Bistable relay

Abstract

The present embodiment includes a control system for one or more battery cells. The control system includes a bistable relay, which is configured to switch the state of the bistable relay upon receiving a control signal to electrically connect or disconnect the one or more battery cells to a bus, and remain in the state after receiving the control signal. The control system includes a controller, which is configured to be operably coupled to the bistable relay and configured to send a control signal based on the state, the control signal indicating an instruction to control the operation of the bistable relay.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese invention patent application with an international application date of October 28, 2016, an international application number of PCT / US2016 / 059283, a national application number of 201680088758.2, and an invention name of “Bistable Relay”. Background Art

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of batteries and battery modules that use relays to selectively couple batteries to a bus.

[0003] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of the prior art described below that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure. This discussion is considered to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that the content should be interpreted from this starting point and is not an admission of prior art.

[0004] A vehicle that uses one or more battery systems to provide all or part of the motive power for the vehicle may be referred to as an xEV, and the term "xEV" defined herein includes all of the following vehicles or any variants or combinations thereof that use electricity as all or part of the motive power of the vehicle. For example, xEV includes an electric vehicle (EV) that uses electricity for all motive power. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) (also considered an xEV) combines an internal combustion engine propulsion system with a battery-powered electric propulsion system (e.g., a 48V or 130V system). The term HEV may include any variant of a hybrid electric vehicle. For example, a full hybrid system (FHEV) may provide motive power and other electricity to the vehicle by using one or more electric motors, using only an internal combustion engine, or using both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. In contrast, a mild hybrid system (MHEV) deactivates the internal combustion engine when the vehicle is idling and uses the battery system to continue to power the air conditioning unit, radio, or other electronic equipment, and restarts the engine when propulsion is required. A mild hybrid system may also, for example, use a certain degree of electric assistance to supplement the internal combustion engine during acceleration. Mild hybrid systems are typically 96V to 130V and recover braking energy through a belt or crank integrated starter generator. In addition, micro-hybrid electric vehicles (mHEVs) also use a "start-stop" system similar to mild hybrid systems, however, the micro-hybrid system of the mHEV may or may not supply power assistance to the internal combustion engine and it typically operates at voltages below 60V. For the purposes of this discussion, it should be noted that technically, mHEVs do not typically use electricity directly supplied to the crankshaft or drivetrain as any part of the vehicle's motive force, however, mHEVs can still be considered xEVs because it does use electricity to supplement the vehicle's power needs when the vehicle is idling - when the internal combustion engine is disabled - and recovers braking energy through an integrated starter generator. In addition, a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any vehicle that is charged by an external power source such as a wall socket, and the energy stored in the rechargeable battery pack drives or helps drive the wheels. PEV is a subcategory of EV that includes all-electric or battery electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), and electric vehicle conversions of hybrid vehicles and conventional internal combustion engine vehicles.

[0005] xEVs as described above may provide several advantages over more traditional gasoline-powered vehicles that utilize only an internal combustion engine and a conventional electric system (which is typically a 12V system powered by a lead-acid battery.) For example, xEVs may produce fewer undesirable emission products and may exhibit superior fuel efficiency compared to conventional internal combustion vehicles, and in some cases, these xEVs may eliminate the use of gasoline entirely, as is the case with certain types of EVs and PEVs.

[0006] In addition to being used in vehicles (e.g., cars, boats, trucks, motorcycles, airplanes), advances in battery technology and rechargeable batteries are more frequently used in so-called stationary battery applications. With improvements in the rechargeability of batteries and with the cost of such technology decreasing, the use of stationary batteries, which are typically used for backup or supplemental power generation, is becoming more and more common. For example, stationary batteries can be used in industrial and / or household applications. These applications can include DC power plants, substations, backup generators, transmission distribution, solar energy collection, and grid supply.

[0007] As technology continues to advance, there is a need to provide more efficient power systems for such vehicles, stationary battery applications or systems, and other battery systems. Power systems can be used in various applications to provide power to a load. For example, battery cells can be stored in a container and coupled to a load. The battery cells are charged to provide power to the load. The less energy used to power the load, the more efficient the power system. Summary of the invention

[0008] The following is an overview of some embodiments disclosed herein. It should be understood that these aspects are presented only to provide the reader with a brief overview of these specific embodiments, and these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In fact, the present disclosure may cover a number of aspects that may not be described below.

