Series booster pack for battery system capacity recovery

• US 9,707,854 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2013
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atieva, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atieva, Inc.
• Inventors: Biskup, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bowers, Brandon
• Application Number:
  US13/920,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20150061381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 320103
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• 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 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/42 for ships or vessels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 : for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 : for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 : for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A battery system is provided. The battery system includes a base battery pack and a container having the base battery pack therein. The container is configured to receive a boost battery pack, wherein the container can hold the base battery pack and the boost battery pack. The battery system includes a coupling operable to provide electric power from the base battery pack alone or from the base battery pack in combination with the boost battery pack. A method of cooperating a battery pack is included.

Claims

1. A battery system, comprising:

a base battery pack;

a container having the base battery pack therein, the container configured to receive a boost battery pack, wherein the container can hold the base battery pack and the boost battery pack;

a coupling operable to provide electric power from the base battery pack alone or from the base battery pack in combination with the boost battery pack, wherein the container and the base battery pack are configured to be field upgradable by addition of the boost battery pack; and

a battery management system configured to provide a first electrical power from the base battery pack to an electric or hybrid vehicle, the first electrical power sufficient to propel the electric or hybrid vehicle to a first distance range, the battery management system configured to detect degradation of the base battery pack causing the first distance range to drop below a threshold value, and the battery management system configured to provide a second electrical power from the base battery pack and the boost battery pack to the electric or hybrid vehicle, the second electrical power sufficient to propel the electric or hybrid vehicle to a second distance range that is greater than the threshold value.

2. The battery system of claim 1, further comprising:

the boost battery pack, installed in the container and coupled to the base battery pack.

3. The battery system of claim 1, further comprising:

a boost bay housed within the container, the boost bay dimensioned to hold the boost battery pack in the container, wherein the coupling is operable to couple to the boost bay.

4. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the coupling is operable to couple the base battery pack and the boost battery pack in one of a series combination or a parallel combination.

5. The battery system of claim 1, wherein an amp-hour capacity of the boost battery pack is approximately matched to an amp-hour capacity of the base battery pack prior to any degradation of the base battery pack.

6. The battery system of claim 1, wherein an amp-hour capacity of the boost battery pack is approximately matched to an amp-hour capacity of the base battery pack in a degraded condition.

7. The battery system of claim 1, further comprising:

the boost battery pack;

wherein;

the base battery pack has a first battery management system;

the boost battery pack has a second battery management system; and

the first battery management system and the second battery management system are operable to communicate with each other.

8. The battery system of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery management system, operable to manage charging and discharging of the base battery pack alone and operable to manage charging and discharging of the base battery pack and the boost battery pack together.

9. A battery system for use in an electric or hybrid vehicle, the battery system comprising:

a container having a negative terminal and a positive terminal;

a base battery pack in the container;

the container and the base battery pack dimensioned to receive a boost battery pack;

a configurable coupling operable to couple the base battery pack to the negative terminal and the positive terminal, the configurable coupling further operable to couple the boost battery pack and the base battery pack in combination to the negative terminal and the positive terminal, wherein the container and the base battery pack are configured to be field upgradable by addition of the boost battery pack; and

a battery management system configured to provide a first electrical power from the base battery pack to an electric or hybrid vehicle, the first electrical power sufficient to propel the electric or hybrid vehicle to a first distance range, the battery management system configured to detect degradation of the base battery pack causing the first distance range to drop below a threshold value, and the battery management system configured to provide a second electrical power from the base battery pack and the boost battery pack to the electric or hybrid vehicle, the second electrical power sufficient to propel the electric or hybrid vehicle to a second distance range that is greater than the threshold value.

10. The battery system of claim 9, wherein:

the configurable coupling includes a jumper operable to couple the base battery pack to the positive terminal or the negative terminal; and

the jumper is removable from the base battery pack in cooperation with installation of the boost battery pack.

11. The battery system of claim 9, wherein the base battery pack and the container are arranged so that addition of the boost battery pack to the base battery pack and the container achieves approximately a same weight distribution as the base battery pack and the container.

12. The battery system of claim 9, wherein the container and the base battery pack dimensioned to receive the boost battery pack includes the container having a boost bay, the boost bay dimensioned to receive a plurality of sizes of boost battery packs.

13. A method of operating a battery system, comprising:

providing a first electrical power from a base battery pack to an electric or hybrid vehicle, the first electrical power sufficient to propel the electric or hybrid vehicle to a first distance range;

detecting a degradation of the base battery pack, the degradation causing the first distance range to drop below a threshold value;

adding a boost battery pack to the base battery pack responsive to the detecting; and

providing a second electrical power from the base battery pack and the boost battery pack to the electric or hybrid vehicle, the second electrical power sufficient to propel the electric or hybrid vehicle to a second distance range that is greater than the threshold value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

managing the charging and the discharging of the boost battery pack and the base battery pack with a single battery management system.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

managing the charging and the discharging of the base battery pack with a first battery management system and the boost battery pack with a second battery management system, wherein the first battery management system communicates with the second battery management system.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the second distance range is approximately equal to the first distance range; and

the second electrical power provides a greater amount of maximum power to the electric or hybrid vehicle during a discharge cycle than does the first electrical power.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein a motor controller of the electric or hybrid vehicle has sufficient voltage margin to operate with a voltage of the base battery pack alone and to operate with a voltage of the base battery pack in series with the boost battery pack.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

adjusting for steady performance of the electric or hybrid vehicle over a lifespan of the base battery pack in combination with the boost battery pack.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

balancing weight distribution of the boost battery pack and the base battery pack to an approximate match of a weight distribution of the base battery pack without the boost battery pack, relative to the electric or hybrid vehicle.