Battery heating circuits and methods using resonance components in series based on charge balancing

• US 9,214,706 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BYD Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BYD Company Limited
• Inventors: Xu, Wenhui, Han, Yaochuan, Feng, Wei, Yang, Qinyao, Xia, Wenjin, Ma, Shibin
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhou, Zixuan
• Application Number:
  US13/545,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 320/129, 320/134, 320/136
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/63 Control systems charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 , H01M10/443; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 , H01M10/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6571 Resistive heaters arrangements for heating the battery by its resistance to the internal current H01M10/637
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention disclose a battery heating circuit, wherein: the battery comprises a battery E1 and a battery E2. For example, the heating circuit comprises: a first charging/discharging circuit, which is connected with the battery E1, and comprises a damping component R1, a current storage component L1, a first switch unit 1 and a charge storage component C, all of which are connected in series to each other; and a second charging/discharging circuit, which is connected to the battery E2, and comprises a damping component R2, a current storage component L2, a second switch unit 2 and the charge storage component C, all of which are connected in series with each other.

Claims

1. A circuit for heating one or more batteries, the circuit comprising:

a first battery including a first damping component and a first current storage component, the first damping component and the first current storage component being parasitic to the first battery, the first battery including a first battery terminal and a second battery terminal;

a second battery including a second damping component and a second current storage component, the second damping component and the second current storage component being parasitic to the second battery, the second battery including a third battery terminal and a fourth battery terminal;

a first switch unit;

a second switch unit;

a switching control component coupled to the first switch unit and the second switch unit; and

a first charge storage component including a first storage terminal and a second storage terminal, the first charge storage component and the first current storage component being at least parts of a first energy storage circuit, the first charge storage component and the second current storage component being at least parts of a second energy storage circuit;

wherein;

the first damping component, the first current storage component, the first switch unit, and the first charge storage component are connected;

the second damping component, the second current storage component, the second switch unit, and the first charge storage component are connected;

the switching control component is configured to turn on and off the first switch unit so as to control one or more first currents flowing from the first battery to the first charge storage component and from the first charge storage component to the first battery; and

the switching control component is further configured to turn on and off the second switch unit so as to control one or more second currents flowing from the second battery to the first charge storage component and from the first charge storage component to the second battery;

wherein the circuit for heating one or more batteries is configured to heat at least one battery selected from the first battery and the second battery by at least discharging and charging at least the selected battery;

wherein the circuit further comprises a polarity inversion unit coupled to the first charge storage component and configured to invert a voltage polarity associated with the first charge storage component, wherein the polarity inversion unit includes;

a first single-pole double-throw switch coupled to the first storage terminal of the first charge storage component; and

a second single-pole double-throw switch coupled to the second storage terminal of the first charge storage component;

wherein;

the first single-pole double-throw switch includes a first input wire, a first output wire, and a second output wire;

the first input wire is coupled, directly or indirectly, to the first battery terminal and the third battery terminal; and

the first output wire and the second output wire are coupled to the first storage terminal and the second storage terminal respectively;

wherein;

the second single-pole double-throw switch includes a second input wire, a third output wire, and a fourth output wire;

the second input wire is coupled, directly or indirectly, to the second battery terminal and the fourth battery terminal; and

the third output wire and the fourth output wire are coupled to the second storage terminal and the first storage terminal respectively;

wherein the switching control component is coupled to the first single-pole double-throw switch and the second single-pole double-throw switch, and is configured to invert the voltage polarity associated with the first charge storage component by altering connection relationships among the first input wire, the first output wire, the second output wire, the second input wire, the third output wire, and the fourth output wire.

2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein:

the first damping component is a first parasitic resistor of the first battery;

the first current storage component is a first parasitic inductor of the first battery;

the second damping component is a second parasitic resistor of the second battery; and

the second current storage component is a second parasitic inductor of the second battery.

3. The circuit of claim 2 wherein the first charge storage component is a capacitor.

4. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the switching control component is further configured to turn on the first switch unit and turn off the second switch unit and allow the one or more first currents to flow from the first battery to the first charge storage component and, after the one or more first currents reduce to zero in magnitude, turn off the first switch unit and turn on the second switch unit and allow the one or more second currents to flow from the first charge storage component to the second battery.

5. The circuit of claim 4 wherein the switching control component is further configured to turn on the first switch unit and turn off the second switch unit and transfer a first quantity of electric charge from the first battery to the first charge storage component with the one or more first currents and, after the one or more first currents reduce to zero in magnitude, turn off the first switch unit and turn on the second switch unit and transfer a second quantity of electric charge from the first charge storage component to the second battery with the one or more second currents.

6. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the first switch unit includes a two-way switch.

7. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the first switch unit includes a first branch circuit for conduction in a first direction and a second branch circuit for conduction in a second direction, the first direction being from the first battery to the first charge storage component, the second direction being from the first charge storage component to the first battery.

8. The circuit of claim 7 wherein:

the first branch circuit includes a first switch and a first one-way semiconductor component connected in series with the first switch, the first switch being coupled to the switching control component; and

the second branch circuit includes a second one-way semiconductor component;

wherein the switching control component is further configured to turn on and off the first branch circuit by turning on and off the first switch respectively.

9. The circuit of claim 8 wherein:

the second branch circuit further includes a second switch coupled to the switching control component and connected in series with the second one-way semiconductor component;

wherein the switching control component is further configured to turn on and off the second branch circuit by turning on and off the second switch respectively.

10. The circuit of claim 7 wherein the first switch unit further includes a resistor connected in series with at least the first branch circuit or the second branch circuit.

11. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the first switch unit includes:

a first two-way switch coupled to the switching control component; and

a second two-way switch coupled to the switching control component and connected in series with the first two-way switch;

wherein the switching control component is further configured to turn on and off the first two-way switch and to turn on and off the second two-way switch.

12. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the polarity inversion unit includes:

a switch;

a third current storage component; and

a one-way semiconductor component, a combination of the one-way semiconductor component, the third current storage component, and the switch being connected between the first storage terminal and the second storage terminal.

13. The circuit of claim 1 wherein:

the switching control component is coupled to the polarity inversion unit; and

the switching control component is further configured to;

turn off the first switch unit or the second switch unit if the one or more first currents flowing from the first charge storage component to the first battery reduces to zero in magnitude or the one or more second currents flowing from the first charge storage component to the second battery reduces to zero in magnitude; and

then control the polarity inversion unit to invert the voltage polarity associated with the first charge storage component.

14. The circuit of claim 1 wherein:

the switching control component is coupled to the polarity inversion unit; and

the switching control component is further configured to;

turn off the first switch unit and the second switch unit if the one or more first currents flowing from the first charge storage component to the first battery reduces to zero in magnitude and the one or more second currents flowing from the first charge storage component to the second battery reduces to zero in magnitude; and

then control the polarity inversion unit to invert the voltage polarity associated with the first charge storage component.

15. The circuit of claim 1 is further configured to:

start heating at least the selected battery if at least one heating start condition is satisfied; and

stop heating at least the selected battery if at least one heating stop condition is satisfied.

16. A circuit for heating one or more batteries, the circuit comprising:

a first battery including a first damping component and a first current storage component, the first damping component and the first current storage component being parasitic to the first battery, the first battery including a first battery terminal and a second battery terminal;

a second battery including a second damping component and a second current storage component, the second damping component and the second current storage component being parasitic to the second battery, the second battery including a third battery terminal and a fourth battery terminal;

a first switch unit;

a second switch unit;

a switching control component coupled to the first switch unit and the second switch unit; and

a first charge storage component including a first storage terminal and a second storage terminal, the first charge storage component and the first current storage component being at least parts of a first energy storage circuit, the first charge storage component and the second current storage component being at least parts of a second energy storage circuit;

wherein;

the first damping component, the first current storage component, the first switch unit, and the first charge storage component are connected;

the second damping component, the second current storage component, the second switch unit, and the first charge storage component are connected;

the switching control component is configured to turn on and off the first switch unit so as to control one or more first currents flowing from the first battery to the first charge storage component and from the first charge storage component to the first battery; and

the switching control component is further configured to turn on and off the second switch unit so as to control one or more second currents flowing from the second battery to the first charge storage component and from the first charge storage component to the second battery;

wherein the circuit for heating one or more batteries is configured to heat at least one battery selected from the first battery and the second battery by at least discharging and charging at least the selected battery;

wherein the circuit further comprises a polarity inversion unit coupled to the first charge storage component and configured to invert a voltage polarity associated with the first charge storage component, wherein the polarity inversion unit includes;

a second charge storage component; and

a first DC-DC module coupled to the second charge storage component and the first charge storage component;

wherein the switching control component is coupled to the first DC-DC module and configured to invert the voltage polarity associated with the first charge storage component by transferring energy from the first charge storage component to the second charge storage component and then transferring the energy from the second charge storage component back to the first charge storage component.