[0009] In a first embodiment, a control system for one or more battery cells includes a bistable relay and a controller, wherein the bistable relay is configured to switch a state of the bistable relay upon receiving a control signal to electrically connect or disconnect the one or more battery cells to a bus and remain in the state after receiving the control signal, and the controller is configured to be operably coupled to the bistable relay and configured to send a control signal based on the state, the control signal indicating an instruction to control the operation of the bistable relay.

[0010] In a second embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions configured to be executed by a controller, which is operably coupled to a bistable relay on a line between a first side and a second side of a bus, and the instructions include the following instructions: receiving power from a main power supply via the controller; receiving power from one or more battery cells on the line via the controller; using power from the main power supply to control the operation of the bistable relay via the controller to electrically connect or disconnect one or more battery cells; and in the absence of power provided by the main power supply, using power from one or more battery cells to control the operation of the bistable relay via the controller.

[0011] In a third embodiment, an electrical power system includes a first control system for a battery cell line, the first control system including a first bistable relay and a first controller, wherein the first controller is configured to control a first state of the first bistable relay using power from the battery cell during a situation where a main power source is not providing power to the first controller, and alternatively to control the first bistable relay using power from the main power source, thereby minimizing an imbalance caused by drawing power from the battery cell. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Various aspects of the present disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle (xEV) having a battery system according to an embodiment of the method, wherein the battery system supplies all or part of the power of the vehicle;

[0014] Figure 2 According to the embodiment of the present method Figure 1 a cross-sectional view of an xEV in the form of a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV);

[0015] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a control system for a battery circuit according to an embodiment of the method, wherein the control system controls a relay for coupling or decoupling a battery from a bus;

[0016] Figure 4 According to the embodiment of the present method Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the relays of the control system; and

[0017] Figure 5 According to the embodiment of the present method Figure 3 A block diagram of a battery circuit of one or more battery cells. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In order to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of the actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be understood that in the development of any of these actual implementations (as in any engineering or design project), several decisions specifically for the implementation must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as following system-related and business-related constraints, which may be different between the various implementations. In addition, it should be understood that these development efforts may be complex and time-consuming, but will still be routine tasks of design, production and manufacturing for those of ordinary skill who benefit from the present disclosure.

[0019] The battery system described herein can be used to provide power for various types of electric vehicles (xEVs) and other high voltage energy storage / consumption applications (e.g., grid power storage systems). Such battery systems may include one or more battery modules, each having a number of battery cells (e.g., lithium ion (Li ion) electrochemical cells) that are arranged and electrically connected to each other to provide a specific voltage and / or current for powering one or more components of, for example, an xEV. As another example, a battery module according to the present embodiment can be incorporated with or power a fixed power system (e.g., a non-automotive system).

[0020] Embodiments of the present disclosure include a control system for a battery cell line. Battery cells on the line can be selectively coupled to a bus via a relay to provide power to one or more loads on the bus. For example, a monostable relay can electrically couple the battery to the bus while the relay receives current. That is, if the monostable relay stops receiving current, the relay can be disconnected, thereby disconnecting the battery from the bus and electrically isolating the battery from the load.

[0021] Because the monostable relay receives current while being electrically coupled to the bus, the monostable relay can use energy to remain in a closed state. In addition, many applications may include several battery cells (e.g., 5, 10, 20, 30 or more). For example, the power system may include 32 lines, each of which includes a battery cell and two relays. Each of the 64 relays may use energy during the closed state, which reduces the efficiency of the system. In other words, the relay may use electricity to keep the relay in a closed state. Since there may be several relays (e.g., 16, 20, 32, 64, 128, etc.) in each power system and each relay may consume a large amount of electricity, the use of the monostable relay may reduce the efficiency of the system. For example, in a 32-line system, each pair of relays can receive a current of approximately 1 ampere at 12 volts, thereby using 64 watts to control the operation of the relay. Therefore, the monostable relay may consume a large amount of energy to provide power to the load, and may reduce the overall efficiency of the system. It should be noted that the values ​​used above are merely illustrative, and that any suitable number of relays may receive any suitable amount of current to operate in various power systems.

