Battery pack system, control method thereof and management device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11735787-B2
Application number	US-202016953513-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2020
Priority date	May 22, 2018
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A battery pack system, a control method thereof and a management device are provided. A battery pack is connected in series with a discharge circuit unit and a charge circuit unit; a battery management unit is to monitor a temperature of the battery pack, to periodically send, when the temperature of the battery pack is lower than a threshold, a turn-on-instruction to the discharge circuit unit and the charge circuit unit alternately to control the discharge circuit unit and the charge circuit unit to be alternately turned on in heating cycles; the discharge circuit unit is to be turned on according to the turn-on-instruction to enable electricity of the battery pack to flow into the energy storage unit in discharging-phase; and the charge circuit unit is to be turned on according to the turn-on-instruction to enable electricity of the energy storage unit to flow into the battery pack in charging-phase.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for heating a battery pack, comprising:
obtaining, by a battery management system (BMS), a temperature and a state of charge (SOC) of the battery pack; and
when the temperature of the battery pack is lower than a first temperature threshold and the SOC is higher than a SOC threshold, sending, by the BMS, a turn-on instruction to a discharge circuit unit and a charge circuit unit alternately in each heating cycle of a plurality of heating cycles;
wherein the each heating cycle of the plurality of heating cycles comprises a discharging phase and a charging phase, wherein the first temperature threshold is a lowest temperature at which the battery pack supplies power normally and the SOC threshold is a minimum SOC that supports heating of the battery pack;
wherein the turn-on instruction is used to turn on the discharge circuit unit which enable electricity of the battery pack to flow into an energy storage unit in the discharging phase and to turn on the charge circuit unit which enable electricity of the energy storage unit to flow into the battery pack in the charging phase;
wherein the energy storage unit is configured to store and release electricity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a total duration of discharging phases of the plurality of the heating cycles is greater than a total duration of charging phases of the plurality of the heating cycles.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a duration of the discharging phase is greater than a duration of the charging phase in the each heating cycle of the plurality of heating cycles.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the each heating cycle of the plurality of heating cycles further comprises a dead-time phase, wherein the dead-time phase is next to the charging phase in the each heating cycle of the plurality of heating cycles, and wherein during the dead-time phase, both of the discharge circuit unit and the charge circuit unit are turned off.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprising:
monitoring, by the BMS, a current of a path of the battery pack in the charging phase; and
sending, by the BMS, a turn-off instruction to the charge circuit unit when the current of the path of the battery pack reaches a charging current threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprising:
when the temperature of the battery pack is higher than a second temperature threshold, sending, by the BMS, a turn-off instruction to the discharge circuit unit and the charge circuit unit so as to disconnect the battery pack from the discharge circuit unit and the charge circuit unit, wherein the second temperature threshold is a temperature at which the battery pack resumes normal operation.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein before the obtaining the temperature and the SOC of the battery pack, the method further comprising:
determining, by the BMS, an electric car with the battery pack is in a normal operation state.

8. A management device comprising a memory, a processor and a program stored in the memory and executable in the processor, wherein the program, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
obtain, by a battery management system (BMS), a temperature and a state of charge (SOC) of a battery pack; and
when the temperature of the battery pack is lower than a first temperature threshold and the SOC is higher than a SOC threshold, send, by the BMS, a turn-on instruction to a discharge circuit unit and a charge circuit unit alternately in each heating cycle of a plurality of heating cycles;
wherein the each heating cycle of the plurality of heating cycles comprises a discharging phase and a charging phase, wherein the first temperature threshold is a lowest temperature at which the battery pack supplies power normally and the SOC threshold is a minimum SOC that supports heating of the battery pack;
wherein the turn-on instruction is used to turn on the discharge circuit unit which enable electricity of the battery pack to flow into an energy storage unit in the discharging phase and to turn on the charge circuit unit which enable electricity of the energy storage unit to flow into the battery pack in the charging phase;
wherein the energy storage unit is configured to store and release electricity.

9. The management device of claim 8 , wherein a total duration of discharging phases of the plurality of the heating cycles is greater than a total duration of charging phases of the plurality of the heating cycles.

10. The management device of claim 8 , wherein a duration of the discharging phase is greater than a duration of the charging phase in the each heating cycle of the plurality of heating cycles.

11. The management device of claim 8 , wherein the each heating cycle of the plurality of heating cycles further comprises a dead-time phase, wherein the dead-time phase is next to the charging phase in the each heating cycle of the plurality of heating cycles, and wherein during the dead-time phase, both of the discharge circuit unit and the charge circuit unit are turned off.

12. The management device of claim 8 , wherein the program, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to:
monitor, by the BMS, a current of a path of the battery pack in the charging phase; and
send, by the BMS, a turn-off instruction to the charge circuit unit when the current of the path of the battery pack reaches a charging current threshold.

13. The management device of claim 8 , wherein the program, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to:
when the temperature of the battery pack is higher than a second temperature threshold, send, by the BMS, a turn-off instruction to the discharge circuit unit and the charge circuit unit so as to disconnect the battery pack from the discharge circuit unit and the charge circuit unit, wherein the second temperature threshold is a temperature at which the battery pack resumes normal operation.

14. The management device of claim 8 , wherein the program, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to:
before obtaining the temperature and the SOC of the battery pack, determine, by the BMS, an electric car with the battery pack is in a normal operation state.

Assignees

• Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zuo Xiyang
• Dan Zhimin
• Zhang Wei
• Hou Yizhen
• Yu Teng
• Lu Wenbin
• Wu Xingyuan
• Zhu Taosheng

Classifications

• H02J7/62

  against overcurrent · CPC title

• H02J7/65

  against overtemperature · CPC title

• H02J7/667

  disconnection of loads if battery is not under charge, e.g. in vehicle if engine is not running · CPC title

• H01M10/657 Primary

  by electric or electromagnetic means · CPC title

• H01M10/425

  Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00) · CPC title