This present invention provides a packing scheme for battery cells, known as FSTP (First Serial Then Parallel). That is, when building a battery pack, first the battery cells are connected in serial to reach the required voltage, then the resulted battery strings are connected in parallel to reach the required capacity. A final battery pack is thus completed. This scheme possesses the following advantages: (1) Safety of the pack against catching fire is greatly improved by an order of magnitude, since each of every cell in the pack has been monitored; (2) Total cost is contained within acceptable level; (3) Cell strings can be easily switched out of the pack, resulting in removing faulted cells instantly without significantly impacting operation. And the costly active battery balancing becomes unnecessary.

This present invention provides a packing scheme for battery cells, known as FSTP (First Serial Then Parallel). That is, when building a battery pack, first the battery cells are connected in serial to reach the required voltage, then the resulted battery strings are connected in parallel to reach the required capacity. A final battery pack is thus completed. This scheme possesses the following advantages: (1) Safety of the pack against catching fire is greatly improved by an order of magnitude, since each of every cell in the pack has been monitored; (2) Total cost is contained within acceptable level; (3) Cell strings can be easily switched out of the pack, resulting in removing faulted cells instantly without significantly impacting operation. And the costly active battery balancing becomes unnecessary.

A method for operating an energy storage device with at least one first and at least one second energy storage element in a motor vehicle, wherein the first and the second energy storage elements are connected in series to provide a nominal voltage of the energy storage device, wherein when a charging condition indicated for charging an energy storage device by a motor vehicle-independent energy source as fulfilled, the first and the second energy storage elements are connected in parallel to the motor vehicle-independent energy source, wherein a charging voltage is provided by the motor vehicle-independent energy source for charging the energy storage device, which is lower than the nominal voltage of the energy storage device with a connection in series of the first and of the second energy storage element.

A control system includes a state-of-charge (SOC) measuring unit and a controller. The SOC measuring unit measures a SOC of a first battery pack and a SOC of a second battery pack. The controller adjusts the SOC of the first battery pack and the SOC of the second battery pack. When a difference between the SOC of the first battery pack and the SOC of the second battery pack is less than a first threshold value, the controller performs an adjustment to adjust the SOC of the first battery pack and the SOC of the second battery pack so that said difference becomes equal to the first threshold value. An average of the SOC of the first battery pack and the SOC of the second battery pack before the adjustment is equal to an average of the SOC of the first battery pack and the SOC of the second battery pack after the adjustment. The controller pulse-charges or pulse-discharges the first battery pack and the second battery pack using a first C-rate.

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for an energy storage system. In one aspect, the energy storage system includes a controller configured to connect a first capacitor system and a second capacitor system in series with an output of a battery system during a high current demand event such that the voltage of the output of the battery system is supported within the voltage constraints of the output of that battery system.

A two-voltage battery for a vehicle, having at least one ground terminal, a first vehicle electrical system connection at which a low, first vehicle electrical system voltage is provided, and a second vehicle electrical system connection at which a high, second vehicle electrical system voltage is provided. At least one battery submodule having at least two battery cell blocks and a multiplicity of switching elements is provided for connecting the battery cell blocks in parallel and/or in series as desired. In a first connection arrangement, the same are connected in parallel with one another such that the first vehicle electrical system voltage is provided at the first vehicle electrical system connection. The switching elements in a second connection arrangement connect the battery cell blocks in series with one another such that the second vehicle electrical system voltage is provided at the second vehicle electrical system connection.

A two-voltage battery for a vehicle, having at least one ground terminal, a first vehicle electrical system connection at which a low, first vehicle electrical system voltage is provided, and a second vehicle electrical system connection at which a high, second vehicle electrical system voltage is provided. At least one battery submodule having at least two battery cell blocks and a multiplicity of switching elements is provided for connecting the battery cell blocks in parallel and/or in series as desired. In a first connection arrangement, the same are connected in parallel with one another such that the first vehicle electrical system voltage is provided at the first vehicle electrical system connection. The switching elements in a second connection arrangement connect the battery cell blocks in series with one another such that the second vehicle electrical system voltage is provided at the second vehicle electrical system connection.

Systems and methods for dynamic control of a configuration of electrical circuits are provided. An example system includes a plurality of electric power sources and a plurality of switches configured to connect and disconnect some of the electric power sources. The system may include a controller coupled to the switches. The controller may be configured to enable and disable the switches to cause a change in a configuration of the connections between the electric power sources. The electric power sources can include at least one generator and at least two batteries. The controller can be further configured to cause a change in the configuration to connect the two batteries in series to a load for discharging and connect the two batteries in parallel to the generator for recharging.

Systems and methods for dynamic control of a configuration of electrical circuits are provided. An example system includes a plurality of electric power sources and a plurality of switches configured to connect and disconnect some of the electric power sources. The system may include a controller coupled to the switches. The controller may be configured to enable and disable the switches to cause a change in a configuration of the connections between the electric power sources. The electric power sources can include at least one generator and at least two batteries. The controller can be further configured to cause a change in the configuration to connect the two batteries in series to a load for discharging and connect the two batteries in parallel to the generator for recharging.

The invention relates to an open-loop and/or closed loop control system (1) for a secondary battery (3), having at least two battery cells (2) which can be electrically connected in series with one another, in particular of a motor vehicle which can be powered electrically, having—at least two cell electronics units (4) which are each assigned to at least one battery cell (2),—at least one electronic central processor unit (5) and—at least one communication link (6) via which the electronic central processor unit (5) can be connected in terms of communication technology to the cell electronics units (4),—wherein the electronic central processor unit (5) is configured to detect an electrical actual output voltage which is respectively generated by the secondary battery (3) and to compare said actual output voltage with a predefined electrical setpoint output voltage, to generate at least one control signal as a function of the respective result of the comparison between the electrical actual output voltage and the electrical setpoint output voltage and to transmit the respectively generated control signal to all the cell electronics units (4) via the communication link (6),—wherein each cell electronics unit (4) is configured to detect a respective state of the battery cell (2) assigned thereto, to generate a state parameter assigned to the respectively detected state, to weight, with the respective state parameter, a value, stored in the cell electronics unit (4), of a probability of the battery cell (2), assigned thereto, being switched on and to control the state of the battery cell (2), assigned thereto, as a function of the respective control signal and the value, weighted with the respective state parameter, of the probability of the battery cell (2) being switched on, and—wherein the respective control signal contains at least one information item according to which the values, stored in the cell electronics units (4), of the probability of the respective battery cell (2) being switched on are to be retained, incrementally increased, incrementally reduced or reset to a predefined output value in the next control step.