Hardware short circuit protection in a large battery pack
US11489343B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 30, 2022 |
| Grant date | Nov 1, 2022 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 30, 2042 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02J2207/20
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Systems and methods are described for managing charging and discharging of battery packs. In one or more aspects, a system and method are provided to minimize overcharging of battery cells of specific battery chemistries while still enabling fast charging cycles. In other aspects, a buck converter may be used to reduce a voltage of power used to charge the cells. In further aspects, a fast overcurrent protection circuit is described to address situations involving internal short circuits of a battery cell or battery pack. In yet further aspects, a bypass circuit is provided in series-connected battery packs to improve the charging of undercharged battery packs while also increasing the efficiency of the overall charging process. In other aspects, a circuit is provided that permits a controller to determine a configuration of battery packs. In yet further aspects, a system may determine a discharge current for a collection of battery packs based on each battery pack's state of health (SOH) and forward that determination to an external device.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.