Fuel Gauge Data Transfer for Battery Pack Repurposing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The unpredictable lifespan of backup battery units (BBUs) in datacenters due to varying degradation rates from usage and environmental factors leads to inefficiencies and waste, as even when BBUs reach the end of their service life, significant charge capacity remains, necessitating better management and repurposing strategies.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system with fuel gauges to monitor and rerate BBU capacity, allowing for the repurposing or reconfiguration of battery packs by transferring fuel gauge data to new battery packs, thereby extending the life of battery cells and reducing waste by utilizing remaining capacity for alternative applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If BBUs are removed from use only when they approach the end of their useful service life based on fuel gauge forecasting, then waste is reduced, but device complexity increases due to the need for monitoring and forecasting systems
Solution Approach 1:
The BBU performs self-diagnosis and self-assessment of its remaining useful life through integrated fuel gauges and controllers that continuously monitor its own health parameters, eliminating the need for external complex monitoring infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel gauge system continuously monitors BBU parameters (voltage, current, temperature, charge cycles) and provides feedback to predict remaining useful life, enabling data-driven decisions about when to retire or repurpose battery units
2Productivity
If battery packs are repurposed after reaching end-of-service life, then resource utilization is improved, but reliability may deteriorate due to increased age and degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the operational parameters of repurposed BBUs by adjusting charge/discharge rates, voltage thresholds, and temperature limits based on the battery's remaining capacity and health state, allowing safe operation in less demanding applications
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the battery pack are assessed individually, and cells with varying degradation levels are sorted into different repurposing categories, ensuring that each battery is assigned to an application matching its specific remaining capabilities
3Duration of action of moving object
If fuel gauge data is transferred to new battery packs, then the life of battery cells is extended, but loss of information may occur during the transfer process
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel gauge data and health parameters are copied from the original BBU controller to the new battery pack's controller, creating a digital twin that tracks the transferred battery cells' history and current state without physical damage to the cells themselves
4Productivity
If BBUs are monitored continuously for health and capacity forecasting, then productivity is improved through better resource management, but use of energy increases due to continuous monitoring operations
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of truly continuous monitoring, the system uses periodic sampling of battery parameters at strategically selected intervals, reducing computational load and energy consumption while maintaining accurate predictions of remaining useful life
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for rerating a battery pack based on fuel gauge data are described, including capturing operational or fuel gauge data for a first battery pack that contains a plurality of battery cells, and determining, based on the fuel gauge data, a remaining capacity of the first battery pack. When the remaining capacity of the first battery pack falls below the minimum capacity; a new battery pack can be configured using some or all of the battery cells, and a second fuel gauge can be configured with new initial capacity and minimum capacity ratings.