DE102019209072A1 - Battery control arrangement and method for operating a battery control arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery control arrangement (1), comprising a battery management controller (2), at least one battery cell controller (3), and at least one battery management device (4) assigned to the at least one battery cell controller (3), the at least one battery management device (4) being designed in this way to monitor and / or control at least one battery cell, wherein the at least one battery management device (4) can communicate via a serial communication interface, and wherein the battery management controller (2) and the at least one battery cell controller (3) each have a controller area network (CAN ) Have bus transceivers (6,7) and are connected to one another via a CAN bus (8), the battery management controller (2) also having a control device (11) which is set up to use a CAN transceiver (6,7) and the CAN bus (8) with the to communicate at least one battery management device (4). The invention also relates to a method for operating a battery control arrangement (1).

Description

The invention relates to a battery control arrangement and a method for operating a battery control arrangement.

Modern batteries, especially in the field of electromobility, include a battery control in the form of a central battery management controller (BMC) that communicates with several battery cell controllers. The battery cell controllers (also referred to as cell management controllers, CMC) are each connected to a large number of battery management devices (also referred to as battery management system, BMS or “BMS ASIC”). The battery management devices monitor and control one or more battery cells. Together, the battery management controller, the battery cell controller and the battery management devices form a battery control arrangement.

Communication between the battery management controller and the battery cell controllers takes place physically and logically via a controller area network (CAN) bus. In the battery cell controllers, the communication is converted to serial communication by means of a microcontroller and a daisy chain transceiver.

From the US 2013/0088237 A1 A battery monitoring device is known which monitors a voltage state of battery cells of a battery, comprising a voltage detection circuit; a control circuit that manages voltage detection data of each battery cell using the voltage detection circuit; a communication mode converter connected to the voltage detection circuit via a first communication line for communicating using a clock synchronous communication mode and connected to the control circuit via a second communication line for communicating using a clock asynchronous communication mode; and an insulating member disposed in the second communication line, wherein the communication mode converter transmits the voltage detection data received from each of the voltage detection circuits to the control circuit via the first communication line and the second communication line.

From the US 2010/0259221 A1 For example, a battery monitoring and control system and method for monitoring and controlling are known that provide a redundant and independent symmetrical secondary serial bus in addition to a primary serial bus within a battery monitoring and control system.

The invention is based on the object of simplifying a battery control arrangement and a method for operating a battery control arrangement.

According to the invention, the object is achieved by a battery control arrangement having the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 6. Advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the subclaims.

In particular, a battery control arrangement is created, comprising a battery management controller, at least one battery cell controller, and at least one battery management device assigned to the at least one battery cell controller, the at least one battery management device being designed to monitor and / or control at least one battery cell, the at least one battery management device having a serial communication interface can communicate, and wherein the battery management controller and the at least one battery cell controller each have a controller area network (CAN) transceiver and, in particular at least on a physical level, are connected to one another via a CAN bus, the battery management controller also having a control device which is set up to transmit via a, in particular at least at the physical level, via the CAN transceiver and the CAN bus to communicate with the at least one battery management device.

Furthermore, a method for operating a battery control arrangement is provided, the battery control arrangement comprising a battery management controller, at least one battery cell controller, and at least one battery management device assigned to the at least one battery cell controller, the at least one battery management device monitoring and / or controlling at least one battery cell, the at least a battery management device can communicate via a serial communication interface, and wherein the battery management controller and the at least one battery cell controller each have a controller area network (CAN) transceiver and, in particular at least on a physical level, are connected to one another via a CAN bus, with a Control device of the battery management controller via a, in particular at least on a physical level, via the CAN transceiver and the CAN bus transmitted serial communication is communicated with the at least one battery management device.

