Battery System with Dynamic Pack Reconfiguration for Movable Objects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery systems for movable objects, particularly those using lithium-ion secondary cells, face inefficiencies in charge and discharge management, leading to reduced battery life due to full-charge and full-discharge cycles, and lack flexible control based on load unit power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A battery system with a power control circuit, memory for operation patterns, and an estimation unit to adjust connection states between battery packs and a charger/load unit, allowing for efficient and flexible charge-discharge control based on estimated power consumption patterns, enabling concurrent and independent charging/discharging of battery packs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If battery packs are fully charged and fully discharged repeatedly, then discharge capacity is maximized, but battery life becomes short
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by controlling battery packs to operate within partial state of charge ranges (e.g., 20%-80% or 30%-90%) rather than full charge-discharge cycles. The charge-discharge control unit selectively connects battery packs to the load unit based on their charge levels, ensuring that battery packs are not repeatedly charged to 100% or discharged to 0%, thereby extending battery life while maintaining sufficient discharge capacity for operational needs.
2Reliability
If battery packs are fully charged sequentially regardless of power consumption, then charge completeness is ensured, but energy efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control through the charge-discharge control unit that continuously monitors the charge levels of multiple battery packs and the actual power consumption of the load unit. Based on this feedback information, the control unit dynamically adjusts which battery packs are connected to the load unit and which are connected to the charger, ensuring that charging is performed only when and where needed, thus improving energy efficiency while maintaining charge completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically reconfigures the connection states of battery packs between charging and discharging modes based on real-time conditions. The charge-discharge control unit changes the connection configuration adaptively, allowing battery packs to switch roles (from being charged to discharging) depending on their charge levels and the instantaneous power demands, thereby optimizing energy efficiency while ensuring adequate power supply.
3Device complexity
If charge-discharge control is made without considering load unit power consumption, then system simplicity is maintained, but operational efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service through the charge-discharge control unit that autonomously manages the charge-discharge operations of battery packs based on pre-stored operation patterns and real-time charge level information. The control unit automatically determines which battery packs should be charged or discharged without requiring complex external control systems, thereby maintaining relative system simplicity while achieving high operational efficiency through intelligent, autonomous decision-making.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery system for a movable object is mounted on the movable object having a charger and a load unit including a plurality of loads electrically driven for different purposes. The battery system is provided with a plurality of battery packs, a power control circuit for changing a connection state between the battery packs and the charger and a connection state between the battery packs and the load unit, a memory unit for storing operation information, an estimation unit for estimating a power consumption pattern in the operation cycle based on the operation information and a controller for switching the power control circuit to cover the power consumption by the load unit according to the power consumption pattern.