Smart Battery Management System for Single Cell Charging and Discharging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery management systems face inefficiencies in charging and discharging lithium battery cells connected in series, leading to inconsistent voltage and internal resistance, which can result in reduced battery lifetime and safety risks, including the potential for explosions, as they fail to effectively manage single cell charging and discharging efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A safety-critical smart battery management system that allows for single cell charging and discharging, featuring a battery connection module with pins that connect cells in series-parallel configurations, a monitoring control unit to measure cell states, and a smart battery charging/discharging module that automatically disconnects when a load is shut down, preventing self-discharge and ensuring safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If battery cells are connected in series to increase voltage for driving hybrid electric vehicles, then the required voltage (up to 450V) is achieved, but inconsistency in voltage, electric amount and internal resistance among separate cells occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into multiple independent battery modules, each module containing series-connected cells. This segmentation allows individual monitoring and management of each module's voltage and internal resistance, enabling the system to maintain overall consistency while achieving high voltage through proper module configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates monitoring devices that continuously measure voltage, current, and temperature of each battery cell and module. This feedback mechanism enables real-time detection of inconsistencies and triggers balancing operations or protective measures to maintain voltage and internal resistance consistency across all cells.
2Productivity
If individual cells are monitored and charged separately to improve charging efficiency and lifetime, then charging efficiency and cell lifetime are enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery management system is designed with universal modules that can handle multiple functions: monitoring, charging, discharging, and balancing. Each battery module contains integrated circuitry that performs all necessary functions independently, reducing overall system complexity while enabling individual cell management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a hierarchical structure where individual cell monitoring is nested within module-level management, which is in turn nested within pack-level control. This nested architecture allows efficient individual cell charging while avoiding the complexity of a fully distributed control system.
3Strength
If battery cells are electrically welded through connection sheets to form battery packs, then the battery pack structure is created, but the ability to separately charge individual cells is lost
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of welding all cells into a single interconnected pack, the system segments cells into modular groups with defined connection points. Each module maintains electrical connections for structural integrity while providing accessible terminals that enable individual or selective charging of specific modules or cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces intelligent battery management circuits as intermediaries between the physical battery cells and the charging source. These circuits enable selective connection and disconnection of individual cells or modules during charging, providing single-cell charging capability while maintaining the welded structural integrity of the battery pack.
4Speed
If the battery system remains connected to the load during shut-down state, then the load can be powered up quickly, but self-discharge occurs causing safety issues and reduced lifetime
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary disconnection of the battery from the load during shut-down states, isolating the cells to prevent self-discharge and safety issues. Quick-power-up capability is achieved through preliminary charging maintenance and rapid reconnection mechanisms that restore power faster than the self-discharge can cause harm.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery management system continuously monitors the operational state and automatically controls connection and disconnection based on real-time feedback. When shutdown is detected, the system disconnects to prevent self-discharge; when power-up is required, it rapidly reconnects, optimizing both safety and power-up speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A safety-critical smart battery management system with the capability of charging single battery cells and discharging battery pack, which comprises smart battery pack, a smart battery charging module and a smart battery discharging module. In the smart battery pack, many cells in a battery group are charged separately at a time. The smart battery discharging module is used to discharge the smart battery pack, so as to achieve the efficacy of a promoted charging efficiency, an increased overall energy source efficiency, and a prolonged battery lifetime. The mechanism has plugging and automatic electric disconnection. Whenever a safety issue or a not-in-use state presents, the smart battery discharging module may be automatically separated with a load. The cells may be avoided from a self-discharging, which successively causes fire catching and thus an explosion and adversely affects a lifetime of the cells, thereby promoting a safety and reliability of the battery system.