Parallel Battery Current Control for Temperature-Limited Runtime
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing power supply systems with battery units connected in parallel face inefficiencies in operating stored power due to premature shutdown by protection circuits, especially when temperature increases, leading to suboptimal utilization of battery capacity.
Innovation Solution
A power supply device with multiple battery units connected in parallel, equipped with temperature sensors and a controller that adjusts output currents based on measured temperatures to extend the sustainable output time by reducing current from units with higher temperatures and increasing it from units with lower temperatures, ensuring balanced load distribution and efficient power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the battery unit includes a protection circuit that stops output in accordance with an increase in temperature, then the safety and reliability of the battery unit is improved, but the output sustainable time is reduced because the protection circuit may stop output prematurely even when stored power is available
Solution Approach 1:
The control device identifies and isolates the specific battery unit with abnormally high temperature from the group, applying different control strategies to different units. The high-temperature unit's output is restricted locally while other normal units continue to supply power, preventing system-wide shutdown and extending overall output sustainable time.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device dynamically adjusts the output current parameters of battery units based on real-time temperature measurements. When a battery unit's temperature exceeds the threshold, the control device changes its output parameter from normal operation mode to restricted mode, thereby preventing premature shutdown while maintaining safety.
2Productivity
If all battery units operate in parallel without individual temperature-based control, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity decreases because the system cannot efficiently utilize stored power from all units
Solution Approach 1:
The control device implements a feedback mechanism where temperature sensors continuously monitor each battery unit's temperature, and the control device adjusts output currents based on this feedback. This closed-loop control ensures efficient power utilization while maintaining manageable system complexity through standardized control logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device segments the battery system into individually controllable units, each monitored by temperature sensors. This segmentation allows the system to optimize power output from each unit based on its specific temperature condition, improving overall productivity while keeping control complexity localized to each unit's management.
3Loss of energy
If the output current from battery units is not adjusted based on temperature, then the ease of operation is improved, but the loss of energy increases because stored power cannot be efficiently utilized
Solution Approach 1:
The battery units essentially self-regulate their output based on temperature conditions through the control device's automated management. The system automatically identifies which units should restrict output and which should maintain normal output, eliminating the need for manual intervention while maximizing stored power utilization.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables efficient operation of stored power by preventing premature shutdowns, extending the output sustainable time, and maintaining balanced current distribution across battery units, thereby optimizing power supply efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of temperature sensors to measure temperatures of the plurality of battery units
Implementation Method 2
a controller to control output currents from the plurality of battery units... perform control to decrease the output current from one of the plurality of battery units
Data Source
AI summary
A power supply device includes battery units connected in parallel and each including a secondary battery, temperature sensors to measure temperatures of the battery units, and a controller to control output currents from the battery units. The controller is configured or programmed to calculate, based on measurement results from the temperature sensors, output sustainable times during which the output currents are able to be output due to charge stored in the secondary batteries, and to perform control to decrease the output current from one of the battery units with a shortest output sustainable time.