Parallel Battery Cell Voltage Isolation for Early Fault Diagnosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery management systems (BMS) struggle to diagnose abnormalities in individual battery cells connected in parallel, as they measure average voltage, leading to delayed detection of defective cells.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that involve a controller connected to a sensing board and switches, allowing individual battery cells to be isolated and their voltage measured, with the controller calculating voltage drops and diagnosing abnormalities based on threshold comparisons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If battery cells are connected in parallel to increase capacity, then the battery capacity (Ah) is improved, but the ability to detect individual cell abnormalities deteriorates because only average voltage is measured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the measurement process by using switching elements to isolate and measure each battery cell's voltage individually, rather than measuring only the average voltage of parallel-connected cells. This allows precise detection of voltage differences between cells while maintaining the parallel connection structure for capacity enhancement.
2Device complexity
If average voltage of parallel battery cells is measured, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of abnormality diagnosis deteriorates as defective cells are not detected until significant voltage drop occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by measuring each battery cell's voltage individually and comparing it with reference values before significant voltage drops occur. This early detection mechanism identifies deteriorated cells in advance, allowing timely maintenance while keeping the measurement system relatively simple through sequential switching.
3Measurement precision
If individual battery cell voltage is measured by connecting each cell to sensing board, then the measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional switches and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the measurement function with the existing battery management system by integrating switching elements and control logic into the current architecture. The switching elements are incorporated into the sensing board structure, allowing individual cell measurement capabilities to be added without creating a completely separate complex system.
Data Source
AI summary
A system diagnoses abnormality of a battery cell of a battery. The system includes a plurality of battery cells and a sensing board connected to the plurality of battery cells. The system further includes a plurality of switches provided between each battery cell and the sensing board and configured to electrically connect or disconnect each battery cell and the sensing board. The system further includes a controller for measuring voltage of any one battery cell by electrically connecting the one battery cell among the plurality of battery cells to the sensing board and disconnecting the remaining battery cells. The controller also diagnoses each of the plurality of battery cells based on voltage drop in each battery cell.