Control method for an energy storage system

Abstract

The application provides a control method for an energy storage system, wherein the control method comprises: closing a main switch on a main communication line connecting each slave device and a main control device, so that each slave device is in communication with the main control device through a corresponding main communication line; if the main control device detects that any slave device is abnormal, starting a troubleshooting procedure to troubleshoot a faulty communication line; and the main control device controls a standby switch on a standby communication line of the slave device corresponding to the faulty communication line to close the standby switch, so that the slave device is reconnected to the main control device through the standby communication line. The control method for the energy storage system can automatically troubleshoot the faulty communication line when the slave device is abnormal, and then automatically close the standby switch of the standby communication line to reconnect the main control device and the slave device, so that the energy storage system can continue to work normally, improve the reliability of the system, and reduce the risk of system downtime.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of energy storage system technology, and in particular to a control method for energy storage systems. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, energy storage systems often require numerous 485 slave devices to connect to the master controller. Typically, multiple slave devices are connected in parallel to the output of the master controller, distinguished by their unique addresses. However, if one slave device malfunctions and sends garbled messages, it can easily cause communication failures across all slave devices on the 485 bus, making it impossible to identify the faulty device. This necessitates a system shutdown for maintenance, impacting the overall operational efficiency of the energy storage system.

[0003] In view of this, it is necessary to improve the control methods of existing energy storage systems in order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a control method for energy storage systems that can automatically detect and repair communication faults to solve one of the above-mentioned problems.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution provided by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A control method for an energy storage system, the control method comprising:

[0007] Close the main switch on the main communication line connecting each slave device to the main control device, and open the backup switch on the backup communication line connecting each slave device to the main control device, so that each slave device is connected to the main control device through the corresponding main communication line.

[0008] If the main control device detects any abnormal operation of the slave device, it initiates a troubleshooting procedure to identify the faulty communication line.

[0009] The main control device controls the backup switch on the backup communication line of the slave device corresponding to the above-mentioned faulty communication line to close, so that the slave device can reconnect to the main control device through the backup communication line.

[0010] Furthermore, the troubleshooting procedure includes: if all slave devices are malfunctioning, then disconnect the main switches of all main communication lines;

[0011] Then, the main control device sequentially controls the main switch of the main communication line of each slave device to close, detects whether the slave device connected to the main communication line can work normally, and identifies all faulty communication lines.

[0012] Furthermore, if the slave device connected to the main communication line is found to be working normally, it is determined that the main communication line corresponding to this slave device is normal, and then the main switch corresponding to this slave device is disconnected;

[0013] Continue closing the main switch on the main communication line of the next slave device until all faulty communication lines are identified.

[0014] Furthermore, if the slave device connected to the main communication line is found to be malfunctioning, the main communication line corresponding to the slave device is determined to be a faulty communication line, and then the main switch of the main communication line is disconnected.

[0015] Continue closing the main switch on the main communication line of the next slave device until all faulty communication lines are identified.

[0016] Furthermore, the troubleshooting procedure also includes: if one slave device malfunctions while the other slave devices are functioning normally,

[0017] Then, the slave devices are controlled to continue connecting to the master control device via the main communication line;

[0018] If multiple attempts to connect fail, the main communication line corresponding to this slave device is determined to be a faulty communication line.

[0019] Furthermore, the energy storage system also includes a monitoring unit that is communicatively connected to the main control device, and the main control device transmits information about the faulty communication lines to the monitoring unit.

[0020] Furthermore, the slave device corresponding to the identified faulty communication line is reconnected to the main control device using a backup communication line. The slave device is working normally. Then, the main switch of the main communication line corresponding to other slave devices is closed, and the energy storage system continues to work.

[0021] Furthermore, the slave device corresponding to the identified faulty communication line is reconnected to the master control device using a backup communication line. If the slave device reconnected by the master control device via the backup communication line malfunctions, the backup communication line is determined to be a faulty communication line, and the status information of the faulty communication line is transmitted to the monitoring unit.

[0022] Furthermore, when the troubleshooting procedure is initiated, the power lines of each slave device and the master control device are always kept on.

[0023] Furthermore, the slave device is one of the following: UPS, temperature and humidity sensor, electricity meter, and air conditioner.

[0024] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are as follows: The control method for energy storage systems of this invention has a main switch and a backup switch respectively installed on the main communication line and the backup communication line between the main control device and the slave device. This allows the slave device to automatically identify the faulty communication line when an abnormality occurs, and then automatically close the backup switch of the backup communication line to reconnect the main control device and the slave device, thereby enabling the energy storage system to continue to operate normally. This avoids the situation where the energy storage system shuts down due to communication problems between the main control device and the slave device, improves the reliability of the system, and reduces the risk of system downtime. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a control method according to an embodiment of the control method for an energy storage system of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of another embodiment of the control method for an energy storage system according to the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a topology diagram of the working circuit of the energy storage system of the present invention.

[0028] Among them, 1-main control equipment, 2-main communication line, 3-slave equipment, 41-main switch, 42-standby switch, 5-standby communication line, 6-control line, and 7-trunk line. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of this invention, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0030] It should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated in this invention is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the auxiliary diagram, and is only for the purpose of simplifying the description of this invention, and is not intended to indicate or imply that the device referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention.

[0031] In the various illustrations of this invention, for ease of illustration, certain dimensions of structures or parts may be exaggerated relative to other structural parts; therefore, they are only used to illustrate the basic structure of the subject matter of this invention.

[0032] This invention provides a control method for an energy storage system, implemented based on the structure of the energy storage system, such as... Figure 3As shown, the energy storage system includes a main control device 1 and at least two slave devices 3 connected in parallel to the output terminal of the main control device 1. Each slave device 3 is connected to the main control device 1 by a power line (not shown), a main communication line 2, and a backup communication line 5. A main switch 41 and a backup switch 42 are respectively installed on the main communication line 2 and the backup communication line 5. The switches 41 and 42 are communicatively connected to the main control device 1. In other words, each slave device 3 and the main control device 1 has two independent main switches 41 and backup switches 42 to control the communication connection between them.

[0033] The energy storage system includes a trunk line 7 connected to the output end of the main control device 1. The main communication line 2 and the backup communication line 5 are connected in parallel to the end of the trunk line 7 away from the main control device 1, so that the slave device 3 can be connected in parallel to the output end of the main control device 1.

[0034] The energy storage system also includes a control line 6 that connects the main control device 1 to the main switch 41 and the backup switch 42 respectively, so that the main control device 1 can control the main switch 41 and the backup switch 42 to open and close.

[0035] In this invention, the slave device 3 is one of a UPS, a temperature and humidity sensor, an electricity meter, or an air conditioner, but is not limited to these; it can also be other slave devices 3.

[0036] The master control device 1 and the slave device 3 are electrically connected via a power line so that the master control device 1 can automatically detect the communication status between itself and the slave device 3.

[0037] Furthermore, the energy storage system also includes a monitoring unit (not shown) that is communicatively connected to the main control device 1. The main control device 1 can transmit relevant information about the faulty communication line to the monitoring unit to remind the user to perform maintenance.

[0038] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, the control method for the energy storage system includes: closing the main switch 41 on the main communication line 2 connecting each slave device 3 to the main control device 1, and opening the backup switch 42 on the backup communication line 5 connecting each slave device 3 to the main control device 1, so that each slave device 3 is connected to the main control device 1 through the corresponding main communication line 2; if the main control device 1 detects any abnormal operation of the slave device 3, it starts a troubleshooting procedure to find the faulty communication line; the main control device 1 controls the backup switch 42 on the backup communication line 5 of the slave device 3 corresponding to the faulty communication line to close, so that the slave device 3 is reconnected to the main control device 1 through the backup communication line 5.

[0039] Understandably, when the troubleshooting procedure is started, the power lines connecting each slave device 3 to the master control device 1 are always in a conductive state, so that the slave device 3 is always powered on, so that the master control device 1 can automatically detect the communication status between itself and the slave device 3.

[0040] The malfunction of the slave device 3 includes two situations: First, all slave devices 3 malfunction. In this case, the malfunction is usually due to a communication line malfunction of one or more slave devices 3, which affects the communication of other slave devices 3 and ultimately causes all slave devices 3 to fail to work properly. Second, only one slave device 3 malfunctions. The automatic identification method adopted by the control method of the present invention is different for the different malfunctions mentioned above.

