System and method for balancing the charge of a plurality of energy storage modules

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016308375-A1
Application number	US-201415103713-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 26, 2014
Priority date	Dec 10, 2013
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention is a system and a method for active balancing of several coupled energy storage modules ( 10 ). The modules are controlled either as master module to be discharged or as slave module to be charged. Balancing is being implemented by the charge of a magnetic storage element ( 2, 11, 12 ) of the master module. The invention pools the balancing and coupling functions.

First claim

1 - 14 . (canceled)

15 . A system for balancing charging of at least two coupled electrical energy storage modules, each module comprising at least one electrochemical cell, balancing means including at least one magnetic storage element, and means for electrically coupling the modules together, wherein each means for coupling comprises control means for controlling the modules either as master module to be discharged or as slave module to be charging, so that charge of at least one cell of the slave module is achieved by discharging of at least one cell of the master module by the at least one magnetic storage element of the master module.

16 . A system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein each means for controlling modules comprises switches, which are closed to allow current to flow in a single direction to allow either charging or discharging of the module.

17 . A system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the balancing system also comprises means enabling communication between the modules.

18 . A system as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the balancing system also comprises means enabling communication between the modules.

19 . A system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the coupling means comprise main contactors and a secondary contactor.

20 . A system as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the coupling means comprise main contactors and a secondary contactor.

21 . A system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the coupling means comprise main contactors and a secondary contactor.

22 . A system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the coupling means comprise main contactors and a secondary contactor.

23 . A system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the coupling means comprises connecting terminals.

24 . A system as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the coupling means comprises connecting terminals.

25 . A system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the coupling means comprises connecting terminals.

26 . A system as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the coupling means comprises connecting terminals.

27 . A system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein each module also comprises a battery management system which controls balancing of the charge.

28 . A system as claimed in claim 16 , wherein each module also comprises a battery management system which controls balancing of the charge.

29 . A system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein each module also comprises a battery management system which controls balancing of the charge.

30 . A system as claimed in claim 19 , wherein each module also comprises a battery management system which controls balancing of the charge.

31 . A system as claimed in claim 23 , wherein each module also comprises a battery management system which controls balancing of the charge.

32 . A system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the balancing means comprise shared-inductor balancing means including switching means actuated for charging or discharging, and the switching means are arranged between a cell and the shared inductor.

33 . A system as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the balancing means comprise shared-inductor balancing means including switching means actuated for charging or discharging, and the switching means are arranged between a cell and the shared inductor.

34 . A system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the balancing means comprise shared-inductor balancing means including switching means actuated for charging or discharging, and the switching means are arranged between a cell and the shared inductor.

35 . A system as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the balancing means comprise shared-inductor balancing means including switching means actuated for charging or discharging, and the switching means are arranged between a cell and the shared inductor.

36 . A system as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the balancing means comprise shared-inductor balancing means including switching means actuated for charging or discharging, and the switching means are arranged between a cell and the shared inductor.

37 . A system as claimed in claim 27 , wherein the balancing means comprise shared-inductor balancing means including switching means actuated for charging or discharging, and the switching means are arranged between a cell and the shared inductor.

38 . A system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the magnetic storage element comprises at least one transformer.

39 . A system as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the magnetic storage element comprises at least one transformer.

40 . A system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the magnetic storage element comprises at least one transformer.

41 . A system as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the magnetic storage element comprises at least one transformer.

42 . A system as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the magnetic storage element comprises at least one transformer.

43 . A system as claimed in claim 32 , wherein the magnetic storage element comprises at least one transformer.

44 . A system as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising a hybrid or electric vehicle.

45 . A method for balancing the charge of at least two coupled electrical energy storage modules, each module comprising at least one electrochemical cell, balancing means including at least one magnetic storage element, and means for electrically coupling to the modules together, comprising:
a) identifying at least one module to be charged and one module to be discharged; b) controlling the module to be discharged as a master module and controlling the at least one module to be charged as a slave module; and c) performing balancing by charging of at least one cell of the at least one slave module by discharging of at least one cell of the master module using of the at least one magnetic storage element of the master module.

46 . A method as claimed in claim 45 , wherein the module to be charged or discharged is identified by measuring and comparing voltage of each module.

47 . A method as claimed in claim 45 , wherein at least a most charged cell of the master module is identified and balancing is performed by the charging of at least one cell of the slave module through discharging of the most charged cell of the master module.

48 . A method as claimed in claim 46 , wherein at least a most charged cell of the master module is identified and balancing is performed by the charging of at least one cell of the slave module through discharging of the most charged cell of the master module.

49 . A method as claimed claim 45 , wherein the modules are controlled as slave module and/or a master module by actuating switching means integrated in the means for coupling of each module.

50 . A method as claimed claim 46 , wherein the modules are controlled as slave module and/or a master module by actuating switching means integrated in the means for coupling of each module.

51 . A method as claimed claim 47 , wherein the modules are controlled as slave module and/or a master module by actuating switching means integrated in the means for coupling of each module.

52 . A method as claimed claim 48 , wherein the modules are controlled as slave module and/or a master module by actuating switching means integrated in the means for coup

Assignees

• Ifp Energies Now

Inventors

• Pognant-Gros Philippe
• Olszewski Dimitri

Classifications

• H02J7/54

  Passive balancing, e.g. using resistors or parallel MOSFETs · CPC title

• H02J7/52

  for charge balancing, e.g. equalisation of charge between batteries · CPC title

• B60L58/21

  having the same nominal voltage · CPC title

• B60L11/1861

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60L11/182

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic