EV Battery Management via Relay Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery management systems for electric vehicles face inefficiencies in charging and power distribution due to the need for all battery units to be at the same charge level in parallel circuits or to drain together in series circuits, leading to wasted charge and reduced vehicle range.
Innovation Solution
A computer-controlled electric circuit with relay switches that selectively engages and disengages battery units based on charge levels and serial numbers to form a series connection, allowing for iterative replacement and charging of only the necessary units, thereby optimizing power distribution and reducing waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If all battery units form a parallel circuit to maintain same charge level, then charging management is simplified, but all batteries must be charged simultaneously causing inconvenience and wasted charge losses
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is segmented into multiple independent battery units, each with individual charge level monitoring and control. This allows selective charging of specific units based on their charge levels, rather than charging all units simultaneously, thereby reducing energy waste and improving charging flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit configuration dynamically switches between parallel and series connections based on operational needs and charge levels. The system adapts its configuration in real-time, allowing batteries to be charged independently when in parallel mode and discharged together when in series mode, optimizing both ease of operation and energy efficiency.
2Power
If all battery units form a series circuit to drain together, then power delivery is optimized, but all batteries must be charged at the same time causing great inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is divided into independently controllable units that can be managed separately. This segmentation enables selective charging of individual units or subsets of units, allowing charging operations to be performed at different times rather than requiring simultaneous charging of all units, thus reducing time loss and inconvenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic switching between charging and discharging cycles for different battery units. While some units are discharged in series to provide power, other units can be charged independently, creating a periodic action pattern that optimizes both power delivery and charging efficiency over time.
3Duration of action of moving object
If battery swapping is used to overcome charge depletion, then continuous operation is maintained, but there are wasted charge losses and loss of potential range after swapping
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary charging of battery units independently before they are needed for operation. By maintaining a pool of pre-charged battery units with different charge levels, the system can swap units proactively rather than reactively, avoiding the energy losses associated with emergency swapping and ensuring continuous operation without waste.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding partially charged batteries during swapping, the system recovers and retains these units for future use. The multi-level charge management system ensures that batteries at various charge levels are preserved and reused, maximizing the potential range and reducing energy waste from discarded charge capacity.
4Length of moving object
If multiple battery units are used to extend vehicle range, then driving distance is increased, but charging infrastructure requirements increase and charging becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses partial charging actions on subsets of battery units rather than requiring full charging of all units simultaneously. This partial action approach extends vehicle range through multiple smaller charging operations, reducing the immediate demand on charging infrastructure while maintaining extended range capability through cumulative charge capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a method and system for managing the usage of a plurality of battery units (102a-102n) to power an electric vehicle using a computer-controlled electric circuit (110). To start with, a computer (104) selects two or more battery units from a plurality of battery units to form a series connection as the initial set of battery units to power the electric vehicle. The computer (104) then identifies one or more battery units from the initial set of battery units to be replaced based on a pre-determined discharge level, a malfunction or a disconnection of the one or more battery units. The computer (104) then identifies one or more replacement battery units and hands over energy flow from the one or more battery units to be replaced to the one or more replacement battery units by controlling a plurality of relay switches (112a-112n) in an iterative/recursive manner.