METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SERVICING HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY PACKS

• US 20130307476A1
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Darragh, Joseph Michael, Boggs, Brian Stuart
• Granted Patent: US 9,466,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/18 of two or more battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/36 Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A system and method for providing energy management and maintenance of a high energy battery pack that does not require installation of the battery pack into an operational EV. A battery service unit has multiple access mechanisms to charge or discharge a high energy battery pack through a primary or secondary high voltage port of the pack, irrespective of whether the battery pack is installed into an operating environment by adding a capability of providing a signature duplicating installation of the pack in the operating environment when necessary.

Claims

1. A battery service unit for state-of-charge (SOC) maintenance and management of an energy storage system (ESS) configured for installation in an operating environment, comprising:

a primary connection system interfacing with the ESS;

a high voltage battery service interface coupled to said primary connection system, said high voltage battery service interface including a discharge port;

a high voltage discharger unit coupled to said discharge port, said high voltage discharger unit configured to dissipate energy from the ESS transferred through said primary connection system; and

a controller, coupled to said high voltage battery service interface, selectively dissipating energy from the ESS using said high voltage discharger unit to automatically set an SOC level for the ESS to a predetermined SOC level when said SOC level for the ESS exceeds said predetermined SOC level.

2. The battery service unit of claim 1 wherein said high voltage battery service interface further includes a charge port, further comprising:

a high voltage charger unit coupled to said charge port wherein said controller selectively adds energy to the ESS using said high voltage charger unit to automatically set said SOC level for the ESS to said predetermined SOC level when said SOC level for the ESS is below said predetermined SOC level.

3. The battery service unit of claim 1 wherein the ESS is NOT installed in the operating environment, wherein the operating environment includes an interlock inhibiting an energy transfer with respect to the ESS unless said interlock detects an operating environment signature, and wherein said primary connection system includes a control interface in communication with said interlock, further comprising:

an operating environment simulator coupled to said interlock using said control interface, said operating environment simulator providing said operating environment signature to said interlock and enabling said energy transfer with respect to the ESS.

4. The battery service unit of claim 3 wherein the operating environment includes an electric vehicle having an electric propulsion motor and wherein the ESS includes a propulsion battery pack including a plurality of series-connected battery elements disposed in an enclosure.

5. The battery service unit of claim 4 wherein said propulsion battery pack includes a battery management system coupled to said plurality of series-connected battery elements and wherein said propulsion battery pack includes a plurality of energy dissipative elements and said battery management system includes a power conserving modality limiting a power dissipation of said plurality of energy dissipative elements and wherein said controller issues an override signal to said battery management system using said control interface, said override signal interrupting said power conserving modality to increase said power dissipation and self-discharge energy from the ESS to automatically set said SOC level for the ESS to said predetermined SOC level without said controller dissipating energy from the ESS using said high voltage discharger unit.

6. The battery service unit of claim 2 wherein the ESS is NOT installed in the operating environment, wherein the operating environment includes an interlock inhibiting an energy transfer with respect to the ESS unless said interlock detects an operating environment signature, and wherein said primary connection system includes a control interface in communication with said interlock, further comprising:

an operating environment simulator coupled to said interlock using said control interface, said operating environment simulator providing said operating environment signature to said interlock and enabling said energy transfer with respect to the ESS.

7. The battery service unit of claim 6 wherein the operating environment includes an electric vehicle having an electric propulsion motor and wherein the ESS includes a propulsion battery pack including a plurality of series-connected battery elements disposed in an enclosure.

8. The battery service unit of claim 7 wherein said propulsion battery pack includes a battery management system coupled to said plurality of series-connected battery elements and wherein said propulsion battery pack includes a plurality of energy dissipative elements and said battery management system includes a power conserving modality limiting a power dissipation of said plurality of energy dissipative elements and wherein said controller issues an override signal to said battery management system using said control interface, said override signal interrupting said power conserving modality to increase said power dissipation and self-discharge energy from the ESS to automatically set said SOC level for the ESS to said predetermined SOC level without said controller dissipating energy from the ESS using said high voltage discharger unit.

9. The battery service unit of claim 1 wherein the operating environment includes a compromised operating environment, wherein the ESS is installed in said compromised operating environment, wherein said compromised operating environment includes an interlock inhibiting an energy transfer with respect to the ESS unless said interlock detects an operating environment signature, wherein said compromised operating environment does not provide said operating environment signature, and wherein said primary connection system includes a control interface in communication with said interlock, further comprising:

an operating environment simulator coupled to said interlock using said control interface, said operating environment simulator providing said operating environment signature to said interlock and enabling said energy transfer with respect to the ESS.

10. The battery service unit of claim 9 wherein the operating environment includes an electric vehicle having an electric propulsion motor and wherein the ESS includes a propulsion battery pack including a plurality of series-connected battery elements disposed in an enclosure.

11. The battery service unit of claim 10 wherein said propulsion battery pack includes a battery management system coupled to said plurality of series-connected battery elements and wherein said propulsion battery pack includes a plurality of energy dissipative elements and said battery management system includes a power conserving modality limiting a power dissipation of said plurality of energy dissipative elements and wherein said controller issues an override signal to said battery management system using said control interface, said override signal interrupting said power conserving modality to increase said power dissipation and self-discharge energy from the ESS to automatically set said SOC level for the ESS to said predetermined SOC level without said controller dissipating energy from the ESS using said high voltage discharger unit.

12. The battery service unit of claim 1 further comprising:

a secondary connection system interfacing with the ESS;

wherein said high voltage discharger unit is coupled to said secondary connection system; and

wherein said controller selectively dissipates energy from the ESS through said secondary connection system directly using said high voltage discharger unit to automatically set an SOC level for the ESS to a predetermined SOC level when said SOC level for the ESS exceeds said predetermined SOC level without transferring energy from the ESS to said discharger unit through said primary connection system.

