Battery heating circuits and methods with resonance components in series using energy transfer and voltage inversion

• US 8,841,883 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BYD Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BYD Company Limited
• Inventors: Xu, Wenhui, Han, Yaochuan, Feng, Wei, Yang, Qinyao, Xia, Wenjin, Ma, Shibin
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robbins, Jerry D
• Application Number:
  US13/170,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20120025778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 320/167
• US Class Current: 320/128
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/345 Arrangements for heating thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/651 characterised by parameters specified by a numeric value or mathematical formula, e.g. ratios, sizes or concentrations
• 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: H01M 10/6572 Peltier elements or thermoelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• 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: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• 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

Circuit and method for heating a battery. The circuit includes the battery including parasitic damping and current storage components, switch unit, switching control component, charge storage component, and energy transfer and superposition unit. The charge storage and current storage components are parts of an energy storage circuit. The switching control component turns on the switch unit so as to allow current to flow between the battery and charge storage component and turns off the switch unit so as to stop the current. The energy transfer and superposition unit, after the switch unit is turned on and then off, transfers energy from the charge storage component to an energy storage component and then adjusts a storage voltage associated with the charge storage component so that a positive voltage terminal of the charge storage component is coupled, directly or indirectly, to a negative voltage terminal of the battery.

Claims

1. A circuit for heating a battery, the circuit comprising:

the battery including a first damping component and a first current storage component, the first damping component and the first current storage component being parasitic to the battery;

a switch unit;

a switching control component coupled to the switch unit;

a first charge storage component; and

an energy transfer and superposition unit connected across the first charge storage component;

wherein;

the first damping component, the first current storage component, the switch unit, and the first charge storage component are connected to form at least a part of a loop;

the switching control component is configured to turn on the switch unit so as to allow a current to flow between the battery and the first charge storage component and to turn off the switch unit so as to stop the current; and

the energy transfer and superposition unit is configured to, after the switch unit is turned on and then turned off, transfer first energy from the first charge storage component to an energy storage component and then adjust a storage voltage associated with the first charge storage component so that a positive voltage terminal of the first charge storage component is coupled, directly or indirectly, to a negative voltage terminal of the battery;

wherein the circuit for heating the battery is configured to heat the battery by at least discharging the battery.

2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein:

the first damping component is a parasitic resistor of the battery; and

the first current storage component is a parasitic inductor of the battery.

3. The circuit of claim 2 wherein the first charge storage component is a capacitor.

4. The circuit of claim 1 wherein:

the energy storage component includes the battery;

the energy transfer and superposition unit includes a DC-DC module coupled to the first charge storage component and the battery; and

the switching control component is coupled to the DC-DC module and configured to control the DC-DC module to transfer the first energy from the first charge storage component to the battery and then adjust the storage voltage associated with the first charge storage component so that the positive voltage terminal of the first charge storage component is coupled, directly or indirectly, to the negative voltage terminal of the battery.

5. The circuit of claim 1 wherein:

the energy transfer and superposition unit includes an energy transfer unit and an energy superposition unit;

the energy transfer unit is coupled to the first charge storage component and configured to, after the switch unit is turned on and then turned off, transfer the first energy from the first charge storage component to the energy storage component; and

the energy superposition unit is coupled to the first charge storage component and configured to adjust the storage voltage associated with the first charge storage component so that the positive voltage terminal of the first charge storage component is coupled, directly or indirectly, to the negative voltage terminal of the battery.

6. The circuit of claim 5 wherein:

the energy storage component includes the battery; and

the energy transfer unit includes an electricity recharge unit coupled to the battery and configured to transfer the first energy from the first charge storage component to the battery after the switch unit is turned on and then turned off.

7. The circuit of claim 6 wherein:

the electricity recharge unit includes a DC-DC module coupled to the first charge storage component and the battery; and

the switching control component is coupled to the DC-DC module and configured to control the DC-DC module to transfer the first energy from the first charge storage component to the battery.

