Software-Configurable Battery Management System for Flexible Cell Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery monitoring systems lack flexibility in adapting to varying numbers of cells in a stack, requiring cumbersome hardware modifications and customizations, which is inefficient and costly, especially in applications like aerospace and electric vehicles where safety and reliability are paramount.
Innovation Solution
A software-configurable battery management system that uses a multiplexer, analog-to-digital converter, and processor to dynamically determine the location of the highest voltage in a battery stack, allowing for flexible connection to any number of cells without the need for custom boards or hardware modifications, by measuring individual cell voltages and comparing them to detect faults and determine the presence of a bus bar.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional battery monitoring systems use dedicated PCBs with fixed voltage sensing pins for different battery stack configurations, then the system can monitor battery voltage accurately, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase due to needing multiple custom PCB designs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal PCB design with a single voltage sensing pin that can monitor any battery stack configuration (8, 10, 12, 14 cells) through software configuration. The multiplexer dynamically connects the sensing pin to different cell positions based on the detected stack height, eliminating the need for multiple dedicated PCB designs while maintaining monitoring accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a multiplexer that can dynamically switch the voltage sensing pin's connection to different cell positions in the stack. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the same hardware to adapt to varying battery stack heights, transforming a static fixed-pin design into a flexible adaptive system.
2Reliability
If custom PCBs and harnesses are designed for specific cell numbers, then the monitoring system fits the battery configuration precisely, but the ease of manufacture and adaptability decrease due to customization requirements
Solution Approach 1:
A single universal PCB design replaces multiple custom PCB variants. The board can accommodate any battery stack configuration through software detection and multiplexer configuration, eliminating custom manufacturing requirements while maintaining reliable monitoring fit for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (multiplexer switch positions, ADC channel selections, voltage division ratios) based on detected battery stack height. This allows one PCB design to adapt to different configurations through parameter reconfiguration rather than physical customization.
3Measurement precision
If the voltage sensing pin is manually configured according to the number of cells, then the top voltage location is accurately identified, but the ease of operation and time consumption increase due to manual configuration steps
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the battery stack height during initialization, automatically determining the correct voltage sensing position before operation begins. This eliminates manual configuration steps while ensuring accurate top voltage location identification through pre-computed multiplexer settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system automatically detects its own operational parameters by measuring battery stack height and self-configuring the multiplexer and ADC settings. The system serves itself by eliminating the need for external manual configuration, reducing operation time and potential errors.
4Device complexity
If distributed monitoring circuits with fixed channels are used, then the wiring complexity is reduced for specific configurations, but the adaptability to varying cell numbers decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring circuit uses a universal design with a multiplexer that can route voltage sensing to any cell position in the stack. This maintains simple wiring architecture while providing adaptability to different cell configurations through software-controlled multiplexer switching rather than physical reconfiguration.
Data Source
AI summary
Software-configurable battery monitoring and management systems and methods provide flexibility in selecting the location where the highest voltage in a block of cells is sensed so as to support control boards to connect to any number of cells. In certain embodiments, battery management is accomplished by measuring cell voltages in a block of cells in a battery stack, determining whether the battery stack comprises a bus bar, determining a sum of the individual cell voltages, and comparing the voltage at the top of a battery stack, including any bus bar, to the sum of the individual cell voltages to obtain a comparison result that may be used to perform a diagnostic procedure.