13. The battery service unit of claim 10 further comprising:

a secondary connection system interfacing with the ESS;

wherein said high voltage discharger unit is coupled to said secondary connection system; and

wherein said controller selectively dissipates energy from the ESS through said secondary connection system directly using said high voltage discharger unit to automatically set an SOC level for the ESS to a predetermined SOC level when said SOC level for the ESS exceeds said predetermined SOC level without transferring energy from the ESS to said discharger unit through said primary connection system.

14. The battery service unit of claim 1 wherein the ESS is installed in the operating environment, wherein the operating environment includes an interlock inhibiting an energy transfer with respect to the ESS unless said interlock detects an operating environment signature that is provided by the operating environment, and wherein said primary connection system includes a control interface in communication with said interlock;

and

wherein said controller dissipates energy from the ESS using said high voltage discharger unit to automatically set said SOC level for the ESS to said predetermined SOC level when said SOC level for the ESS exceeds said predetermined SOC level.

15. The battery service unit of claim 14 wherein the operating environment includes an electric vehicle having an electric propulsion motor and wherein the ESS includes a propulsion battery pack including a plurality of series-connected battery elements disposed in an enclosure.

16. The battery service unit of claim 1 wherein the ESS is installed in the operating environment, wherein the operating environment includes an interlock inhibiting an energy transfer with respect to the ESS unless said interlock detects an operating environment signature that is provided by the operating environment, wherein said primary connection system includes a control interface in communication with said interlock, wherein the operating environment includes a plurality of energy dissipative elements outside of the ESS and the operating environment includes a power conserving modality limiting a power dissipation of said plurality of energy dissipative elements, and wherein said controller issues an override signal to the operating environment using said control interface, said override signal interrupting said power conserving modality to increase said power dissipation and discharge energy from the ESS to automatically set said SOC level for the ESS to said predetermined SOC level without said controller dissipating energy from the ESS using said high voltage discharger unit.

17. The battery service unit of claim 16 wherein the operating environment includes an electric vehicle having an electric propulsion motor and wherein the ESS includes a propulsion battery pack including a plurality of series-connected battery elements disposed in an enclosure.

18. A method for state-of-charge (SOC) maintenance and management of an energy storage system (ESS) configured for installation in an operating environment, comprising:

a) selecting a desired SOC level for the ESS;

b) transferring energy between the ESS and an external high voltage service unit through a primary connection system of the operating environment; and

c) dissipating selectively said energy transferred between the ESS and said external high voltage service unit through said primary connection system using said high voltage service unit to automatically set an SOC level for the ESS to said desired SOC level when said SOC level for the ESS exceeds said desired SOC level.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

d) charging selectively the ESS through said primary connection system using said high voltage service unit to automatically set an SOC level for the ESS to said desired SOC level when said SOC level for the ESS is less than said desired SOC level.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the ESS is NOT installed in the operating environment, wherein the operating environment includes an interlock inhibiting an energy transfer with respect to the ESS unless said interlock detects an operating environment signature, and wherein said primary connection system includes a control interface in communication with said interlock, further comprising:

d) providing said operating environment signature to said interlock from said external high voltage service unit to enable said transferring of energy between the ESS and an external high voltage service unit.

21. A method for state-of-charge (SOC) maintenance and management of an energy storage system (ESS) installed in an operating environment, comprising:

a) selecting a desired SOC level for the ESS;

b) testing the operating environment for a non-compromised operation using an external service unit coupled to the operating environment using a primary connection system, said primary connection system including a control interface; and

c) dissipating selectively, responsive to a discharge command provided from said external service unit, energy stored in the ESS using the operating environment to automatically set an SOC level for the ESS to said desired SOC level when said SOC level for the ESS exceeds said desired SOC level and when the operating environment includes said non-compromised operation.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the operating environment includes an electric vehicle having an electric propulsion motor and wherein the ESS includes a propulsion battery pack including a plurality of series-connected battery elements disposed in an enclosure.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said propulsion battery pack includes a battery management system coupled to said plurality of series-connected battery elements and wherein said propulsion battery pack includes a plurality of energy dissipative elements and said battery management system includes a power conserving modality limiting a power dissipation of said plurality of energy dissipative elements, further compromising:

d) asserting an override signal to said battery management system using said control interface, said override signal interrupting said power conserving modality to increase said power dissipation and self-discharge energy from the ESS to automatically set said SOC level for the ESS to said predetermined SOC level.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein operating environment includes a plurality of energy dissipative elements external to the ESS and the operating environment includes a power conserving modality limiting a power dissipation of said plurality of energy dissipative elements, further compromising:

d) asserting an override signal to the operating environment using said control interface, said override signal interrupting said power conserving modality to increase said power dissipation and self-discharge energy from the ESS to automatically set said SOC level for the ESS to said predetermined SOC level.

25. A battery service unit for service of high voltage batteries used in electric vehicles, comprising:

a vehicle signature simulation circuitry that provides an electrical characteristic of a vehicle causing a battery management system in a battery pack to provide high voltage access to batteries in the battery pack and low voltage communication access to the battery management system;

a battery service communication interface that communicates with the battery management system over the low voltage communication access when charging and discharging the battery pack; and

a primary charging port connection with the battery pack used to charge and discharge the battery pack when the battery service unit determines that the battery pack and battery management system are functioning properly, wherein the battery management system facilitates the charging and discharging from the battery service unit; and

a secondary charging port connection with the battery pack used to charge and discharge the battery pack directly without intervention from the battery management system when the battery service unit determines at least one of the battery pack and the battery management system is not functioning properly.