8. The circuit of claim 5 wherein the energy superposition unit includes a polarity inversion unit coupled to the first charge storage component and configured to, after the switch unit is turned on and then turned off, invert a voltage polarity associated with the first charge storage component.

9. The circuit of claim 8 wherein the polarity inversion unit includes:

a first single-pole double-throw switch coupled to a first storage terminal of the first charge storage component; and

a second single-pole double-throw switch coupled to a second storage terminal of the first charge storage component;

wherein;

the first single-pole double-throw switch includes a first input wire, a first output wire, and a second output wire;

the first input wire is coupled, directly or indirectly, to a first battery terminal; and

the first output wire and the second output wire are coupled to the first storage terminal and the second storage terminal respectively;

wherein;

the second single-pole double-throw switch includes a second input wire, a third output wire, and a fourth output wire;

the second input wire is coupled, directly or indirectly, to a second battery terminal; and

the third output wire and the fourth output wire are coupled to the second storage terminal and the first storage terminal respectively;

wherein the switching control component is coupled to the first single-pole double-throw switch and the second single-pole double-throw switch, and is configured to invert the voltage polarity associated with the first charge storage component by altering connection relationships among the first input wire, the first output wire, the second output wire, the second input wire, the third output wire, and the fourth output wire.

10. The circuit of claim 8 wherein the polarity inversion unit includes:

a second current storage component;

a switch; and

a one-way semiconductor component connected between the first charge storage component and the second current storage component or between the second current storage component and the switch;

wherein;

the first charge storage component, the one-way semiconductor component, the current storage component, and the switch are at least parts of a polarity inversion loop; and

the switching control component is coupled to the switch and is configured to invert the voltage polarity associated with the first charge storage component by turning on the switch.

11. The circuit of claim 8 wherein the polarity inversion unit includes:

a second charge storage component; and

a DC-DC module coupled to the second charge storage component and the first charge storage component;

wherein the switching control component is coupled to the DC-DC module and configured to invert the voltage polarity associated with the first charge storage component by transferring second energy from the first charge storage component to the second charge storage component and then transferring the second energy from the second charge storage component back to the first charge storage component.

12. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the switch unit and the switching control component are configured to allow the current to flow from the battery to the first charge storage component if the switch unit is turned on, but never allow the current to flow from the first charge storage component to the battery.

13. The circuit of claim 12 wherein:

the switch unit includes a switch and a one-way semiconductor component connected in series with the switch; and

the switching control component is coupled to the switch and configured to turn on and off the switch unit by turning on and off the switch respectively.

14. The circuit of claim 12 wherein the switching control component is configured to, after the switch unit is turned on, turn off the switch unit when or before the current reduces to zero in magnitude.

16. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the switching control component is configured to turn on the switch unit and allow the current to flow from the battery to the first charge storage component and to flow from the first charge storage component to the battery.

17. The circuit of claim 16 wherein the switch unit includes a two-way switch.

18. The circuit of claim 16 wherein the switch unit includes a first branch circuit for conduction in a first direction and a second branch circuit for conduction in a second direction, the first direction being from the battery to the first charge storage component, the second direction being from the first charge storage component to the battery.

19. The circuit of claim 18 wherein the switching control component is coupled to the first branch circuit and configured to turn on and off the first branch circuit.

20. The circuit of claim 18 wherein the switching control component is coupled to the first branch circuit and the second branch circuit and configured to turn on and off the first branch circuit and the second branch circuit respectively.

21. The circuit of claim 18 wherein:

the first branch circuit includes a first switch and a first one-way semiconductor component connected in series with the first switch, the first switch being coupled to the switching control component; and

the second branch circuit includes a second one-way semiconductor component;

wherein the switching control component is further configured to turn on and off the first branch circuit by turning on and off the first switch respectively.

