Method for management of energy storage systems, and related method of operation for smart energy storage cells
First Claim
1. A method of managing an electrical energy storage system, comprising steps of:
- operating a plurality of smart cells in either a link mode or a termination mode within a two-dimensional array, with each smart cell communicating wirelessly with another smart cell in a manner that is relatively directional, the direction being electronically-steerable in a plane of the two-dimensional array;
organizing the smart cells into a plurality of chains, each chain being a serially-linked wireless network having a first smart cell therein being in communication with a management unit for controlling and monitoring the smart cells and a second smart cell therein operating as a termination cell, wherein all smart cells in the respective chain other than the termination cell operate as link cells, the organizing step including the steps of;
assigning an up-direction code to each smart cell in each respective chain for at least sending and receiving information along the respective chain in a direction of the management unit; and
assigning a down-direction code to each smart cell other than the termination cell for at least sending and receiving information along the respective chain in a direction of the termination cell; and
operating the energy storage system in a repetitive loop, comprising the steps of;
collecting a set of data produced by each of the plurality of smart cells in each of the plurality of chains, wherein each smart cell sends its set of data up chain, and each of the link cells relays the data set from other down-chain smart cells up chain; and
analyzing the set of data from each of the plurality of smart cells to determine the overall status of the energy storage system.
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Abstract
A method of managing an energy storage system that includes a plurality of smart energy storage cells, and a related method of operation for said smart cells. The cells are arranged into a two-dimensional array, and at least one management unit for controlling and monitoring the smart cells is coupled to the array. The smart cells and management units engage in wireless communication that has relatively short range and is relatively directional, with the direction being electronically-steerable in the plane of the array. The management method assigns direction codes to each smart cell which the cells utilize to steer the directions of their communication links, thereby organizing the smart cells into a plurality of serially-linked communication networks. The methods include steps for automatically determining the size and arrangement of the array, including the orientation of each smart cell. The methods also include steps for automatically reorganizing the network links in response to any cell or management unit failing to communicate, thereby making the energy storage system highly fault-tolerant and extremely reliable.
53 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of managing an electrical energy storage system, comprising steps of:
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operating a plurality of smart cells in either a link mode or a termination mode within a two-dimensional array, with each smart cell communicating wirelessly with another smart cell in a manner that is relatively directional, the direction being electronically-steerable in a plane of the two-dimensional array; organizing the smart cells into a plurality of chains, each chain being a serially-linked wireless network having a first smart cell therein being in communication with a management unit for controlling and monitoring the smart cells and a second smart cell therein operating as a termination cell, wherein all smart cells in the respective chain other than the termination cell operate as link cells, the organizing step including the steps of; assigning an up-direction code to each smart cell in each respective chain for at least sending and receiving information along the respective chain in a direction of the management unit; and assigning a down-direction code to each smart cell other than the termination cell for at least sending and receiving information along the respective chain in a direction of the termination cell; and operating the energy storage system in a repetitive loop, comprising the steps of; collecting a set of data produced by each of the plurality of smart cells in each of the plurality of chains, wherein each smart cell sends its set of data up chain, and each of the link cells relays the data set from other down-chain smart cells up chain; and analyzing the set of data from each of the plurality of smart cells to determine the overall status of the energy storage system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of managing an electrical energy storage system, the system comprising a plurality of smart cells operable in either a link mode or a termination mode and arranged into a two-dimensional array, each smart cell adapted to communicate wirelessly in a manner that is relatively directional with the direction being electronically-steerable in a plane of the two-dimensional array, the method comprising steps of:
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organizing the smart cells into a plurality of chains, each chain being a serially-linked wireless network having a first smart cell therein being in communication with a management unit for controlling and monitoring the smart cells and a second smart cell therein operating as a termination cell, wherein all smart cells in the respective chain other than the termination cell operate as link cells, the organizing step including the steps of; assigning an up-direction code to each smart cell in each respective chain for at least sending and receiving information along the respective chain in a direction of the management unit; and assigning a down-direction code to each smart cell other than the termination cell for at least sending and receiving information along the respective chain in a direction of the termination cell; planning a floor plan of the plurality of chains, comprising the steps of; adding one or more new smart cells positioned within a communication range of the termination cell in one of the plurality of chains; scanning for the one or more new smart cell within the communication range of the termination cell; reporting a direction code for each of the one or more new smart cells up the respective chain to the respective management unit; adding the new smart cell to the floor plan; selecting one of the one or more new smart cells for concatenation to the respective chain; sending a direction code for the selected new smart cell from the management unit down the chain to the termination cell; setting a down-direction of the termination cell to the direction code received by the termination cell from the management unit; sending a join command from the termination cell to the selected new smart cell; changing the termination cell to one of the link cells; setting an up-direction of the selected new smart cell to point in the direction from which it received the join command; and setting the selected new smart cell as the termination cell; building the chains in accordance with the floor plan; and operating the energy storage system in a repetitive loop, comprising the steps of; collecting a set of data produced by each of the plurality of smart cells in each of the plurality of chains, wherein each smart cell sends its set of data up chain, and each of the link cells relays the data set from other down-chain smart cells up chain; and analyzing the set of data from each of the plurality of smart cells to determine the overall status of the energy storage system. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification