BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

A battery pack assembly which includes a battery pack. The battery pack includes a housing receiving a plurality of rechargeable battery cells, a battery management system (BMS) in communication with the rechargeable battery cells and configured to monitor one or more operating characteristics of the rechargeable battery cells, a plurality of terminals to transmit electrical power between the rechargeable battery cells and a piece of equipment coupled with the plurality of terminals, a communication interface in communication with BMS and configured to transmit the operating characteristics of the rechargeable battery cells over a communication protocol and receive information from the piece of equipment coupled with the plurality of terminals over the communication protocol.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure generally relates to the field of batteries for use in indoor and outdoor power equipment, and in particular, to charging systems and methods for batteries that are used in indoor and outdoor power equipment.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the disclosure relates to a battery pack assembly. The battery pack assembly includes a battery pack. The battery pack includes a housing, rechargeable battery cells, a battery management system (BMS), a plurality of terminals, and a communication interface. The housing receives the plurality of rechargeable battery cells. The BMS is in communication with the rechargeable battery cells and is configured to monitor one or more operating characteristics of the rechargeable battery cells. The plurality of terminals are in electrical communication with the rechargeable battery cells to transmit electrical power between the rechargeable battery cells and a piece of equipment coupled with the plurality of terminals. The communication interface is in communication with the battery management system and is configured to transmit the operating characteristics of the rechargeable battery cells over a communication protocol and receive information from the piece of equipment coupled with the plurality of terminals over the communication protocol. The battery management system is configured to determine a current limit of the battery pack based upon a maximum cell voltage of the rechargeable battery cells and adjust an input current of electrical power through the plurality of terminals to the rechargeable battery cells to adjust the current received by the battery pack toward the current limit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the figures generally, the battery pack assemblies and chargers described herein are configured to communicate with one another to provide optimized and effective charging. The chargers provide a control interface that can communicate between one or more battery packs connected in a parallel configuration on the charger to complete an efficient and controlled charging process for batteries of different sizes and/or charge levels. The battery management system associated with one of the battery packs may be configured as a primary controller that provides information and control for the whole parallel battery system in order to balance the charge states of each battery coupled with a common bus. Each BMS is capable of functioning as either the primary controller or a secondary (or subservient) controller. Accordingly, if there is a loss of communication between the battery management systems associated with the rest of the battery packs and/or the BMS currently designated as the primary controller, another BMS can be reconfigured as the primary controller in real-time. In traditional systems, such a loss in communication regarding the charge state of batteries on a common bus may lead to damage or complete destruction of the battery assembly. The battery packs and assemblies disclosed herein are robust to multiple connections and disconnections between any number of battery packs and chargers within a battery assembly so that if communication with the primary controller is lost, a new battery management system may be designated as the primary controller and the battery assembly can continue to function as expected.

Parallel battery pack configurations are often used in battery assemblies for various types of indoor and outdoor power equipment, as well as with portable jobsite equipment and military vehicle applications. Outdoor power equipment includes lawn mowers, riding tractors, snow throwers, pressure washers, tillers, log splitters, zero-turn radius mowers, walk-behind mowers, riding mowers, stand-on mowers, pavement surface preparation devices, industrial vehicles such as forklifts, utility vehicles, commercial turf equipment such as blowers, vacuums, debris loaders, overseeders, power rakes, aerators, sod cutters, brush mowers, portable generators, etc. Indoor power equipment includes floor sanders, floor buffers and polishers, vacuums, etc. Portable jobsite equipment includes portable light towers, mobile industrial heaters, and portable light stands. Military vehicle applications include installing the battery system on All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), Utility Task Vehicles (UTVs), and Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) applications. The parallel arrangement of battery packs is particularly useful and common in situations where the battery packs do not have predetermined or assigned equipment. Because the same battery packs may be used to power several different pieces of power equipment, the ability to determine the presence of other voltage sources along the battery busbar becomes particularly useful.

Referring toFIG.1, a battery assembly100is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. The battery assembly100is configured to be coupled with an equipment interface (e.g., removably mounted on a piece of equipment) or inserted (e.g., dropped, lowered, placed) into a receiver integrated with a piece of equipment and/or a charging station to supply or receive electrical power. The battery assembly100can be installed into a piece of equipment vertically, horizontally, and at any angle. The battery assembly100includes a battery pack105and optionally, one or more modular portions as described below. The battery pack105is a Lithium-ion battery that supports one or more rechargeable lithium-ion battery cells. However, other battery types are contemplated, such as nickel-cadmium (NiCD), lead-acid, nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), lithium polymer, etc. The battery assembly100yields a voltage of approximately 48 Volts (V) and 1400 Watt-hours (Wh) of capacity. It is contemplated that battery assemblies of other sizes may also be used. The battery assembly100is capable of approximately 2,000 charge/discharge cycles, approximately 5,000 W continuous power (13 Amps (A) per cell), 9,000 W peak power (25 A per cell), and 14,000 W instantaneous power (40 A per cell). The battery assembly100in total weighs less than approximately twenty-five pounds, allowing for ease of portability, removal, and replacement. The battery assembly100is also hot-swappable meaning that a drained battery assembly100can be exchanged for a new battery assembly100without completely powering down connected equipment. As such, downtime between battery assembly100exchanges is eliminated.

The battery assembly100can be removed by an operator from a piece of equipment without the use of tools. The battery assembly100can also be recharged using a charging station, as described further herein. Accordingly, the operator may use a second rechargeable battery having a sufficient charge to power equipment while allowing the first battery to recharge. In addition, the battery assembly100can be used on various types of equipment including indoor, outdoor, and portable jobsite equipment. Due to its uniformity across equipment, the battery assembly100can also be used as part of a rental system, where rental companies who traditionally rent out pieces of equipment can also rent the battery assembly100to be used on such equipment. An operator can rent a battery assembly100to use on various types of equipment or vehicles the operator may own and/or rent and then return the battery assembly100to be used by other operators on an as-needed basis. Furthermore, multiple battery assemblies100may be used in conjunction with each other to provide sufficient power to equipment that may require more than a single battery assembly.

The battery assembly100is configured to be selectively and electrically coupled to a piece of equipment and/or a charging station. The piece of equipment or charging station includes a receiver having electrical terminals that are selectively and electrically coupled to the battery assembly100without the use of tools. For example, an operator may both insert (and electrically couple) and remove (and electrically decouple) the battery assembly100from a piece of equipment (e.g., from terminals of a receiver) without the use of tools. The equipment interface and/or receiver may include a planar mounting surface having at least one aperture for receiving a threaded fastener and the equipment interface and/or receiver may be coupled to the piece of equipment via one or more threaded fasteners.

Still referring toFIG.1, the battery assembly100further includes an upper modular portion115coupled to the upper portion of the battery pack105, and lower modular portions120,125coupled to a lower portion of the battery pack105on each of the left and right sides. The upper modular portion115and lower modular portions120,125are coupled to the battery pack105using fasteners180(e.g., bolts, screws). The lower modular portions120,125provide protection to the battery pack105and act to absorb or limit the amount of force the battery pack105endures by dropping, etc. The upper modular portion115and lower modular portions120,125are exchangeable and customizable such that an operator or original equipment manufacturer may choose a different design and/or color based on the type or make and model of the equipment with which the battery assembly100is to be used. The upper modular portion115including the handle110and the lower modular portions120,125can be removed from the battery pack105. As such, in some embodiments, the battery assembly100may not include the upper modular portion115and/or lower modular portions120,125and may be permanently mounted to a piece of equipment. The battery assembly100can be removed by an operator by grasping the handle110of each battery assembly100, unlocking the battery assembly100from the slot by moving the release mechanism on the handle110(e.g., movable member135), and pulling upward and outward until fully removed from the slot. The handle110includes an outer surface111and an inner surface113positioned nearer the battery pack105than the outer surface111. The inner surface113includes a release mechanism or movable member135configured to be operable by the operator to unlock and decouple the battery assembly100from a charging station and/or a piece of equipment. When depressed, the movable member135moves inward toward the inner surface113and unlocks the battery assembly100out of engagement with a respective feature on a charging station and/or piece of equipment. In this way, when an operator grasps the handle110, the operator can, at the same time and with the same hand, easily depress the movable member135to disengage the battery assembly100from a piece of equipment or charging station.

