DE102012015522A1 - Method for storing and providing battery units of system, involves providing demand information which indicates number of required battery units and their desired charge states for one or more provision time points - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves providing a demand information which indicates the number of required battery units (3) and their desired charge states for one or more provision time point. One or more battery units are selected, so that each of the selected battery unit is brought within a period up to the assigned provision time point from its current charge state to the desired charge state. A charging of each of the selected battery unit is initiated, so that they are charged to the desired provision time point to the desired charge state. Independent claims are included for the following: (1) a battery storage- and logistics system for storing and providing battery units; and (2) a computer program product comprising a program code for executing the battery unit storing and providing method.

Description

Technical area

The invention relates to rechargeable battery units and in particular possibilities for optimal storage and provision of battery units.

State of the art

Battery units for use in traction applications, such as high-voltage battery systems with lithium-ion cells for use in electric or hybrid vehicles, in addition to the energy-storing battery cells also have a battery management system. The battery management system performs system management tasks and forms the communication interface to the vehicle as part of vehicle integration.

As a rule, the battery management system is passive and requires an external activation for activation in accordance with the function in the vehicle. After activation, information about charge states of the individual cells and other system states, such as cell voltages, temperature and the like can be read out.

From the publication DE 10 2009 035 472 A1 a device for reading a state of charge of a battery is known in which a battery can transmit a detected state of charge wirelessly to a reader. By reading the state of charge of the battery can be determined when a deep discharge threatens due to the inevitable self-discharge, so that measures can be taken to recharge the battery as soon as possible.

From the publication DE 10 2008 026 145 A1 a method for energy management in a vehicle electrical system of a vehicle is known. In this case, a state of charge is determined before connecting the vehicle battery to the electrical system of the vehicle and transmitted to a control unit for managing an energy supply of the vehicle battery in the vehicle.

From the publication EP 2 073 030 A1 For example, a sensor arrangement and a diagnostic method for the status recognition of a battery in a motor vehicle are known. In this case, a sensor arrangement is arranged in the vicinity of the pole terminals of the battery and values of the current, the voltage and / or the temperature are detected and stored in a memory module. Before a first mounting of the battery in the vehicle, a first voltage is determined by the sensor arrangement and on the basis of this voltage, the sensor arrangement can then perform a reliable determination of the state of charge of the battery.

From the publication US 2006/0038572 A1 For example, a method and apparatus for testing or charging a battery using an RFID tag to wirelessly read information from the battery is known. The device for testing or charging the battery is designed to cause a test or charging of the battery depending on the determined state of the battery.

From the publication DE 10 2007 021 921 A1 a device for monitoring an energy storage is known. It is provided to transmit energy storage-specific data via a wireless communication interface in order to identify the energy storage device and / or its operating state. Furthermore, a sensor device for detecting current operating data of the energy store and an evaluation device for determining properties of the energy store are provided on the basis of the measured operating data, which transmits the determined properties via a wireless communication interface to the identification device connected to the energy store.

The publication DE 10 2010 030 747 A1 discloses a battery system with a battery management unit that includes a plurality of detection devices and at least one evaluation device. The evaluation device consists of components of a fieldbus system. This achieves in particular that close monitoring of a single battery arrangement is possible in order to ensure that each battery cell is operated within an operating range (voltage range, temperature range, current limits). If a battery cell is outside these limits, it must be removed from the cell assembly. By providing the fieldbus system, the outlay for wiring the evaluation device can be significantly reduced, in particular in the case of several battery arrangements.

A disadvantage of the above battery management systems is that they can not be used for the optimal storage of multiple battery units and for the timely provision of one or more battery units.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a battery storage and logistics system with which it is possible to optimally store a plurality of battery units and, if necessary, to provide them with a predetermined state of charge.

Disclosure of the invention

This object is achieved by the method for storing and providing battery units according to claim 1 and by the battery storage and logistics system for storing a plurality of battery units and the computer program product according to the independent claims.

