Method for starting up a battery system having a DC voltage intermediate circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9457745-B2
Application number	US-201113825023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2011
Priority date	Sep 20, 2010
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

The disclosure presents a method for starting up a battery system having a battery, a DC voltage intermediate circuit which is connected to the battery, and a drive system which is connected to the DC voltage intermediate circuit. The battery has a large number of battery modules which are connected in series and which each comprise a coupling unit and at least one battery cell which is connected between a first input and a second input of the coupling unit. The method comprises a step for decoupling the battery cells of all of the battery modules which are connected in series by outputting a corresponding control signal to the coupling units of the battery modules which are connected in series. All of the battery modules which are connected in series are then bridged at the output end, and therefore an output voltage of the battery is zero.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for starting up a battery system having a battery, a DC voltage intermediate circuit that is connected to the battery, and a drive system that is connected to the DC voltage intermediate circuit, the battery having a plurality of battery modules that are connected in series, each battery module having a first input, a second input, a coupling unit, and at least one battery cell, the coupling unit being configured to, (i) in a first state, connect the at least one battery cell between the first input and the second input and to, (ii) in a second state, bridge the at least one battery cell by connecting the first input to the second input, the method comprising:
a) operating the coupling units of all of the plurality of battery modules in the second state to bridge the at least one battery cell of each of the battery modules by transmitting a corresponding control signal to the coupling units of all of the plurality of battery modules;
b) operating the coupling unit of one of the plurality of battery modules in the first state to connect the corresponding at least one battery cell by terminating the transmission of the corresponding control signal to the coupling unit of the one of all of the plurality of battery modules; and
c) repeating the step b) to connect the corresponding at least one battery cell of a further one of the plurality of battery modules at least until a voltage of the DC voltage intermediate circuit reaches a first desired operating voltage.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
d) starting up the drive system that is connected to the DC voltage intermediate circuit in response to the voltage of the DC voltage intermediate circuit reaching a second desired operating voltage.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the second desired operating voltage is equal to the first desired operating voltage.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the second desired operating voltage is lower than the first desired operating voltage.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
repeating the step b) until the at least one battery cell of all the plurality of battery modules are connected.

6. A battery of a battery system, the battery system including the battery, a DC voltage intermediate circuit that is connected to the battery, and a drive system that is connected to the DC voltage intermediate circuit, the battery comprising:
a control unit; and
a plurality of battery modules, each battery module including a first input, a second input, a coupling unit, and at least one battery cell, the coupling unit being configured to, (i) in a first state, connect the at least one battery cell between the first input and the second input and to, (ii) in a second state, bridge the at least one battery cell by connecting the first input to the second input,
wherein the control unit is operably connected to the coupling unit of all the plurality of battery modules configured to:
a) operate the coupling units of all of the plurality of battery modules in the second state to bridge the at least one battery cell of each of the battery modules by transmitting a corresponding control signal to the coupling units of all of the plurality of battery modules;
b) operate the coupling unit of one of the plurality of battery modules in the first state to connect the corresponding at least one battery cell by terminating the transmission of the corresponding control signal to the coupling unit of the one of all of the plurality of battery modules; and
c) repeat the step b) to connect the corresponding at least one battery cell of a further one of the plurality of battery modules at least until a voltage of the DC voltage intermediate circuit reaches a first desired operating voltage.

7. A battery system comprising:
a battery including (i) a control unit and (ii) a plurality of battery modules, each battery module including a first input, a second input, a coupling unit, and at least one battery cell, the coupling unit being configured to, (i) in a first state, connect the at least one battery cell between the first input and the second input and to, (ii) in a second state, bridge the at least one battery cell by connecting the first input to the second input;
a DC voltage intermediate circuit connected to the battery; and
a drive system connected to the DC voltage intermediate circuit,
wherein the control unit is operably connected to the coupling unit of all the plurality of battery modules configured to:
a) operate the coupling units of all of the plurality of battery modules in the second state to bridge the at least one battery cell of each of the battery modules by transmitting a corresponding control signal to the coupling units of all of the plurality of battery modules;
b) operate the coupling unit of one of the plurality of battery modules in the first state to connect the corresponding at least one battery cell by terminating the transmission of the corresponding control signal to the coupling unit of the one of all of the plurality of battery modules; and
c) repeat the step b) to connect the corresponding at least one battery cell of a further one of the plurality of battery modules at least until a voltage of the DC voltage intermediate circuit reaches a first desired operating voltage.

8. The battery system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the DC voltage intermediate circuit is connected directly to the battery.

9. The battery system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the DC voltage intermediate circuit comprises a capacitor.

10. The battery system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the battery system is included in a motor vehicle.

Assignees

• Butzmann Stefan
• Fink Holger
• Bosch Gmbh Robert
• Samsung Sdi Co Ltd

Inventors

• Butzmann Stefan
• Fink Holger

Classifications

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• B60L11/1855

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• H01M10/441

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• B60L11/1861

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60R16/033 Primary

  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