Battery Management Systems for Electric Vehicles

Enabling efficient and convenient battery swapping for electric vehicles to enable longer range and faster charging compared to battery charging. The method involves using vehicles themselves to transfer batteries between each other in a peer-to-peer fashion. When a vehicle's battery needs charging, it finds another nearby vehicle with a fully charged battery using onboard sensors and communication. The vehicles then physically connect and swap batteries. This allows a vehicle to quickly obtain a fully charged battery instead of waiting for its own battery to charge. The swapped battery can then be returned to the original vehicle for future use. This peer-to-peer battery swapping leverages the mobility of vehicles themselves to facilitate rapid and convenient battery swapping.

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Charging system for batteries that optimizes charging efficiency by dynamically controlling temperature during charging operations. The system monitors the external power source's output and compares it with the previous output value during charging. When the current output value exceeds the previous one, the system adjusts the battery temperature target based on the current output value. This approach prevents the repetitive stopping and restarting of charging operations that can occur when the target temperature is updated too frequently. The system maintains the target temperature at a previously set value when the output value does not exceed the previous one, ensuring consistent charging conditions.

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Battery module with enhanced thermal management through strategically integrated phase change materials (PCMs) that absorb heat generated in critical battery connections. The module features a bus bar with integrated phase change members that distribute heat from connecting areas between the cell tab and bus bar, while a secondary phase change member is positioned on the top surface of the cell. This dual-phase design enables targeted cooling of high-temperature areas, particularly the connecting region between the cell tab and bus bar, while maintaining overall system thermal balance. The phase change materials are designed to absorb and release heat efficiently, preventing thermal runaway and fire hazards.

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Diagnosing abnormalities in voltage behavior of batteries based on changes in differences between measured open circuit voltage data and estimated open circuit voltage data over time. The method involves generating open circuit voltage (OCV) data from the battery, deriving estimated OCV data based on the measured data, and diagnosing battery health based on the difference between the measured and estimated OCV values. This allows detecting subtle voltage abnormalities even when the battery voltage itself doesn't change significantly.

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Diagnosing lithium-ion battery degradation during charging using resistance measurements. The method involves monitoring voltage changes during charging to calculate resistance of each battery cell. Resistance variations indicate degradation like lithium plating. By calculating average resistances for each SOC class, probabilities of abnormal cells can be determined. This allows diagnosing cells during normal charging without extended rests.

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An electric vehicle with a battery deterioration monitoring system that provides an easily accessible and tamper-proof display of battery degradation level. The system includes a battery gauge to measure the battery's state of charge, a battery deterioration meter to measure battery degradation level, and a display integrated into the vehicle's dashboard. The display shows the battery charge and degradation levels. This allows drivers to easily monitor both charge and degradation without needing external equipment. The display prevents tampering by being integrated into the vehicle's electrical system.

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Energy and thermal management system for fuel cell vehicles that optimizes performance and longevity by proactively cooling the fuel cell and battery in anticipation of increased load demands. The system uses route prediction to identify sections with expected high fuel cell loads. It then lowers the fuel cell temperature ahead of time to improve power density and prevent overheating during peak demand. It may also cool the battery, reduce maximum fuel cell power, increase battery charge, and adjust power split to further manage energy use.

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Secondary battery with integrated safety vent mechanism that enables repeated use of the battery's venting system. The battery features a case with an open side and a cap plate with a vent hole. A safety vent is positioned on the cap plate, comprising multiple layers that can be magnetically controlled to seal or open the vent. This design allows the battery to be charged and discharged multiple times while maintaining its venting capabilities. The safety vent's magnetic biasing system enables precise control over venting behavior, ensuring safe operation even after multiple charge cycles.

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Training a machine learning model to accurately detect battery short circuits using virtual battery simulations. The method involves generating virtual battery models with different parameters based on data from a reference battery in normal operation. Then, applying a short circuit constraint to these virtual batteries to generate simulated short circuit test results. These simulated test results are used to train the short circuit detection model, which infers short circuit state from real battery measurements.

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A device that detects battery connector status through a single detection pin. The connector includes a first metal component with an enable pin and a ground pin, while the second connector includes a detection pin that detects the ground potential. The controller monitors the detection pin's position to determine the connector's connection status, enabling reliable battery management through a single external signal.