Further advantageous embodiments of the present invention are specified in the dependent claims.

• – Bereitstellen einer Bedarfsinformation, die für einen oder mehrere Bereitstellungszeitpunkte die Anzahl von benötigten Batterieeinheiten und deren gewünschte Ladezustände angibt;
• – Auswählen von einer oder mehreren Batterieeinheiten, so dass jede der ausgewählten Batterieeinheiten innerhalb eines Zeitraums bis zu dem jeweils zugeordneten Bereitstellungszeitpunkt von ihrem momentanen Ladezustand auf den jeweiligen gewünschten Ladezustand gebracht werden kann; und
• – Veranlassen eines Aufladens jeder der ausgewählten Batterieeinheiten, so dass diese zu den jeweiligen gewünschten Bereitstellungszeitpunkten auf den jeweils gewünschten Ladezustand aufgeladen sind.

According to a first aspect, a method for storing and providing battery units with rechargeable battery arrangements is provided, comprising the following steps:

• Providing a demand information indicating, for one or more delivery times, the number of battery units required and their desired charge states;
• Selecting one or more battery units so that each of the selected battery units can be brought from their current state of charge to the respective desired state of charge within a period of time until the respectively assigned provision time; and
• - causing a charging of each of the selected battery units so that they are charged to the respective desired state of charge at the respective desired delivery times.

One idea of the above method is to provide a battery storage and logistics system for storage and provision of battery packs, which communicates with battery management systems of a plurality of connected battery packs. This makes it possible to monitor even during storage of a battery unit whose current state, in particular charge state, and other parameters, and to provide a provision, in particular a loading and unloading, with respect to a predetermined objective.

It is possible by targeted charging of individual battery units to provide them at a certain predetermined time in fully charged state, without having to be maintained over a long period of time in a fully charged state, which would significantly affect their life.

Furthermore, the non-selected ones of the battery units can be discharged to a storage state, the storage state corresponding to a state in which battery cells of the battery assembly of the battery unit concerned have a voltage at which the life of the battery unit is optimized, in particular a predetermined discharge end voltage.

Furthermore, battery units that are added to the storage in the unloaded state, can be discharged in a suitable manner by the targeted removal of electrical energy and be made storable without affecting their service life.

In particular, those of the selected battery units may be discharged to the storage state where the time until the initiation of the charging initiated is larger than a predetermined period of time. Thus, for battery units that are to be stored for a long time, a low charge state to reduce degradation of the battery unit may be provided, so that the battery units are stored in a way that does not affect the life of the battery units.

According to an embodiment, the selection of the one or more battery units may be performed depending on the current charge states of the battery units, the desired charge states, the number of battery units, and the respective time periods until provision of the respective desired charge state.

It may be provided that at least for a predetermined period of time each battery unit to be provided according to the demand information is assigned to one of the battery units, wherein the assignment of the battery units is carried out such that the higher the charge state of the battery unit, the earlier provision time is selected according to the demand information ,

If the charge states of battery cells of a non-selected one of the battery units differ by more than a predetermined value, these battery cells can be brought to equal charge states in accordance with a compensation function.

• – Batterieschnittstellen zum Herstellen einer Energieübertragungsverbindung zum Übertragen elektrischer Energie von und zu den angeschlossenen Batterieeinheiten und einer Datenverbindung zum Übermitteln einer Information über Ladezustände der angeschlossenen Batterieeinheiten;
• – eine Energiebereitstellungseinrichtung zum Bereitstellen von elektrischer Energie; und
• – eine Zentraleinheit, die ausgebildet ist, um – eine Bedarfsinformation, die für einen oder mehrere Bereitstellungszeitpunkte die Anzahl von benötigten Batterieeinheiten und deren gewünschte Ladezustände angibt; – eine oder mehrere der Batterieeinheiten auszuwählen, so dass jede der ausgewählten Batterieeinheiten innerhalb eines Zeitraums bis zu dem zugeordneten Bereitstellungszeitpunkt von ihrem momentanen Ladezustand auf den jeweiligen gewünschten Ladezustand gebracht werden kann; und – ein Aufladen jeder der ausgewählten Batterieeinheiten zu veranlassen, so dass diese zu den jeweiligen gewünschten Bereitstellungszeitpunkten auf den jeweils gewünschten Ladezustand aufgeladen sind.

