Method for battery charging management

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for charging batteries or a battery pack of the type used by a charger connected to a power source, and to a battery pack. The charging process is managed by a battery management system (BMS) that executes a charging process providing up to 98.5% of the requested charge. Said process is divided into two steps in which a complete charge cycle is executed in up to seven dynamic charging mini-cycles with micro-stops, thereby charging the batteries in periods shorter than ten minutes, with controlled temperatures during charging and without compromising the useful life of the batteries.

Description

[0001] METHOD FOR BATTERY CHARGE MANAGEMENT.

[0002] FIELD OF INVENTION.

[0003] The present invention relates to a method for managing battery or battery pack charges by using dynamic mini-charge cycles, allowing the delivery of up to 98.5% of the charge in periods of less than 10 minutes, without compromising the useful life of the batteries.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.

[0005] Batteries are devices designed to store electrical energy. Generally speaking, they are composed of electrochemical cells capable of converting the chemical energy stored within them into electrical energy. Batteries store direct current and, in this way, serve to power various electrical circuits or electronic devices, depending on their size and power. Batteries are integral to our daily lives, from flashlights, remote controls, cell phones, tools, household appliances, and electric cars, to name just a few examples where they are widely used.

[0006] The main innovative efforts in batteries have been focused on improving their storage capacity, increasing their autonomy, and improving the performance of the various known battery types. In particular, with the rise and widespread use of laptops, cell phones, and, more recently, the advent of electric vehicles, there has been a need to reduce the charging times required to replenish the batteries, typically lithium-ion, used in these devices. These batteries offer numerous advantages, including higher energy density, greater efficiency, and a longer life cycle.

[0007] Based on these requirements, aimed at improving battery performance, there has been extensive innovation in battery chargers and battery management systems (BMS), as an intelligent component responsible for the advanced control and management of the storage system; playing a crucial role in terms of safety, performance, charging rates, and longevity. Therefore, it is impossible to discuss advances in battery capacities and management without mentioning the important role that battery management systems (BMS) have played and will continue to play, especially in efforts to mass-produce electric vehicles. These require better and more efficient methods and systems for managing and supplying battery charges, reducing charging times, increasing range, performance, and efficiency, without causing damage or compromising battery life.

[0008] Various methods and systems are known in the state of the art for supplying charge to battery packs, such as those used in electric vehicles. Generally speaking, these charging systems or methods involve a charger connected to a power source, a battery pack, and a battery management system (BMS). Patent application CN1 12002952(A), whose applicant is ZHEJIANG YAT ELECTRIC APPLIANCE CO LTD, provides a method for managing a battery pack, which sequentially comprises the steps of obtaining a protection voltage value, recording the number N of charge or discharge cycles, comparing the number N of cycles with a preset number M of cycles, and changing the charge or discharge voltage value of the battery pack. The method, while allowing the charge or discharge voltage applicable to the battery pack to be configured,the process continues being a continuous and complete cycle charge-discharge process. In this same sense, the teachings provided by patent W02023080457, requested by LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD, are known, in which a battery charging method and a system for charging a plurality of battery packs connected in parallel with a charger are described, the battery system comprising a battery that includes a plurality of battery packs, each of which includes a battery module that includes a plurality of battery cells and a voltage sensor to measure the pack voltages that are voltages at both ends of the battery module; and a master BMS that establishes a plurality of voltage sections using the lowest pack voltage value between a plurality of pack voltages and a reference voltage value, these teachings coinciding with the known state of the art,where charging processes that are executed in the form of complete and continuous charging cycles prevail, this being a limiting sign in the battery charging process that does not allow the battery charge to be properly managed and handled, nor does it allow for reduced charging times to be achieved, without affecting the useful life of the batteries.

[0009] In general terms, these systems available in the state of the art present a group of drawbacks, among which the following stand out: The chargers and battery management systems (BMS) currently used are designed to develop complete charging cycles, which causes overheating in the batteries that reduce their useful life, achieving charging cycles with a maximum performance between 20% and 80% of the charge in times of no less than 45 minutes. These BMS are designed to supply complete cycles of rapid high-voltage charging, so at the time of charging they do not fractionate the charge and send it as a complete and continuous charging cycle.

