Battery Cell Balancing Control with a Single Timer Signal
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of existing battery management systems for hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles, which require multiple timers for each battery cell, leads to increased power consumption and complexity during balancing operations.
Innovation Solution
A cell controller and battery controller system that uses a single balancing command signal to manage and balance multiple secondary batteries, with a balancing unit, timer, and control unit to perform balancing operations efficiently, reducing power consumption and system complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple timers are arranged for each battery cell to perform balancing, then balancing control can be performed for each cell, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual timers into a single timer that measures the elapsed time for all battery cells collectively. The control unit receives balancing time information for each cell and uses the single timer's elapsed time to control the balancing unit, thereby achieving balancing control without requiring multiple separate timers.
Solution Approach 2:
The single timer is designed to serve multiple battery cells simultaneously by measuring a common elapsed time that applies to all cells. The control unit processes this single elapsed time measurement to control the balancing operation for multiple cells, making the timer a universal component for the entire battery system.
2Reliability
If multiple timers are arranged for each battery cell, then individual balancing control is possible, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual timers into a single timer that measures the elapsed time for all battery cells collectively. The control unit receives balancing time information for each cell and uses the single timer's elapsed time to control the balancing unit, thereby achieving balancing control without requiring multiple separate timers.
3Device complexity
If a single balancing command signal is used for multiple battery cells, then the system complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision for each cell may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit acts as an intermediary that receives both the balancing time information for each individual battery cell and the single elapsed time measurement from the timer. It processes this information to control the balancing unit with cell-specific precision while using the simplified single-timer architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A cell controller includes: a balancing unit which performs balancing of states of charge of a plurality of secondary batteries by discharging or charging each of the plurality of secondary batteries; a first timer which measures an elapsed time after a start of the balancing; a receiving unit which receives a balancing command signal including information regarding balancing times for the secondary batteries; and a first control unit which controls the balancing unit on a basis of the elapsed time after the start of the balancing, and the balancing command signal, the elapsed time being measured by the first timer and the balancing command signal being received by the receiving unit, in which the receiving unit receives the information on the plurality of secondary batteries through the single balancing command signal.