Battery Pack SOC Window Control for Regenerative Braking Limits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle powertrain systems fail to optimally utilize the available energy or power from battery packs due to restrictive operating windows, limiting the use of regenerative braking capacity and charging power.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method determines vehicle weight and altitude data to predict energy or power utilization along a route, identifying regenerative limiting conditions, and operates the battery pack within extended SOC limits to enhance utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the battery pack operates within default predetermined SOC limits, then battery health is maintained, but energy or power utilization is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the SOC operating window based on predicted regenerative braking opportunities. The control unit switches between a first operating window (more restrictive) and a second operating window (less restrictive) depending on whether regenerative limiting conditions are predicted, allowing the system to adapt battery operation constraints to actual driving conditions and maximize energy utilization while protecting battery health
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the SOC parameter limits based on predicted vehicle conditions. When regenerative limiting conditions are predicted (insufficient regenerative braking opportunities to charge the battery within default limits), the control unit expands the SOC operating window to allow lower minimum SOC values, thereby enabling greater energy discharge and utilization from the battery pack
2Productivity
If the battery pack operates within extended SOC limits, then energy or power utilization increases, but battery health may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary prediction of regenerative limiting conditions based on route information, vehicle weight, and braking patterns before actual battery operation. This advance prediction allows the system to proactively adjust SOC limits only when necessary, avoiding unnecessary extensions that could harm battery health while ensuring adequate utilization when regenerative opportunities are limited
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from actual battery charging/discharging performance and predicted regenerative braking capacity to dynamically adjust SOC limits. The control unit continuously monitors whether the battery is charging sufficiently through regenerative braking and adjusts the operating window accordingly, creating a closed-loop control that balances utilization and battery protection
3Loss of energy
If regenerative braking capacity is fully utilized, then energy recovery increases, but battery charging capacity may be limited by SOC limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the SOC parameter limits to optimize the balance between energy recovery and charging capacity. By allowing the minimum SOC to drop lower in the second operating window, the battery can accept more regenerative energy without hitting the upper SOC limit, thereby increasing both energy recovery and effective charging capacity simultaneously
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
This approach improves the efficiency of regenerative braking by allowing the battery pack to operate within wider SOC limits, increasing utilization and reducing aging while maintaining battery health.
Implementation Method 1
battery pack charging in response to power generation of the battery pack along the predetermined route using a regenerative braking system of the electric vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system includes a processor device configured to determine vehicle weight of an electric vehicle and altitude data of a predetermined route, determine predictive energy or power utilization of a battery pack of the electric vehicle for the predetermined route including battery pack charging in response to power generation of the battery pack along the predetermined route using a regenerative braking system of the electric vehicle together with the vehicle weight and altitude data, identify a vehicle condition along the predetermined route as belonging to a group of predefined vehicle conditions defined as regenerative limiting, in response of identifying a vehicle condition as regenerative limiting, operate the battery pack within an operating window defined by extended predetermined SOC limits, the extended predetermined SOC limits having at least one of the upper limit and lower limit exceeding the corresponding limit of the default predetermined SOC limits.