Parallel Battery Current Allocation by State of Health
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing rechargeable battery systems with multiple battery sets of varying states of health poses challenges in ensuring all batteries reach their end-of-useful-life state simultaneously, affecting the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of replacement and operation in electrical power grid applications.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a control system that individually manages the charging and discharging cycles of each battery set based on its state of health, causing battery sets with higher states of health to undergo more intense duty cycles, thereby ensuring all batteries in the system reach their end-of-useful-life state at the same time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple battery sets with varying states of health are operated in parallel, then the system can provide continuous power supply, but the batteries will reach end-of-useful-life at different times requiring staggered replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes operational parameters (charging/discharging current levels) based on each battery's state of health. Batteries with lower state of health are assigned reduced current levels, while healthier batteries handle higher currents, thereby equalizing the degradation rate across all batteries and enabling simultaneous replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system continuously monitors the state of health of each battery set and uses this feedback information to dynamically adjust the duty cycles and current allocation. This closed-loop control ensures that batteries are balanced in terms of degradation, allowing them to reach end-of-life simultaneously.
2Device complexity
If battery sets with different states of health are managed uniformly, then the control system is simpler, but batteries with lower state of health degrade faster and reach end-of-useful-life sooner
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying uniform control to all batteries, the system implements local quality control by tailoring the charging and discharging parameters to each battery's specific state of health. Each battery receives customized duty cycles and current levels appropriate to its condition, optimizing its individual lifespan contribution to the overall system.
3Ease of manufacture
If batteries are replaced individually as they reach end-of-useful-life, then replacement costs are spread out, but system downtime increases and operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs preliminary action by proactively managing battery degradation rates to ensure all batteries reach end-of-useful-life simultaneously. This preventive approach allows for planned, bulk replacement of all batteries at once, avoiding staggered replacements and associated system downtimes, thereby maintaining high operational efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for allocating electrical current among battery sets connected in a substantially parallel configuration. A respective state of health is determined for each respective battery set in a plurality of battery sets. The respective state of health reflects a respective present amount of total energy able to be stored by each respective battery set relative to a specification of the respective battery set. A respective allocation of electrical current for each battery set in the plurality of battery sets is determined based on the respective state of health for each respective battery set. A current flow through each respective battery set is configured to its respective allocation of electrical current based on determining the respective allocation.