Control of parallel battery utilization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9948119-B2
Application number	US-201615147654-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2016
Priority date	May 5, 2016
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods for allocating electrical current among battery sets connected in a substantially parallel configuration. A respective state of health is determined for each respective battery set in a plurality of battery sets. The respective state of health reflects a respective present amount of total energy able to be stored by each respective battery set relative to a specification of the respective battery set. A respective allocation of electrical current for each battery set in the plurality of battery sets is determined based on the respective state of health for each respective battery set. A current flow through each respective battery set is configured to its respective allocation of electrical current based on determining the respective allocation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for allocating electrical current among battery sets connected in a substantially parallel configuration, the method comprising:
receiving a respective state of health for each respective battery set in a plurality of battery sets, the respective state of health reflecting a respective present amount of total energy able to be stored by each respective battery set relative to a specification of the respective battery set, wherein determining the respective state of health for each respective battery set is based upon a combination of a number of charging and discharging cycles of each respective battery set and an age of each respective battery set;
determining, based on the respective state of health for each respective battery set, a respective allocation of electrical current for each battery set in the plurality of battery sets; and
configuring, based on determining the respective allocation, an electrical current flow through each respective battery set to its respective allocation of electrical current.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising exchanging the electrical current with an electrical power grid, and
wherein the plurality of battery sets comprise at least one repurposed battery,
each at least one repurposed battery having been used in an application different from exchanging electrical current with an electrical power grid.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of battery sets is part of a battery combination, the battery combination comprising at least:
a first battery set having a first state of health when the battery combination is assembled; and
a second battery having a second state of health when the battery combination is assembled, the second state of health being different than the first state of health.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the application comprises providing electrical energy for an electrically powered vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a specification of least one of:
a total amount of electrical current to receive from an external power system for charging the plurality of battery sets, or
a total amount of electrical current to provide to the external power system, and
wherein the respective allocation of electrical current for each battery set is a respective percentage of the total amount of electrical current.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
coupling the plurality of battery sets to an external power grid through an inverter; and
exchanging, based on the respective allocation, electrical power between the external power grid and each battery set in the plurality of battery sets.

7. A method for allocating electrical current among battery sets connected in a substantially parallel configuration, the method comprising:
receiving a respective state of health for each respective battery set in a plurality of battery sets, the respective state of health reflecting a respective present amount of total energy able to be stored by each respective battery set relative to a specification of the respective battery set;
determining, based on the respective state of health for each respective battery set, a respective allocation of electrical current for each battery set in the plurality of battery sets;
coupling the plurality of battery sets to an external power grid through an inverter;
configuring, based on determining the respective allocation, an electrical current flow through each respective battery set to its respective allocation of electrical current; and
exchanging, based on the respective allocation, electrical power between the external power grid and each battery set in the plurality of battery sets.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of battery sets comprises:
a first battery set having a first state of health when the plurality of battery sets is assembled; and
a second battery having a second state of health when the plurality of battery sets is assembled, the second state of health being different than the first state of health.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of battery sets comprises at least one repurposed battery that had been used in an application comprising providing electrical energy for an electrically powered vehicle.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the respective state of health for each respective battery set is based upon a number of charging and discharging cycles of each respective battery set.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the respective state of health for each respective battery set is based upon a combination of a number of charging and discharging cycles of each respective battery set and an age of each respective battery set.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprises receiving a specification of at least one of:
a total amount of electrical current to receive from an external power system for charging the plurality of battery sets, or
a total amount of electrical current to provide to the external power system, and
wherein the respective allocation of electrical current for each battery set is a respective percentage of the total amount of electrical current.

13. An apparatus for controlling electrical current allocated to a plurality of battery sets, the apparatus comprising:
a battery combination comprising at least one repurposed battery;
a current division controller that, when operating:
receives a respective state of health for each respective battery set in a plurality of battery sets, the respective state of health reflecting a respective present amount of total energy able to be stored by each respective battery set relative to a specification of the respective battery set;
determines, based on the respective state of health for each respective battery set, a respective allocation of electrical current for each battery set in the plurality of battery sets; and
configures, based on a determination of the respective allocation, a respective electrical current flow through each respective battery set to its respective allocation of electrical current; and
a power grid interface coupling the battery combination with an electrical power grid,
wherein each at least one repurposed battery had been used in an application different from exchanging electrical current with an electrical power grid.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the battery combination comprises:
a first battery set having a first state of health when the battery combination is assembled; and
a second battery having a second state of health when the battery combination is assembled, the second state of health being different than the first state of health.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the application comprises providing electrical energy for an electrically powered vehicle.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a state of health processor that, when operating, determines the respective state of health for each respective battery set based upon a number of charging and discharging cycles of each respective battery set.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a state of health processor that, when operating, determines the respective state of health for each respective battery set based upon a combination of a number of charging and discharging cycles of each respective battery set and an age of each respective battery set.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the current division controller, when operating, further receives a specification of:
at least one of:
a total

Assignees

• Inventus Holdings Llc

Inventors

• MCMORROW Ryan
• Smith Matthew T
• VIDHI Rachana

Classifications

• H02J7/855

  with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery · CPC title

• H02J7/575

  Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit · CPC title

• H02J7/84

  Control of state of health [SOH] · CPC title

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title