Method for detecting the voltage in battery cells

• US 8,860,422 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Butzmann, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Muralidar, Richard V
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENZE-GONGOLA, DAVID V
• Application Number:
  US13/145,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20110273182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 324433-434
• US Class Current: 324/433
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

The invention relates to an evaluation circuit for detecting the voltage in battery cells of a battery system which are preferably connected in series. The evaluation circuit includes serially connected resistors, the number of which is equal to the number of battery cells for which the voltage is to be detected. One of the resistors is associated with each of the battery cells. The evaluation circuit further includes a power source for generating a current that is continuous in some sections and is applied to the serially connected resistors, a number of comparators equal to the number of resistors to compare a voltage released at a resistor associated with a battery cell to the voltage in the battery cell with which the resistor is associated, and output a respective output signal when the voltage released at a resistor associated with a battery cell is equal to, exceeds, or drops below the voltage in the battery cell, and an evaluation circuit for deriving the voltage in each battery cell on the basis of a point in time when the respective output signal is output and on the basis of the variation of the current that is continuous in some sections.

Claims

1. A method for detecting the voltage in battery cells of a battery system, which are connected in series, having the steps of:

applying a current, which has a continuous plot in some sections, to a series circuit of resistors, the series circuit of resistors including a respective resistor for each one of the battery cells whose voltage is being detected, each of the battery cells being associated with one of the resistors;

coupling a first battery terminal located at a first end of each of the battery cells whose voltage is being detected to a first terminal of the associated resistor and coupling a second terminal of the associated resistor to a first input of a comparator associated with the battery cell;

coupling a second battery terminal located at a second end of the each of the battery cells whose voltage is being detected to a second input of the comparator associated with the battery cell;

comparing a first voltage received at the first input of each comparator to a second voltage received at the second input of the comparator, the first voltage corresponding to a voltage at the first battery terminal of the associated battery cell which is dropped across the associated resistor, the second voltage corresponding to a voltage at the second battery terminal of the associated battery cell; and

deriving a voltage of a respective battery cell from the comparison based on a time at which the voltage drop at the resistor associated with it corresponds to, exceeds, or falls below the voltage of the respective battery cell and based on the plot of the current that has a continuous plot in some sections.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the current that has a continuous plot in some sections has a sawtooth or triangular curve and/or continuously rises or falls.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a reference potential of a resistor associated with a battery cell is brought to a reference potential of the battery cell.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein a reference potential of a resistor associated with a battery cell is brought to a reference potential of the battery cell.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

a voltage of a first half of the battery cells the battery system is detected with both a first series circuit of resistors and a first current that has a continuous plot in some sections applied to this first series circuit, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, the first series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the first half of the battery cells, and

a voltage of a second half of the battery cells of the battery system is detected with both a second series circuit of resistors and a second current that has a continuous plot in some sections applied to this second series circuit, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, the second series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the second half of the battery cells.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein

a voltage of a first half of the battery cells the battery system is detected with both a first series circuit of resistors and a first current that has a continuous plot in some sections applied to this first series circuit, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, the first series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the first half of the battery cells, and

a voltage of a second half of the battery cells of the battery system is detected with both a second series circuit of resistors and a second current that has a continuous plot in some sections applied to this second series circuit, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, the second series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the second half of the battery cells.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein

a voltage of a first half of the battery cells of the battery system is detected with both a first series circuit of resistors and a first current that has a continuous plot in some sections applied to this first series circuit, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, the first series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the first half of the battery cells, and

a voltage of a second half of the battery cells of the battery system is detected with both a second series circuit of resistors and a second current that has a continuous plot in some sections applied to this second series circuit, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, the second series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the second half of the battery cells.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein

a voltage of a first half of the battery cells the battery system is detected with both a first series circuit of resistors and a first current that has a continuous plot in some sections applied to this first series circuit, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, the first series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the first half of the battery cells, and

a voltage of a second half of the battery cells of the battery system is detected with both a second series circuit of resistors and a second current that has a continuous plot in some sections applied to this second series circuit, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, the second series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the second half of the battery cells.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the second current is produced by mirroring the first current.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second current is produced by mirroring the first current.

