Nec Energy Solutions, Inc.

Oleg Kerbel

Yevgeny Maltsev

Gregory Tremelling

Ron Amit

C Michael Hoff

Greg Tremelling

In an embodiment, an energy storage system includes one or more storage cells, charge/discharge circuitry, and charger wakeup circuitry. After the storage cells become depleted below an energy level threshold, the charge/discharge circuitry disconnects the storage cells from a main circuit associated with the storage system. The charger wakeup circuitry allows a limited amount of current to bypass the charge/discharge circuitry in order to present a current-limited voltage from the storage cells at the terminals. The voltage presented at the terminals is pulsed on and off when an external device is connected across the terminals. The voltage presented to the terminals is detected by the external device. After detecting the voltage, the external device performs an operation in response to detecting the condition.

Energy storage system charger wake-up

Systems and methods of providing integrated battery protection for a plurality of series-connected batteries, in which a plurality of controllable switches are used to disconnect or otherwise isolate the respective batteries, substantially simultaneously, from an external circuit in response to certain fault or non-fault battery conditions. When the plurality of controllable switches are synchronously transitioned from a closed or 'ON' state to an opened or 'OFF' state, the voltages of the respective batteries become distributed among the controllable switches, allowing for the use of switches having a reduced voltage rating as well as a reduced cost. By connecting a balancing resistor across each of a plurality of series-connected battery/switch pairs, a more even distribution of the voltages of the respective batteries among the controllable switches can be achieved, providing the system with more predictable operation.

Control method for disconnecting switches integrated in series-connected batteries

According to example configurations herein, a clamp circuit includes: i) a power dissipation circuit disposed between a first node and a second node of the clamp circuit, and ii) a capacitive element disposed in a control path between the first node and a control input of the power dissipation circuit. During operation, when a voltage spike occurs at the first node, such as caused by opening of a respective switch, the capacitive element in the control path conveys a portion of energy from the first node to control activation of the power dissipation circuit. That is, during the voltage spike, based on conveyance of the energy over the control path, the power dissipation circuit turns ON to dissipate the transient voltage, protecting a main power switch.

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Needham, MA, United States of America

Oleg Kerbel