In another aspect, there is provided a battery storage and logistics system for storing and providing battery packs with rechargeable battery assemblies, comprising:

• Battery interfaces for establishing a power transmission connection for transmitting electrical energy from and to the connected battery units and a data connection for transmitting information about charge states of the connected battery units;
• An energy supply device for providing electrical energy; and
• A central unit, which is designed to: demand information indicating the number of required battery units and their desired charge states for one or more provision times; To select one or more of the battery units so that each of the selected battery units can be brought from their current state of charge to the respective desired state of charge within a time period up to the assigned delivery time; and - to cause a charging of each of the selected battery units so that they are charged to the respective desired state of charge at the respective desired delivery times.

In another aspect, a system is provided with the above battery storage and logistics system and one or more connected battery packs.

In another aspect, a computer program product is provided that includes program code stored on a computer-readable medium and that, when executed on a data processing device, performs the above method.

Brief description of the drawings

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

1 a schematic representation of a battery storage and logistics system; and

2 a flowchart for illustrating a method for operating the battery storage and logistics system of 1 ,

Description of embodiments

1 shows a schematic representation of a battery storage and logistics system 1 with a central unit 2 and a variety of battery interfaces 9 for connecting battery units 3 ,

The connectable battery units 3 have a battery cell arrangement 31 with a plurality of battery cells connected in series and / or parallel connection and via the associated battery interface 9 with power transmission lines 4 , via which electrical energy can be provided, in connection.

Furthermore, the battery units 3 one battery management system each 32 on, the internal operating states of the respective battery units 3 via one or more suitable sensors (not shown), such as at least one current sensor, at least one voltage sensor, at least one temperature sensor and / or the like, determined and from this information about the state of charge of the relevant battery unit 3 and information about other states of the battery pack 3 , such as The cell voltages, the cell temperatures and the like. In addition to the information about the state of charge of the battery cell assembly 31 and the other states may be the battery management system 32 also an identifier of the relevant battery unit 3 and provide error information about occurred faults in one or more of the battery cells for external communication.

The battery management systems 32 the individual battery units 3 stand over the assigned battery interfaces 9 with a network connection 5 in communication connection, via the data to the central unit 2 can be transported. Alternatively, instead of the network connection 5 also data lines from each of the battery interface 9 to the central unit 2 be provided to transmit the appropriate information and in the central unit 2 to centralize.

Should the battery management systems 32 the battery units 3 have no network functionality, so in the battery interfaces 9 corresponding network interfaces (not shown) may be provided which are the ones of the battery management system 32 information to be provided via another data connection and over the network connection 5 to transfer.

The battery interfaces 9 are designed so that battery units 3 can be connected to reliable connections between the battery units 3 and the power transmission lines 4 and the network connection 5 manufacture.

The central unit 2 has an external energy interface 21 for receiving or delivering electrical energy to an external power source or to a power grid. The external energy interface 21 is via an AC / DC converter 22 with adjustable current regulators 26 in connection. Every battery interface 9 is a separate power regulator 26 associated with the respective one current flow on the correspondingly assigned energy transmission lines 4 in and out of the battery units 3 can be controlled. The current to be adjusted may be according to a charging or Discharge function can be selected and in particular the current flow can be interrupted.

The AC / DC converter 22 is accordingly designed so that it can be operated bidirectionally, so that when needed not only energy via the external energy interface 21 , about the relevant current regulator 26 and the relevant power transmission lines 4 to the connected battery unit 3 can be transmitted, but also energy from them via the power transmission lines 4 , the relevant current regulator 26 , the AC / DC converter 22 and the external energy interface 21 using the battery storage and logistics system 1 can be dissipated.

