BATTERY MODULE ARCHITECTURE WITH HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL EXPANDABILITY

• US 20170085101A1
• Filed: 12/02/2016
• Published: 03/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elitise LLC (COMSovereign Holding Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Elitise LLC (COMSovereign Holding Corp.)
• Inventors: Zakharyan, Kagum G., Begliarov, Sergei N., Poulis, Spiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,917,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery module architecture including a plurality of battery cells coupled electrically in series and having a combined battery potential proportional to the combined sum of the battery cells is controlled by microcontroller to balance battery cell voltages by a battery cell voltage balancer having a discharging circuit and a plurality of differential conductive connections each respectively coupled to positive and negative terminals of one of the battery cells.

Claims

1. A multi-cell battery control circuit within a battery housing, comprising:

a negative battery terminal and a positive battery terminal that each penetrate and conduct electrical current through the battery housing;

a plurality of battery cells coupled electrically in series and having a combined battery potential proportional to the combined sum of the battery cells,

a microcontroller;

a battery cell voltage balancer having a discharging circuit and a plurality of differential conductive connections, each of the differential conductive connections respectively coupled to positive and negative terminals of one of the battery cells, the cell voltage balancer also having at least one cell balancing output and at least one cell balancing input to transmit and receive cell voltage balancing information to and from the microcontroller, respectively;

a charger having a charger input current sourced from the positive battery terminal, a charger output current sourced to the combined battery potential, and a charger control input coupled to the microcontroller that enables charger output current to be sourced to the combined battery potential; and

a contactor series-coupled between the combined battery potential and the positive battery terminal and having a contactor closed state that permits current to flow between the combined battery potential and the positive battery terminal, and an contactor open state that prohibits current flow between the combined battery potential and the positive battery terminal, the contactor having a contactor control input coupled to the microcontroller.

2. The multi-cell battery control circuit in claim 1 wherein,

the charger control input further supports a charger disabled state wherein the charger does not conduct current to the combined battery potential.

3. The multi-cell battery control circuit in claim 1 wherein,

the contactor is in the contactor open state and the charger in the charger enabled state and the charger power output sources current to the combined battery potential.

4. The multi-cell battery control circuit in claim 1 further comprising,

a bi-directional current sensing circuit coupled to the microcontroller, the bi-directional current sensing circuit comprised of a current sense element electrically coupled in series with the positive battery terminal to sense bi-directional current, the microcontroller causing a contactor open state if the bi-directional current exceeds a programmed reference current.

5. The multi-cell battery control circuit in claim 4 wherein,

the microcontroller further enables the charger enabled state if the combined battery potential is less than a programmable reference voltage.

6. The multi-cell battery control circuit in claim 5 wherein,

voltage at the positive battery terminal is greater than the combined battery potential.

7. The multi-cell battery control circuit in claim 1 further comprising,

a low power unidirectional current path coupled between the combined battery potential and the positive battery terminal that permits current to be sourced from the positive battery terminal to power electrical loads external to the battery.

8. The multi-cell battery control circuit in claim 7 wherein,

the low power unidirectional current path comprises a diode and resistor wherein the diode comprises a diode anode and a diode cathode, the diode anode coupled to the combined battery potential and the diode cathode coupled to a first end of the resistor, and a second end of the resistor coupled to the positive battery terminal.

9. A method of charging a battery module, comprising:

detecting if a measurable selected from current and voltage at a positive battery terminal exceeds a reference current or a reference voltage, respectively;

opening a switch between a plurality of battery cells and the positive battery terminal if the current or voltage at the positive battery terminal is equal to or exceeds the over current reference or the over voltage reference, respectively, the switch selected from contactors and relays;

detecting if an accumulated battery cell voltage at the plurality of battery cells is less than or equal to an under voltage reference; and

sourcing charger output current to the plurality of battery cells if the switch is open and the accumulated battery cell voltage at the plurality of battery cells is less than or equal to the under voltage reference.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein,

sourcing charger output current further comprises receiving a charger enable signal from a microprocessor.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising,

transmitting a charging done signal to the microprocessor.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising,

detecting if the measurable selected from current and voltage at a positive battery terminal does not exceed the over current reference or the over voltage reference, respectively;

and

if so, closing the switch between the plurality of battery cells and the positive battery terminal.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising,

prohibiting the sourcing of charger output current to the plurality of battery cells if the switch is closed.

14. A method of charging a battery module, comprising:

receiving a transmission from an external transmitter to confirm the open condition of a switch electrically coupled in series between a plurality of battery cells and a positive battery terminal, the switch selected from contactors and relays;

maintaining the open condition of the switch until receipt of a subsequent transmission to close the switch to prohibit current to be sourced from the battery module;

enabling a charger within the battery module, the charger having a charger input coupled to the positive battery terminal a charger output coupled to the plurality of battery cells;

receiving current to the positive battery terminal from a charging source coupled externally to the positive battery terminal; and

sourcing unidirectional current from the charger output to the plurality of battery cells;

wherein a charging source is coupled to the positive battery terminal.

15. The method in claim 14 further comprising,

prior to receiving a transmission from an external transmitter to confirm the open condition, receiving a transmission from an external transmitter to open the switch.

16. The method in claim 14 further comprising,

transmitting a communication involving the state of charge of the plurality of battery cells to the external transmitter.

17. The method in claim 14 further comprising,

sourcing unidirectional current from the positive battery terminal.

18. The multi-cell battery control circuit in claim 17 wherein,

the unidirectional current flows through a series connected diode and resistor combination that is coupled between the plurality of battery cells and the positive battery terminal.