METHOD FOR ESTIMATING THE CHARGE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE BATTERY

• US 20090248334A1
• Filed: 03/26/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Boucharel, Paul, BAFFAUT, Pierre-Antoine, SANS, Mariano
• Application Number:
  US12/411,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248334A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3828 using current integration

Abstract

In a method for estimating the charge of a motor vehicle battery, at least one sensor measures terminal voltage, current circulating in the battery, and temperature, such that: current variations are measured at predetermined time intervals; a modeled voltage is determined according to current and temperature; the modeled voltage includes components corresponding to charge polarization; estimated and measured voltage are compared to determine voltage error; theoretical model is adapted according to battery operating phase and determined voltage error. Operating phases of the battery on charge and discharge correspond on each occasion to operation substates including 100% saturated, close to 100% saturated, normal, close to 0% charged and 0% charged and in that, for the substates, adaptation is made for theoretical computation of battery charge state and/or computation of the component corresponding to polarization, the estimate of the state of charge of the battery being determined using the adapted theoretical model.

Claims

1. Method for estimating the charge of a motor vehicle battery in which at least one sensor supplies the voltage at the battery terminals, the current circulating in the battery and the temperature of the latter, such that:

current variations are measured at predetermined time intervals in order to determine by integration variations of load of the battery,

a modeled voltage is determined according to the current and the temperature with the aid of a theoretical model,

the modeled voltage comprises at least one component corresponding to the charge of the battery and at least one component corresponding to the polarization of the battery,

the estimated voltage is compared with the measured voltage in order to determine a voltage error,

an adaptation of the theoretical model is made according to the operating phase of the battery comprising operation on open circuit, operation on charge and operation on discharge and according to the determined voltage error,

the method being characterized in that the operating phases of the battery on charge and on discharge correspond on each occasion to operation substates chosen from the set comprising 100% saturated operation, close to 100% saturated operation, normal operation, close to 0% charged operation and 0% charged operation and in that, for these various substates, the adaptation is made for the theoretical computation of the state of charge of the battery and/or for the computation of the component corresponding to the polarization of the battery, the estimate of the state of charge of the battery being determined with the aid of the adapted theoretical model.

2. Estimation method according to claim 1, characterized:

in that in the 100% saturated operation substate, the adaptation is made on the state of charge of the battery and on the component corresponding to the polarization of the battery,

in that, in the close to 100% saturated operation substate, the adaptation is made on the component corresponding to the polarization of the battery,

in that, in the normal operation substate, the adaptation is made on the state of charge of the battery and on the component corresponding to the polarization of the battery,

in that, in the close to 0% charged operation substate, the adaptation is made on the component corresponding to the polarization of the battery, and

in that, in the 0% charged operation substate, the adaptation is made on the state of charge of the battery and on the component corresponding to the polarization of the battery.

3. Estimation method according to claim 1, characterized in that the state of operation of the battery in open circuit corresponds to operation substates chosen from the set comprising 100% saturated operation, close to 100% saturated operation, close to 0% charged operation, 0% charged operation, operation with a stable voltage, operation with an unstable voltage and operation in open circuit with a long stability.

4. Estimation method according to claim 3, characterized:

in that, in the 100% saturated operation, close to 100% saturated operation, close to 0% charged operation and 0% charged operation substates, the adaptation is made on the state of charge of the battery and on the component corresponding to the polarization of the battery,

in that, in the operating state with a stable voltage, the adaptation is made on the state of charge of the battery and on the component corresponding to the polarization of the battery with a preponderant adaptation on the state of charge,

in that, in the state of operation with an unstable voltage, the adaptation is made on the state of charge of the battery and on the component corresponding to the polarization of the battery with a preponderant adaptation on the component corresponding to the polarization, and

in that, in the state of operation in open circuit with a long stability, the adaptation is made only on the state of charge of the battery.

5. Estimation method according to claim 1, characterized in that a timer is used when the battery operates in open circuit in order to measure the time elapsed since the opening of the circuit.

6. Computer program stored on a data medium, said program comprising instructions allowing the use of an estimation method according to claim 1, when this program is loaded and run by an information technology system.

7. Information technology system such as, for example, a computer designed to be installed on board a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises means appropriate for applying a method according to claim 1.

8. Estimation method according to claim 2, characterized in that a timer is used when the battery operates in open circuit in order to measure the time elapsed since the opening of the circuit.

9. Estimation method according to claim 3, characterized in that a timer is used when the battery operates in open circuit in order to measure the time elapsed since the opening of the circuit.

10. Estimation method according to claim 4, characterized in that a timer is used when the battery operates in open circuit in order to measure the time elapsed since the opening of the circuit.

11. Computer program stored on a data medium, said program comprising instructions allowing the use of an estimation method according to claim 2, when this program is loaded and run by an information technology system.

12. Computer program stored on a data medium, said program comprising instructions allowing the use of an estimation method according to claim 3, when this program is loaded and run by an information technology system.

13. Computer program stored on a data medium, said program comprising instructions allowing the use of an estimation method according to claim 4, when this program is loaded and run by an information technology system.

14. Computer program stored on a data medium, said program comprising instructions allowing the use of an estimation method according to claim 5, when this program is loaded and run by an information technology system.

15. Information technology system such as, for example, a computer designed to be installed on board a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises means appropriate for applying a method according to claim 2.

16. Information technology system such as, for example, a computer designed to be installed on board a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises means appropriate for applying a method according to claim 3.

17. Information technology system such as, for example, a computer designed to be installed on board a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises means appropriate for applying a method according to claim 4.

18. Information technology system such as, for example, a computer designed to be installed on board a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises means appropriate for applying a method according to claim 5.

19. Computer program stored on a data medium, said program comprising instructions allowing the use of an estimation method according to claim 8, when this program is loaded and run by an information technology system.

20. Computer program stored on a data medium, said program comprising instructions allowing the use of an estimation method according to claim 9, when this program is loaded and run by an information technology system.