[0041] In response to the first type of malfunction mentioned above, the troubleshooting procedure includes: if all slave devices 3 are malfunctioning, then disconnect the main switches 41 of all main communication lines 2; then, the main control device 1 sequentially controls the main switches 41 of the main communication lines 2 of each slave device 3 to close, detects whether the slave device 3 connected to the main communication line 2 can work normally, and thus identifies all faulty communication lines. The main control device 1 quickly and automatically identifies the faulty communication lines through the troubleshooting procedure and quickly performs subsequent operations to prevent the energy storage system from shutting down.

[0042] Specifically, if the slave device 3 connected to the main communication line 2 is found to be working normally, the main communication line 2 corresponding to the slave device 3 is determined to be normal. Then, the main switch 41 on the faulty communication line is disconnected. The main switch 41 on the main communication line 2 of the next slave device 3 is closed until all faulty communication lines are found.

[0043] If the slave device 3 connected to the main communication line 2 is found to be malfunctioning, the main communication line 2 corresponding to this slave device 3 is determined to be a faulty communication line. Then, the main switch 41 on the faulty communication line is disconnected. Continue to close the main switch 41 on the main communication line 2 of the next slave device 3 until all faulty communication lines are identified.

[0044] After identifying any or all faulty communication lines, the information related to the faulty communication line is transmitted to the monitoring unit to remind the user to perform maintenance. The control method in this embodiment does not limit the order in which the faulty communication line information is transmitted to the monitoring unit and the main switch 41 on the faulty communication line is disconnected. Disconnecting the corresponding main switch 41 first or transmitting the faulty communication line information first are both within the scope of protection of this embodiment.

[0045] Combination Figure 3As shown, after identifying all faulty communication lines, the slave device 3 corresponding to the faulty communication line is reconnected to the main control device 1 using the backup communication line 5. The system then checks whether the slave device 3 reconnected to the main control device 1 via the backup communication line 5 is functioning correctly. If the corresponding slave device 3 is malfunctioning, the backup communication line 5 is determined to be a faulty communication line. The status information of the faulty communication line is then transmitted to the monitoring unit to promptly remind the user to repair the main communication line 2 and the backup communication line 5. If the corresponding slave device 3 is functioning correctly, the main switch 41 of the main communication line 2 corresponding to the other slave devices 3 is closed, and the energy storage system continues to operate normally.

[0046] Regarding the second type of malfunction mentioned above, the troubleshooting procedure further includes: if one of the slave devices 3 malfunctions while the other slave devices 3 are working normally, then the slave device 3 is controlled to continue connecting to the main control device 1 via the main communication line 2 to eliminate contact faults between the slave device 3 or the main control device 1 and the main communication line 2; if multiple connection attempts fail, then the main communication line 2 corresponding to this slave device 3 is determined to be a faulty communication line, and then the relevant information of the faulty communication line is transmitted to the monitoring unit to remind the user to perform maintenance.

[0047] Combination Figure 3 As shown, the slave device 3 corresponding to the aforementioned faulty communication line is reconnected to the main control device 1 using the backup communication line 5. Then, it is determined whether the slave device 3, reconnected to the main control device 1 via the backup communication line 5, is functioning correctly. If the slave device 3 is malfunctioning, the backup communication line 5 corresponding to this slave device 3 is determined to be a faulty communication line, and the status information of the faulty communication line is transmitted to the monitoring unit. The main communication lines 2 or backup communication lines 5 of other slave devices 3 are then closed, and the energy storage system continues to operate normally, while waiting for the main communication lines 2 and backup communication lines 5 of the malfunctioning slave devices 3 to be repaired.

[0048] In some embodiments, when the slave device 3 connected to the backup communication line 5 fails to work properly, the slave device 3 can be tried to connect to the master control device 1 multiple times. If the connection fails multiple times, the backup communication line is determined to be a faulty communication line.

[0049] If the slave device 3 is working properly, the main switch 41 of the main communication line 2 corresponding to the other slave devices 3 will be closed, thereby enabling the energy storage system to continue to work normally.

