Diagnostic system for a battery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10283977-B2
Application number	US-201715607510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 27, 2016
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A diagnostic system for a battery system having a battery module electrically coupled to a contactor is provided. The battery module has first, second, and third battery cells. The diagnostic system includes a first microcontroller that transitions the contactor to an open operational state if a first battery cell analog overvoltage flag is equal to a first battery cell analog overvoltage flag value, or a battery module overvoltage flag is equal to a first battery module overvoltage flag value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A diagnostic system for a battery system having a battery module electrically coupled to a contactor, the battery module having a first battery cell, comprising:
a first microcontroller initializing a first battery cell analog overvoltage flag associated with the first battery cell to a first initialization value;
the first microcontroller receiving a first output voltage value and a first battery module output voltage value from a second microcontroller; the first output voltage value corresponding to a first output voltage from the first battery cell; the first battery module output voltage value being indicative of a measured battery module output voltage of the battery module;
the first microcontroller setting the first battery cell analog overvoltage flag equal to a first battery cell analog overvoltage flag value if the first output voltage value is greater than a first threshold voltage value;
the first microcontroller transitioning the contactor to an open operational state if the first battery cell analog overvoltage flag is equal to the first battery cell analog overvoltage flag value;
the first microcontroller initializing a battery module overvoltage flag to a second initialization value;
if the first microcontroller determines that the first battery cell analog overvoltage flag is equal to the first battery cell analog overvoltage flag value then:
the first microcontroller determining a second battery module output voltage value based at least in part of the first voltage value associated with the first battery cell;
the first microcontroller setting a battery module overvoltage flag equal to a first battery module overvoltage flag value if a difference between the first and second battery module output voltage values is greater than a second threshold voltage; and
the first microcontroller transitioning the contactor to the open operational state if the battery module overvoltage flag is equal to the first battery module overvoltage flag value.

2. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the first initialization value and the first battery cell analog overvoltage flag value each have a Hamming distance of at least two from each other, and the second initialization value and the first battery module overvoltage flag value each have a Hamming distance of at least two from each other.

3. The diagnostic system of claim 2 , wherein the first initialization value, the first battery cell analog overvoltage flag value, the second initialization value, and the first battery module overvoltage flag value are distinct values different from one another.

4. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the first microcontroller obtains the first initialization value and the first battery cell analog overvoltage flag value by reading a first table stored in the memory device; the first table being associated with the battery module; the first table having the first initialization value and the first battery cell analog overvoltage flag value therein.

5. The diagnostic system of claim 4 , wherein the first microcontroller obtains the second initialization value and the first battery module overvoltage flag value by reading a second table stored in the memory device; the second table being associated with the battery module; the second table having the second initialization value and the first battery module overvoltage flag value therein.

6. The diagnostic system of claim 5 , wherein the second microcontroller includes an analog-to-digital converter with a first analog-to-digital converter differential channel measuring the first output voltage of the first battery cell; the analog-to-digital converter generating the first output voltage value based on the first output voltage.

7. The diagnostic system of claim 6 , wherein the second microcontroller operably communicates with the first microcontroller utilizing a communication bus;
the second microcontroller further sending the first output voltage value to the first microcontroller utilizing the communication bus.

8. The diagnostic system of claim 7 , wherein:
the analog-to-digital converter of the second microcontroller further having a second analog-to-digital converter differential channel measuring the battery module output voltage of the battery module; the analog-to-digital converter generating the first battery module output voltage value based on the battery module output voltage; and
the second microcontroller sending the first battery module output voltage value to the first microcontroller utilizing the communication bus.

9. The diagnostic system of claim 8 , wherein:
the memory device further includes third and fourth tables stored therein; the third table having a first battery module number associated with the battery module;
the first microcontroller reading the third table to obtain the first battery module number;
the first microcontroller storing the first battery cell analog overvoltage flag and the first battery module number in a first record in the fourth table.

10. The diagnostic system of claim 9 , wherein the first record in the fourth table has the first battery module number appended to an end of the first battery cell analog overvoltage flag.

11. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the battery module further includes second and third battery cells;
the first microcontroller initializing second and third battery cell analog overvoltage flags to the first initialization value;
the first microcontroller receiving second and third output voltage values from the second microcontroller; the second and third output voltage values corresponding to second and third output voltages, respectively, from the second and third battery cells, respectively;
the first microcontroller setting the second battery cell analog overvoltage flag equal to a second battery cell analog overvoltage flag value if the second output voltage value is greater than the first threshold voltage value;
the first microcontroller setting the third battery cell analog overvoltage flag equal to a third battery cell analog overvoltage flag value if the third output voltage value is greater than the first threshold voltage value; and
the first microcontroller transitioning the contactor to the open operational state if the second battery cell analog overvoltage flag is equal to the second battery cell analog overvoltage flag value or the third battery cell analog overvoltage flag is equal to the third battery cell analog overvoltage flag value;
if the first microcontroller determines that the second battery cell analog overvoltage flag is equal to the second battery cell analog overvoltage flag value or the third battery cell analog overvoltage flag is equal to the third battery cell analog overvoltage flag value, then:
the first microcontroller determining the second battery module output voltage value based on a sum of the first, second, and third voltage values, associated with the first, second, and third battery cells, respectively.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Katrak Kerfegar K

Classifications

• H01M10/482

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M50/569

  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 title

• G06F13/38

  Information transfer, e.g. on bus (G06F13/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R16/033

  characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries (for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36) · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title