[0022] The bistable relay can reduce energy loss when controlling the relay by maintaining the state of the bistable relay without receiving additional current. That is, the bistable relay receives current for a period of time and remains open or closed after this period of time. In this way, since the bistable relay maintains the state of the bistable relay (e.g., open or closed), the bistable relay can couple the battery to one or more loads after the current stops flowing. For example, the bistable relay can connect the battery unit to the bus when receiving current for up to 10 milliseconds, so that the battery can provide power to one or more loads. Then, the bistable relay can stop receiving additional current and maintain a closed state, in which the battery provides power to one or more loads. After this, the bistable relay can receive current for up to another 10 milliseconds, thereby disconnecting the bistable relay and electrically separating the battery from the bus.

[0023] In order to control the state of the bistable relay, the bistable relay can be operably coupled to a control system. The control system may include a controller that maintains the state of the bistable relay and sends a signal based on the current state and the desired state to control the operation of the bistable relay. For example, in the event of a fault, the controller may send a control signal to the bistable relay so that the bistable relay is disconnected to disconnect the battery cell from the bus. That is, the controller may determine whether the bistable relay is currently in a closed state. If the controller is in a closed state, the controller may send a control signal (e.g., a pulse) that instructs the bistable relay to disconnect and disconnect the battery cell.

[0024] In addition, in the event of a fault, the control system can switch the bistable relay via power from the battery cell. During operation, the control system and / or the bistable relay can be powered from the main power supply to maintain the balance within each battery cell. The main power supply can be referred to as a low-voltage power supply with a voltage lower than the battery cell voltage. In the event of a fault (e.g., a short circuit) or in other cases where the main power supply is unavailable, the control system can use power from the battery cell to control the operation of the bistable relay. For example, the control system can send a signal via power from the battery cell, and the signal indicates an instruction to disconnect the bistable relay to disconnect the battery cell from the bus when the main power supply is unavailable.

[0025] To help illustrate, Figure 1is a perspective view of an embodiment of a vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment, wherein the vehicle 10 can utilize a regenerative braking system and features. Although the following discussion relates to a vehicle with a regenerative braking system, the techniques described herein are applicable to other vehicles that utilize batteries to capture / store electrical energy, which may include electric and pneumatic vehicles. In addition, the techniques described herein may also be applicable to other high voltage energy storage / consumption applications, such as stationary battery systems (e.g., grid power storage systems).

[0026] As described above, it is expected that the battery system 12 is largely compatible with conventional vehicle designs. Therefore, the battery system 12 can be placed in the vehicle 10 where a conventional battery system would be accommodated. For example, as shown, the vehicle 10 can include a battery system 12 in a location similar to the location of a lead-acid battery of a typical internal combustion engine vehicle (e.g., under the hood of the vehicle 10). In addition, as described in more detail below, the battery system 12 can be placed to facilitate management of the temperature of the battery system 12. For example, in some embodiments, placing the battery system 12 under the hood of the vehicle 10 can allow air ducts to direct air flow over the battery system 12 and cool the battery system 12.

[0027] A more detailed view of the battery system 12 is shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the battery system 12 includes an energy storage assembly 14, which is coupled to an ignition system 16, an alternator 18, a vehicle center console 20, and optionally to an electric motor 22. In general, the energy storage assembly 14 can capture / store electrical energy generated in the vehicle 10 and output electrical energy to power electrical devices in the vehicle 10.

[0028] In other words, the battery system 12 can provide power to various components of the vehicle electrical system, which can include a radiator cooling fan, a climate control system, an electric power steering system, an active suspension system, an automatic parking system, an electric oil pump, an electric mechanical / turbocharger, an electric water pump, an electric heated windshield / defroster, a window lift motor, a reading light, a tire pressure monitoring system, a sunroof motor controller, a power seat, an alarm system, an infotainment system, a navigation feature, a lane departure warning system, an electric parking brake, exterior lights, or any combination thereof. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the energy storage assembly 14 provides power to the vehicle center console 20, a display 21 in the vehicle, and an ignition system 16, which can be used to start (e.g., cold start) an internal combustion engine 24.