The battery pack105further includes a user interface122configured to display various status and fault indications of the battery assembly100and/or the associated equipment. The user interface122uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs), liquid crystal display, etc., to display various colors or other indications. The user interface122can provide battery charge status, and can blink or flash battery fault codes. Additionally, the user interface122can provide information about the battery assembly100including condition, tool specific data, usage data, faults, customization settings, etc. For example, battery indications may include, but are not limited to, charge status, faults, battery health, battery life, capacity, rental time, battery mode, unique battery identifier, link systems, etc. The user interface122can be a customized version of a user interface tailored to a specific tool, use, or operator.

Referring toFIG.2, a parallel battery system200with battery packs connected in a parallel configuration is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. As depicted inFIG.2, the battery system200has four different battery packs202,204,206,208connected together in parallel, with each positive terminal of the battery packs202,204,206,208connecting to positive terminal bus222and each negative terminal of the battery packs202,204,206,208connecting to negative terminal bus224. Various different battery pack arrangements can be used as well. For example, the battery system200can have only a single battery pack202(e.g., the battery pack100), or can have some combination of the battery pack204, the battery pack206, and the battery pack208connected in a parallel configuration. In other examples, the battery system200has more than four battery packs connected in parallel, such as sixteen or more battery packs. The battery packs202,204,206,208can have different output ratings and capacities, or can have similar or the same ratings and capacities. The negative terminal bus224is connected to a common ground so that the battery pack202, the battery pack204, the battery pack206, and the battery pack208are all grounded together. In some embodiments, the battery pack202and the other battery packs in system200are Lithium-ion batteries, like the battery pack105. In other embodiments, the battery pack202and the other battery packs in system200are different battery types (e.g., lead-acid, lithium polymer, nickel-cadmium, etc.).

Each battery pack202,204,206, and208in the battery system200is connected to a 29-bit Controller Area Network bus (CANbus) network for sending and receiving communications from other battery packs within the parallel battery system200. A CANbus link210, a CANbus link212, and a CANbus link214are intact to permit network communications between the battery packs202,204,206,208of the battery system200. Alternatively, other digital communication protocols may be used instead of CANbus communications. For example, the digital communication protocol may use one or more of I2C, I2S, Serial, SPI, Ethernet, 1-Wire, etc. In still other examples, wireless communication protocols can be used by the battery packs202,204,206,208, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, mesh network, etc. Additionally, each pack202,204,206,208in the battery system200may be connected to an identical charge enable signal and an identical discharge enable signal as every other battery pack. For example, discharge enable signal216is connected to discharge enable signal218and discharge enable signal220.

In some embodiments, each of the battery packs202,204,206, and208have a battery management system (BMS)232,234,236,238. The BMS facilitates communication between each of the battery packs connected in the parallel configuration. In some embodiments, the battery management systems232,234,236, and238may communicate with each other and a charger station (e.g., with a controller of the charger station, etc.) via physical serial interface (e.g., controller area network (CAN) or RS-485) or an over-the-air (OTA) interface (e.g., Bluetooth low energy (BLE), near-field communication (NFC), etc.) The battery packs202,204,206,208are configured to communicate various different operational parameters (charge state, charge limit, current charge, etc.) and/or commands to one another via each BMS232,234,236,238using one or more of the communication protocols discussed above.

