Battery Pack Dynamic Current Control for Degradation Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery charging technologies fail to effectively manage battery degradation, leading to increased heating and reduced lifespan due to fixed charging currents, and smart chargers with communication capabilities are costly and incompatible with all battery packs.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack with a battery manager that monitors voltage and current, adjusts charging current limits based on battery deterioration, and uses pulse width modulation to control charging, thereby preventing overheating and maintaining optimal charging rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fixed magnitude electric current is used for charging, then charging speed is maintained, but battery heating increases and degradation accelerates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic current control by adjusting the charging current magnitude based on real-time battery state monitoring. The controller modifies the charging current from a fixed value to a variable value that adapts to battery temperature and charge level, thereby maintaining charging speed while preventing excessive heating and degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback control mechanisms where the controller continuously monitors battery parameters (temperature, voltage, current) and uses this information to adjust the charging current. This closed-loop feedback system ensures that charging speed is optimized while preventing harmful heating effects by reducing current when temperature thresholds are approached.
2Ease of operation
If smart charger with communication capability is used to control charging current, then charging current can be accurately adjusted, but charger price increases and compatibility issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the intelligent control functionality from the charger and relocates it to the battery pack itself. The battery pack includes a controller that autonomously monitors its own state and regulates charging current without requiring communication with the charger, thereby simplifying the charger structure while maintaining precise current control capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pack performs self-monitoring and self-regulation of charging parameters. The controller within the battery pack independently assesses battery state and adjusts charging current without external intervention or communication, enabling the battery to serve its own control needs and eliminating the requirement for complex smart charger systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces battery degradation, prevents overheating, and maintains optimal charging rates, extending battery lifespan while avoiding the need for costly smart chargers and ensuring compatibility with various battery packs.
Implementation Method 1
a switching element including a charging switch and a discharging switch arranged on a high current path via which a charging current and a discharging current flow
Implementation Method 2
a battery manager configured to monitor a voltage and a current of the battery, and to output a first driving signal to the charging switch and the discharging switch
Implementation Method 3
a switch driver configured to output a second driving signal for driving the charging switch according to a control signal from the battery manager
Data Source
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AI summary
A battery pack (10) includes a battery (20) including at least one battery cell (21), a switching element (200) including a charging switch (201) and a discharging switch (202) arranged on a high current path via which a charging current and a discharging current flow, a battery manager (203) configured to monitor a voltage and a current of the battery, and to controlling charging and discharging of the battery (20) based on the voltage of the battery, and a switch driver (301) configured to output a second driving signal (CS2) for driving the charging switch according to a control signal from the battery manager (203), wherein the battery manager (203) is further configured to set a charging current limit based on a deterioration degree of the battery (20), and to control the charging switch (201) by using the switch driver (301) so that a magnitude of the charging current applied to the battery (20) is equal to or less than the charging current limit.