[0029] In addition, the energy storage assembly 14 can capture electrical energy generated by the AC generator 18 and / or the motor 22. In some embodiments, the AC generator 18 can generate electrical energy while the internal combustion engine 24 is running. More specifically, the AC generator 18 can convert the mechanical energy generated by the rotation of the internal combustion engine 24 into electrical energy. Additionally or alternatively, when the vehicle 10 includes an electric motor 22, the electric motor 22 can convert the mechanical energy generated by the movement of the vehicle 10 (e.g., the rotation of the wheels) into electrical energy, thereby generating electrical energy. Therefore, in some embodiments, the energy storage assembly 14 can capture the electrical energy generated by the AC generator 18 and / or the motor 22 during regenerative braking. Therefore, the AC generator 18 and / or the motor 22 are collectively referred to as a regenerative braking system herein.

[0030] To facilitate the capture and supply of electrical energy, the energy storage assembly 14 can be electrically coupled to the vehicle's electrical system via the bus 26. For example, the bus 26 can enable the energy storage assembly 14 to receive electrical energy generated by the alternator 18 and / or the motor 22. In addition, the bus 26 can enable the energy storage assembly 14 to output electrical energy to the ignition system 16 and / or the vehicle center console 20. Thus, when using a 12-volt battery system 12, the bus 26 can deliver power that is typically 8 volts to 18 volts.

[0031] In addition, as shown in the figure, the energy storage assembly 14 may include a plurality of battery modules. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the energy storage assembly 14 includes a lead-acid (e.g., first) battery module 28 and a lithium-ion (e.g., second) battery module 30 according to the present embodiment, wherein each battery module 28 includes one or more battery cells. In other embodiments, the energy storage assembly 14 may include any number of battery modules. In addition, although the first battery module 28 and the second battery module 30 are illustrated as being adjacent to each other, they may also be located in different areas around the vehicle. For example, the second battery module 30 may be located in or around the interior of the vehicle 10, while the first battery module 28 may be located under the hood of the vehicle 10.

[0032] In certain embodiments, the energy storage assembly 14 may include multiple battery modules to utilize a variety of different battery chemistries. For example, the first battery module 28 may utilize a lead-acid battery chemistry, while the second battery module 30 may utilize a lithium-ion battery chemistry. In such embodiments, the performance of the battery system 12 may be improved because the lithium-ion battery chemistry generally has a higher coulombic efficiency and / or a higher charging power absorption rate (e.g., a higher maximum charging current or charging voltage) than the lead-acid battery chemistry. In this way, the capture, storage, and / or distribution efficiency of the battery system 12 may be improved.

[0033] To facilitate control of the capture and storage of electrical energy, the battery system 12 may additionally include a control module 32. More specifically, the control module 32 may control the operation of components in the battery system 12, such as relays (e.g., switches) in the energy storage assembly 14, the alternator 18, and / or the motor 22. For example, the control module 32 may adjust the amount of electrical energy captured / supplied by each battery module 28 or 30 (e.g., reduce the rating of the battery system 12 and increase the rating of the battery system 12), perform load balancing between the battery modules 28 and 30, determine the state of charge of each battery module 28 or 30, determine the temperature of each battery module 28 or 30, determine a predicted temperature trajectory of the battery module 28 or 30, determine a predicted service life of the battery module 28 or 30, determine the fuel economy contribution made by the battery module 28 or 30, control the magnitude of the voltage or current output by the alternator 18 and / or the motor 22, and the like.

[0034] Thus, the control module 32 may include one or more processors 34 and one or more memories 36. More specifically, the one or more processors 34 may include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more general purpose processors, or any combination thereof. In general, the processor 34 may execute computer readable instructions related to the processes described herein. In addition, the processor 34 may be a fixed point processor or a floating point processor.

[0035] The one or more memories 36 may include volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)) and / or non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), an optical drive, a hard drive, or a solid-state drive). In some embodiments, the control module 32 may include portions of a vehicle control unit (VCU) and / or a separate battery control module. In addition, as shown, the control module 32 may be separate from the energy storage assembly 14, for example, as a stand-alone module. In other embodiments, the battery management system 36 may be included within the energy storage assembly 14.

