Battery Pack Charge Timing Using SOC and Pack Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for charging and discharging battery-powered vehicles face challenges in accurately predicting the time required to reach target voltage or energy levels, leading to inefficiencies in scheduling and asset usage due to factors like battery architecture, charge state, and power source capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A charge transfer timing system that determines the time required to charge or discharge battery packs by analyzing current state of charge, pack configuration, and charge capability, using a controller with processors to calculate and adjust charging times, and optionally reevaluate and notify clients of updates to ensure precise scheduling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If extended charging time is used to reach target voltage or energy level, then battery charge completeness is improved, but system availability for productive use deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculations of charge time based on battery architecture, configuration, current state of charge, and power source capability before charging begins. This allows advance planning of trip schedules and crew schedules, enabling efficient asset usage by knowing when the system will be available for productive use.
2Productivity
If charging time is reduced to improve system availability, then productivity is improved, but charge completeness and reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts charging parameters and provides real-time updates on charge status and time to completion. The controller monitors battery state of charge, pack configuration, and power source capability during charging, allowing flexible scheduling decisions while ensuring charge completeness is achieved.
3Measurement precision
If multiple factors are considered for accurate charge time prediction, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs multiple functions: it determines battery pack architecture, identifies pack configuration, monitors state of charge, calculates charge time, and provides scheduling information. By consolidating these functions in a single controller, the system achieves high measurement precision for charge time prediction without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A charge transfer timing system and method include determining a charge capability of one or more power sources configured to supply charging power to multiple battery packs of a powered system. The system and method include calculating a time required to charge the battery packs to at least one of a target voltage or a target energy level. The time that is calculated may be based at least in part on a current state of charge (SOC) of the battery packs, a pack configuration of the battery packs, and the charge capability.