Method for operating a battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016308259-A1
Application number	US-201615096985-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 12, 2016
Priority date	Apr 16, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a method for operating a battery of a motor vehicle, wherein parameters are continuously monitored by means of a system of the motor vehicle, said parameters representing the state of the battery, and at least one risk minimizing strategy that includes measures for changing the battery situation is implemented if an evaluating unit of the system generates an alarm signal on the basis of a parameter that is being monitored.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for operating a battery of a motor vehicle, wherein parameters are continuously monitored by means of a system of the motor vehicle, said parameters directly or indirectly representing the state of the battery, and at least one risk minimizing strategy that includes measures for changing the battery situation is implemented if an evaluating unit of the system generates an alarm signal on the basis of a parameter that is being monitored.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the measures of the risk minimizing strategy are selected in dependence upon the parameter, the monitoring of which has led to the evaluating unit generating an alarm signal.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the measures of the risk minimizing strategy are selected in dependence upon the prevailing operating mode of the motor vehicle.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that one measure of the risk minimizing strategy is to reduce the charging current of the battery.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that one measure of the risk minimizing strategy is to disconnect the battery from the current source.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that at least one or more parameters from the group below are monitored:
Temperature gradient of the internal temperature of the battery; Charging current of the battery; Internal resistance of the battery; and Water loss of the battery.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that a desulfation procedure of the battery is performed as a measure of the risk minimizing strategy if the internal resistance of the battery exceeds a limit value.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 7 , characterized in that the desulfation procedure is preferably performed by means of charging the battery with a voltage desired value that corresponds at least to the voltage desired value for the equalizing charge of the battery.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 7 , characterized in that the desulfation procedure is performed over a defined period of time and the evaluating unit generates an alarm signal if the internal resistance of the battery still lies above a limit value after this period of time has elapsed.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Eifert Mark
• Karden Eckhard

Classifications

• H01M10/44

  Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) · CPC title

• B60L58/16

  responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH] · CPC title

• F02D41/062

  for starting (F02D41/061 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02D41/22

  Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions {(in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809)} · CPC title

• H01M10/48 Primary

  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 title