22. The circuit of claim 21 wherein:

the second branch circuit further includes a second switch coupled to the switching control component and connected in series with the second one-way semiconductor component;

wherein the switching control component is further configured to turn on and off the second branch circuit by turning on and off the second switch respectively.

23. The circuit of claim 18 wherein the switch unit further includes a resistor connected in series with at least the first branch circuit or the second branch circuit.

24. The circuit of claim 16 wherein the switch unit includes:

a first two-way switch coupled to the switching control component; and

a second two-way switch coupled to the switching control component and connected in series with the first two-way switch;

wherein the switching control component is further configured to turn on and off the first two-way switch and to turn on and off the second two-way switch.

25. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the switching control component is configured to:

turn on the switch unit to allow the current to flow between the battery and the first charge storage component; and

then, turn off the switch unit when or after the current decreases to zero in magnitude.

26. The circuit of claim 1 is further configured to:

start heating the battery if at least one heating start condition is satisfied; and

stop heating the battery if at least one heating stop condition is satisfied.

27. The circuit of claim 1, and further comprising an energy consumption unit coupled to the first charge storage component and configured to consume second energy stored in the first charge storage component after the switch unit is turned on and then turned off.

28. The circuit of claim 27 wherein the energy consumption unit is further configured to consume the second energy stored in the first charge storage component after the switch unit is turned on and then turned off but before the energy transfer and superposition unit transfers the first energy from the first charge storage component to the energy storage component.

29. The circuit of claim 27 wherein the energy consumption unit is further configured to consume the second energy stored in the first charge storage component after the switch unit is turned on and then turned off and after the energy transfer and superposition unit transfers the first energy from the first charge storage component to the energy storage component.

30. The circuit of claim 27 wherein the energy consumption unit includes a voltage control unit configured to regulate the storage voltage associated with the first charge storage component to a predetermined voltage after the switch unit is turned on and then turned off.

31. The circuit of claim 30 wherein the voltage control unit includes:

a second damping component; and

a switch connected in series with the second damping component;

wherein the first charge storage component is connected in parallel with a combination of the second damping component and the switch.

15. A circuit for heating a battery, the circuit comprising:

the battery including a first damping component and a current storage component, the first damping component and the current storage component being parasitic to the battery;

a switch unit;

a switching control component coupled to the switch unit;

a first charge storage component, the first charge storage component and the first current storage component being at least parts of an energy storage circuit; and

an energy transfer and superposition unit coupled to the first charge storage component;

wherein;

the first damping component, the current storage component, the switch unit, and the first charge storage component are connected in series;

the switching control component is configured to turn on and off the switch unit so as to control a current flowing between the battery and the first charge storage component; and

the energy transfer and superposition unit is configured to, after the switch unit is turned on and then turned off, transfer energy from the first charge storage component to an energy storage component and then adjust a storage voltage associated with the first charge storage component so that a positive voltage terminal of the first charge storage component is coupled, directly or indirectly, to a negative voltage terminal of the battery;

wherein the circuit for heating the battery is configured to heat the battery by at least discharging the battery;

wherein the switch unit and the switching control component are configured to allow the current to flow from the battery to the first charge storage component if the switch unit is turned on, but never allow the current to flow from the first charge storage component to the battery;

wherein the switching control component is configured to, after the switch unit is turned on, turn off the switch unit when or before the current reduces to zero in magnitude;

wherein the switch unit includes;

a first one-way semiconductor component;

a second one-way semiconductor component;

a switch;

a second damping component connected in parallel with the second one-way semiconductor component; and

a second charge storage component connected in series with a combination of the second damping component and the second one-way semiconductor component;

wherein;

the switch is connected in parallel with a combination of the second damping component, the second one-way semiconductor component, and the second charge storage component; and

the first one-way semiconductor component is connected in series with a combination of the switch, the second damping component, the second one-way semiconductor component, and the second charge storage component;

wherein the switching control component is coupled to the switch and configured to turn off the switch unit by turning off the switch before the current reduces to zero in magnitude.