[0010] These systems cause batteries to overheat, significantly reducing their lifespan. They also cause the charger cable to overheat, so they must be equipped with a cooling system.

[0011] Another important limitation of known charging systems is that when the battery has consumed 80% of the cycles, according to the manufacturer, the BMS prevents the rapid charging process and proceeds with normal charging, requiring more than 45 minutes to complete a charging cycle. Similarly, they have the limitation that when the batteries to be charged are cold, to begin the charging process, it is necessary to first raise the battery temperature to levels ranging from 35 degrees to 41 degrees Celsius, for example, by turning on the vehicle's heater, which requires energy from the batteries, sometimes generating power shortages that prevent the heater from working.Finally, they have the disadvantage of being limited to charging lithium batteries and when there is a charge imbalance between the cells or batteries in a battery bank, because some of them have been charged more than others, this causes the batteries to overheat, which when detected by the BMS causes it to disconnect the entire block to which the battery(ies) in question belong and the charging process is more inefficient and requires more time to complete the charging cycle.

[0012] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.

[0013] Accordingly, one object of this invention is a method for managing and supplying charges applicable to any type of battery, and particularly applicable to lithium batteries. One object of this invention is a method for managing and supplying battery charges that divides a charging cycle into dynamic, high-power, low-voltage mini-charge cycles.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is a method for managing and supplying battery charges by means of which the charger can recognize a battery pack that it has previously charged, in order to configure a new charging process tailored to the battery pack.

[0015] Furthermore, one object of the present invention is a method for charging batteries that guarantees rapid charging cycles from 0% to 98.5% in times of less than 10 minutes of charging, without generating overheating or damage that harms or reduces the useful life of the batteries.

[0016] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

[0017] In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram detailing the charging method of the present invention.

[0018] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.

[0019] The details of the present invention will now be described, along with a drawing of the charging method in question, for a better understanding of the invention. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that, based on what is disclosed herein and the accompanying drawing, obvious improvements can be made to the disclosed technical rule; however, such additions, modifications, and applications do not depart from the scope of this invention.

[0020] The charging method of the present invention allows executing, controlling and managing dynamic mini-charge cycles from a battery charger to a battery pack, through a battery management system (BMS), where the charger manages a database, through artificial intelligence (AI), to store and update the information related to each battery pack and its previous charging processes.

[0021] The steps of the charging method are illustrated in Figure 1 and begin with turning on a charger that, after being turned on, is connected to a BMS and a battery pack, at which time the charger immediately collects and recovers the sensor values ​​and determines whether or not the terminals are connected to the plug, displaying the information it collects on a display. Once the charger is turned on, it communicates with the battery management system (BMS), which performs a general diagnosis to determine how the battery pack to which the charger is connected is configured and what the status of the charge levels are, the temperature of each battery module that makes up the pack and establish whether the temperature of the batteries is equal to or lower than the ambient temperature, as well as determine the capacity of the batteries to receive a complete charge cycle.From this diagnosis, the BMS establishes a suggested charging pattern estimating how much current the charger should supply to the batteries that make up the pack, proposes the charging packages and estimates how much charging time is necessary, and how many mini charging cycles are required to complete a full charging cycle for that particular battery pack, the charger proceeding to store the information collected by the BMS from the battery pack in a database, in order to individualize the battery pack and be able to identify it in subsequent customized charges in accordance with the particular profile of each battery pack.