[0036] In some embodiments, the control module 32 or the processor 34 may receive data from various sensors 38 disposed in and / or around the energy storage assembly 14. The sensors 38 may include a variety of sensors for measuring current, voltage, temperature, etc. associated with the battery module 28 or 30. After receiving the data from the sensors 38, the processor 34 may convert the raw data into estimated values ​​of the parameters of the battery modules 28 and 30. In this way, the processor 34 may present the raw data as data that can provide valuable information about the operation of the battery system 12 to the operator of the vehicle 10, and may display information about the operation of the battery system 12 on the display 21. The display 21 may display various images generated by the device 10 (e.g., a graphical user interface (GUI) for operating the system), or image data (including still images and video data). The display 21 may be any suitable type of display, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. In addition, the display 21 may include a touch-sensitive element that may provide input to adjust the parameters of the control module 32 or the data processed by the processor 34.

[0037] The energy storage assembly 14 can have dimensions comparable to those of a typical lead-acid battery, such that modifications to the design of the vehicle 10 to accommodate the battery 12 are limited. For example, the energy storage assembly 14 can have dimensions similar to an H6 battery, perhaps approximately 13.9 inches x 6.8 inches x 7.5 inches. As shown, the energy storage assembly 14 can be included in a single continuous housing. In other embodiments, the energy storage assembly 14 can include multiple housings coupled together (e.g., a first housing including a first battery 28 and a second housing including a second battery 30). In yet other embodiments, as described above, the energy storage assembly 14 can include a first battery module 28 located under the hood of the vehicle 10, and the second battery module 30 can be located inside the vehicle 10.

[0038] The energy storage assembly 14 can be located on a line with a relay. The control module 32 can send a signal to control the operation of the relay. In some embodiments, the control module may include a controller that monitors the state of the relay and controls the relay based on this state. As described below, in the case where the main power supply does not provide power (for example, due to a fault, short circuit, disconnection, etc.), the controller can send a signal indicating an instruction to disconnect the relay. In addition, the controller can temporarily use the power from the battery cells of the battery modules 28 and 30 to provide a signal.

[0039] Figure 31 is an embodiment of an electric power system, such as a battery system 12 of a vehicle 10, a stationary power system, etc. The electric power system includes an energy storage assembly 14 on a DC bus 26 that provides power to one or more loads 114. The DC bus 26 may include one or more lines 116, each line 116 having one or more battery cells 118. The lines 116 may be viewed as a group of battery cells electrically connected to provide power to the bus. Although Figure 3 One circuit 116 and one battery cell 118 are shown, but this is illustrative and any suitable number of circuits and battery cells (e.g., Figure 2 1 and 1 . As shown by the dashed line 117, additional lines can be added in parallel to electrically couple the battery cells between the two sides of the bus 26. Between the battery cells 118 of the energy storage assembly 14 and the DC bus 26, the line 116 may include one or more relays, for example, a bistable relay 120. The bistable relay 120 may be an electrically controlled switch that selectively electrically couples the battery cells 118 to the DC bus 26 based on the state of the bistable relay 120. That is, the bistable relay 120 may be in an open state (where the battery cells 118 are electrically disconnected from the DC bus 26), or may be in a closed state (where the battery cells 118 are electrically connected to the DC bus 26, thereby providing power to one or more loads 114).

[0040] The monostable relay can electrically connect the battery unit 118 to the DC bus 26 while the relay receives current. That is, the monostable relay can be closed for a period of time that depends on the duration of the monostable relay receiving current. Since the monostable relay receives current during the entire duration of the monostable relay being closed, the power used to maintain the monostable relay in a closed state may reduce the overall efficiency of the power system. As described above, if the power system includes several lines 116, then maintaining the monostable relay in a closed state by continuously providing current to the relay consumes a large amount of power.

[0041] The bistable relay 120 can switch states via voltage pulses, current pulses, or both voltage pulses and current pulses, thereby improving the efficiency of the power system. When receiving a pulse, the state of the bistable relay 120 can be switched from an open state to a closed state or from a closed state to an open state, and can remain in this state after the pulse. For example, the bistable relay 120 can receive current within a certain duration (e.g., 1 millisecond, 5 milliseconds, 10 milliseconds, 100 milliseconds, etc.), stop receiving current after the duration, change the state (e.g., change from an open state to a closed state or from a closed state to an open state), and remain in the changed state after receiving the current. In this way, the bistable relay 120 can electrically couple the battery cell 118 to the DC bus 26 when receiving a voltage pulse, a current pulse, or both a voltage pulse and a current pulse, and continue to electrically couple the battery cell 118 to the DC bus 26 after the pulse, thereby reducing the amount of power consumed when the battery cell 118 and the DC bus 26 are electrically coupled.

