Battery management system

• US 10,666,081 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyperdrive Innovation Limited
• Original Assignee: Hyperdrive Innovation Limited
• Inventors: Irish, Stephen, Shaw, Robin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Omar, Ahmed H
• Application Number:
  US15/563,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20180316207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 320104
• 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 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• 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 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• 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 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery

Abstract

A battery management system for use in charging a rechargeable battery is disclosed. The battery management system comprises a controller and a temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to provide a temperature signal based on a temperature of the rechargeable battery, and wherein the controller is configured to control a charging current for charging the rechargeable battery based on the temperature signal. In response to the temperature signal indicating that the temperature exceeds a first threshold temperature signal value the charging current is tapered down as a function of increasing temperature.

Claims

1. A battery management system for use in charging a rechargeable battery, the battery management system comprising a controller and a temperature sensor, wherein:

the temperature sensor is configured to provide a temperature signal based on a temperature of the rechargeable battery; and

wherein the controller is configured to control a charging current for charging the rechargeable battery based on the temperature signal, so that in response to the temperature signal indicating that the temperature exceeds a first threshold temperature signal value the charging current is tapered down as a function of increasing temperature; and

balance cells of the battery if the charging current supplied to the battery exceeds a selected charging current threshold.

2. The battery management system of claim 1 wherein in response to the temperature signal indicating that the temperature exceeds a second threshold temperature, no charging current is supplied to the battery.

3. The battery management system of claim 1 further comprising a charge indicator configured to provide an indication of a level of charge of the cells of the battery, and wherein the controller is configured to balance the cells based on the indicated level of charge of each respective cell.

4. The battery management system of claim 1 wherein in response to the temperature signal indicating that the temperature is below a third threshold, the controller is configured to taper the charging current down as a function of decreasing temperature.

5. The battery management system of claim 4 wherein in response to the temperature signal indicating that the temperature is below a fourth threshold, no charging current is supplied to the battery.

6. The battery management system of claim 1 wherein the tapering of the current based on temperature is according to a stored relationship, for example a lookup table, and the controller is configured to control the charging current based on the stored relationship.

7. The battery management system of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured to balance the cells of the battery in a second mode during charging and a third mode during discharge.

8. The battery management system of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured to balance the cells in a second mode during charging in response to the charging current being supplied to the battery exceeding a selected charging current threshold, for example 0.5 A.

9. The battery management system of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured to balance the cells in a second mode during charging in response to a charging voltage being supplied to the battery exceeding a selected charging voltage threshold, for example 3.0V.

10. The battery management system of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured to balance the cells in a third mode during discharge in response to a voltage of a cell of the battery meeting and/or exceeding a selected voltage threshold.

11. The battery management system of claim 7 wherein the controller is configured to control a current drawn from each cell during the third mode during discharge.

12. The battery management system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to control a flow of charging current to the battery during charging of the battery so that the temperature of the battery is within a selected range.

13. A battery management system for use in charging a rechargeable battery, the battery management system comprising:

temperature sensing means for providing a temperature signal based on a temperature of the rechargeable battery; and

control means for controlling a charging current for charging the rechargeable battery based on the temperature signal; and

balancing cells of the battery if the charging current supplied to the battery exceeds a selected charging current threshold.

14. The battery management system of claim 13 wherein in response to the temperature signal indicating that the temperature exceeds a first threshold temperature signal value the control means is configured to taper down the charging current as a function of increasing temperature;

and further configured so that in response to the temperature signal indicating that the temperature exceeds a second threshold temperature, no charging current is supplied to the battery.

15. The battery management system of claim 13 further comprising charge indicating means for providing an indication of the level of charge of cells of the battery, and wherein the control means is configured to balance the cells based on the indicated level of charge of each respective cell.