IP Library Granted Patent US 9,840,161
Granted Patent B2
US 9,840,161 · App. 15/066,581 · Granted Dec 12, 2017

Circuit and method for detection of battery cell degradation events

Inventors: Satish B. Chikkannanavar (Canton, MI); Joseph F. Freiman (Walled Lake, MI); Yonghua Li (Ann Arbor, MI); Benjamin A. Tabatowski-Bush (South Lyon, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B60L11/1861H02J7/0029H02J7/0047H02J2007/0037H02J2007/0049
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,840,161
App. No.
15/066,581
Granted
Dec 12, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A battery management system for a vehicle includes a controller configured to, in response to a rate of change of voltage during discharge of a battery cell exceeding a first threshold more than a predetermined number of times over a predefined duration, output an error signal, and in response to the rate of change exceeding a second threshold greater than the first, output the error signal.

Claims (23)

1. A battery management system for a vehicle comprising:

a controller configured to, in response to a rate of change of voltage during discharge of a battery cell exceeding a first threshold more than a predetermined number of times over a predefined duration, output an error signal, and in response to the rate of change exceeding a second threshold greater than the first, output the error signal.

2. The battery management system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to a capacity of the battery cell transitioning to a value that is less than a predetermined percentage of a beginning of life capacity of the battery cell, output the error signal.

3. The battery management system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to outputting the error signal, display an alert to a vehicle operator.

4. The battery management system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to outputting the error signal, transmit the signal to a diagnostic module.

5. The battery management system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to outputting the error signal, bypass a battery cell.

6. The battery management system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to outputting the error signal, discharge a battery cell associated with the rate of change of voltage.

7. The battery management system of claim 1 , wherein the rate of change of voltage is associated with a rate of change of current flow to the battery cell.

8. The battery management system of claim 1 , wherein the rate of change of voltage is associated with a rate of change of charge of the battery cell or a rate of change in state of charge of the battery cell.

9. A vehicle battery management system comprising:

a controller configured to, in response to a rate of change of voltage of a battery cell exceeding a first threshold while partially discharging the battery cell during a recharge event, or in response to a number of instances in which the rate of change exceeds a second threshold that is less than the first threshold exceeding a count threshold, output an error signal.

10. The vehicle battery management system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to outputting the error signal, bypass the battery cell.

11. The vehicle battery management system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to outputting the error signal, discharge the battery cell associated with the rate of change of voltage.

12. The vehicle battery management system of claim 9 , wherein the rate of change of voltage is associated with a rate of change of current flowing from the battery cell.

13. The vehicle battery management system of claim 9 , wherein the rate of change of voltage is associated with a rate of change of state of charge of the battery cell.

14. The vehicle battery management system of claim 9 , wherein the rate of change of voltage is associated with a rate of change of time.

15. The vehicle battery management system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to a capacity of the battery cell dropping below a predetermined percentage of a beginning of life capacity of the battery cell, output the error signal.

16. A method of operating a battery pack for a vehicle comprising:

discharging a battery cell when the battery cell exceeds a state of charge threshold; and

in response to a rate of change of voltage of the battery cell exceeding a first threshold more than a predetermined number of times during a predefined discharge duration, or the rate of change exceeding a second threshold greater than the first threshold, outputting a fault signal.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein discharging the battery cell is flowing an electric charge from the battery cell to a test load, wherein the electric charge is less than 1% of a maximum state of charge capacity of the battery cell.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising draining charge from the battery cell to less than 10% of a maximum state of charge capacity of the battery cell in response to outputting the fault signal.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising bypassing the battery cell in response to outputting the fault signal.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2016
From: CHIKKANNANAVAR, SATISH B.; FREIMAN, JOSEPH F.; LI, YONGHUA; TABATOWSKI-BUSH, BENJAMIN A.
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 037952/0870 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170259687A1 · Sep 14, 2017