Battery SoP Prediction With Nested Loops for Power Limit Accuracy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery management systems (BMS) face inaccuracies in predicting battery State-of-Power (SoP), leading to potential overestimation of current and/or voltage, which can cause additional wear and limit battery performance.

Innovation Solution

Implementing nested control loops with an inner and outer control loop to update an equivalent circuit model (ECM) based on voltage and current errors, ensuring accurate maximum current and power predictions within predefined limits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conservative power limits are set for the BMS to operate within, then the risk of cell current and voltage limit violations is reduced, but the battery power output and vehicle capabilities are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverisk of cell current and voltage limit violationsVSAvoidbattery power output
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the BMS continuously monitors actual cell voltage and current, compares them against predicted values from the ECM, and uses the resulting errors to update the model parameters. This closed-loop feedback enables the system to adapt to actual battery behavior, allowing more accurate and higher power limits to be set while maintaining reliability by detecting and correcting prediction deviations in real-time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent dynamically changes the parameters of the equivalent circuit model based on operating conditions and error feedback. By adjusting model parameters such as resistance and capacitance values according to actual battery performance, the system can accurately predict voltage and current behavior under varying loads, enabling higher power output while maintaining safety margins

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If adaptive SoP-prediction algorithms are used to minimize predicted cell voltage error, then more accurate maximum current prediction is achieved, but current and voltage overshoot may still occur due to overestimation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaximum current prediction accuracyVSAvoidcurrent and voltage overshoot
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses feedback to continuously monitor the difference between predicted and actual voltage and current values. When overshoot or deviation is detected, the system updates the ECM parameters to correct the prediction error, thereby eliminating current and voltage overshoot while maintaining accurate maximum current prediction capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies beforehand cushioning by maintaining a safety margin in the voltage prediction model. The BMS predicts future voltage with built-in conservatism and adjusts the maximum current limit accordingly, preventing overshoot before it occurs while still allowing the battery to operate near its true capacity limits

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentEP4645633A1State-of-power prediction using nested control loops
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 VOLVO TRUCK CORP
  • EP4645633A1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4645633A1 patent drawingFigure 4A~5
  • EP4645633A1 patent drawingFigure 6A

AI summary

A device (100) for State-of-Power (SoP) prediction is provided. The device implements an inner (110) and outer (120) control loop. In the inner loop, an equivalent circuit model (ECM, 130) is used to predict a maximum allowed current ( lmax') so as not to go beyond a predefined voltage limit (Vlim) at an end of a predefined time period/interval. A voltage error (Verr) between the predefined voltage limit and an actual voltage (Vt) at the end of the time interval is used to update the ECM. In the outer loop, a current error (Ierr) between the maximum allowed current and an actual current (I) at the end of the interval is used to update the same ECM. The ECM is used to predict future voltage (Vtp), that together with the maximum allowed current is used to determine a maximum power (Pmax) for the interval. A corresponding method is also provided.