Method for determining a charge acceptance, and method for charging a rechargeable battery

• US 9,499,066 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Christen, Urs, Romano, Paolo, Karden, Eckhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Dung V
• Application Number:
  US13/554,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20130020994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 320/132, 320/134, 320/149, 320/157, 320/636.1, 320/636.12, 702/64
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• 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

In the case of a method for determining a charge acceptance I_CA of a rechargeable battery, the battery is computationally split up into a predetermined number n of compartments i having a respective maximum charge capacitance C_i, which are connected in parallel via resistances R_i, and the charge acceptance I_CA of the battery is determined on the basis of the charge capacitance C₁ and the resistance R₁ of the compartment adjacent to the battery terminals. The invention also relates to a method for charging a rechargeable battery.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a control unit to charge a vehicle battery, by operating a generator during braking or starting an engine, according to a charge acceptance I_CA derived from computationally splitting the battery into a predetermined number of compartments i having respective maximum charge capacitances C_i and connected in parallel via resistances R_i, and taking account of all R_i and C_i, the compartments i being selected such that C_i increases exponentially with i.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of an instantaneous state of charge SOC, an instantaneous charge capacity SOH, a measured battery voltage U_{batt, meas}, and a temperature θ

of the battery is taken into account.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein respectively a first resistance value R_ci is taken into account during charging, and a second resistance value R_di is taken into account during discharging of the battery.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein a charging current or a charging voltage is regulated in such a way that the charging current does not exceed the charge acceptance I_CA of the battery.

5. A method comprising:

charging, by a control unit, a vehicle battery, by operating a generator during braking or starting an engine, according to a charge acceptance I_CA derived from computationally splitting the battery into a predetermined number of compartments i having a respective maximum charge capacitance C_i and connected in parallel via resistances R_i, and taking account of all R_i and C_i, the compartments i being selected such that C_i increases exponentially with i.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least one of an instantaneous state of charge SOC, an instantaneous charge capacity SOH, a measured battery voltage U_{batt, meas}, and a temperature θ

of the battery is taken into account.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein respectively a first resistance value R_ci is taken into account during charging, and a second resistance value R_di is taken into account during discharging of the battery.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a charging current or a charging voltage is regulated in such a way that the charging current does not exceed the charge acceptance I_CA of the battery.