Battery Pack Discharge Control Using SOH-Balanced Parallel Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery control methods that prioritize State Of Charge (SOC) without considering State Of Health (SOH) lead to non-uniform degradation among batteries, reducing overall system efficiency and increasing maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A battery control apparatus and method that adjusts discharge events based on SOH to minimize differences in SOH among multiple batteries, using switching circuits, sensing circuits, and a control circuit to manage parallel connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If discharge control is performed based only on SOC without considering SOH, then discharge efficiency is improved, but battery degradation uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the control parameter from only SOC to a combined parameter set including both SOC and SOH. The control circuit now considers state of health alongside state of charge to determine discharge participation, transforming the single-parameter control into a multi-parameter control system that balances discharge efficiency with battery longevity and uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the control circuit continuously monitors both SOC and SOH of each battery pack and adjusts discharge participation accordingly. This feedback loop ensures that batteries with deteriorating SOH are progressively reduced in discharge contribution, maintaining uniform degradation while preserving overall discharge efficiency.
2Power
If all batteries participate in discharge events equally based on SOC, then system power output is improved, but maintenance costs increase due to non-uniform degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing each battery pack to have different discharge participation levels based on its individual SOH status. Instead of uniform treatment, each battery's discharge contribution is locally adjusted according to its health state, enabling the system to maintain high power output while preventing any single battery from excessive degradation that would increase maintenance costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustment of discharge participation where the control circuit continuously modifies which batteries participate in discharge events based on real-time SOH monitoring. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize power output by activating healthier batteries while protecting degraded ones, thereby reducing maintenance requirements without sacrificing overall system power capability.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If discharge control considers both SOC and SOH, then battery longevity is improved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal control approach where the control circuit performs multiple functions: it monitors both SOC and SOH, determines discharge participation, and adjusts battery contribution levels all through a single integrated control system. This multi-functional design manages the complexity by consolidating control tasks rather than requiring separate systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the battery system into individually controllable battery packs, each with its own monitored SOC and SOH parameters. This segmentation allows the control circuit to manage complexity by treating each battery pack as an independent unit with specific discharge participation rules, rather than managing the entire battery bank as a single undifferentiated system.
Data Source
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AI summary
A battery control apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of switching circuits connected in series to a plurality of battery packs; a plurality of sensing circuits to generate a sensing signal indicating a voltage and a current of each battery pack; and a control circuit to determine the voltage, a state of health (SOH) and a state of charge (SOC) of each battery pack. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the selective parallel connection control for at least one of the plurality of batteries, it is possible to reduce a difference in SOH between the plurality of batteries.