[0022] Once the BMS receives the charging pattern suggested by the battery pack based on the diagnosis, the charger sends verification charges to the battery pack to reconfirm the suggested charging pattern. If the suggested charging pattern is correct, the charger executes the charging process, beginning by leveling the charge across the batteries in the pack and initiating the suggested charging process by dividing a charging cycle into seven or fewer dynamic mini-cycles, in high-power, low-voltage charging packages, within a charging time that will never exceed ten minutes.If the charging pattern suggested by the BMS is not correct, the charger establishes the charging pattern, defining how many mini-charge cycles are initially required and how much charging time must be used to deliver the charge to the battery pack, and thus complete 1 full charging cycle, in no more than ten minutes, dividing the charging cycle into seven or fewer mini-cycles of dynamic charges with micro-stops, dynamically updating the information it has in its database of the battery pack for future charging processes.

[0023] The charging process consists of two stages or dynamic charge blocks. In the first charge voltage stage, the charger delivers charge packets divided into seven or fewer dynamic charge minicycles, delivering 0 to 80% of the battery pack's established charge. During this stage, the charger periodically reconfirms how many minicycles or charge rates are needed to complete the 0-80% charge and the time required to do so. Each time, the charging process is reconfigured. In each reconfirmation, the minicycles, the microstops that will be required, and the remaining charge time to complete the delivery of the energy packets until reaching 80% of the charge defined for the first stage are reached. During this stage, the charger must overcome, with each charge packet, the resistance that the batteries present at the moment of receiving the charge.

[0024] The second stage, or charging block, begins after the battery pack has received 80% of its charge. This stage is known as the termination and float voltage stage. During it, the charger is configured to complete the charging process by delivering approximately 98.5% of the charge the battery pack can receive, as defined by the manufacturer. This is done to avoid shortening the battery pack's lifespan by constantly reconfiguring the mini-charge cycles, micro-stops, and the delivery time required to complete this stage and thus complete a charge cycle.

[0025] During the charge supply in the first and second stages the charger keeps a constant check on the temperature of the batteries, if the temperature reaches 49 degrees Celsius, as shown in Figure 1, then pauses and micro-stops are executed during which the charging process is stopped, the batteries are cooled and the charging pattern or energy package to be delivered is reconfigured, redefining the mini-charge cycles and the estimated remaining charge time and proceeding to update and store the data corresponding to the pack in question in the database.

[0026] Microstops serve as references from the BMS to the charger to adjust charging times and prevent the batteries in the pack from being damaged by temperature increases during the charging process. Depending on the temperature of the battery pack, the charger constantly repeats microstops, during which the batteries cool down and the charging process is adjusted according to the diagram in Figure 1.

[0027] The database that stores all the battery pack information, along with incidents and updates for all its charging processes, is managed by the charger through an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm. Therefore, each time a previously charged battery pack is reconnected to the charger, and when the BMS performs the initial diagnosis, the charger will be able to determine that it is a battery pack that has been charged on previous occasions.This way, the charger will be able to perform a new, more specific and efficient charging process, tailored to the battery pack, as it has stored in the database all the characteristics of the pack and its behavior in previous charging processes. For example, the charger will have information on how many dynamic charging minicycles and how many microstops were necessary in previous charging processes, the temperature the battery pack managed in each stage of the charging process (first charging stage and second stage of final voltage and float), how long it took to reach 80% of the charge (first stage or charging stage), and how long it took to reach 98%.5% of the charge (second stage or phase of termination and float voltage), how long it took to complete a full charge cycle, and in this way, a very precise diagnosis of the pack will be obtained when establishing the capacity of the batteries to receive a new full charge cycle; more accurately estimating the charge packets that must be sent to the batteries that make up the pack in each charge stage, the dynamic charge mini-cycles into which the new charge cycle will be divided, the temperature levels experienced by the battery pack in each charge stage and the estimated time in which a complete charge cycle will be executed for the pack in question; thus generating, and as a result of repeating charge cycles, a learning of the charger about the pack that has been charged on other occasions, allowing a charging process tailored to each battery pack.

[0028] If, at the start of or during the charging process, the BMS detects inconsistencies or reading errors, such as temperature errors, connection errors, unbalanced batteries, damaged battery blocks, voltage reading errors, among others, the charger determines the nature of the error and determines whether to continue or stop the charging process, depending on the nature of the error detected; all of this to achieve an efficient charging process or to stop the charging process if it is an error for which the charger does not have a predetermined solution or that could compromise the useful life of the batteries that make up the pack.

