Balancing discharge in parallel battery configurations

摘要

An apparatus balances a discharge in parallel battery configuration by having a battery pack (a) with a first battery system and a second battery system in parallel configuration, and a pulse width modulation device and (b) being interconnectable to a load. Each of the first and second battery systems has, in series and in order, a first voltage sensor, a resistor, a second voltage sensor, a string of battery cells, and a switching device. The first and second voltage sensor, in each battery system, measures an electrical current, used to calculate the voltage drop across each resistor. The voltage drop values for each battery system determine whether the pulse width modulation device alters or maintains the pulse width modulation applied to each battery system's switching device. By maintaining or altering the pulse width modulation applied to each switching device, the apparatus effectively balances the electrical current discharge from each battery system.

主权项

1. An apparatus configured to balance a discharge in a parallel battery configuration, the apparatus comprising:
a battery pack (a) having a first battery system and a second battery system in a parallel configuration, a pulse width modulation device, and a computer processing unit, and (b) being connectable to a load; the first battery system and the second battery system each having, in series and in order, a string of battery cells that generate an electrical current, a first voltage sensor, a resistor, a second voltage sensor, and a switching device; wherein the first voltage sensor, in each battery system, measures the electrical current's voltage from the string of battery cells prior to the electrical current passing into the resistor, and wherein the second voltage sensor measures the electrical current's voltage coming from the resistor; wherein the first and second voltage measurements from the first and second voltage sensors in each battery system are transmittable to the computer processing unit; the computer processing unit being configured to calculate a voltage drop across the resistor for each battery system; and based on the voltage drop calculation for each battery system, the computer processing unit is configured to transmit a signal to the pulse width modulation device; and the pulse width modulation device: (A) in response to the computer processing unit's transmitted signal, and (B) in order for the current in the first battery system and the current in the second battery to match each other to provide power to the load, transmits a first distinct signal to the first battery system's switching device and a second distinct signal to the second battery system's switching device; wherein the first and second distinct signals from the pulse width modulation device:
a) maintain the first and second battery system's switching devices in an unaltered closed state; or(b) maintain one of the first and second battery systems' switching device in an unaltered closed state, but alter the other of the first and second battery systems' switching device from a closed to an open state to thereby balance the electrical current discharge from the first and second battery systems with the apparatus connected to the load and at least one of the switching devices in a closed state configured to power the load.