[0042] The control module 32 can be used to control the operation of the bistable relay 120. The control module 32 can include a controller 124 that is operably coupled (e.g., electrically coupled using an electrical conductor that conducts current) to the bistable relay 120 (e.g., a gate of the bistable relay) to send an electrical signal (e.g., a voltage or current pulse) to control the operation of the bistable relay 120. That is, the controller 124 can include circuits or hardware that are configured to maintain (e.g., store via a memory or monitor via a sensor) the state of the bistable relay 120 and send a signal to the bistable relay 120, wherein the signal indicates an instruction to switch the state of the bistable relay 120 based on the maintained (e.g., current) state of the bistable relay. The controller 24 can be a microcontroller, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or some combination thereof. The controller can include a processor 126 or multiple processors, for example, one or more "general purpose" microprocessors, one or more special purpose microprocessors, or some combination thereof. For example, processor 126 may include one or more Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) processors, Advanced RISC Machine (ARM) processors, performance-optimized PowerPC processors, or any other suitable processing device.

[0043] The controller 124 may also include one or more storage devices and / or other suitable components, such as a memory 128, which is operably coupled to the processor 126 to execute software, such as software for controlling the bistable relay 120, etc. The memory 128 may include volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, or any combination thereof). The memory 128 may store various information that may be used for various purposes. For example, the memory 128 may store processor-executable instructions (e.g., firmware or software) that may be executed by the processor 126, such as instructions for controlling the bistable relay 120. The storage device (e.g., non-volatile storage device) may include a ROM, flash memory, a hard drive, or any other suitable optical, magnetic or solid-state storage medium, or a combination thereof. The storage device may store data (e.g., the state of the relay), instructions (e.g., software or firmware for controlling the bistable relay 120), and any other suitable data.

[0044] The controller 124 may receive power from a main power source 130, which may include, for example, the motor 22, the internal combustion (IC) engine 24, the electrical grid, etc. The main power source 130 (also referred to as a low voltage (LV) power source) may provide power at a voltage lower than the higher voltage of the battery cells 118. For example, the main power source 130 may provide 12 volts of power to the controller 124, enabling the controller 124 to control the bistable relay 120 during operation. In addition, the power system may include an isolation circuit 32 that isolates LV components (e.g., hardware, circuits, etc.) of the power system from high voltage (HV) components (e.g., hardware, circuits, etc.), such as the battery cells 118 and the DC bus 26.

[0045] During operation, the controller 124 can control the operation of the bistable relay 120 via power received from the main power supply 130. The controller 124 can control the state of the bistable relay 120. For example, the controller 124 can store an indication of the current state of the bistable relay 120 (e.g., open or closed) in the memory 128. In other embodiments, the controller 124 can detect a sensor signal indicating the current state of the bistable relay 120 via a sensor 131 (e.g., a voltage sensor, a current sensor, etc.). The controller 124 can then send a control signal indicating an instruction to control the state of the bistable relay 120 based on the current state and / or the desired state. For example, if the bistable relay 120 is currently in a closed state, then the controller 124 can send a pulse to open the bistable relay 120 and update the state in the memory 128 to indicate that the bistable relay 120 is open.

[0046] Using the battery cells 118 to power the controller 124 without regard to the main power source 130 may increase imbalances in the battery cells 118 (such imbalances may be caused, for example, by drawing more power from some battery cells than other battery cells to power the controller 124). In addition, if a fault occurs (e.g., on the high voltage side, the low voltage side, or on both the high voltage side and the low voltage side), it may be desirable to control the bistable relay 120 when the main power source 30 is unavailable. Therefore, in the event that the main power source 130 is not providing power to the controller 124, the controller 124 may control the bistable relay 120 via power from the battery cells 118 to electrically disconnect the battery cells 118 from the DC bus 26. That is, the controller 124 can control the bistable relay 120 via power from the battery cell 118 during a situation where the main power source 130 is not providing power (e.g., during a fault, short circuit, or power outage), and can otherwise control the bistable relay 120 via power from the main power source 130, thereby reducing the imbalance caused by drawing power from the battery cell 118. That is, in some embodiments, the controller can minimize the amount of power drawn from the battery cell 118 to control the bistable relay 120, and otherwise use the main power source 130 to control the bistable relay 120. In some embodiments, the controller 124 can detect whether the main power source 130 is providing power. The controller 124 can draw power from the battery cell 118, thereby disconnecting the bistable relay 120 and stopping the operation of the battery cell 118.