[0029] Among the most commonly detected reading errors are high battery bank temperature (over 49 degrees Celsius), low battery bank temperature below 0 degrees Celsius, cable disconnected from the connector, charger cable with high temperature above 50 degrees Celsius, error in pauses due to charging times, errors in the placement of charging blocks, damage to the batteries, modifications due to changes or repairs to the battery pack, among other information and readings that are shown on the charger display.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Method for managing battery charges of the type that uses a charger connected to a power source, a battery management system (BMS), and a battery pack, and where the method comprises the steps of: Turn on a charger to perform a survey and retrieve sensor values, and determine if the terminals are connected to the plug, Perform a diagnosis through a battery management system (BMS) to determine the configuration of the battery pack, the charge levels present in the batteries that make up the pack, the temperature of the batteries, and the capacity of the batteries to receive a complete charge cycle, to establish a high power, low voltage charge pattern that the charger must supply to the batteries that make up the pack, where the BMS assigns the charge packs and establishes the necessary charge time, and the number of mini charge cycles that are required to complete a complete charge cycle, I send verification charges through the charger to the battery pack to establish that the charging pattern suggested by the BMS is correct, Execution by the charger of the charging pattern suggested by the BMS when correct, leveling the charge on the batteries and executing the suggested charging pattern in two stages or blocks of high power, low voltage dynamic charges, divided into mini-cycles of dynamic charges with micro-stops that complete in no more than ten minutes, If the charging pattern suggested by the BMS is not correct, the charger levels the charge on the batteries and directly executes a two-stage charging process or blocks of high-power, low-voltage dynamic charges, directly establishing the charge packs, the mini-cycles of charges and the charging time necessary to complete a full charge cycle divided into mini-cycles of dynamic charges with micro-stops that complete in no more than ten minutes, Storing the information collected by the BMS from each battery pack in a database allows for the recognition of each previously charged battery pack, allowing for the configuration of future charges specific to each battery pack. Display on the display of a charger the execution of the charging process and the status of the batteries.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a complete charging cycle is divided and executed into seven or fewer high power, low voltage mini-charging cycles.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein in the first stage or voltage block of dynamic charging the charger delivers from 0 to 80% of the charge divided into charge packets of seven or fewer dynamic charge minicycles.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the charger, during the voltage stage or block, periodically reconfirms the minicycles or charging rates that are needed to complete the charging stage or block and the required time, reconfiguring the charging process, establishing the minicycles, the microstops that will be necessary and the remaining charging time to conclude the delivery of the remaining energy packets, until reaching 80% of the charge.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at the termination and / or float voltage stage the charger concludes the charging process for delivery of up to 98.5% of the charge, dividing the charge package into seven or fewer dynamic mini-charge cycles.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the charger, during the termination and / or float voltage stage, periodically reconfigures the charging process, establishing the minicycles, the necessary microstops and the remaining charging time to end this stage and thereby complete a charging cycle.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising microstops during which the charging process is stopped, the batteries are cooled, the power pack to be delivered is reconfigured, the required mini-charge cycles are defined or reconfirmed, and the estimated remaining charge time is defined.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature present in the batteries during the execution of the stages of the charging process determines the execution of micro-stops of the charging process, when the temperature is equal to or greater than 49 degrees Celsius, 9. The method of claim 1, comprising updating and storing in a database the information, status and parameters. corresponding to the battery pack and its behavior during the execution of each charging process, for the individualized supply of new charging processes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the BMS detects inconsistencies in the charging process, temperature reading errors, connection errors, unbalanced batteries, damaged battery blocks, or voltage reading errors, so that the charger, based on the nature of the error, determines whether to continue or stop the charging process.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the incidents in the execution of the charging process of a battery pack are shown on the display of the charger.

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