EV Battery Pack Reuse Through BMS Signal Emulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for reusing electric vehicle (EV) batteries are costly and require disassembly, chemical exposure, and reassembly, which complicates the process and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that allow for the reuse of unopened EV batteries by reconfiguring the management system without opening the battery pack, using a control unit and central controller to determine the battery's status, desired use application, and operating conditions, and sending control signals to operate the battery accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If EV batteries are disassembled, sorted, and reassembled for reuse, then battery modules can be selected based on parameters, but labor costs and processing complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into individual cell groups, each with its own control unit. This segmentation allows independent evaluation and reconfiguration of cell groups without disassembling the entire battery pack, reducing processing complexity while maintaining reuse adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically reconfigures the battery pack by electrically connecting cell groups in different configurations (series/parallel arrangements) based on their state of charge and performance characteristics, enabling adaptive reuse without physical disassembly
2Adaptability or versatility
If EV batteries are opened for module removal and sorting, then cells can be graded and reused, but certification is lost and re-certification costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the necessary control functions from the original BMS and implements them in a portable evaluation device, allowing battery assessment and reconfiguration without opening the battery pack casing, thereby preserving certification
Solution Approach 2:
A portable evaluation device serves as an intermediary between the battery pack and the reuse system, enabling parameter measurement and control without physical access to individual cells, thus maintaining the integrity and certification of the battery pack
3Reliability
If traditional BMS is used in second life batteries, then battery monitoring continues, but the system cannot be repurposed for stationary energy storage applications
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adapts its operation mode based on the application requirements. For second life vehicles, it performs traditional monitoring functions. For stationary energy storage, it reconfigures to manage charge/discharge cycles, grid interaction, and load management, enabling multi-application versatility while maintaining monitoring reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit is designed with universal functionality that can serve both automotive applications (with BMS monitoring) and stationary energy storage applications (with grid management), allowing the same hardware to adapt to different use cases without requiring application-specific redesign
Data Source
AI summary
A device for enabling the reuse of a complete battery pack for electric vehicles (EV) is disclosed. The device allows reuse of a battery pack at a significantly lower cost than alternative methods that require the battery pack to be opened, batteries to be taken out and installed in a new pack with a new battery monitoring system (BMS), and undergoing certification as a new system. The disclosed device includes a controller having a software program operating therein and which is electrically coupled to a battery pack and provides electrical input and output signals to the BMS of the EV battery, which relate to optimal operating parameters of the battery pack including depth of discharge (DoD), depth of charge (DoC), charge rate, and temperature. The controller enables reuse of the complete battery pack without reopening and mimics electrical signaling compared to a car or other electric vehicles.