Systems and methods for management of fleet batteries

• US 9,550,429 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2014
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: Madurai-Kumar, Mahesh, Andreae, Morgan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Brian
• Application Number:
  US14/454,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20160039295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/109, 320/132, 320/135, 320/136, 320/155
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer-readable mediums for managing batteries of a fleet of vehicles. A computing device includes one or more processors configured to receive first battery data related to a first battery of a first vehicle, where the first vehicle is part of the fleet of vehicles, and compare the first battery data to fleet battery data related to one or more other batteries of vehicles in the fleet of vehicles. Based on the comparison a second vehicle in the fleet is determined in which to switch the first battery to improve battery life of the batteries of the fleet.

Claims

1. A system for managing batteries of a fleet of vehicles, comprising:

a computing device comprising one or more processors configured to;

receive first battery data related to a first battery of a first vehicle, wherein the first vehicle is part of the fleet of vehicles;

compare the first battery data to fleet battery data related to one or more other batteries of vehicles in the fleet of vehicles; and

determine, based on the comparison, a second battery of a second vehicle in the fleet in which to switch the first battery to improve battery life of the batteries of the fleet; and

cause an indication of the second vehicle to be displayed on a display of the computing device;

wherein the first battery has a first duty cycle and the second battery has a second duty cycle, and wherein improving battery life of the batteries of the fleet comprises leveling a shared duty cycle between the first battery and the second battery, wherein the shared duty cycle is based on the first duty cycle and the second duty cycle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein improving battery life of the batteries of the fleet further comprises balancing battery health of the batteries based on a warranty period corresponding to one or more of the batteries.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein improving battery life of the batteries of the fleet comprises causing a battery life of the first battery to exceed a warranty period of the first battery.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first battery data comprises:

usage data corresponding to duty cycle use of the first battery by the first vehicle; and

battery life parameters related to the first battery.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the battery life parameters comprise at least one of battery throughput of the first battery, an RMS current of the first battery, a number of cycles of the first battery, and temperature of the first battery.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to analyze fleet route data related to one or more upcoming routes of the vehicles in the fleet of vehicles, and wherein determining the second vehicle in the fleet in which to switch the first battery is further based on the route data analysis.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein switching the first battery into the second vehicle comprises swapping the first battery with the second battery of the second vehicle such that the second battery is switched into the first vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first battery data is received wirelessly from a computer system of the first vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first battery data is received automatically based on a proximity of the first vehicle to a location of the computing device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first battery data is received via an intermediate device configured to collect the fleet battery data.

11. A method of managing a plurality of batteries, comprising:

receiving first battery data related to a first battery, wherein the first battery is part of the plurality of batteries;

comparing, using a processing device, the first battery data to data related to one or more other batteries of the plurality of batteries;

determining, based on the comparison, a duty cycle for the first battery to improve battery life of the plurality of batteries; and

causing the first battery operate according to the determined duty cycle;

wherein the first battery has a first duty cycle and a second battery has a second duty cycle, and wherein improving battery life of the plurality of batteries comprises leveling a shared duty cycle between the first battery and the second battery, wherein the shared duty cycle is based on the first duty cycle and the second duty cycle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein improving battery life of the plurality of batteries further comprises balancing battery health of the batteries based on a warranty period corresponding to one or more of the batteries.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first battery data comprises:

usage data corresponding to duty cycle use of the first battery; and

battery life parameters related to the first battery.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the battery life parameters comprise at least one of battery throughput of the first battery, an RMS current of the first battery, a number of cycles of the first battery, and temperature of the first battery.

15. A system for managing batteries of a fleet of vehicles, comprising:

a device operably coupled to a vehicle of the fleet of vehicles, wherein the device comprises;

a memory configured to store data;

a transmitter; and

one or more processors configured to;

record, in the memory, battery data related to a battery of the vehicle, wherein the battery data comprises usage data corresponding to duty cycle use of the battery by the vehicle and battery life parameters corresponding to the battery; and

transmit, via the transmitter, the recorded battery data to a computing system configured to improve battery life of the batteries of the fleet;

wherein the battery has a duty cycle, and wherein improving battery life of the batteries of the fleet comprises leveling a shared duty cycle between the battery and a second battery of the fleet.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein improving battery life of the batteries of the fleet further comprises balancing battery health of the batteries based on a warranty period corresponding to one or more of the batteries.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the battery life parameters comprise at least one of battery throughput of the first battery, an RMS current of the first battery, a number of cycles of the first battery, and temperature of the first battery.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the transmitter comprises a wireless transmitter, and wherein the recorded battery data is transmitted wirelessly to the computing system.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the recorded battery data is transmitted automatically based on a proximity of the vehicle to a location of the computing system.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

record, in the memory, route data related to one or more routes of the vehicles; and

transmit, via the transmitter, the recorded route data to the computing system configured to improve battery life of the batteries of the fleet of vehicles.