Systems and methods for detecting a battery pack having an operating issue or defect

• US 10,153,521 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2015
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powin Corporation (Powin Energy Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Powin Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Beaston, Virgil Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Harris, Gary D
• Application Number:
  US14/819,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20170040646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 429 61
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3646 for indicating electrical conditions or variables, e.g. visual or audible indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• 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: G06F 11/0736 in functional embedded systems, i.e. in a data processing system designed as a combination of hardware and software dedicated to performing a certain function testing or monitoring of automated control systems G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• 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: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting a battery pack having an operating issue or defect. In an embodiment, a balancing charger may be configured to charge a battery pack. An amount of time that the balancing charger is operating may be recorded. The recorded time may then be compared to a threshold time that indicates a determined variance from an expected operating time. If the recorded time exceeds the threshold time, the battery pack may be determined to have an operating issue or defect. In an embodiment, the threshold time may be adjusted based on an average battery cell or battery module temperature of the battery pack. In various embodiments, an alert may also be issued in response to determining that the battery pack has an operating issue or defect and operation of the battery pack may be halted to prevent any potential adverse effects.

Claims

1. A system for detecting a battery pack having an operating issue or defect, comprising:

a battery pack controller implemented in the battery pack;

a system controller coupled to the battery pack controller and configured to set an expected operating time of the battery pack based on a mean charge time of a plurality of battery packs;

a balancing charger coupled to the battery pack controller and configured to charge a battery pack;

a timer, implemented on the battery pack controller, configured to record an amount of time that the balancing charger is operating;

an analyzer, implemented on the system controller, configured to;

receive the recorded amount of time from the battery pack controller;

compare the recorded amount of time to a threshold time, the threshold time indicating a determined variance from the expected operating time; and

determine that the battery pack requires maintenance when the recorded amount of time exceeds the threshold time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer is further configured to issue an alert in response to determining that the battery pack requires maintenance.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer is further configured to halt operation of the battery pack in response to determining that the battery pack requires maintenance.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the timer is further configured to record the amount of time that the balancing charger is operating within a fixed period of time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the timer is further configured to reset the recorded amount of time in response to exceeding a time-based threshold.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer is further configured to adjust the threshold time based on an average battery cell temperature of the battery pack.

7. A method of detecting a battery pack having an operating issue or defect, comprising:

recording, by a timer implemented on a battery pack controller within the battery pack, an amount of time that a balancing charger is operating, the balancing charger coupled to the battery pack controller and configured to charge the battery pack;

setting, by a system controller, an expected operating time of the battery pack based on a mean charge time of a plurality of battery packs, wherein the system controller is coupled to the battery pack controller;

receiving, by an analyzer implemented on the system controller, the recorded amount of time from the battery pack controller;

comparing, by the analyzer, the recorded amount of time to a threshold time, the threshold time indicating a determined variance from the expected operating time; and

determining, by the analyzer, that the battery pack requires maintenance in response to the recorded amount of time exceeding the threshold time.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising issuing an alert in response to determining that the battery pack requires maintenance.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising halting operation of the battery pack in response to determining that the battery pack requires maintenance.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the recording occurs within a fixed period of time.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising resetting the recorded amount of time in response to exceeding a time-based threshold.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising adjusting the threshold time based on an average battery cell temperature of the battery pack.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:

recording, by a timer implemented on a battery pack controller within a battery pack, an amount of time that a balancing charger is operating, the balancing charger coupled to the battery pack controller and configured to charge the battery pack;

setting, by a system controller, an expected operating time of the battery pack based on a mean charge time of a plurality of battery packs, wherein the system controller is coupled to the battery pack controller;

receiving, by an analyzer implemented on the system controller, the recorded amount of time from the battery pack controller;

comparing, by the analyzer, the recorded amount of time to a threshold time, the threshold time indicating a determined variance from the expected operating time; and

determining, by the analyzer, that the battery pack requires maintenance in response to the recorded amount of time exceeding the threshold time.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, the operations further comprising issuing an alert in response to determining that the battery pack requires maintenance.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, the operations further comprising halting operation of the battery pack in response to determining that the battery pack requires maintenance.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the recording occurs within a fixed period of time.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, the operations further comprising resetting the recorded amount of time in response to exceeding a time-based threshold.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, the operations further comprising adjusting the threshold time based on an average battery cell temperature of the battery pack.