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A movable battery system for electric vehicles that enables independent charging, discharging, and thermal management of auxiliary batteries. The system comprises a separate battery pack mounted on the auxiliary vehicle, with its own cooling system and power management components. A thermal management module and power conversion module are integrated into the main vehicle's battery pack, while the auxiliary vehicle's battery has its own cooling system and thermal management components. The system allows the auxiliary vehicle's battery to be charged and discharged independently of the main vehicle's battery, with its own cooling and thermal management systems.

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System and control methodology for heating and charging battery packs using AC power, enabling rapid and efficient thermal management. The system integrates AC power delivery with a temperature-controlled heating circuit, where the heating element is controlled by a temperature sensor. The charging circuit includes rectifier switches, a transformer, and a series switch. During charging, the charging circuit injects AC current into the battery through the series switch, while the heating circuit injects DC current through a transformer and series switch. This synchronized operation ensures uniform heat distribution across the battery pack.

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Controlling battery charging to prevent lithium plating on anode surfaces through a novel voltage-based charging strategy. The approach measures the potential difference between reference and anode terminals in each cell and determines the charging current based on the minimum anode potential. This approach prevents lithium deposition by directly controlling the charging current based on the anode potential, eliminating the need for traditional lithium deposition rate measurement. The strategy ensures optimal charging conditions for each cell while preventing excessive lithium deposition.

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System for optimizing electric vehicle fleet charging behavior and efficiency by detecting and preventing overcharging and unnecessary charging. The system analyzes charging data from fleet vehicles to generate vehicle and fleet level summaries that indicate tendencies of drivers to overcharge, charge unnecessarily, or use suboptimal chargers. It provides real-time notifications to drivers and fleet operators for remedial action. This enables proactive management of charging behavior to conserve energy and enhance fleet efficiency.

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Autonomous transportation system with a battery management system that enables efficient battery replacement. The system features a detachable battery unit with a guided rail that moves between the transportation unit and charging station, allowing for seamless battery transfer. The rail's movement enables both charging and battery replacement in a single operation, with the transportation unit automatically moving between charging and battery storage positions.

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Battery defect detection system using AI to accurately identify new types of defects in batteries that were not previously learned. The system involves using two AI models - a first model to classify the battery as normal or defective based on known defects, and a second model to check if the classified image matches the normal training data. If it doesn't match, the battery is reclassified as defective. This allows detecting new defect types by cross-referencing with known normals.

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Battery pack design with improved cooling to prevent overheating and degradation of the battery cells. The pack has a heat pipe adjacent to each cell that absorbs and conducts the cell's heat. A cooling device circulates a fluid through the heat pipe to extract the heat. The heat pipe has a chamber with wick structure and pillars. The chamber is partitioned into multiple sections with different numbers of pillars adjacent to the cell versus the other sections. This allows preferential flow of fluid through the section closest to the hot cell, enhancing heat transfer.

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A charging system and charger for lithium-ion batteries that optimizes charging duration while preventing over-discharging. The system employs real-time monitoring of battery state parameters including lithium precipitation levels, internal resistance, and temperature to dynamically adjust charging rates. This enables precise control over charging conditions to prevent over-discharging while maintaining optimal charging performance. The charger incorporates an integrated monitoring system that continuously tracks battery health indicators, enabling early detection of potential issues before charging begins.

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Power management system for automotive vehicles that intelligently sheds or reduces power to loads based on priority and load interaction to prevent overcurrent conditions. When the current drawn by loads exceeds a threshold, the system reduces or cuts power to loads based on priority. If loads with the same priority are present simultaneously, it sheds the one that was not previously active. This prevents overcurrent situations while still allowing prioritized loads to operate.

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Efficiently scheduling maintenance on shared electric bikes to maximize uptime and reduce operational costs. The system determines when to block and take a shared electric bike out of service for battery swapping based on factors like battery level, location, and maintenance needs. By analyzing metrics like battery usage, location convenience, and tech availability, it can determine optimal times and locations for maintenance. This avoids unnecessary blocking of bikes at stations far from techs or when the battery is still adequate.

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