The central unit 2 also has a control unit 23 on, which has a communication interface 24 with the network connection 5 communicates. The control unit 23 It serves to control the flow of energy to and from each of the battery interfaces 9 to monitor and according to a storage and provisioning function to control so that a charging, discharging and charge maintenance operation is performed.

The battery management system 32 serves to provide parameters such. B. the state of charge of the battery assembly 31 , in the respective battery unit 3 capture. The control unit 23 is over the network connection 5 thus able of each of the battery management systems 32 the battery units 3 corresponding information about the relevant battery unit 3 to obtain.

Furthermore, the battery management system 32 be formed to detect the individual cell voltages and differences in the charge states of the individual battery cells of the battery assembly 31 to recognize. Corresponding information can then be sent to the central unit 2 to provide. Be the differences of the cell voltages of a battery unit 3 too big, so can the central unit 2 decide to balance the charge states of the individual battery cells by activating a corresponding balancing function in the battery management system 32 the relevant battery unit 3 make an appropriate command over the network connection. The balancing can then be controlled by the battery management system 32 be carried out automatically.

The control unit 23 is provided with a scheduling function, which makes it possible, depending on the current state of charge of a connected battery unit 3 and an availability time at which the battery unit 3 should be fully charged, set the beginning of a charge. These are the control unit 23 Information about the charging behavior of the battery cells used, in particular information about what period of time charging from a certain state of charge requires or information with which the required charging time can be determined. In this way, the battery unit in question 3 remain as long as possible in the uncharged or partially charged state, which is the degradation of the battery unit 3 reduced and the life of the battery unit in question 3 is beneficial.

Similarly, if it is known that a particular battery unit 3 is not required for a period of time, a partial or full charge of the relevant battery unit 3 be undone by removing electrical energy from the battery assembly 31 the relevant battery unit 3 is removed to unload it. The thus released electrical energy can then either to charge another of the battery units 3 be used when needed, or correspondingly in electrical energy via the external power interface 21 be delivered to a power grid or an external power source.

In conjunction with the flowchart of 2 hereinafter becomes the function of the battery storage and logistics system 1 described in more detail.

It is assumed that the battery storage and logistics system 1 a central unit 2 and several battery interfaces 9 for connecting battery units 3 having.

In a step S1, the charge states of the individual battery units are first of all 3 queried there by using the internal battery management systems 32 be determined. The information about the state of charge becomes in step S2 over the network connection 5 to the control unit 23 the central unit 2 transfer.

The control unit 23 Further, at step S3, demand information is obtained either by input to a user interface (not shown) or via an external data connection or the like. The demand information essentially indicates what number of battery units 3 at what times with which state of charge is needed.

Depending on the charge states of the individual connected battery units 3 determines the control unit 23 in step S4, the charging time required there, which is required to the individual battery units 3 to bring to a fully charged state.

According to the demand information, the battery units are correspondingly in step S5 3 where it is possible to fully charge them within a time specified by the demand information. Charging the corresponding pre-selected battery units 3 is in each case according to step S6 so (ie at a corresponding time) started, that they are fully charged at the time of need.

It can be provided that at least for a predetermined period for each battery unit to be provided according to the demand information 3 one of the battery units 3 is selected. The selection can be made according to the order of the states of charge, wherein the battery unit 3 with the highest state of charge as the battery unit 3 is selected at the earliest delivery time.

For the remaining unselected battery units 3 For which the demand planning does not provide for use within a certain predetermined period of time or for which it is known from other information that no use should take place within the specific predetermined time period, a loading state is sought instead, which enables a particularly life-saving storage, ie a possibly unloaded State in which the battery cells have assumed a discharge end voltage (but no lower terminal voltage). The specific period may correspond to a period in which a complete recharge of a battery unit 3 from a completely discharged state.

