharging current in the first charging/discharging circuit; and

the switching control module is electrically connected with the first switch unit and the second switch unit, and the switching control module is configured to control the first switch unit and the second switch unit to switch on in alternate, so as to control electric energy to flow among the first battery, the energy storage component and the second battery;

the energy storage component is a capacitor; and

the switching control module is configured to control the first switch unit and the second switch unit to switch their ON/OFF states when a current in the capacitor reaches zero after a pair of continuous positive and negative half cycles or a pair of continuous negative and positive half cycles.