Charge Control Apparatus for High Speed Cell Balancing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional high voltage battery charging technologies, such as buck balancing, consume energy and increase charging time due to forced discharging of battery cells, leading to uneven state of charge distribution among cells.

Innovation Solution

A charge control apparatus and method that includes discharge and supplemental charge circuits, a high voltage charge line, and a control unit to selectively perform forced discharging and supplemental charging, ensuring that battery cells are balanced efficiently by identifying cells for forced discharging and supplemental charging based on their state of charge, thereby reducing energy consumption and charging time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If buck balancing technology is used to perform cell balancing by forced discharging, then the state of charge difference between battery cells is reduced, but energy is consumed and charging time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestate of charge distribution uniformityVSAvoidenergy consumption during balancing

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of only discharging high SOC cells (conventional buck balancing), the patent applies reverse charging to low SOC cells to raise their charge level. This inverts the traditional approach by actively charging cells that need balancing rather than only discharging cells that are overcharged, thereby reducing energy waste and balancing time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Stability of the object's composition

If buck balancing is performed to balance battery cells, then state of charge uniformity is improved, but the state of charge of all cells reduces and total charging time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestate of charge distribution uniformityVSAvoidcharging time

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables continuous charging of the battery pack while performing cell balancing operations. By applying reverse charging to low SOC cells during the charging process, the system maintains continuous useful charging action without interrupting the overall charging flow, thus reducing total charging time while achieving balance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Device complexity

If conventional buck balancing is used, then cell balancing is achieved through simple circuit configuration, but energy consumption increases and charging efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecircuit configuration simplicityVSAvoidcharging efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a reverse charging circuit as an intermediary mechanism that enables energy transfer from high SOC cells to low SOC cells through the power management system. This intermediary approach allows balancing to occur during normal charging operations, improving charging efficiency without requiring complex additional hardware

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10811886B2Charge control apparatus capable of high speed cell balancing and energy saving and method thereof

Publication Date: 2020.10.20 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD

AI summary

A charge control apparatus and method for energy saving and high speed cell balancing, including when any one of a plurality of battery cells reaches a fully charged state, charging is temporarily stopped. Additionally, a battery cell with the lowest state of charge is determined to be a target for supplemental charging and the remaining battery cells are determined to be a target for forced discharging and when among the battery cells being forcedly discharged, the number of battery cells with the same state of charge as the state of charge of the battery cell being supplementally charged is equal to or larger than a reference number, cell balancing is stopped and charging is performed again.