Vehicle and method of diagnosing battery condition of same

• US 9,753,093 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gale, Allan Roy, Blakemore, Bruce Carvell, Degner, Michael W., Momcilovich, Paul Theodore
• Primary Examiner(s): PELTON, NATHANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US12/721,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20110221392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,735 Days
• Field of Search: 324427, 324430, 320145
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/389 Measuring internal impedance, internal conductance or related variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A method for diagnosing a battery may include applying a generally constant current to the battery for a period of time, measuring a response voltage of the battery to the applied current, determining battery impedance parameters based on at least one of the applied current, period of time, and response voltage, and determining a degradation condition of the battery based on the battery impedance parameters.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a battery disposed within the vehicle; and

a battery charger disposed within the vehicle and configured to

receive power from a wall outlet and transfer the power to the battery to charge the battery, and

while operating to charge the battery, identify a degradation condition of the battery defined by a battery cell capacitance, that incorporates electrical and active material activation energy requirements, being less than a predefined range of capacitance values, a ratio of battery amp-hours out to battery amp-hours in falling within a predefined range of ratio values, and a total battery amp-hours stored falling within a predefined range of amp-hour values.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the degradation condition is a dry out condition.

3. A method comprising:

while charging a battery, detecting a degradation of a battery responsive to a cell capacitance, that incorporates electrical and active material activation energy requirements, being below a predefined range of capacitance values, a ratio of battery amp-hours out to battery amp-hours in falling within a predefined range of ratio values, and a total battery amp-hours stored falling within a predefined range of amp-hour values; and

altering the charging responsive to the detecting.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein altering the charging includes discontinuing the charging.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein altering the charging includes altering a charge voltage or maximum current associated with the charging.