High Voltage Battery Cell Balancing via EMF Discrimination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cell balancing methods for high-voltage battery packs face challenges in accurately controlling electromotive force due to influences from IR voltage and polarization voltage, leading to incorrect balancing and potential loss of electromotive force.

Innovation Solution

A method that measures the electromotive force of each cell by discriminating between zero current and low current states to accurately determine the cell electromotive force, computes the total amount of charges needed for balancing, and completes balancing when the accumulative charges match the total, thereby avoiding errors from IR and polarization voltages.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If real-time voltage measurement is used for cell balancing control, then the balancing operation can be performed based on voltage feedback, but the measurement is influenced by IR voltage and polarization voltage leading to incorrect electromotive force determination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebalancing operation controlVSAvoidelectromotive force measurement
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing current interruption before voltage measurement. The control unit interrupts the current flowing through the battery cell immediately before measuring the terminal voltage, ensuring that IR voltage and polarization voltage effects are eliminated. This timing-based approach allows accurate electromotive force measurement without requiring complex compensation algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the disturbing factors (IR voltage and polarization voltage) from the measurement system by interrupting the current flow. By separating the current interruption step from the voltage measurement step, the method isolates the electromotive force measurement from the harmful voltage drops and polarization effects that occur during current flow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If cell balancing is performed based on terminal voltage during current flow, then balancing operation can be executed in real-time, but the electromotive force measurement becomes inaccurate due to IR voltage and polarization voltage influences

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebalancing operation speedVSAvoidelectromotive force measurement
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies periodic action by implementing cyclic current interruption and voltage measurement sequences. The control unit periodically interrupts the current flow and measures the terminal voltage at these interruption moments, then uses these measurements for balancing control decisions. This periodic sampling approach maintains real-time balancing capability while ensuring accurate electromotive force measurements at each sampling point.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Duration of action of moving object

If current is continuously flowing through the battery cell during balancing, then the balancing operation can be performed without interruption, but the terminal voltage measurement includes errors from IR voltage and polarization voltage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebalancing operation continuityVSAvoidterminal voltage measurement
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by preparing the measurement condition (current interruption) before the actual voltage measurement. The control unit is configured to interrupt current flow as a preliminary step immediately preceding the voltage measurement, ensuring that the measurement is taken under ideal conditions without IR voltage or polarization voltage contamination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2227850B1Method for balancing of high voltage battery pack
Publication Date: 2019.03.27 SK INNOVATION CO LTD
  • EP2227850B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2227850B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The present invention relates to a cell balancing method for a high- voltage battery pack, and the method comprises steps of a) measuring an electromotive force of each cell composing the battery pack; b) selecting the cell to be balanced based on the electromotive force of the each cell; c) computing a total amount of charges used for balancing of the cell to be balanced; d) obtaining an accumulative amount of charges by accumulating an amount of current consumed for the balancing while performing the balancing of the cell to be balanced; and e) completing the balancing of the cell to be balanced when the accumulative amount of charges equals the total amount of charges.