ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING AND PERFORMING DIAGNOSTICS ON BATTERIES
A battery monitor circuit, systems and methods are disclosed. The battery monitor circuit may comprise a voltage sensor, a temperature sensor, a processor for receiving a monitored voltage signal from the voltage sensor, for receiving a monitored temperature signal from the temperature sensor, and for generating voltage data and temperature data based on the monitored voltage signal and the monitored temperature signal, an antenna, and a transmitter. The battery monitor circuit may be configured for wirelessly communicating the voltage data and the temperature data to a remote device, via the antenna. In an exemplary embodiment, the battery monitor circuit is configured to be located external to the battery and wired electrically to the battery.
1 . A battery monitor circuit for monitoring a battery, the battery monitor circuit located external to the battery and wired electrically to the battery, the battery monitor circuit comprising:
a voltage sensor for connecting electrically to the battery for monitoring a voltage between a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the battery, wherein the battery comprises a single monobloc or a plurality of monoblocs that are electrically connected in series or parallel, and wherein each monobloc comprises at least one electrochemical cell;
a temperature sensor for monitoring a temperature of the battery;
a processor for receiving a monitored voltage signal from the voltage sensor, for receiving a monitored temperature signal from the temperature sensor, for processing the monitored voltage signal and the monitored temperature signal, and for generating voltage data and temperature data based on the monitored voltage signal and the monitored temperature signal;
a memory for storing the voltage data and the temperature data, wherein the voltage data represents the voltage between the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the battery, and wherein the temperature data represents a temperature of the battery;
an antenna; and
a transmitter for wirelessly communicating the voltage data and the temperature data to a remote device via the antenna.
2 . The battery monitor circuit of claim 1 , wherein the at least one lead-acid electrochemical cell is configured as at least one of a flooded (vented) type of design, an absorbent glass mat (AGM) type of design, or a gel type of design.
3 . The battery monitor circuit of claim 1 , wherein the battery monitor circuit further comprises a geo-location device for identifying a location of the battery, and representing the location of the battery with battery location data.
4 . The battery monitor circuit of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to analyze the voltage data and the temperature data and generate information derived from the voltage data and the temperature data.
5 . The battery monitor circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage sensor is electrically connected to the battery by connecting a first lead from the battery monitor circuit to the positive terminal and a second lead from the battery monitor circuit to the negative terminal.
6 . The battery monitor circuit of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is located to sense a temperature of the battery at a location external to the battery.
7 . The battery monitor circuit of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter comprises at least one of a WiFi transmitter, a Bluetooth transmitter, or a cellular radio modem.
8 . The battery monitor circuit of claim 1 , wherein the memory contains operating history of the battery in a battery operating history matrix, and wherein the battery operating history matrix comprises:
a plurality of columns, each column representing a voltage range of the battery; and
a plurality of rows, each row representing a temperature range of the battery, wherein a numerical value in a cell of the battery operating history matrix represents a cumulative amount of time that the battery has been in a particular state corresponding to the voltage range and the temperature range for that cell.
9 . The battery monitor circuit of claim 8 , wherein, during operation of the battery monitor circuit, the memory stores information corresponding to the cumulative amount of time that the battery is in each of the plurality of states represented by the battery operating history matrix over a time period for which the battery monitor circuit is electrically connected to the battery, thereby characterizing the entire connected life of the battery, without increasing the storage space in the memory occupied by the battery operating history matrix.
10 . The battery monitor circuit of claim 9 , wherein the remote device further comprises a remote display system, remote from the battery, for displaying a location history and a battery operation history of the battery.
11 . The battery monitor circuit of claim 1 , wherein the remote device further comprises a display system remote from the battery, and wherein the display system provides notification of possible theft of the battery (i) when the battery monitor circuit ceases to communicate the voltage data and the temperature data when expected, or (ii) when the battery monitor circuit indicates, via wireless transmission to the remote device, that the battery has traveled outside a predetermined geo-fenced area.
12 . An intelligent energy storage system, comprising:
a plurality of batteries, each battery electrically connected to a respective battery monitor circuit disposed externally to the battery, wherein a first portion of the plurality of batteries are remotely dispersed from a second portion of the plurality of batteries, and wherein the plurality of batteries are associated with at least one remote device for remotely receiving, via wireless data transmission, voltage data and temperature data from each of the plurality of batteries; and
a remote display for receiving data, information, and notifications from the remote device and for providing notifications associated with the plurality of batteries based on analysis of the voltage data and the temperature data received by the remote device from the first portion of the plurality of batteries and the second portion of the plurality of batteries.
13 . A method of remotely monitoring a battery, the method comprising:
sensing, using a battery monitor circuit disposed externally to the battery and coupled to a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the battery, a voltage of the battery with a voltage sensor;
recording the voltage and a timestamp for the voltage in a storage medium of the battery monitor circuit;
sensing, via a temperature sensor of the battery monitor circuit, a temperature of the battery;
recording the temperature and a timestamp for the temperature in the storage medium;
generating, using a processor of the battery monitor circuit, voltage data and temperature data based on the recorded voltage and the recorded temperature; and
wirelessly transmitting, using a transceiver of the battery monitor circuit, the voltage data, the temperature data, the voltage timestamp, and the temperature timestamp recorded in the storage medium (collectively, “battery operating data”) to a remote device.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising utilizing, by the remote device, the battery operating data to assess or predict a condition of the battery.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the battery monitor circuit does not comprise a current sensor, and wherein the utilizing the battery operating data does not include utilizing current information for the battery.
16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising generating, by the processor and in the storage medium, a battery operating history matrix representing the condition of the battery over a period of time that the battery monitor circuit is connected to the battery.
17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
recording, by the battery monitor circuit, position information for the battery as part of the battery operating data; and
wirelessly transmitting the position information to the remote device.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the remote device is configured to detect possible theft of the battery based on (i) cessation of receiving the battery operating data when it is expected, or (ii) the battery location monitored by the battery monitor circuit indicates via wireless transmission to the remote device that the battery has traveled outside a predetermined geo-fence.
19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving battery operating data, at the remote device, from a plurality of batteries; and
storing, at the remote device, battery operating data for each of the plurality of batteries.
20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
evaluating, based on the battery operating data for each of the plurality of batteries, a condition of a battery of the plurality of batteries; and
responsive to the evaluating, taking action comprising at least one of: replacing the battery with a new battery, replacing the battery with another of the plurality of batteries, charging the battery, or discharging the battery.