Battery Protection Modules With Fast-Test Mode And Direct Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery protection systems experience delays in protecting battery cells due to prolonged time intervals between detecting abnormal conditions and outputting protection signals, which can lead to inadequate protection, especially when dealing with multiple sets of cells, and result in increased cost, size, and power consumption due to the inclusion of level shifters.
Innovation Solution
A battery protection system with multiple modules that can operate in normal-working and fast-test modes, where the delay in outputting protection signals is reduced by switching to a fast-test mode upon receiving a signal from another module, allowing for a shorter total delay and omitting the level shifter to reduce size, cost, and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the protection module uses a preset time interval delay to avoid false indications, then the reliability of abnormal condition detection is improved, but the response time to protect battery cells deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The protection module dynamically adjusts the delay time based on the type of abnormal condition detected. For over-current conditions, a first (shorter) time interval is used, while for other abnormal conditions, a second (longer) time interval is applied. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain detection reliability while reducing response time for critical conditions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple protection modules are used to protect multiple sets of battery cells, then the coverage of protection is improved, but the total delay time increases due to sequential operation
Solution Approach 1:
When a protection module detects an abnormal condition, it preliminarily activates other protection modules to switch to fast-test mode before the protection signal is fully executed. This preliminary action ensures that subsequent protection signals from other modules experience reduced delay, thereby maintaining fast response times even when multiple modules are involved.
3Adaptability or versatility
If level shifters are included in the protection system to enable signal transmission between modules, then the adaptability of the system is improved, but the device complexity, size, and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the level shifter component from the protection system. Instead of using level shifters to transmit protection signals between modules, the system uses a direct coupling method where the output terminal of one protection module is directly connected to the switching terminal of another protection module. This eliminates the need for level shifters, thereby reducing device complexity, size, and power consumption while maintaining full signal transmission capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes multiple protection modules. Each protection module includes monitoring terminals that monitor battery cells' status, an output terminal that outputs a protection signal if an abnormal condition in the cells is detected, a switching terminal that receives a switching signal, and detection circuitry that switches from a normal-working mode to a fast-test mode if receiving the switching signal, delays outputting the protection signal for a first time interval if the abnormal condition is detected in the normal-working mode, and delays outputting the protection signal for a second time interval, less than the first time interval, if the abnormal condition is detected in the fast-test mode. In the protection modules, the switching terminal of a first protection module and a monitoring terminal of the first protection module are coupled to a second protection module and receive a protection signal from the output terminal of the second protection module.