The parallel battery system200can balance the state of charge and ensure that each battery pack202,204,206,208operates within certain voltage and current limits in order to ensure effective use of the battery system. To help control voltage and current limits of the parallel battery system200, the BMS of232,234,236,238of one of the battery packs202,204,206,208can be assigned as the “primary controller.” The primary controller is configured to operate in direct communication with the equipment (e.g., the charger, other power equipment including an equipment interface, etc.) and each of the other battery packs202,204,206,208to effectively control operation of each of the remaining battery packs202,204,206,208that are coupled with the equipment. Accordingly, the primary controller is configured to communicate commands, operational parameters, and other information to and from the equipment, which can allow for precise parallel battery system200control. In some examples, each of the BMS232,234,236,238can be configured to operate as the primary controller as well as a secondary or subservient controller, and specific control logic is used to determine which of the BMS232,234,236,238will assume the role of primary controller within the parallel battery system200. The method for determining battery priority is explained in additional detail below with respect toFIG.4.

In some embodiments, each of the battery packs202,204,206,208have individual identifying information (e.g., serial number, ECU specific information, manufacture information, etc.). The individual identifying information can be stored within or otherwise accessible by the BMS232,234,236,238associated with the battery pack202,204,206,208and used by the equipment and/or the primary controller to determine certain features of the battery pack202,204,206,208, including charge capacity, voltage limits, etc. The identity and features of the battery pack202,204,206,208can be used to operate the parallel battery system200effectively, as explained in additional detail below. The identifying information can also be used to determine priority for which battery pack202,204,206,208should support the BMS considered to be the primary controller. In some examples, each battery pack202,204,206,208within the parallel battery system200is configured to store identifying information about each battery present on the equipment. When a battery pack (e.g.,202,204,206, and208) wants to join the battery busbar (e.g., through the positive terminal bus and negative terminal bus) of the parallel battery system200, this identifying information is communicated so that each battery pack and its respective BMS can go through an address claiming process before joining the battery busbar. The address claiming process effectively determines which BMS232,234,236,238should serve as the primary controller in the system, which will then determine which BMS232,234,236,238will communicate directly with a controller of the charger and/or other power equipment supporting the battery packs. The address claiming process is described in more detail with respect toFIG.5B. Each of the BMS232,234,236,238also have an ID calculated through the address claiming process. In some embodiments, if two battery packs and their respective battery management systems have the same identifying information, then a conflict resolution action is taken. The conflict resolution process is described in more detail with respect toFIG.5B.

Referring now toFIG.3AandFIG.3B, a process300for operating each individual BMS232,234,236,238of the parallel battery system200is shown. The battery management systems232,234,236,238are hereinafter referred to generally as “the BMS” and whichever BMS (which can be any of the BMS232,234,236, or238) is designated as the primary controller is herein after referred to as “the primary controller BMS” for clarity.

The process300begins when a battery pack202,204,206,208attempts to join a battery bus. For example, the process300can begin when a battery pack202,204,206,208is physically coupled with a piece of equipment (e.g., a charger). Before joining the battery pack with the battery bus, and at step302, the equipment and/or primary controller within the system determines if the joining battery pack BMS has claimed an address. As explained above, the address is a unique identifying code that can be assigned to the battery pack to operate within the equipment. The address can be based on different information about the battery pack, including manufacturer, date, battery type, battery capacity, a serial number of the battery, etc. If the BMS does not have an address claimed, then the BMS performs an address claim process at step306before proceeding with the rest of the process300. The address claim process306effectively works to provide a unique identifying value to each battery pack within the system, which can then be used for further communication and control processes. In some examples, the BMS with the lowest address value is assigned to serve as the primary controller BMS.

Once the BMS has claimed an address at step306, the BMS proceeds to determine if it is the primary controller or not. As mentioned above, any BMS within the parallel battery system200has the capability to become the primary controller for the parallel battery system200. In some embodiments, the BMS in the lowest ID position is designated to become the primary controller BMS. In yet other embodiments, the BMS in the highest ID position becomes the primary controller BMS. For example, if the BMS232has an ID of 1, BMS234has an ID of 2, BMS236has an ID of 3, and BMS238has an ID of 4, the BMS232would be assigned the role of the primary controller BMS because it has the lowest ID position of 1.