The relevant (not selected) battery packs to be stored 3 be discharged in step S7 according to a discharge program, ie it is as far as necessary electrical energy withdrawn and a correspondingly assigned AC / DC converter 22 fed back into the supplying power grid. In this way it is possible, on the one hand both at the time of need fully charged battery units 3 to provide, and on the other hand, those battery units 3 that are not needed at the moment, store them optimally and then start recharging those battery packs when they are needed.

In step S8, it is waited for new demand information to be present. If this is the case (alternative: yes), then jump back to step S1.

Furthermore, at regular intervals in a battery management system 32 each of the battery units 3 be asked whether a balancing is necessary and, accordingly, a balance of the charge states of the individual battery cells of the battery assembly 31 be made when the charge states of the individual battery cells differ too much from each other.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Battery storage and logistics system

2

central processing unit

3

battery unit

4

Power transmission line

5

Network Connection

9

Battery interface

21

external interface

22

AC / DC converter

23

control unit

24

Data Interface

26

current regulator

31

battery assembly

32

Battery Management System

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102009035472 A1 [0004]
• DE 102008026145 A1 [0005]
• EP 2073030 A1 [0006]
• US 2006/0038572 A1 [0007]
• DE 102007021921 A1 [0008]
• DE 102010030747 A1 [0009]

Claims (9)

Method for storing and providing battery units ( 3 ) with rechargeable battery arrangements ( 31 ), comprising the following steps: - providing (S3) a demand information which, for one or more delivery times, determines the number of battery units required ( 3 ) and indicates their desired states of charge; - selecting (S5) one or more battery units ( 3 ), so that each of the selected battery units ( 3 ) can be brought from its current state of charge to the respective desired state of charge within a period up to the assigned delivery time; and - causing (S6) charging of each of the selected battery units ( 3 ), so that they are charged to the respective desired state of delivery to the respective desired state of charge. Method according to claim 1, wherein the non-selected ones of the battery units ( 3 ) are discharged to a storage state, wherein the storage state corresponds to a state where the battery cells of the battery assembly ( 31 ) of the battery unit in question ( 3 ) have a voltage at which the life of the battery unit ( 3 ), in particular a predetermined discharge end voltage. Method according to claim 2, wherein those of the selected battery units ( 3 ) are discharged to the storage state, in which the time until the beginning of the initiated charge is greater than a predetermined period of time. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the selecting of the one or more battery units ( 3 ) depending on the current charge states of the battery units ( 3 ), the desired charge states, the number of battery units ( 3 ) and the respective time periods until the provision is carried out with the respective desired state of charge. Method according to claim 4, wherein at least for a predetermined period of time each battery unit to be provided in accordance with the demand information comprises one of the battery units ( 3 ), the assignment of the battery units ( 3 ) is performed so that the earlier the provisioning time is selected according to the demand information, the higher the state of charge of the battery unit ( 3 ). Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the battery cells of a non-selected one of the battery units ( 3 ) are brought to equal states of charge according to a compensation function, when the charge states of the battery cells differ from each other by more than a predetermined value. Battery storage and logistics system for storing and providing battery units ( 3 ) with rechargeable battery arrangements ( 31 ), comprising: - battery interfaces ( 9 ) for producing a power transmission connection ( 4 ) for transmitting electrical energy from and to the connected battery units ( 3 ) and to a data connection for transmitting information about charge states of the connected battery units ( 3 ); - an energy supply facility ( 22 ) for providing electrical energy; and a control unit ( 23 ), which is adapted to: demand information indicating, for one or more delivery times, the number of battery units required and their desired charge states; - one or more of the battery units ( 3 ) so that each of the selected battery units ( 3 ) can be brought from its current state of charge to the respective desired state of charge within a period up to the assigned delivery time; and - charging each of the selected battery units ( 3 ), so that they are charged to the respective desired state of charge to the respective desired state of charge. System comprising: - a battery storage and logistics system ( 1 ) according to claim 7; and - one or more connected battery units ( 3 ). A computer program product containing program code stored on a computer-readable medium and performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 6 when executed on a data processing device.

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