Battery State of Charge Estimation via Terminal Voltage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery state of charge (SOC) estimation methods for electric vehicles are either imprecise when using overall battery measurements or overly complex and costly when measuring each cell individually, failing to accurately account for cell imbalance.

Innovation Solution

A method that determines the minimum and maximum cell voltages and calculates a weighted average voltage based on these values, using an equation that weights the maximum cell voltage when the state of charge increases and the minimum cell voltage when the state of charge decreases, allowing for precise SOC estimation without the need for individual cell voltage measurements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If individual cell voltage measurements are used to estimate SOC, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveSOC estimation precisionVSAvoidmeasurement system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts only the essential information needed for SOC estimation by using a single battery terminal voltage measurement combined with current integration, rather than measuring all individual cell voltages. This extraction approach maintains sufficient precision while reducing measurement system complexity and cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of measuring all cell voltages (excessive action), the invention uses a partial measurement approach by measuring only the battery terminal voltage and combining it with current data. This partial action provides sufficient information for accurate SOC estimation without the full complexity of individual cell measurements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Measurement precision

If individual cell voltage measurements are used to estimate SOC, then measurement precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveSOC estimation precisionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts only the essential information needed for SOC estimation by using a single battery terminal voltage measurement combined with current integration, rather than measuring all individual cell voltages. This extraction approach maintains sufficient precision while reducing measurement system complexity and cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces expensive individual cell voltage measurement systems with a simpler, more economical approach using terminal voltage measurement and computational algorithms. This substitution uses cheaper measurement components while achieving comparable SOC estimation accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Device complexity

If global battery measurements are used to estimate SOC, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to cell imbalance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement system complexityVSAvoidSOC estimation precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the measurement parameters by using terminal voltage combined with current integration data, rather than relying solely on individual cell voltage measurements or simple average calculations. This parameter change enables accurate SOC estimation that accounts for cell imbalance while keeping the system simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention substitutes physical individual cell voltage measurements with a computational approach using terminal voltage and current integration. This substitution replaces complex mechanical/electrical measurement infrastructure with simpler sensors and algorithmic processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Measurement precision

If sophisticated models like Kalman filter are used for each cell, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveSOC estimation precisionVSAvoidsoftware complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts only the essential information needed for SOC estimation by using a single battery terminal voltage measurement combined with current integration, rather than measuring all individual cell voltages. This extraction approach maintains sufficient precision while reducing measurement system complexity and cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the measurement parameters by using terminal voltage combined with current integration data, rather than relying solely on individual cell voltage measurements or simple average calculations. This parameter change enables accurate SOC estimation that accounts for cell imbalance while keeping the system simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2847603B1Estimating the state of charge of a battery
Publication Date: 2019.08.14 RENAULT SA
  • EP2847603B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2847603B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP2847603B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for estimating the state of charge (SOCBAT ) of a battery comprising a plurality of cells (C1,...CN) connected in series, characterized by the determination, at a given time, of the minimum cell voltage (UCmin ) and of the maximum cell voltage(UCma x) from among the cell voltages, and the calculation of a physical quantity (Ump) analytically depending on the minimum (UCmin ) and maximum (UCmax ) cell voltages according to an equation including weighting elements ensuring that the weight associated with the maximum cell voltage (UCmax ) increases when the state of charge of the associated cell increases, and the weight associated with the minimum cell voltage (UCmin ) increases when the state of charge of the associated cell decreases.