US 12,348,063 B2
Systems and methods for fail-safe battery protection independent from battery management system
Vyacheslav Khozikov, Bellevue, WA (US); Frederic Lacaux, Woodinville, WA (US); Eugene V. Solodovnik, Lake Stevens, WA (US); John A. Trela, Seattle, WA (US); Kolten C. Miller, Snoqualmie, WA (US); and Kamiar J. Karimi, Kirkland, WA (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Jan. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/578,000.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/148,302, filed on Feb. 11, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0255335 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. H02J 7/00 (2006.01); G01R 31/3835 (2019.01); G01R 31/396 (2019.01); H02J 3/32 (2006.01)
CPC H02J 7/00302 (2020.01) [G01R 31/3835 (2019.01); G01R 31/396 (2019.01); H02J 7/0013 (2013.01); H02J 7/0031 (2013.01); H02J 7/0048 (2020.01); H02J 3/32 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for charging a battery string that comprises a first half-string and a second half-string electrically connected at a mid-point, each half-string comprising a respective plurality of battery modules connected in series, each battery module comprising a respective plurality of battery cells, the system comprising:
a first plurality of sensors connected to sense a full-string voltage measured across the battery string, a first half-string voltage measured across the first half-string, and a second half-string voltage measured across the second half-string;
a mid-point battery disconnect subsystem connected to the mid-point, the mid-point battery disconnect subsystem comprising a mid-point disconnect device and a midpoint disconnect unit configured to control a state of the mid-point disconnect device;
a failsafe overcharge system comprising a first disconnect device and a processor connected to receive sensor data from the first plurality of sensors during charging and send commands to the first disconnect device,
a power distribution bus which is electrically connected to the battery string via the first disconnect device when the first disconnect device is closed; and
a battery charger connected and configured to supply battery power to the power distribution bus for charging of the battery string,
wherein the processor of the failsafe overcharge system is configured to send a command to open the first disconnect device when the sensor data from the first plurality of sensors indicates an undesirable electrical state during charging that would be mitigated by cessation of charging.