Battery Cell Voltage Compensation Across Interconnection Bars

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery management systems in electric and hybrid vehicles underutilize slave elements due to imbalanced measurement channels, leading to increased costs and mass, and result in erroneous voltage estimations due to interconnection bar biases, affecting the accuracy of SOH and SOC calculations.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that compensates for interconnection bar voltages by estimating a compensation value based on temperature and current measurements, allowing for refined voltage estimation and improved battery management through corrected voltage values, thereby optimizing operating conditions and durability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the same slave element is used to collect data at two separate modules to reduce the number of slave elements, then the cost and mass of the battery device are reduced, but the voltage measurements are biased by the interconnection bar voltage leading to erroneous parameter estimation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of slave elementsVSAvoidvoltage measurement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the voltage measurement function by separating the interconnection bar voltage from the cell voltage. The slave element measures the combined voltage, but the system processes this measurement by subtracting the estimated interconnection bar voltage component, effectively segmenting the total voltage into measurable cell voltage and parasitic interconnection bar voltage parts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary estimation process for the interconnection bar voltage. By estimating the interconnection bar voltage based on temperature and current measurements, the system acts as a mediator to remove the parasitic voltage component from the slave element measurement, thereby recovering the accurate cell voltage without requiring additional hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If more slave elements are used to equip all modules to ensure full measurement capacity, then the voltage measurement accuracy is improved, but the cost and mass of the battery device increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevoltage measurement accuracyVSAvoidnumber of slave elements
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the slave element universal by enabling a single slave element to serve multiple modules simultaneously. Through the voltage compensation method, one slave element can accurately measure cell voltages across two different modules by compensating for the interconnection bar voltage, thereby eliminating the need for dedicated slave elements for each module.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the measurement parameters by measuring not only voltage but also temperature and current. These additional parameter measurements enable the estimation and compensation of interconnection bar voltage, allowing accurate cell voltage measurement with fewer slave elements. The system transforms the measurement approach from direct voltage-only measurement to multi-parameter measurement with computational compensation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If voltage measurements including interconnection bar voltage are used for parameter estimation, then the measurement process is simple, but the estimated parameters such as SOH and SOC become erroneous

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement system complexityVSAvoidparameter estimation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where temperature and current measurements are continuously monitored and used to estimate the interconnection bar voltage. This estimated compensation value is fed back into the voltage measurement process to correct the cell voltage estimation, thereby improving parameter estimation accuracy while maintaining measurement system simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the physical hardware solution (additional slave elements or interconnection bar modifications) with a computational/electronic solution. Instead of changing the physical measurement architecture, the system uses software-based estimation and compensation algorithms to eliminate the interconnection bar voltage error, substituting mechanical/hardware complexity with computational processing.

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

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

The method and system provide accurate voltage compensation, enhancing the estimation of battery parameters like SOH and SOC, reducing unnecessary safety triggers, and optimizing charging and discharging processes, thus improving battery performance and longevity.

Implementation Method 1

a step of measuring a voltage specific to each cell, whether or not linked to an interconnection bar, by means of slave elements

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVoltage measurement: Electric Field

Implementation Method 2

a step of measuring the temperature of each module, each temperature measurement being associated with the interconnection bar(s) linked to the module in question

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTemperature measurement: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 3

a step of measuring a current flowing in the battery device

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCurrent measurement: Conduction (electrical)

Implementation Method 4

a step of estimating a voltage compensation value specific to each cell linked to an interconnection bar, the compensation value corresponding to an estimated voltage of the interconnection bar in question

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOhm's law application: Ohm's Law

Data Source

PatentEP4453588B1Method and system for managing a battery device of an electric or hybrid vehicle containing a voltage measurement of the cells connected to an interconnection bar
Publication Date: 2025.08.27 NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP4453588B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4453588B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4453588B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a management system and method enabling a more suitable estimation of the voltage of the cells connected to an interconnection bar so as to optimize the durability and operation of the performance of the processing device.