The battery control arrangement and the method make it possible to simplify a structure of the battery control arrangement. For this purpose, a communication connection based on the CAN bus is established between the battery management controller and the at least one battery cell controller. In particular, the physical layer, that is to say a bit transmission layer, of the CAN bus is used. In order to enable serial communication, both the battery management controller and the at least one battery cell controller have a CAN transceiver. The CAN transceivers on both sides ensure that voltage signals in the form of high / low levels can be transmitted between the battery management controller and the battery cell controller via the CAN bus. The CAN transceivers therefore work in particular as communication converters. In other words, the serial communication is forwarded in both directions via the CAN bus. On the side of the battery cell controller, serial communication interfaces of individual battery management devices can therefore be connected in series (ie as a “daisy chain”) with one another and with the CAN transceiver. It is thus possible, on the basis of the serial communication interface, to form a serial communication link between the control device of the battery management controller and the at least one battery management device.

One advantage of the invention is that a structure of the battery control arrangement can be simplified, since a microcontroller in the at least one battery cell controller, which has to convert a communication protocol from CAN to serial communication, can be dispensed with.

Another advantage is that the battery arrangement can be used more flexibly. In particular, changing or adapting to other battery management devices (e.g. other “BMS ASICs”) can be done more easily, since communication does not have to be adapted separately in each battery cell controller. In contrast, only a central control in the battery management controller has to be adapted, for example by adapting a serial communication interface of the control device of the battery management controller accordingly.

In particular, a CAN transceiver provides an electrical interface for sending and receiving via a CAN bus. In particular, the CAN transceiver converts a serial connection (RxD / TxD) into a differential format (CAN High / CAN Low) and thereby enables a connection to a physical CAN bus.

In particular, it is provided that battery management devices connected to one another directly in series are separated from one another by isolators, so that galvanic separation is ensured. A corresponding isolator can also be provided between the CAN transceiver of a battery cell controller and the at least one battery management device.

It can also be provided that the CAN transceiver itself provides insulation for galvanic separation at the low-voltage / high-voltage transition of the battery control arrangement.

Parts of the battery control arrangement, in particular the control device, can be designed individually or collectively as a combination of hardware and software, for example as program code that is executed on a microcontroller or microprocessor. However, it can also be provided that parts are designed individually or combined as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

In one embodiment it is provided that the at least one battery cell controller has a further CAN transceiver, the battery control arrangement having at least one further battery cell controller with at least one battery management device assigned to it, and the further CAN transceiver, in particular at least at the physical level, via a further CAN bus is connected to a CAN transceiver of the at least one further battery cell controller. As a result, battery cell controllers can be connected to one another in series via a CAN bus. The serial communication of the serial communication interfaces is forwarded to all battery cell controllers and the battery management devices assigned to them. Using the CAN bus between individual battery cell controllers can reduce interference because the CAN bus works in a differential manner.

In one embodiment of the method it is accordingly provided that at least one further battery cell controller is operated in series with the at least one battery cell controller, with serial communication between the battery management controller and at least one battery management device of the at least one further battery cell controller via a between another CAN transceiver of the battery cell controller and a CAN transceiver of the at least one further battery management controller, in particular further CAN bus configured at least on a physical level, is forwarded.

In one embodiment it is provided that the battery control arrangement has at least one further battery cell controller with at least one battery management device, the CAN transceiver of the at least one battery cell controller and a CAN transceiver of the at least one further battery cell controller being connected in parallel to the CAN bus.

In one embodiment of the method it is accordingly provided that at least one further battery cell controller with at least one battery management device is operated in parallel with the at least one battery cell controller on the CAN bus.

In one embodiment it is provided that the serial communication interface is an asynchronous communication interface based on Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART). This has the advantage that almost all microcontrollers and ASICs, in particular BMS ASICs, have such a UART interface so that an existing communication infrastructure can be used and the construction of the battery management devices or the battery control arrangement can be simplified.

In an alternative embodiment it is provided that the serial communication interface is a synchronous communication interface based on Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI).

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung einer Ausführungsform der Batteriesteuerungsanordnung;
• 2 eine schematische Darstellung einer weiteren Ausführungsform der Batteriesteuerungsanordnung;
• 3 eine schematische Darstellung einer weiteren Ausführungsform der Batteriesteuerungsanordnung.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures. Here show:

• 1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of the battery control arrangement;
• 2 a schematic representation of a further embodiment of the battery control arrangement;
• 3 a schematic representation of a further embodiment of the battery control arrangement.