11. An evaluation circuit for detecting the voltage in battery cells of a battery system, which are preferably connected in series, comprising:

a series circuit of resistors, the series circuit of resistors including a resistor associated, respectively, with each of the battery cells whose voltage is to be detected, each of these battery cells being associated with one of the resistors, each of the resistors including an input terminal configured to be coupled to a voltage at a first terminal of the associated battery cell;

a current source for producing a current that has a continuous plot in some sections, which is applied to the series circuit of resistors;

a comparator associated with each battery cell that receives a voltage at a first input from the first terminal of the associated battery cell which is dropped via the resistor associated with the battery cell, and receives a voltage at a second input from a second terminal of the associated battery cell, the comparator being configured to compare the voltages received at the inputs and to output a respective output signal indicating a result of the comparison; and

an evaluation circuit for deriving the voltage of the respective battery cell based on a time at which the respective output signal is emitted and based on the plot of the current that has a continuous plot in some sections.

12. The evaluation circuit according to claim 11, wherein the current source produces a current that has a continuous plot in some sections, which has a sawtooth or triangular curve and/or continuously rises or falls.

13. The evaluation circuit according to claim 11, further comprising a potential shift circuit by means of which a reference potential of a resistor associated with a battery cell is brought to a reference potential of the battery cell.

14. The evaluation circuit according to claim 12, further comprising a potential shift circuit by means of which a reference potential of a resistor associated with a battery cell is brought to a reference potential of the battery cell.

15. The evaluation circuit according to claim 11, further comprising:

a first series circuit of resistors and a first current source that applies a first current with a continuous plot in some sections to the first series circuit of resistors, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, in order to detect a voltage of a first half of the battery cells of the battery system, the first series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the first half of the battery cells; and

a second series circuit of resistors and a second current source that applies a second current with a continuous plot in some sections to the second series circuit of resistors, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, in order to detect a voltage of a second half of the battery cells of the battery system, the second series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the second half of the battery cells.

16. The evaluation circuit according to claim 12, further comprising:

a first series circuit of resistors and a first current source that applies a first current with a continuous plot in some sections to the first series circuit of resistors, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, in order to detect a voltage of a first half of the battery cells of the battery system, the first series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the first half of the battery cells; and

a second series circuit of resistors and a second current source that applies a second current with a continuous plot in some sections to the second series circuit of resistors, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, in order to detect a voltage of a second half of the battery cells of the battery system, the second series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the second half of the battery cells.

17. The evaluation circuit according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first series circuit of resistors and a first current source that applies a first current with a continuous plot in some sections to the first series circuit of resistors, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, in order to detect a voltage of a first half of the battery cells of the battery system, the first series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the first half of the battery cells; and

a second series circuit of resistors and a second current source that applies a second current with a continuous plot in some sections to the second series circuit of resistors, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, in order to detect a voltage of a second half of the battery cells of the battery system, the second series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the second half of the battery cells.

18. The evaluation circuit according to claim 14, further comprising:

a first series circuit of resistors and a first current source that applies a first current with a continuous plot in some sections to the first series circuit of resistors, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, in order to detect a voltage of a first half of the battery cells of the battery system, the first series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the first half of the battery cells; and

a second series circuit of resistors and a second current source that applies a second current with a continuous plot in some sections to the second series circuit of resistors, which current is drawn from more than half of the battery cells of the battery system, in order to detect a voltage of a second half of the battery cells of the battery system, the second series circuit including a resistor associated with each battery cell in the second half of the battery cells.

19. The evaluation circuit according to claim 15, further comprising a current mirror circuit for producing the second current by mirroring the first current.

20. The evaluation circuit according to claim 18, further comprising a current mirror circuit for producing the second current by mirroring the first current.