Batteries, battery systems, battery submodules, battery operational methods, battery system operational methods, battery charging methods, and battery system charging methods

• US 9,537,326 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2010
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lithion Battery Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Valence Technology Incorporated (Lithium Werks B.V.)
• Inventors: Troxel, Russell, Sandahl, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chung, Steve T
• Application Number:
  US12/756,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20110080139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,462 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/121, 320/122, 320/124, 320/127, 320/128, 320/134, 320/149, 320/155, 324/426, 340/636.1, 340/636.11, 340/636.12, 340/636.13, 340/636.14, 340/636.15, 340/636.16, 340/636.17, 340/636.18, 340/636.19, 340/636.2, 340/636.21
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• 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 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 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• 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: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/18 The network being internal to a power source or plant
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

Batteries, battery systems, battery submodules, battery operational methods, battery system operational methods, battery charging methods, and battery system charging methods are described. According to one aspect, a battery includes a first battery terminal, a second battery terminal, and a plurality of submodules individually comprising a first submodule terminal, a second submodule terminal, a plurality of rechargeable cells electrically coupled between the first and second submodule—terminals, and switching circuitry configured to electrically couple one of the first and second battery terminals with one of the first and second submodule terminals of one of the submodules during an engaged mode of operation of the one of the submodules and to electrically isolate the one of the first and second battery terminals from the one of the first and second submodule terminals of the one of the submodules during a disengaged mode of operation of the one of the submodules.

Claims

1. A battery comprising:

a first battery terminal;

a second battery terminal; and

a plurality of submodules individually comprising;

a first submodule terminal;

a second submodule terminal;

a plurality of rechargeable cells electrically coupled with the first and second submodule terminals; and

switching circuitry configured to electrically couple one of the first and second battery terminals with one of the first and second submodule terminals of the respective individual submodule during an engaged mode of operation of the respective individual submodule and to electrically isolate the one of the first and second battery terminals from the one of the first and second submodule terminals of the respective individual submodule during a disengaged mode of operation of the respective individual submodule;

control circuitry configured to control operation of the switching circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor the cells of the submodules during charging of the cells and to control the switching circuitry of the submodules during the charging and responsive to the monitoring of the cells; and

wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the switching circuitry to provide increased current from a charging source external of the battery to the cells of one of the submodules compared with a current provided from the charging source to the cells of another of the submodules during the charging of the one of the submodules.

2. The battery of claim 1 wherein the switching circuitry of the other of the submodules is configured to electrically couple one of the first and second submodule terminals of the other of the submodules with one of the first and second battery terminals at a moment in time during the disengaged mode of operation of the one of the submodules.

3. The battery of claim 1 wherein the submodules individually comprise a plurality of strings which individually comprise a plurality of the rechargeable cells coupled in series, and wherein the strings are coupled in parallel between the first and second submodule terminals.

4. The battery of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the operation responsive to an alarm condition.

5. The battery of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the switching circuitry to control state of charge of the cells of the submodules during the charging.

6. The battery of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide the increased current to the cells of the one of the submodules responsive to a voltage of the cells of the one of the submodules being less than a voltage of the cells of the other of the submodules.

7. The battery of claim 1 wherein the submodules individually comprise balancing circuitry configured to selectively shunt current around respective ones of the cells.

8. The battery of claim 7 wherein the balancing circuitry of a first of the submodules is configured to control shunting of the current around an individual one of the cells of the first of the submodules during charging of the cells of the first of the submodules and using a voltage of the individual one of the cells of the first of the submodules.

9. The battery of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the one of the submodules to operate in the disengaged mode of operation responsive to an alarm condition being present in the one of the submodules.

10. The battery of claim 9 wherein the alarm condition indicates an electrical characteristic of at least one of the cells of the one of the submodules triggering a threshold.

11. The battery of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the one of the submodules to operate in the disengaged mode of operation responsive to an alarm condition being present external of the one of the submodules.

12. The battery of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the one of the submodules to operate in the disengaged mode of operation responsive to communications received by the control circuitry from external of the battery.

13. The battery of claim 1 wherein the rechargeable cells of the individual one of the ones of the submodules are arranged in a plurality of strings which are coupled in parallel between the first and second submodule terminals of the respective individual submodules.

14. A battery comprising:

a first battery terminal;

a second battery terminal;

a plurality of submodules individually comprising;

a plurality of rechargeable cells electrically coupled with the first and second battery terminals, and wherein the submodules are individually configured to operate in an engaged mode of operation wherein the rechargeable cells of the individual submodule at least one of supply and receive electrical energy with respect to the first and second battery terminals and to operate in a disengaged mode of operation wherein the rechargeable cells of the individual submodule do not supply nor receive electrical energy with respect to the first and second battery terminals;

control circuitry configured to monitor the cells of the submodules during charging of the cells and to control the charging of the cells of the submodules during the charging and responsive to the monitoring of the cells; and

wherein the control circuitry is configured to control provision of increased current from a charging source external of the battery to the cells of one of the submodules compared with a current provided from the charging source to the cells of an other of the submodules during the charging of the one and the other of the submodules.

