Method for managing a network of storage batteries and power supply unit of an engine

1 . A method for managing a network of storage batteries for supplying electric current to an engine of an electrically propelled motor vehicle, said network comprising a first storage battery and at least a second storage battery connected in parallel, each storage battery being connected to the rest of the network via a relay which enables said storage battery to be isolated from every other storage battery, and which is controlled by a computer, said method comprising:

acquiring a state of charge for each storage battery;

determining, by the computer, a control setpoint for each relay based on the acquired states of charge; and

controlling said relays based on each determined control setpoint,

wherein:

in the acquiring, the computer acquires a value of a first parameter relating to a level of wear of each storage battery, the level of wear for each battery being different than the state of charge, and

in the determining, each control setpoint is determined based on said value of said first parameter.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the determining the control setpoint is implemented by the computer using an artificial neural network, by supplying to an input of said artificial neural network said states of charge, together with the value of the first acquired parameter, said control setpoint being obtained at an output of said artificial neural network.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

in the acquiring, the computer acquires a value of at least a second parameter chosen from among a voltage at terminals of each storage battery, a temperature of each storage battery, and a configuration of advance of the motor vehicle, and

in the determining, each control setpoint is determined based on the value of each second parameter.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein, the second parameter being the configuration of advance of the motor vehicle, when the configuration of advance of the motor vehicle corresponds to an acceleration phase of said motor vehicle, the control setpoint specifies a closure of the relay associated with the storage battery whose state of charge is highest and an opening of every other relay, provided that the first parameter indicates that the level of wear of the storage battery is lower than that of every other storage battery.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein, the second parameter being the configuration of advance of the motor vehicle, when the determined configuration of advance of the motor vehicle corresponds to a braking phase of said motor vehicle, the control setpoint specifies a closure of the relay associated with the storage battery whose determined state of charge is lowest and an opening of every other relay, provided that the first parameter indicates that the level of wear of the storage battery is lower than that of every other storage battery.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the control setpoint specifies a closure of the relays associated with two of the storage batteries simultaneously when the voltages at the terminals at the two of the storage batteries are substantially equal.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the level of wear is based upon an age of each storage battery.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the level of wear is based upon a number of charge and discharge cycles of each storage battery.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the level of wear is equal to 100% at a time when each battery is manufactured and decreases based on a period of use from the time when each battery is manufactured.

10 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising, after using the motor vehicle determining by the computer an instruction to charge, in an external power network, the storage battery whose determined state of charge is lowest, provided that the first parameter indicates that the level of wear of the storage battery is lower than that of every other storage battery.

11 . A power supply unit for an engine in a propelled motor vehicle, comprising:

first storage battery;

the second storage battery; and

a computer configured to implement the method as claimed in claim 1 .

12 . The power supply unit as claimed in claim 11 , wherein only one of the first and second storage batteries is connected to a DC converter.

13 . The power supply unit as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second storage batteries is connected to a separate DC converter.

14 . The power supply unit as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second storage batteries is connected to a single DC converter.