Backup Power Supply Battery Degradation Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing power supply apparatuses struggle to accurately determine the degraded state of secondary batteries used as backup power sources, as they are rarely charged or discharged, making it difficult to assess their capacity and lifespan without causing a power failure.

Innovation Solution

A power supply apparatus that includes a timer unit to measure charging and discharging times, a determination unit to assess the battery's degraded state based on these measurements, and a charging/discharging control unit to manage the battery's State Of Charge (SOC) to ensure it remains within optimal levels for backup power, considering both time and temperature factors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the secondary battery is used as a backup power source and rarely charged or discharged, then the battery can maintain its capacity for backup use, but it becomes difficult to check the capacity and determine the degraded state of the battery

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebackup power source reliabilityVSAvoidbattery capacity measurement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary capacity checking actions during scheduled maintenance periods when power is available. The controller discharges the battery to a predetermined level and measures the discharged energy and voltage to determine capacity before the battery is needed for backup, allowing capacity assessment without compromising backup reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the secondary battery is discharged to check its capacity, then the degraded state can be determined, but it may cause power failure or reduce the battery's readiness for backup

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery degraded state detectionVSAvoidbackup power readiness
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs partial discharge only to a predetermined level sufficient for capacity assessment rather than complete discharge. The controller discharges the battery to a specific voltage threshold and measures the energy discharged up to that point, providing adequate capacity information while preserving sufficient charge for backup functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

Capacity checking is performed in advance during scheduled maintenance when power is available, rather than when backup is needed. This preliminary assessment allows the system to determine battery status without compromising emergency backup readiness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If existing methods determine degradation based on voltage variation before and after discharging, then the degraded state can be assessed, but charging/discharging time variations due to degradation are not considered

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevoltage-based degradation assessmentVSAvoidcharging/discharging time information
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates feedback from multiple measurement parameters including discharged energy, voltage, and charging/discharging time. The controller monitors the time required to charge or discharge the battery to predetermined levels and uses this time information alongside energy and voltage measurements to comprehensively determine battery capacity and degradation state.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2492702B1Power supply apparatus
Publication Date: 2020.07.15 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP2492702B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2492702B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2492702B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A power supply apparatus includes a secondary battery and a timer unit for measuring a time required to charge the secondary battery from a first State Of Charge (SOC) to a second SOC, or a time required to discharge the second battery from the second SOC to the first SOC. The power supply apparatus further includes a determination unit for determining a degraded state of the secondary battery based on results of the measurement by the timer unit.