Abstract:
Methods and systems are provided that determine a voltage of a cell of a battery pack of a vehicle. A sensor is configured to measure a preliminary value of the voltage of the cell while the battery pack is being balanced. A processor is coupled to the sensor, and is configured to determine an offset from balancing of the battery pack, and calculate an adjusted value of the voltage of the cell using the preliminary value and the offset.
Abstract:
A system and method is provided for estimating the capacity of a battery element in a vehicle, such as a hybrid electric vehicle. In one embodiment, the method determines if one or more threshold conditions have been met (e.g., conditions pertaining to battery temperature or battery state-of-charge (SOC)) and calculates the internal resistance of the battery element. When the threshold conditions have been met, the method uses the calculated internal resistance to estimate the capacity of the battery element. A corresponding battery system is also provided that includes a battery element, one or more battery sensors, and a control module configured to perform the method described above.
Abstract:
Tandem charging for electric vehicles (EVs) electrically interconnected with each other. The tandem charging may include determining a plurality of EVs requesting to be charged with electrical power available from a charging station, determining charging parameters for the EVs, scheduling charging of the EVs according to the charging parameters, and/or authorizing a pecuniary charge to billing accounts of the EVs in recompense for the charging.
Abstract:
Preemptively charging rechargeable energy storage systems (RESSs) in advance of an electrical grid outage. The preemptive charging may include generating a weather map of a geographical area anticipated to be impacted with a storm or a natural event of a severity predicted to induce a power outage, which may include generating a distribution map of an electrical power distribution network within the geographical area, generating an outage map by overlaying the weather map relative to the distribution map to identify one or more intersections where the power outage is predicted, and scheduling or otherwise implementing preemptively charging of one or more the RESSs downstream of the intersections in advance of the power outage.
Abstract:
A preemptive optimization of a power distribution event associated with providing an electrical power from a battery onboard a vehicle to a charging station offboard the vehicle. The preemptive optimization may include preemptively charging the battery in advance of the power distribution event and/or preemptively configuring the vehicle and the battery, such as with establishment of standby session, to provide electrical power from the battery to the charging station without providing the electrical power to the charging station until the charging station thereafter experiences an outage, interrupt, etc.
Abstract:
System and methods for balancing a vehicle battery system are presented. In certain embodiments, a method for balancing a vehicle battery system including a plurality of sections may include calculating a plurality of quanta of energy required for each of the plurality of sections to reaching a balancing point. Based at least in part on the calculated plural of quanta of energy, it may be determined that the plurality of sections of the battery system are unbalanced. To balance the battery system, a balancing system may be selectively actuated to change the amounts of energy stored in one or more of the plurality of cells such that the plurality of quanta of energy are within a particular range.
Abstract:
A method for estimating the voltage of a battery element of a vehicle battery system is provided. The method comprises providing a balancing/sensing circuit having a series combination of a balancing switch and a balancing resistive element electrically connected in parallel with the battery element, and measuring the voltage across the combination of the balancing switch and balancing resistive element when the balancing switch is presumed to be in a “closed” state. The method further comprises deriving a compensated value for the measured voltage using empirically-derived data, wherein the compensated value compensates for a voltage drop occurring in the balancing/sensing circuit when the balancing switch is in the “closed” state and represents an estimate of the voltage of the battery element. A battery system is also provided that includes a battery element, a balancing/sensing circuit, a sensor, and a control module configured to perform the method described above.
Abstract:
A system and method is provided for estimating the capacity of a battery element in a vehicle, such as a hybrid electric vehicle. In one embodiment, the method determines if one or more threshold conditions have been met (e.g., conditions pertaining to battery temperature or battery state-of-charge (SOC)) and calculates the internal resistance of the battery element. When the threshold conditions have been met, the method uses the calculated internal resistance to estimate the capacity of the battery element. A corresponding battery system is also provided that includes a battery element, one or more battery sensors, and a control module configured to perform the method described above.