Non-Programmable Battery Control Device for Cost Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery pack control systems for electric and hybrid vehicles are complex and costly, particularly due to the high cost and complexity of processing units and control elements, with existing solutions failing to adequately address the need for simplification and cost reduction without compromising performance or reliability, especially for class A and B battery packs.
Innovation Solution
An electronic control device with a non-programmable monitoring and actuation unit, connected via a two-way serial communication interface, that interacts with a remote control unit to monitor and control battery parameters without a microprocessor, using supervision modules to manage battery cells and perform functions like equalization, and utilizing existing vehicle communication infrastructure for power-line communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a microprocessor-based processing unit is integrated in the battery pack for monitoring and control, then the battery pack can perform sophisticated monitoring and control functions, but the cost and complexity of the control system increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the microprocessor-based processing unit from the battery pack and relocates it to a remote control unit. The battery pack retains only simple supervision modules that monitor cell parameters and communicate with the remote unit, thereby eliminating the complexity of integrating a full processing system within the battery pack while maintaining all necessary monitoring and control functions externally.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a two-way serial communication interface as an intermediary between the supervision modules in the battery pack and the remote control unit. This communication interface enables the simple supervision modules to transmit monitoring data and receive control commands without requiring complex processing capabilities within the battery pack itself, effectively mediating between the sensing elements and the intelligent control unit.
2Measurement precision
If multiple control elements are added to monitor and control individual battery cells, then the monitoring precision and control accuracy improve, but the number of components and wiring complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements supervision modules that can monitor multiple battery cell parameters (voltage, temperature, current) using the same hardware components. The serial communication interface serves multiple functions by transmitting both monitoring data and control commands bidirectionally, eliminating the need for separate dedicated circuits for each function and reducing overall wiring complexity while maintaining comprehensive monitoring capability.
3Productivity
If a full BMS control system with processing unit is integrated in the battery pack, then all control functions can be executed locally, but the cost of the battery pack increases due to the expensive processing unit and control elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the expensive microprocessor-based processing unit from the battery pack and places it in a remote control unit. This extraction eliminates the need to manufacture and install complex electronic assemblies within the battery pack, significantly reducing manufacturing costs while preserving all control functions in the remote unit that can communicate with the battery pack through simple supervision modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The supervision modules in the battery pack are designed to autonomously monitor cell parameters and transmit data without requiring complex local processing. They perform self-service monitoring functions using simple circuitry, while the remote control unit handles all complex decision-making and control execution, thereby reducing the need for expensive components within the battery pack itself.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
An electronic control device 1 for controlling a vehicle battery pack 50 is described. The device 1 may be used to control a vehicle battery pack 50 adapted to supply a battery voltage Vb and a battery current Ib through a plurality of battery cells C. The device 1 is adapted to interact with a remote control unit 60 external to the battery pack 50. The device 1 comprises a non-programmable monitoring and actuation unit 2 and a two-way serial communication interface 3. The non-programmable monitoring and actuation unit 2 is electrically and operatively connectable to the battery pack 50 and to each of the battery cells C to detect analogue battery parameters P, comprising at least the magnitudes of battery voltage Vb and battery current Ib, in addition to temperature (Tc1, Tcn), current (Ic1, Icn) and voltage (Vc1, Vcn) of each battery cell C. The non-programmable monitoring and actuation unit 2 is further configured to generate monitoring signals Sm representative of the detected analog battery parameters P, to receive at least one command signal Sc representative of at least one respective operation command CM of the battery pack 50, and to activate such at least one command CM. The two-way serial communication interface 3 is connected to the non-programmable monitoring and actuation unit 2 to receive the aforesaid monitoring signals Sm and to supply the aforesaid at least one command signal Sc. The two-way serial communication interface 3 is further connectable to an external two-way serial communication line LS to send the monitoring signals Sm to the remote control unit 60 and to receive the at least one command signal Sc from the remote control unit, through the aforesaid two-way serial communication line LS.