In 1 Figure 3 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of the battery control assembly 1 shown. The battery control arrangement 1 includes a battery management controller 2 , a battery cell controller 3 , and the battery cell controller 3 assigned battery management devices 4th .

The battery management facilities 4th monitor and control a plurality of battery cells (not shown), for example by detecting a voltage and a current as well as a temperature of the respective battery cells and controlling a power flow for each battery cell. The battery management facilities 4th are via a serial communication interface 16 connected in series (ie in a "daisy chain"). Between the battery management devices 4th are insulators 5 switched, which ensure galvanic isolation.

It is provided here that the serial communication interface 16 is an asynchronous communication interface based on UART.

In principle, however, it can also be provided that the serial communication interface is a synchronous communication interface based on SPI.

The battery management controller 2 and the battery cell controller 3 each have CAN transceivers 6th , 7th on. The CAN transceivers 6th , 7th are at least on a physical level, ie on a bit transmission layer (English physical layer), via a CAN bus 8th connected with each other. This is done, for example, using connectors designed for this purpose 9 , 10 .

To be serial with the battery management facilities 4th to be able to communicate, the battery management controller 2 a control device 11 that can provide serial communication.

The CAN transceivers 6th , 7th ensure that the serial communication from the battery management controller 2 via the CAN bus 8th to the battery management facilities 4th is forwarded. Also serial communication from the battery management devices 4th is via the CAN transceiver 6th , 7th via the CAN bus 8th in the opposite direction to the battery management controller 2 forwarded. The CAN transceivers 6th , 7th work like communication converters, i.e. serial communication between the control device 11 of the battery management controller 2 and the battery management devices 4th takes place independently of the physical level of communication via the CAN bus 8th .

Should, for example, a pulse sequence of high / low signal levels from the control device 11 of the battery management controller 2 to the battery management facilities 4th are transmitted, this pulse sequence is transmitted by the control device 11 the CAN transceiver 6th fed. This transmits the pulse train to the CAN transceiver via the CAN bus 7th of the battery cell controller 3 . The CAN transceiver 7th of the battery cell controller 7th generated the original pulse sequence of high / low signal levels and feeds this to the battery management devices connected in series 4th via the serial communication interface 16 to. Conversely, the battery management devices 4th provided pulse trains from high / low signal levels in a corresponding manner via the CAN transceiver 6th , 7th and the CAN bus 8th to the control device 11 of the battery management controller 2 transmitted.

In 2 Figure 3 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of the battery control assembly 1 shown. The embodiment shown is basically like that in FIG 1 Shown embodiment constructed. The same reference symbols denote the same features and terms.

It is provided in this embodiment that the battery cell controller 3 another CAN transceiver 12th having, the battery control arrangement 1 another battery cell controller 14th having, and wherein the further CAN transceiver 12th at least on a physical level via another CAN bus 13 with a CAN transceiver 7th of the further battery cell controller 14th connected is. This allows the battery cell controllers to be connected in series for communication 3 , 14th or the assigned battery management devices 4th realize. On another CAN transceiver 12th of the further battery cell controller 14th the serial chain can be continued.

In this embodiment the battery cell controllers are shown 3 , 14th only one battery management device at a time 4th assigned. However, it can also be provided that the battery cell controllers 3 , 14th several battery management devices each 4th assigned.

In 3 Figure 3 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of the battery control assembly 1 shown. The embodiment shown is basically like that in FIG 1 Shown embodiment constructed. The same reference symbols denote the same features and terms.

It is provided in this embodiment that the battery control arrangement 1 another battery cell controller 14th with battery management facilities 4th having, the CAN transceiver 7th of the battery cell controller 3 and a CAN transceiver 15th of the further battery cell controller 14th in parallel with the CAN bus 8th are connected.