[0047] Figure 4 It is used for line 138 Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the battery system 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the control module 32 includes controllers 140 and 142. The controllers 140 and 142 may include a combination of Figure 3140 and 142. Although two controllers are used, this is merely illustrative, and one, two, three, four, or any other suitable number of controllers may be used. Controllers 140 and 142 may each include one or more input / output ports that are programmed to send signals indicating instructions for controlling the operation of bistable relays 144 and 146, respectively. As described above, controllers 140 and 142 may store the states of bistable relays 144 and 146 in a memory, may detect the states of bistable relays 144 and 146 (e.g., via signals provided by voltage or current sensors on DC bus 152, line 138, bistable relays, etc.), or may perform any combination of the above operations. Controllers 140 and 142 may send control signals to corresponding bistable relays 144 and 146 to close relays 144 and 146 so that battery unit 150 can provide power to bus 152. The battery system 12 includes a first bistable relay 144 between the battery cell 150 and a first side of the bus 152 and a second bistable relay 146 between the battery cell 150 and a second side (opposite the first side) of the bus 152 , thereby improving the robustness of the battery system 12 .

[0048] In the illustrated embodiment, each of the controllers 140 and 142 also controls the operation of other components in addition to the corresponding bistable relays 144 and 146. The controller 140 is operably coupled to the bistable relay 144 and a pre-charge circuit 148 having a resistor to limit the current caused by the capacitance on the DC bus 152. That is, the controller 140 can send a signal to control the pre-charge circuit 148 to reduce the effect of the capacitance on the bus 152 on the bistable relay 144. As another example, the controller 142 is operably coupled to the relay 154. The controller 142 can send a signal to the relay to open or close the relay to electrically couple an alternating current (AC) power source (e.g., a power source other than the battery unit 150) to an auxiliary load, such as a fan 156. The line 138 can also include an emergency power off switch 158 for manually disconnecting the battery unit 150 to perform maintenance on the line 138.

[0049] Figure 5 yes Figure 31 is a block diagram of a battery system 12, wherein there are multiple battery cells 162 for one line 62. Each battery cell 162 can be electrically coupled to a corresponding monitoring circuit 164. Each line 160 can include any suitable number of battery cells and corresponding monitoring circuits. Each monitoring circuit 164 can send a signal indicating the health of the corresponding battery cell to a controller 166. In addition, the controller 166 can send a signal to control the bistable relay 168 based on the health of the battery cell 162, the health of the bus 170, etc. As described above, the controller 166 can be coupled to one or more other loads, such as a pre-charge circuit, a relay for an AC fan, etc.

[0050] One or more disclosed embodiments may provide one or more technical effects, either individually or in combination, including controlling a bistable relay to electrically connect a battery cell to a bus. The bistable relay may receive a pulse that switches the bistable relay to an open or closed state, and the bistable relay may remain in an open or closed state after the pulse. The controller may receive power from a main power source. The controller may send pulses during operation to control the bistable relay using power provided by the main power source. When the main power source does not provide power, the controller may send pulses to control the bistable relay using power provided by the battery cell. For example, the controller may use power from the battery cell to electrically disconnect the battery cell from the bus, thereby stopping the operation of the battery cell, thereby isolating the battery cell from the bus. The controller may additionally use power from the main power source to reduce the imbalance of the battery cell, which is caused by the power drawn to control the bistable relay.