At step310, the BMS calculates a current limit, a power limit, and a voltage limit for the battery pack using the BMS. In some examples, the quantities are based upon the battery type or size, and are stored within the BMS. In other examples, the BMS actively monitors the rechargeable battery cells within the battery to determine these operational characteristics, or uses a combination of measured and stored values. To ensure the effective and efficient operation of the battery pack, the BMS associated with the battery pack may be configured to set operational limits for parameters associated with the battery pack such as the current limit, a power limit, and a voltage limit. In some embodiments, the BMS may use either a proportional, proportional integral (PI), proportional derivative (PD), or proportional integral derivative (PID) control loop to determine the current limit of the BMS based on a maximum cell voltage. The control loop then controls the current limit to reach and hold the maximum cell voltage up to the maximum cell voltage limit.

At step312, the BMS measures a real time current, power, and voltage value associated with its corresponding battery pack. The BMS can perform these processes by directly monitoring the one or more rechargeable cells within the battery pack. At step314, the BMS then determines if the measured values measured at step312are within the current limit, power limit, and voltage limits for the battery pack that were determined or otherwise identified at step310. If the measured values are not within the aforementioned limits, the BMS waits for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 1 minute, etc.) before restarting the process300at step310. If the measured values are within the limits determined at step310, then the BMS determines if the measured voltage is less than a predetermined value (e.g., a value associated with a battery busbar voltage) at step318. If the measured value is greater than the predetermined value, the BMS waits a predetermined time and then restarts the process300at step310. If the measured value is less than the predetermined value, the BMS proceeds to join the battery busbar at step320, where it can then receive and/or transmit electrical power.

Referring now toFIG.3B, the process300continues once the battery pack has joined the battery busbar. After joining the battery busbar, the BMS determines whether it is a primary controller or not. The BMS determines whether it is a primary controller or whether it should be a primary controller by comparing its stored address against other addresses that are present on the battery busbar. If the BMS is a primary controller or determined to be the primary controller based upon a comparison of the BMS address with others on the battery busbar, then the BMS proceeds to process400as described with respect toFIG.4.

If the BMS determines that it is not the primary controller, then the BMS calculates a delta value at step324. The delta value is defined as the difference between the current measured at step312and the current limit calculated at step310. The process300then proceeds to step326, where the BMS transmits the delta value calculated at step324and other BMS charge data collected through the process300to the BMS considered to be the primary controller. This other charge data may include but is not limited to the current limit associated with the BMS, a power limit associated with the BMS, a voltage limit associated with a BMS, a real time current measurement, a real time power measurement, a real time voltage measurement, a cell minimum temperature, a cell maximum temperature, and a cell average temperature, for example.

Referring now toFIG.4, a process for operating a primary controller for a battery pack connected to a battery busbar is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. As mentioned above, any of the battery management systems (e.g., BMS232, BMS234, BMS236, and BMS238) within the parallel battery management system200may become the primary controller. The primary controller is configured to communicate with and serve as the primary communication gateway between the equipment (e.g., the charger) and the other battery packs coupled to the battery busbar. If a BMS is designated as the primary controller BMS at step322in process300, then the primary controller BMS begins the process400by receiving charge data from the other battery management systems within the parallel battery system200. Each BMS on a battery pack that is not designated as the primary controller BMS can be queried for operational and address data by the primary controller BMS. As mentioned above, the operational data or charge data from the battery pack may include but is not limited to whether the battery pack is currently connected to the battery busbar, current limits associated with each respective BMS, a power limit associated with each respective BMS, a voltage limit associated with each respective BMS, a real time current measurement from each BMS, a real time power measurement from each BMS, and a real time voltage measurement from each BMS. The primary controller BMS is configured to receive and store address data and charge data from each battery pack within a local memory. In some examples, the primary controller BMS maintains a table of the ID and address for each BMS associated with the parallel battery system200. Any charge data received from each BMS associated with the parallel battery system is stored along with the corresponding address and ID of each BMS.