15. The battery of claim 14 wherein the submodules individually comprise:

first and second submodule terminals; and

switching circuitry configured to electrically couple one of the first and second battery terminals with one of the first and second submodule terminals of the individual submodule during the engaged mode of operation of the individual submodule and to electrically isolate the one of the first and second battery terminals from the one of the first and second submodule terminals of the individual submodule during the disengaged mode of operation of the individual submodule.

16. The battery of claim 14 wherein the one of the submodules is configured to operate in the engaged mode of operation during operation of the other of the submodules in the disengaged mode of operation.

17. The battery of claim 14 wherein the submodules individually comprise a plurality of strings which individually comprise a plurality of the rechargeable cells coupled in series, and wherein the strings are coupled in parallel between the first and second submodule terminals of the individual submodule.

18. The battery of claim 14 wherein the control circuitry is configured to control one of the submodules to operate in the disengaged mode of operation responsive to an alarm condition being present in the one of the submodules.

19. The battery of claim 18 wherein the alarm condition indicates an electrical characteristic of at least one of the cells of the one of the submodules triggering a threshold.

20. The battery of claim 14 wherein the control circuitry is configured to control at least one of the submodules to operate in the disengaged mode of operation responsive to an alarm condition being present external of the one of the submodules.

21. The battery of claim 14 wherein the control circuitry is configured to control one of the submodules to operate in the disengaged mode of operation responsive to communications received by the control circuitry from external of the battery.

22. A battery comprising:

a first battery terminal;

a second battery terminal; and

a plurality of submodules individually comprising a plurality of rechargeable cells electrically coupled with the first and second battery terminals,

wherein the submodules individually comprise storage circuitry storing information with respect to at least one of charging and discharging of the rechargeable cells of the respective individual submodule;

wherein the submodules are individually configured to be removable from the battery; and

wherein increased current is provided from a charging source external of the battery to the rechargeable cells of one of the submodules compared with a current provided from the charging source to the cells of another of the submodules during the charging of the one of the submodules.

23. The battery of claim 22 further comprising control circuitry configured to control at least one operation with respect to the charging and discharging of the rechargeable cells of the submodules.

24. The battery of claim 23 wherein the control circuitry is configured to utilize the stored information of the submodules to control the at least one operation with respect to the charging and discharging of the rechargeable cells of respective ones of the submodules.

25. The battery of claim 24 wherein the storage circuitry of an individual submodule stores the information comprising configuration information regarding a configuration of the rechargeable cells of the one of the individual submodule.

26. The battery of claim 24 wherein the storage circuitry of an individual submodule stores the information comprising configuration information regarding a chemistry composition of the rechargeable cells of the individual submodule.

27. The battery of claim 22 wherein the storage circuitry of an individual submodule stores the information regarding a history of use of the rechargeable cells of the individual submodule.

28. The battery of claim 22 wherein the storage circuitry of an individual submodule stores the information regarding an electrical characteristic of the rechargeable cells of the individual submodule.

29. The battery of claim 22 wherein the storage circuitry of an individual submodule stores the information regarding at least one electrical characteristic of the individual submodule.

30. The battery of claim 29 wherein the storage circuitry of the individual submodule stores the information comprising temporal information corresponding to the stored information regarding the at least one electrical characteristic.

31. The battery of claim 22 wherein the storage circuitry of each of the submodules stores the information regarding state of charge of the rechargeable cells of the respective individual submodule at a plurality of different moments in time and to retain the state of charge information stored at the plurality of different moments in time after the different moments in time.

32. The battery of claim 22 wherein the storage circuitry of an individual submodule stores the information regarding alarm conditions during the use of the rechargeable cells of the individual submodule.

33. The battery of claim 22 wherein the individual one of the ones of the submodules comprise a respective housing configured to house the rechargeable cells and the storage circuitry of the individual one of the submodules.

34. A battery submodule comprising:

a first submodule terminal;

a second submodule terminal;

a plurality of rechargeable cells electrically coupled between the first and second submodule terminals; and

storage circuitry storing information with respect to the rechargeable cells;

wherein the battery submodule is one battery submodule of a battery comprising at least one other battery submodule, wherein the first and second submodule terminals are configured to be electrically coupled with first and second submodule terminals of the at least one other battery submodule when the one battery submodule is operating within the battery during at least one of charging and discharging of the battery;

wherein the information is useable by control circuitry to control at least one operation with respect to charging the rechargeable cells; and

wherein the control circuitry is configured to control provision of increased current from a charging source external of the battery to the cells of the one battery submodule compared with a current provided from the charging source to the cells of the at least one other battery submodule during the charging of the one and the at least one other battery submodule.

35. The submodule of claim 34 wherein the information comprises configuration information regarding a configuration of the rechargeable cells.

36. The submodule of claim 34 wherein the information comprises configuration information regarding a chemistry composition of the rechargeable cells.

