State of charge tracking system for battery systems

• US 7,375,497 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chevron Technology Ventures LLC (Chevron Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Cobasys LLC (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Melichar, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORRES RUIZ, JOHALI ALEJANDRA
• Application Number:
  US11/081,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20050231164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 320/127, 320/128, 320/132, 320/137, 320/162, 324/426, 324/427, 324/428, 324/432
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule

Abstract

A battery control module for a battery system comprises a voltage measuring module that measures battery and a current measuring module that measures battery current. A state of charge (SOC) module communicates with the current and voltage measuring modules and estimates SOC at least one of when an accumulated charge swing during charge is greater than or equal to an accumulated discharge swing during a prior discharge and a negative of a charge current is within a predetermined window of a negative of a retained discharge current during the prior discharge and/or when an accumulated discharge swing during discharge is greater than or equal to an accumulated charge swing during a prior charge and a negative of a discharge current is within a predetermined window of a negative of a retained charge current during the prior charge.

Claims

1. A battery control module for a battery system, comprising:

a voltage measuring module that measures battery voltage;

a current measuring module that measures battery current; and

a state of charge (SOC) module that communicates with said current and voltage measuring modules and that selectively enables SOC estimation when an accumulated charge swing during charge is greater than or equal to a negative of an accumulated discharge swing during a prior discharge and a charge current is within a predetermined window of a negative of a retained discharge current during said prior discharge.

2. The battery control module of claim 1 wherein said SOC module estimates SOC when an accumulated discharge swing during discharge is greater than or equal to a negative of an accumulated charge swing during a prior charge and a discharge current is within a predetermined window of a negative of a retained charge current during said prior charge.

3. The battery control module of claim 1 wherein said SOC module calculates a power limit during charging, calculates a power limit ratio based on said power limit during charging and a retained power limit during said prior discharge, and estimates SOC based on a power limit ratio.

4. The battery control module of claim 2 wherein said SOC module calculates a power limit during discharging, calculates a power limit ratio based on said power limit during discharging and a retained power limit during said prior charge, and estimates SOC based on a power limit ratio.

5. The battery control module of claim 1 wherein said SOC module accumulates said charge swing during charging until a maximum charge current divided by K is reached and stores said charge current and said charge swing as said accumulated charge swing.

6. The battery control module of claim 2 wherein said SOC module accumulates said discharge swing during discharging until a minimum discharge current divided by L is reached and stores said minimum discharge current as said discharge current and said discharge swing as said accumulated discharge swing.

7. The battery module of claim 3 wherein said SOC module includes a lookup table and wherein said SOC module looks up said SOC as a function of said power limit ratio.

8. The battery module of claim 4 wherein said SOC module includes a lookup table and wherein said SOC module looks up said SOC as a function of said power limit ratio.

9. A battery control module for a battery system, comprising:

a voltage measuring module that measures battery voltage;

a current measuring module that measures battery current; and

a state of charge (SOC) module that communicates with said current and voltage measuring modules and that selectively enables SOC estimation when an accumulated discharge swing during discharge is greater than or equal to a negative of an accumulated charge swing during a prior charge and a discharge current is within a predetermined window of a negative of a retained charge current during said prior charge.

10. The battery control module of claim 9 wherein said SOC module estimates SOC when an accumulated charge swing during charge is greater than or equal to a negative of an accumulated discharge swing during a prior discharge and a charge current is within a predetermined window of a negative of a retained discharge current during said prior discharge.

11. The battery control module of claim 10 wherein said SOC module calculates a power limit during charging, calculates a power limit ratio based on said power limit during charging and a retained power limit during said prior discharge, and estimates SOC based on a power limit ratio.

12. The battery control module of claim 9 wherein said SOC module calculates a power limit during discharging, calculates a power limit ratio based on said power limit during discharging and a retained power limit during said prior charge, and estimates SOC based on a power limit ratio.

13. The battery control module of claim 10 wherein said SOC module accumulates said charge swing during charging until a maximum charge current divided by K is reached and stores said maximum charge current as said charge current and said charge swing as said accumulated charge swing.

14. The battery control module of claim 9 wherein said SOC module accumulates said discharge swing during discharging until a minimum discharge current divided by L is reached and stores said minimum discharge current as said discharge current and said discharge swing as said accumulated discharge swing.

15. The battery module of claim 11 wherein said SOC module includes a lookup table and wherein said SOC module looks up said SOC as a function of said power limit ratio.

16. The battery module of claim 12 wherein said SOC module includes a lookup table and wherein said SOC module looks up said SOC as a function of said power limit ratio.

17. A method for operating a battery control module for a battery system, comprising:

measuring battery voltage;

measuring battery current; and

selectively enabling state of charge (SOC) estimation when an accumulated charge swing during charge is greater than or equal to a negative of an accumulated discharge swing during a prior discharge and a charge current is within a predetermined window of a negative of a retained discharge current during said prior discharge.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising estimating said SOC when an accumulated discharge swing during discharge is greater than or equal to a negative of an accumulated charge swing during a prior charge and a discharge current is within a predetermined window of a negative of a retained charge current during said prior charge.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

calculating a power limit during charging;

calculating a power limit ratio based on said power limit during charging and a retained power limit during said prior discharge; and

estimating SOC based on a power limit ratio.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

calculating a power limit during discharging;

calculating a power limit ratio based on said power limit during discharging and a retained power limit during said prior charge; and

estimating SOC based on a power limit ratio.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

accumulating said charge swing during charging until a maximum charge current divided by K is reached; and

storing said charge current and said charge swing as said accumulated charge swing.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

accumulating said discharge swing during discharging until a minimum discharge current divided by L is reached; and

storing said discharge current and said discharge swing as said accumulated discharge swing.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein said SOC module includes a lookup table and wherein said SOC module looks up said SOC as a function of said power limit ratio.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein said SOC module includes a lookup table and wherein said SOC module looks up said SOC as a function of said power limit ratio.

25. A method for operating a battery control module for a battery system, comprising:

measuring battery voltage;

measuring battery current; and

estimating state of charge (SOC) only when an accumulated discharge swing during discharge is greater than or equal to a negative of an accumulated charge swing during a prior charge and a discharge current is within a predetermined window of a negative of a retained charge current during said prior charge.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising estimating said SOC when an accumulated charge swing during charge is greater than or equal to a negative of an accumulated discharge swing during a prior discharge and a charge current is within a predetermined window of a negative of a retained discharge current during said prior discharge.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

calculating a power limit during charging;

calculating a power limit ratio based on said power limit during charging and a retained power limit during said prior discharge; and

estimating SOC based on a power limit ratio.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

calculating a power limit during discharging;

calculating a power limit ratio based on said power limit during discharging and a retained power limit during said prior charge; and

estimating SOC based on a power limit ratio.

29. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

accumulating said charge swing during charging until a maximum charge current divided by K is reached; and

storing said charge current and said charge swing as said accumulated charge swing.

30. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

accumulating said discharge swing during discharging until a minimum discharge current divided by L is reached; and

storing said discharge current and said discharge swing as said accumulated discharge swing.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein said SOC module includes a lookup table and wherein said SOC module looks up said SOC as a function of said power limit ratio.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein said SOC module includes a lookup table and wherein said SOC module looks up said SOC as a function of said power limit ratio.