Battery management system for electric vehicle

• US 5,781,013 A
• Filed: 10/19/1995
• Issued: 07/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): BROCK, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/545,156
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 324/426, 324/427, 324/428, 324/432, 324/433, 324/434, 324/436, 340/438, 340/636, 340/455, 364/424.05, 364/431.01, 320/48
• US Class Current: 324/426
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/04 Arrangement of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3828 using current integration
• 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 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 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery monitoring routine is executed at a short period such as one minute as an initial value when a key switch is turned on to drive an electric vehicle (so that the battery is discharged). On the other hand, when the key switch is turned off to stop or park the electric vehicle so that the battery is released open from discharge, the battery monitoring routine is executed at a short period such as one minute to measure the battery data finely within a specified time such as 30 minutes, but at a long period such as one hour to measure the battery data coarsely after the specified time such as 30 minutes to save monitoring power. The battery deterioration can be monitored by measuring the restoration status of the battery after released open from discharge, for recharging or replacement of the battery.

Claims

1. A battery management system for an electric vehicle, comprising:

detecting means for detecting various battery conditions of a car battery mounted on the electric vehicle;

management means for monitoring a battery status of the car battery in dependency on the various battery conditions detected by said detecting means;

storing means for storing the battery status monitored by said management means;

key switching means connected to an auxiliary battery, for activating said detecting means and said management means whenever turned on; and

activating means associated with said key switching means, for periodically activating said detecting means and said management means when said key switching means is turned off.

2. The battery management system according to claim 1, wherein said activating means comprises:

a real time clock generator for generating a clock signal; and

a first switching element connected in parallel to said key switching means, for supplying power to said detecting means and said management means in response to the clock generated by said real time clock generator, said real time clock generator and said first switching element being both connected to the auxiliary battery.

3. The battery management system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a backup battery for activating said real time clock generator, said backup battery being recharged by a battery charger activated when said key switching-means is turned on.

4. The battery management system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second switching element connected between said real time clock generator and said first switching element; and

a thyristor connected to said second switching element and activated by said management means, to activate said detecting means and said management means only during a monitoring routine is being executed.

5. The battery management system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a relay connected in parallel to said key switching means; and

a charge coupler for energizing said relay to supply an external power to said detecting means and said management means continuously for monitoring the car battery, only when the car battery is being charged.

6. The battery management system according to claim 2, which further comprising:

a charge coupler for supplying an external power directly to said detecting means and said management means continuously for monitoring the car battery, only when the car battery is being charged.

7. The battery management system according to claim 2, which further comprising:

the detecting means having a plurality of separated detecting means, and a diode connected between two of said separated detecting means, to reduce the number of detecting means activated when said key switching means is turned off.

8. The battery management system according to claim 1,

wherein the various battery conditions detected by said detecting means are a terminal voltage, a terminal temperature, a discharged current, and a time elapsed after released open from discharge.

9. The battery management system according to claim 1,

wherein the battery status monitored and controlled by said management means is a power consumption rate, a remaining battery capacity, and a battery deterioration.

10. The battery management system according to claim 1,

wherein said activating means activates said detecting means and said management means according to a monitoring start period (Δ

T) determined in dependency on a restoration status of battery terminal voltage obtained after the car battery has been released open from discharge.

11. The battery management system according to claim 10,

wherein the restoration status of the battery terminal voltage is represented by a specified time (T_p) from when the car battery has been released open from discharge to when the terminal voltage is restored to a peak value, a restoration voltage (Δ

V) between a terminal voltage immediately before released open and the peak value, and a restoration rate (Δ

V/Δ

t or Δ

V/T_p).

12. The battery management system according to claim 10,

wherein the monitoring start period (Δ

T) of said activating means is determined on the basis of a fixed specified value (T_p) representative of the restoration status of battery terminal voltage, said monitoring start period being shorter within the fixed specified time (T_p) than after the fixed specific time.

13. The battery management system according to claim 12,

wherein said fixed specified value (T_p) is determined based on an integrated discharged power (Σ

PI.sub.(t)).

14. The battery management system according to claim 13,

wherein the specified time (T_p) is determined with reference to a map determined empirically.

15. The battery management system according to claim 12,

wherein the monitoring start period (Δ

T) within the fixed specified time (T_p) is further adjusted based on an integrated discharged power (Σ

PI.sub.(t)).

16. The battery management system according to claim 15,

wherein the monitoring start period (Δ

T) within the fixed specified time is determined with reference to a map determined empirically.

17. The battery management system according to claim 10,

wherein the monitoring start period (Δ

T) of said activating means is determined on the basis of a restoration voltage (Δ

V) representative of the restoration status of battery terminal voltage, said monitoring start period being shorter when the restoration voltage (Δ

V) is equal to or higher than a reference voltage (V_ref) than when the restoration voltage (Δ

V) is lower than the reference voltage.

18. The battery management system according to claim 17,

wherein the reference voltage (V_ref) is set to zero volts.

19. A method of managing a battery mounted on an electric vehicle, comprising the steps of:

checking whether a real time clock (RTC) is being started to activate a battery monitoring routine intermittently after the battery is released open from discharge;

executing a battery monitoring routine at a short monitoring start period when said RTC is not being started to activate the battery monitoring routine;

determining a long monitoring start period (Δ

T) according to restoration status of battery terminal voltage obtained after the battery has been released open from discharge when said RTC is being started to activate the battery monitoring routine, the long monitoring start period being longer than the short monitoring start period;

changing the period (T1) of the real time clock to the determined monitoring start period (Δ

T);

processing monitored battery data to detect battery status for recharging or replacement.

20. The method of managing the battery according to claim 19, wherein the step of determining a long monitoring start period (Δ

T) according to restoration status of battery terminal voltage comprises the steps of;

determining time elapsed after the battery has been released open from discharge;

checking whether the determined time value is equal to or longer than a fixed specified time;

setting a determined monitoring start period to be the long monitoring start period (Δ

T) when the integrated time value is equal to or longer than the fixed specified time; and

setting the determined monitoring start period to be the short monitoring start period when the integrated time value is shorter than the fixed specified time.

21. The method of managing the battery to claim 20,

further comprising the steps of:

integrating power (Σ

PI.sub.(t)) discharged from the battery when the real time clock (RTC) is not being generated; and

determining the fixed specified time (T_p) on the basis of the integrated discharged power.

22. The method of managing the battery according to claim 21,

wherein the specified time (T_p) is determined with reference to a map determined empirically.

23. The method of managing the battery according to claim 20,

further comprising the steps of:

integrating power (Σ

PI.sub.(t)) discharged from the battery when the real time clock (RTC) is not being generated; and

determining the short monitoring start period (Δ

T) on the basis of the integrated discharge power.

24. The method of managing the battery according to claim 23,

wherein the short monitoring start period (Δ

T) is determined with reference to a map determined empirically.

25. The method of managing the battery according to claim 19,

wherein the step of determining a long monitoring start period (Δ

T) according to restoration status of battery terminal voltage comprises the steps of;

integrating terminal voltage change (Δ

V) after the battery has been released open from discharge;

checking whether the integrated terminal voltage (Δ

V) is equal to or higher than a reference voltage (V_ref);

setting a determined monitoring start period to be the short monitoring start period (Δ

T) when the integrated terminal voltage (Δ

V) is equal to or higher than the reference voltage (V_ref); and

setting the determined monitoring start period to be the long monitoring start period when the integrated terminal voltage (Δ

V) is lower than the reference voltage (V_ref).

26. The method of managing the battery according to claim 25,

wherein the reference voltage (V_ref) is set to zero volts.