Relay control equipment

Abstract

A relay control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a relay, which is arranged on a main path between a battery cell and a component terminal and is configured to electrically connect or disconnect the main path according to an operating state of the relay; and a comparator, which is configured to receive a comparison voltage from the main path and output a result signal to the relay based on a difference between a reference voltage and the comparison voltage, wherein the relay is configured to receive the result signal and control the operating state to an on state or an off state according to the size of the received result signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0000993 filed in Korea on January 3, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a relay control device, and more particularly, to a relay control device for preventing a surge from flowing into a relay. Background Art

[0003] Recently, the demand for portable electronic products such as notebook computers, cameras, and portable phones has increased dramatically, and electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, artificial satellites, etc. have been fully developed. Therefore, high-performance batteries that allow repeated charge and discharge are being actively studied.

[0004] Currently commercially available batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium batteries, etc. Among these batteries, lithium batteries have attracted public attention because they have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries and also have very low self-discharge rate and high energy density.

[0005] During the charge and discharge of such a battery, if an overvoltage is applied, not only the battery but also components of a battery pack including the battery may be seriously damaged.

[0006] Conventionally, in order to prevent the battery and the load from being damaged by such a high voltage, a battery pack and a driving method thereof have been disclosed which determine whether a high voltage is applied to the battery pack and control the operating state of a charging switch or a discharging switch according to the determination result (Patent Document 1).

[0007] However, in Patent Document 1, since the operation states of the charge switch and the discharge switch are controlled by the BMS, when the BMS is in an awake state, even if an overvoltage is applied to the battery pack, the operation states of the charge switch and the discharge switch cannot be controlled.

[0008] In addition, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which the voltage of the reference power supply is set relative to the voltage of the positive terminal based on the maximum voltage that can be charged to the capacitor. Here, if the voltage of the reference power supply is greater than the withstand voltage of the charging switch and the discharging switch, there is a problem that the charging switch and the discharging switch may be damaged when the charging switch and the discharging switch are turned on. That is, in Patent Document 1, the voltage of the reference power supply is set only based on the maximum voltage of the capacitor to prevent a large current from flowing according to the voltage of the capacitor, but it does not disclose setting the reference voltage in consideration of the withstand voltage of the charging switch and the discharging switch.

[0009] Therefore, the problem of Patent Document 1 is that even if there is no overcurrent, a voltage higher than the withstand voltage of the charging switch and the discharging switch may be applied based on the maximum voltage of the capacitor to cause damage.

[0010] (Patent Document 1) KR 10-2016-0100675A Summary of the invention

[0011] Technical issues

[0012] The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the prior art, and thus the present disclosure aims to provide a relay control device capable of controlling an operating state of a relay according to a reference voltage set to correspond to a withstand voltage of the relay.

[0013] These and other purposes and advantages of the present disclosure can be understood from the following detailed description, and will become more fully apparent from the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Moreover, it will be readily understood that the purposes and advantages of the present disclosure can be achieved by the means and combinations thereof shown in the appended claims.

[0014] Technical Solution

[0015] In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a relay control device, comprising: a relay disposed on a main path between a battery cell and a component terminal and configured to electrically connect or disconnect the main path according to an operating state; and a comparator configured to receive a comparison voltage from the main path and output a result signal to the relay based on a difference between a reference voltage and the comparison voltage.

[0016] The relay may be configured to receive the result signal and control an operation state to be an on state or an off state according to a size of the received result signal.

[0017] The comparator may be configured to receive the comparison voltage between the relay and the component terminal.

[0018] The relay may include a diode disposed such that a direction from the battery cell toward the assembly terminal is a forward direction.

[0019] The comparator may be configured to receive a reference voltage corresponding to a withstand voltage of the relay.

[0020] The comparator may be configured to output a first result signal when the comparison voltage is greater than the reference voltage to control the operation state of the relay to be a cut-off state.

[0021] The comparator may be configured to output a second result signal when the comparison voltage is less than the reference voltage to control the operation state of the relay to be a conducting state.