37. The submodule of claim 34 wherein the information comprises historical information regarding a history of use of the rechargeable cells.

38. The submodule of claim 34 wherein the information comprises information regarding an electrical characteristic of the rechargeable cells.

39. The submodule of claim 34 wherein the information comprises information regarding at least one electrical characteristic of the one battery submodule.

40. The submodule of claim 39 wherein the information comprises temporal information corresponding to the stored information regarding the at least one electrical characteristic.

41. The submodule of claim 34 wherein the information comprises information regarding state of charge of the rechargeable cells at a plurality of different moments in time.

42. The submodule of claim 34 wherein the information comprises information regarding alarm conditions during use of rechargeable cells.

43. The submodule of claim 34 wherein the one battery submodule further comprises switching circuitry configured to electrically couple one of the first and second submodule terminals with a battery terminal of a battery comprising the one battery submodule during an engaged mode of operation of the one battery submodule and to electrically isolate the one of the first and second submodule terminals from the battery terminal during a disengaged mode of operation of the one battery submodule.

44. The submodule of claim 34 wherein the rechargeable cells are arranged in a plurality of strings which are coupled in parallel between the first and second submodule terminals.

45. The battery submodule of claim 34 wherein the one battery submodule is configured to be removable from the battery.

46. A battery charging method comprising:

supplying charging electrical energy via a terminal to a plurality of rechargeable cells of a plurality of submodules of a battery to electrically charge the rechargeable cells;

monitoring the rechargeable cells of the submodules of the battery during the supplying;

using the monitoring, applying different amounts of the charging electrical energy to the rechargeable cells of different ones of the submodules of the battery; and

wherein the applying comprises providing increased current from a charging source external of the battery to the cells of one of the submodules compared with a current provided from the charging source to the cells of another of the submodules during the charging of the one and the other of the submodules.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the applying comprises applying to provide substantially balanced charging of the rechargeable cells of the different ones of the submodules.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein the applying comprises applying to provide the rechargeable cells of the different ones of the submodules at substantially the same state of charge during the charging.

49. The method of claim 46 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring an electrical characteristic of the rechargeable cells.

50. The method of claim 46 wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring voltage of the rechargeable cells.

51. The method of claim 46 wherein the applying comprises applying the charging electrical energy having the increased current to the rechargeable cells of the one of the submodules compared to the rechargeable cells of the other of the submodules responsive to the monitoring determining that the rechargeable cells of the one of the submodules are at a lower state of charge compared with the rechargeable cells of the other of the submodules.

52. The method of claim 46 further comprising selectively electrically coupling the rechargeable cells of the submodules with the terminal using switching circuitry of the individual submodules.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the applying comprises controlling the switching circuitry of the submodules to apply the different amounts of the charging electrical energy to the rechargeable cells of the different ones of the submodules.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein the switching circuitry comprises semiconductor switching circuitry and the controlling comprises biasing the semiconductor switching circuitry of the submodules to different conductive states to apply the different amounts of the charging electrical energy to the rechargeable cells of the different ones of the submodules.

55. The method of claim 52 further comprising controlling the switching circuitry of the other of the submodules to selectively electrically isolate the rechargeable cells of the other of the submodules from the terminal while controlling the switching circuitry of the one of the submodules to electrically couple the rechargeable cells of the one of the submodules to the terminal.

56. A battery operational method comprising:

operating switching circuitry of one of a plurality of submodules of a battery in a conducting state during an engaged mode of operation of the one of the submodules to electrically couple a plurality of rechargeable cells of the one of the submodules with an external device at one moment in time, wherein the external device comprises a charging source which is external of the battery;

operating the switching circuitry of the one of the submodules in a nonconducting state during a disengaged mode of operation of the one of the submodules to electrically isolate the rechargeable cells of the one of the submodules from the external device at another moment in time;

changing the operation of the one of the submodules from the disengaged mode of operation to the engaged mode of operation;

using the switching circuitry of the one of the submodules, limiting an amount of the electrical energy conducted with respect to the rechargeable cells of the one of the submodules during the changing; and

providing increased current from the charging source which is external of the battery to the cells of the one of the submodules compared with a current provided from the charging source to the cells of another of the submodules during the charging of the one and the other of the submodules at the one moment in time.

57. The method of claim 56 further comprising supplying electrical energy to another external device comprising a load using the submodules individually operating in the engaged mode of operation.

58. The method of claim 56 wherein the limiting comprises limiting the amount of electrical energy conducted with respect to the rechargeable cells to a level below a threshold wherein damage to the battery occurs.

59. The method of claim 56 wherein the switching circuitry comprises a semiconductor switching device, and the limiting comprises ramping the semiconductor switching device on to a conducting state from a nonconducting state over a period of time during the changing.

60. The method of claim 56 further comprising conducting electrical energy intermediate the submodules operating in the engaged mode of operation and the external device using circuitry void of a contactor.

61. The method of claim 56 wherein the switching circuitry of the other of the submodules is in a conducting state during the engaged mode of operation of the other of the submodules at the other moment in time.