[0051] The above specific embodiments have been shown by way of example, and it should be understood that these embodiments may have various modifications and alternative forms. It should be further understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the specific forms disclosed, but to cover all modifications, equivalents and substitutes that fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the operation of a component in a battery system, the method comprising: detecting, via a sensor, a signal indicative of a current state of the bistable relay; receiving, via a controller, the signal detected by the sensor; determining a control signal to be sent to the bistable relay based on a current state and a desired state of the bistable relay; sending the control signal to the bistable relay via the controller to control the operation of the bistable relay; providing power from a main power source to at least one of the sensor, the controller, and the bistable relay; detecting whether the main power source is providing power; and In the absence of power from the main power source, power is provided from one or more battery cells in the battery system to operate the bistable relay.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bistable relay is powered by the main power supply. 3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing power from the one or more battery cells to disconnect the bistable relay and shut down the one or more battery cells. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more battery cells provide power having a higher voltage than power from the primary power source. 5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a pre-charge signal via the controller to close a pre-charge circuit, thereby allowing the bistable relay to close.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving, via the controller, a signal indicative of a fault condition of the bistable relay; opening the bistable relay based on the signal indicative of the fault condition; and The one or more battery cells are disconnected from the bus.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the bus includes one or more lines, and wherein the method further includes controlling the operation of the one or more battery cells on the lines via a line management unit (SMU) of the controller, and the lines couple the one or more battery cells between two sides of the bus.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: storing an indication of the state of the bistable relay in a memory of the controller based on the signal indicative of a current state of the bistable relay; and The indication of the state of the bistable relay is updated when the state of the bistable relay is switched.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is a sensor signal at least substantially indicative of a current state of the bistable relay.

10. A method for controlling operation of a component in a battery system, the method comprising: receiving power from a main power source via a controller; receiving power from one or more battery cells on the line via the controller; controlling the operation of a bistable relay via the controller to electrically connect or disconnect the one or more battery cells using power from the primary power source; and In the event that the main power source is not providing power, operation of the bistable relay is controlled via the controller using power from the one or more battery cells.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: receiving a first signal indicative of a fault condition; controlling operation of the bistable relay using power from the one or more battery cells based on the first signal indicative of the fault condition; and Using power from the one or more battery cells, in the event of the fault condition, the one or more battery cells are disconnected to operate the bistable relay.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising opening the bi-stable relay during a condition where the primary power source is not providing power.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a signal indicative of a state of the bi-stable relay via a sensor.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising updating an indication of a state of the bi-stable relay stored in a memory of the controller after operating the bi-stable relay.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising controlling operation of the bistable relay via the controller using power from the main power source to electrically connect or disconnect the one or more battery cells upon detecting a sensor signal at least substantially indicative of a current state of the bistable relay; and Upon detecting a sensor signal at least substantially indicative of a current state of the bistable relay, operation of the bistable relay is controlled via the controller using power from the one or more battery cells in the absence of power provided by the main power source.

16. A method for controlling operation of a component in a battery system, the battery system having a first power source and a second power source different from the first power source, the method comprising: connecting or disconnecting the second power source from a direct current (DC) bus via a bistable relay controlled by a controller; detecting, at the controller, via a sensor, a sensor signal indicative of a current state of the bistable relay; determining a control signal to be sent to the bistable relay based on a current state and a desired state of the bistable relay; and sending the control signal to the bistable relay via the controller to control the operation of the bistable relay to a desired state; and receiving power at the controller from the first power source, the second power source, or both, the controller and the control signal being powered by the power includes using the first power source as power for the controller and the control signal when the controller receives power from the first power source, and using the second power source as power for the controller and the control signal when the controller does not receive power from the first power source, Wherein, no matter the bistable relay connects or disconnects the second power source to the DC bus, the controller can receive power from the second power source at the controller.

17. A method for controlling operation of a component in a battery system, the method comprising: receiving, via the controller, first power from a main power source; receiving, via the controller, a second power from one or more battery cells on the line; upon detecting a sensor signal at least substantially indicative of a current state of a bistable relay, controlling operation of the bistable relay via the controller using the first power from the primary power source to electrically connect or disconnect the one or more battery cells; and Upon detecting a sensor signal at least substantially indicative of a current state of the bistable relay, the controller controls the operation of the bistable relay by the following steps using the second power from the one or more battery cells when the main power source is not providing the first power: electrically disconnecting the one or more battery cells from a bus of the battery system; and The second power is received at the controller from the one or more battery cells when the one or more battery cells are disconnected from the bus.

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