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Systems and methods for balancing a vehicle battery system

  • US 9,472,959 B2
  • Filed: 11/30/2012
  • Issued: 10/18/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:

  • a battery system comprising a plurality of battery sections, each section of the plurality of sections comprising a plurality of cells;

    a plurality of sensors coupled to the plurality of cells configured to estimate states of charge for each of the plurality of sections;

    a cell balancing system coupled to the plurality of sections configured to redistribute energy between the plurality of cells;

    battery control electronics communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors and the cell balancing system, the battery control electronics being configured to cause the cell balancing system to balance the battery sections according to one of a plurality of different balancing algorithms, the one balancing algorithm being selected from the plurality of different balancing algorithm based on estimated states of charge for the plurality of sections provided by the plurality of sensors; and

    a plurality of resistance estimation sensors coupled to the plurality of sections and the battery control electronics configured to estimate an internal resistance of each of the plurality of sections,wherein the battery control electronics are further configured to;

    identify a weak section of the plurality of battery sections based on the estimated internal resistance, the weak section having a higher internal resistance than other sections of the plurality of battery sections;

    determine whether estimated states of charge for the plurality of sections are each within one a first state of charge region, a second state of charge region, and a third state of charge region, the second state of charge region comprising states of charge below a second threshold and including a charge sustaining level for the battery system, and tocause the cell balancing system to balance the plurality of sections according to a second balancing algorithm of the plurality of balancing algorithms when the estimated states of charge are within the second state of charge region, the second balancing algorithm comprising;

    balancing the weak section of the plurality of sections together with sections of the plurality of sections having a state of charge lower than the weak section; and

    balancing sections of the plurality of sections having a state of charge higher than the weak section independently.

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