Battery Pack Power Line Communication for ESS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy storage systems (ESSs) require special communication cables for battery cell communication, limiting flexibility and efficiency in energy management.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack with a power line communicator connected to the current path to detect data signals, allowing communication between battery cells without cables, and a battery management system (BMS) to monitor and control battery states via Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), enabling state information like SOC, voltage, and temperature to be transmitted and received.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If special communication cables are used for battery cell communication, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the communication function with the existing power lines by implementing power line communication (PLC). The communication signals are superimposed on the power lines carrying electricity to battery cells, eliminating the need for separate communication cables. This integration reduces device complexity while maintaining communication reliability through the existing infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The power lines are given dual functionality: they simultaneously serve as both power transmission conduits and communication channels. By embedding communication capabilities within the power distribution network, the system achieves multi-functionality, reducing the need for additional dedicated communication infrastructure and simplifying overall system architecture.
2Loss of information
If special communication cables are used for battery cell communication, then data transmission accuracy is improved, but ease of operation and installation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The communication infrastructure is merged with the power distribution network, utilizing existing power lines as communication channels. This eliminates the need for separate cable installation, significantly improving ease of installation and operation while maintaining data transmission accuracy through dedicated communication protocols implemented over the power lines.
Solution Approach 2:
The existing power lines automatically serve dual purposes without requiring additional installation infrastructure. The system leverages the already-deployed power distribution network to provide communication services, eliminating the need for separate cable laying and reducing installation complexity while maintaining communication reliability.
3Device complexity
If power line communication is implemented, then device complexity is reduced, but communication interference from power signals may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces communication protocols and signal processing mechanisms as intermediaries between the power signals and data transmission. These intermediaries filter and process the composite signals on power lines, separating communication data from power transmission while mitigating interference through error correction and signal conditioning techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs parameter modulation techniques where communication signals are encoded by varying electrical parameters (voltage, frequency, or phase) of the power lines. By carefully controlling these parameter changes and using appropriate modulation schemes, the system achieves reliable data transmission over power lines while minimizing interference from the high-power electrical signals.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack includes: a battery including at least one battery cell; a power line communicator connected to a current path to detect a first data signal; and a battery management system (BMS) to receive the first data signal from the power line communicator, and to control the battery according to the first data signal.