The primary controller BMS then calculates a current limit, a power limit, and a voltage limit output to the charger based on the delta values from the other BMS within the parallel battery system200at step404. Using this data, and at step406, the primary controller BMS updates charge data tables based on charge data received from each of the other BMS within the parallel battery system200. Additionally, the primary controller BMS updates the charge data tables with its own charge data. If the charge data received from a BMS within the parallel battery system200does not match the ID of the BMS, the primary controller may send the address through the address claiming process to attempt to resolve the identification issue. If a conflict in address is observed, the charge data from the conflicting addresses will not be used until the address is claimed correctly. In some examples, the primary BMS controller then transmits the stored charge data tables to each of the other BMS within the system for storage and update of internal records.

At step408, the primary controller BMS determines the minimum current limit and minimum current limit delta values from the charge data table. In some embodiments, the BMS may use either a proportional, PI, PD, or PID control loop to determine the current limit output to a charger based on the minimum delta value from the other battery management systems within the parallel battery system200. The control loop attempts to hold the minimum delta value as close to 0 as possible, which prevents overcharging that might otherwise damage the battery pack. In some embodiments, the control loop from the primary controller BMS slowly increases the current limit for the charger (e.g., by issuing a command from the primary controller BMS to the controller of the charger) and tracks whether the charger output current increases accordingly. If the current limit for the charger is reached, the current limit for the charger is held. The primary controller determines if the current limit has been reached either from communication from the charger or from the lack of increasing output. The primary controller BMS can also adjust various operating features of the charger, including changing an operational mode. For example, the primary controller BMS can command the charger to adjust between an idle state (e.g., no current in), a constant current state, and/or a constant voltage state. In still other examples, the primary controller BMS can communicate software updates for the charger to the controller of the charger. In some embodiments, the primary controller BMS may immediately drop the current limit for the charger to 0 if a sudden increase in current is observed. For example, if a battery pack joins the battery busbar without prior communication to the battery bus, then the primary controller BMS would drop the current limit for the charger to 0, and issue a command to one or more of the secondary BMS within the system to decouple the battery cells from the battery busbar using one or more different communication protocols, as discussed above. In still further examples, the primary controller BMS will communicate with the controller of the charger to cease outputting current upon a detection of a sudden change in current on the battery busbar.

At step410, the primary controller BMS continues the process400by calculating a controller value for the current limit and voltage limit for the charger. In some embodiments, the primary controller is configured to issue a command to the charger controller to transition the charger from constant current mode to constant voltage mode when any BMS reaches the maximum voltage limit. As mentioned above, each of the control loops for the battery management systems associated with the parallel battery system200holds the voltage limit by controlling the current limit. Although the current limit output for the charger determined by the primary controller BMS is independent of the current limit received from each of the other BMS within the parallel battery system200, if the current limit from any of the other BMSs drops to 0, the current limit for the charger will also drop to 0. This allows each parallel battery system to charge as close to the current limit for the charger as possible without exceeding the current limit for the charger.

Referring now toFIG.5A, a process500for ensuring that there is no loss of communication with the primary controller is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. The process500may executed by every BMS (e.g., BMS232, BMS234, BMS,236, and BMS238), including the primary controller BMS, within the parallel battery system200to ensure correct transmission of charge data. At step502, the primary controller BMS receives charge data. The charge data, as discussed above within process400, is provided by each of the other battery packs present on the battery busbar within the parallel battery system200, and includes the battery IDs associated with the charge data. At step504, the primary controller BMS compares the battery IDs within the received charge data tables with a stored address claim index for the data that was previously received by the primary controller BMS (e.g., during process300). If the IDs and address claim index don't match, then the primary controller sends the non-compliant address(es) through the address claiming process, shown in additional detail inFIG.5B.

If the ID and address claim index match, then a loss of communication timer is set to zero at step506. With the loss of communication timer reset, the primary controller then processes the valid charge data for the ID at step508. Processing the valid charge data can effectively be performed by overwriting or otherwise storing the validated data within a localized or remote memory that is accessible by the primary controller BMS. The validated data can then be transmitted to the other BMSs on the battery busbar. If the loss of communication timer is not set to zero at step506(e.g., because of a discrepancy in address or ID data), the communication timer will continue to run. The loss of communication timer functions to ensure that each BMS within the system continues to provide and receive current data, and runs for a predetermined period of time. If the loss of communication timer achieves a threshold value (e.g., 5 seconds, 15 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, etc.), the primary controller BMS and/or the other BMSs within the system understand that an interruption in communication between one or more batteries has occurred, as ID issues with charging information persist.