[0050] The troubleshooting process in the control method of the energy storage system is as follows: First, determine the number of malfunctioning slave devices 3. If only one slave device 3 is malfunctioning, check whether the main communication line of that slave device 3 is a faulty communication line by connecting multiple times. If all slave devices 3 are malfunctioning, check all faulty communication lines sequentially and transmit the relevant information of the faulty communication lines to the monitoring unit. Then, close the backup communication line 5 of the slave device 3 corresponding to the faulty communication line and check whether this slave device is working normally. If it is working normally, close the main communication lines 2 of other slave devices 3, and the energy storage system will work normally. If the slave device 3 connected to the backup communication line 5 cannot work normally, then the backup communication line 5 is determined to be a faulty communication line, and the relevant information of the faulty communication line is transmitted to the monitoring unit to remind the user to repair the relevant main communication line 2 or backup communication line 5 in a timely manner to avoid the loss of revenue caused by the downtime of the energy storage system.

[0051] In summary, the control method of the energy storage system of the present invention enables the automatic identification of faulty communication lines when the slave device 3 malfunctions. Then, the backup switch 42 of the backup communication line 5 is automatically closed to reconnect the master control device 1 and the slave device 3, thereby allowing the energy storage system to continue to operate normally. This avoids the situation where the energy storage system shuts down due to communication problems between the master control device 1 and the slave device 3, improves the reliability of the system, and reduces the risk of system downtime.

[0052] It should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0053] The detailed descriptions listed above are merely specific illustrations of feasible embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent embodiments or modifications made without departing from the spirit of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for an energy storage system, characterized in that: The control method includes: Close the main switch on the main communication line connecting each slave device to the main control device, and open the backup switch on the backup communication line connecting each slave device to the main control device, so that each slave device is connected to the main control device through the corresponding main communication line. If the main control device detects any abnormal operation of the slave device, it initiates a troubleshooting procedure to identify the faulty communication line. The main control device controls the backup switch on the backup communication line of the slave device corresponding to the above-mentioned faulty communication line to close, so that the slave device can reconnect to the main control device through the backup communication line; The investigation procedure includes: If all slave devices malfunction, disconnect the main switch on all main communication lines; Then, the main control device sequentially controls the main switch of the main communication line of each slave device to close, detects whether the slave device connected to the main communication line can work normally, and identifies all faulty communication lines; If one slave device malfunctions, the other slave devices will continue to function normally. Then, the slave devices are controlled to continue connecting to the master control device via the main communication line; If multiple attempts to connect fail, the main communication line corresponding to this slave device is determined to be a faulty communication line.

2. The control method for an energy storage system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: If the slave device connected to the main communication line is found to be working normally, it is determined that the main communication line corresponding to this slave device is normal. Then, the main switch corresponding to this slave device is disconnected. Continue closing the main switch on the main communication line of the next slave device until all faulty communication lines are identified.

3. The control method for an energy storage system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: If the slave device connected to the main communication line is found to be malfunctioning, the main communication line corresponding to the slave device is determined to be a faulty communication line, and then the main switch of the main communication line is disconnected. Continue closing the main switch on the main communication line of the next slave device until all faulty communication lines are identified.

4. The control method for an energy storage system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The energy storage system also includes a monitoring unit that is connected to the main control device. The main control device transmits information about the faulty communication lines to the monitoring unit.

5. The control method for an energy storage system as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The slave device corresponding to the identified faulty communication line is reconnected to the main control device using the backup communication line. The slave device is working normally. Then, the main switch of the main communication line corresponding to other slave devices is closed, and the energy storage system continues to work.

6. The control method for an energy storage system as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The slave device corresponding to the identified faulty communication line is reconnected to the main control device using the backup communication line. If the slave device malfunctions, the backup communication line is determined to be a faulty communication line, and the status information of the faulty communication line is transmitted to the monitoring unit.

7. The control method for an energy storage system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: When the troubleshooting procedure is initiated, the power lines of each slave device and the master control device are always kept on.

8. The control method for an energy storage system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The slave device is one of the following: UPS, temperature and humidity sensor, electricity meter, and air conditioner.

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