Dynamic Pre-Charge Current Control for Battery Packs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery management modules are inefficient in pre-charging batteries due to decreasing pre-charge current with increasing battery voltage, consume excessive power and are costly due to high-power pre-charge resistors and switches, and occupy larger PCB space.
Innovation Solution
A battery management module that controls a charge switch to adjust pre-charge current based on battery voltage, omitting pre-charge resistors and switches, using a control circuit and current regulation circuitry to increase pre-charge current as battery voltage rises, thereby speeding up the pre-charging process while reducing power consumption and module size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pre-charge resistor is used to control pre-charge current, then the pre-charge current can be limited to protect over-drained batteries, but the pre-charge current decreases as battery voltage increases, slowing down the pre-charging process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the static pre-charge resistor with a dynamic control system that adjusts the pre-charge current based on real-time battery voltage feedback. The control circuit modifies the resistance value dynamically during the pre-charging process, allowing the current to increase as the battery voltage rises, thus accelerating the pre-charging speed while maintaining battery protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the resistance parameter from a fixed value to a variable value that changes with battery voltage. The control circuit continuously monitors battery voltage and adjusts the pre-charge current parameter accordingly, transforming the pre-charge resistor from a passive component into an actively controlled element that adapts its resistance to optimize both protection and charging speed.
2Reliability
If a pre-charge resistor with high power rating is used to sustain high voltage difference, then the battery can be protected during pre-charging, but the power consumption increases and the component cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuit dynamically adjusts the pre-charge current based on the actual battery voltage and the voltage difference between the power source and battery. This dynamic control allows the system to use lower power ratings for the controlling components while maintaining safety, as the current is optimized in real-time rather than designed for worst-case static conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring the battery voltage and adjusting the pre-charge current accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that the pre-charge current is precisely controlled to match the battery's actual needs, preventing excessive power consumption while maintaining safety and protection functions.
3Reliability
If high-power pre-charge resistors and switches are used to handle high voltage differences, then the system can safely manage pre-charging, but the PCB size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the high-power handling function from the pre-charge resistor and switch components, transferring it to the battery management unit's control circuit. This allows the use of lower-power, smaller-footprint components on the PCB while maintaining the ability to safely handle high voltage differences through electronic control rather than passive component ratings.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical/passive approach of using high-power rated components with an electronic control approach. The control circuit electronically manages the pre-charge current, substituting the need for physically large high-power components with smaller active components that achieve the same safety and voltage handling through intelligent control.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery system comprising multiple battery packs. A battery pack of the battery packs includes a battery, voltage sense circuitry, a control circuit, a control switch and current regulation circuitry. The voltage sense circuitry senses a battery voltage of the battery and an input voltage of the battery pack. The control circuit is coupled to the sense circuitry and is operable for adjusting a level of a reference signal based on attribute data associated with the battery pack and a difference between the battery voltage and the input voltage. The control switch is operable for passing a battery current flowing through the battery. The current regulation circuitry is coupled to the control circuit and the control switch, and is operable for controlling the control switch to regulate the battery current according to the reference signal.