At step510, the primary controller increments the loss of communication timer for the ID. The increments can be on a regular interval, such as 10 ms, for example. As indicated above, the timer is reset upon receipt of valid charge data. If valid charge data is not received, however, the loss of communication timer will expire after reaching a set threshold time limit (e.g., 5 seconds). In the case of the other BMSs which are not the primary controller BMS, if the loss of communication timer expires, the data stored within each BMS will be considered invalid and outdated. In the case of the primary controller BMS, if the loss of communication timer expires, then the first BMS to reach this timer expiration will send an immediate message flagging the loss of the primary controller BMS to the other BMSs within the parallel battery system200. If communication is lost with the primary controller BMS, the other BMSs within the system proceed to determine a new primary controller BMS that is still in communication with the other battery packs within the system. Then all the BMSs within the parallel battery system200reset their IDs, addresses, charge information buffers, and then proceed through the address claiming process as outlined inFIG.5B.

Referring now toFIG.5B, an address claiming process550for assigning addresses and IDs to each BMS within the parallel battery system200is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. The process550provides a conflict resolution action when a second BMS joins the battery bus bar with the same identifying information as another BMS already joined to the battery busbar. At step512, the address claim for a new BMS joining the battery busbar is received. As discussed previously, the address claim can be based on a variety of features, including battery serial number and manufacturer, among other features. At step514, the BMS determines if an address match exists. If the address match does not exist, then the BMS updates its address claim index with a new value at step516and then calculates an ID for the BMS at step522. If the address match does exist, then the BMS determines whether there is an ID match at step518. If an ID match exists, then an ID is calculated for the BMS at step522. If an ID match does not exist, the BMS executes an arbitration at step520before calculating an ID for the BMS at step522. This arbitration is done by incrementing a calibratable parameter within the arbitration data to resolve the conflict. In some embodiments, the calibratable parameter which can be used to resolve a conflict may be set manually by the user with a diagnostic calibration tool to pre-determine the address claim sequence of multiple BMSs. In some embodiments, each BMS within the parallel battery system200resets its address claim information to prevent recurrent errors or storing an address which has since been updated.

The various methods and systems described herein may allow battery systems in various types of equipment (e.g., outdoor power equipment, indoor power equipment, portable jobsite equipment, military vehicle applications, etc.) to utilize parallel battery packs in a way that prevents damage to individual battery packs when battery packs attempt to join a system in a parallel configuration. The methods and systems described herein also provide a parallel battery system that has robust communication that can readily adjust in case of a temporary or permanent communication loss occurring within the various battery management systems mentioned in the present disclosure. Each battery pack and BMS can be configured to transmit charge data and other information to other batteries and/or charger stations and equipment using physical serial interfaces or OTA interfaces, and will supply data having a unique identification that allows for easy tracking of the charging information. Each BMS within the system can then assume the role of primary controller in the event of a loss of communication with one or more battery packs on the system, which might occur when one or more batteries is suddenly removed from the charger station, while others remain connected to the battery busbar.

It should be understood that while the use of words such as desirable or suitable utilized in the description above indicate that the feature so described may be more desirable, it nonetheless may not be necessary and embodiments lacking the same may be contemplated as within the scope of the invention, the scope being defined by the claims that follow. In reading the claims, it is intended that when words such as “a,” “an,” or “at least one” are used there is no intention to limit the claim to only one item unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim.

It should be noted that certain passages of this disclosure can reference terms such as “first” and “second” in connection with side and end, etc., for purposes of identifying or differentiating one from another or from others. These terms are not intended to merely relate entities (e.g., a first side and a second side) temporally or according to a sequence, although in some cases, these entities can include such a relationship. Nor do these terms limit the number of possible entities (e.g., sides or ends) that can operate within a system or environment.