In the same way, the battery control arrangement 1 for more battery cell controllers 14th with battery management facilities 4th be expanded. The CAN transceivers 7th , 15th are all in parallel with the CAN bus 8th connected.

It can be provided that the 1 , 2 and 3 Embodiments shown are combined with one another. For example, several serial chains can be used in parallel with one CAN bus 8th be connected. You can also use the battery cell controllers 3 , 14th each a different number of battery management devices 4th be assigned.

List of reference symbols

1

Battery control arrangement

2

Battery management controller

3

Battery cell controller

4th

Battery management facility

5

insulator

6th

CAN transceiver

7th

CAN transceiver

8th

CAN bus

9

Connectors

10

Connectors

11

Control device

12

further CAN transceiver

13

further CAN bus

14th

further battery cell controller

15th

CAN transceiver

16

serial communication interface

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant was 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.

Patent literature cited

• US 2013/0088237 A1 [0004]
• US 2010/0259221 A1 [0005]

Claims (10)

A battery control arrangement (1) comprising: - a battery management controller (2), - At least one battery cell controller (3), and - At least one battery management device (4) assigned to the at least one battery cell controller (3), the at least one battery management device (4) being designed to monitor and / or control at least one battery cell, the at least one battery management device (4) via a serial Communication interface (16) can communicate, and wherein the battery management controller (2) and the at least one battery cell controller (3) each have a controller area network (CAN) transceiver (6, 7) and are connected to one another via a CAN bus (8), wherein the battery management controller (2) also has a control device (11) which is set up to communicate with the at least one battery management device (4) via serial communication via the CAN transceiver (6, 7) and the CAN bus (8). to communicate. Battery control arrangement (1) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one battery cell controller (3) has a further CAN transceiver (12), the battery control arrangement (1) having at least one further battery cell controller (14) with at least one battery management device (4), and the further CAN The transceiver (12) is connected to a CAN transceiver (15) of the at least one further battery cell controller (14) via a further CAN bus (13). Battery control arrangement (1) according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized by at least one further battery cell controller (14) with at least one battery management device (4) assigned to it, the CAN transceiver (7) of the at least one battery cell controller (3) and a CAN transceiver (15) of the at least one further battery cell controller (14 ) are connected in parallel to the CAN bus (8). Battery control arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the serial communication interface is an asynchronous communication interface based on UART. Battery control arrangement (1) according to one of the Claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that the serial communication interface is a synchronous communication interface based on SPI. A method for operating a battery control arrangement (1), the battery control arrangement (1) comprising a battery management controller (2), at least one battery cell controller (3), and at least one battery management device (4) assigned to the at least one battery cell controller (3), the at least one battery management device (4) monitors and / or controls at least one battery cell, wherein the at least one battery management device (4) can communicate via a serial communication interface (16), and wherein the battery management controller (2) and the at least one battery cell controller (3) each have a controller area network - Have (CAN) transceivers (6,7) and are connected to one another via a CAN bus (8), using a control device (11) of the battery management controller (2) via a CAN transceiver (6,7) and serial communication transmitted via the CAN bus (8) with the at least one batt eriemanagementeinrichtungen (4) is communicated. Procedure according to Claim 6 , characterized in that at least one further battery cell controller (14) is operated in series with the at least one battery cell controller (2), with serial communication between the battery management controller (2) and at least one battery management device (4) of the at least one further battery cell controller (14) is forwarded via a further CAN bus (13) formed between a further CAN transceiver (12) of the battery cell controller (2) and a CAN transceiver (15) of the at least one further battery management controller (14). Procedure according to Claim 6 or 7th , characterized in that at least one further battery cell controller (14) with at least one battery management device (4) is operated in parallel with the at least one battery cell controller (2) on the CAN bus (8). Method according to one of the Claims 6 to 8th , characterized in that communication is carried out via an asynchronous communication interface based on UART. Method according to one of the Claims 6 to 8th , characterized in that it is communicated via a synchronous communication interface based on SPI.

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