[0022] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the relay control device may further include: a voltage source, which is configured to apply the reference voltage to the comparator; a variable resistor, which is arranged between the voltage source and the comparator; and a control unit, which is configured to adjust the magnitude of the reference voltage applied to the comparator to correspond to the withstand voltage of the relay by adjusting the resistance of the variable resistor.

[0023] The control unit may be configured to determine a degree of degradation of the relay and adjust a resistance of the variable resistor based on the determined degree of degradation.

[0024] The control unit may be configured to determine the degree of degradation according to an operation number of the relay.

[0025] In still another aspect of the present disclosure, a battery pack is provided, the battery pack including the relay control device according to the present disclosure.

[0026] Beneficial Effects

[0027] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a surge can be prevented from flowing into a relay, thereby preventing the relay from being damaged by the inflowing surge.

[0028] Moreover, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the reference voltage can be set to correspond to the withstand voltage of the relay. Therefore, based on the reference voltage corresponding to the withstand voltage of the relay, even if the relay deteriorates, the surge can be prevented from flowing into the relay. In addition, even if the withstand voltage changes due to replacement of the relay, the reference voltage corresponding to the changed withstand voltage can be set.

[0029] Furthermore, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, since a surge is prevented from flowing into a relay, elements provided in a battery pack including a relay control device may be prevented from being damaged by the surge.

[0030] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood from the description of the claims by those skilled in the art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the foregoing disclosure, are used to provide a further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Figure 1is a diagram schematically showing a relay control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a battery pack including a relay control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 3 is a diagram showing another exemplary configuration of a battery pack including the relay control device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a battery pack including a relay control device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] It should be understood that the terms used in this specification and the appended claims should not be interpreted as limited to the general and dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted based on the meaning and concept of the technical aspects corresponding to the present disclosure on the basis of the principle allowing the inventor to appropriately define the terms for the best explanation.

[0037] Therefore, the description herein is merely a preferred example for illustrative purposes, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, and it should be appreciated that other equivalent substitutions and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0038] Furthermore, in describing the present disclosure, when it is considered that a detailed description of related known elements or functions may obscure the key subject matter of the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted herein.

[0039] Terms including ordinal numbers such as “first,” “second,” etc. may be used to distinguish one of various elements from another element, but the elements are not intended to be limited by the terms.

[0040] Throughout the specification, when a part is referred to as “including” or “comprising” any element, it means that the part may further include other elements, without excluding other elements, unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0041] In addition, the term "control unit" described in this specification refers to a unit that processes at least one function or operation and may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0042] In addition, throughout the specification, when a part is referred to as being “connected” to another part, it is not limited to the case where they are “directly connected” but also includes the case where they are “indirectly connected” with another element interposed therebetween.

[0043] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] Figure 1 is a diagram schematically showing a relay control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a battery pack 1 including a relay control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Reference Figure 2 , the relay control device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided to the battery pack 1 .

[0046] For example, in Figure 2 In an embodiment, the battery pack 1 may include a battery cell 10 and a relay control device 100 .

[0047] Here, the battery cell 10 refers to an independent battery having a negative terminal and a positive terminal and can be physically separated. For example, a lithium ion battery or a lithium polymer battery can be regarded as the battery cell 10. Figure 2 Depending on the embodiment, the battery pack 1 may include at least one battery module in which one or more battery cells 10 are connected in series and / or in parallel. Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, it will be described that one battery cell 10 is provided in the battery pack 1.

[0048] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the relay control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a relay 110 , a comparator 120 , and a voltage source 130 .

[0049] The relay 110 is disposed on a main path between the battery cell 10 and an assembly terminal and may be configured to electrically connect or disconnect the main path according to an operation state thereof.

[0050] Here, the main path may be a path between the battery cell 10 and the electrode terminals of the battery pack 1. That is, the main path may be a large current path through which a charging current or a discharging current of the battery cell 10 flows.

[0051] For example, in Figure 2 In the embodiment, the relay 110 may be disposed between the battery cell 10 and the positive terminal P+ of the battery pack 1 .

[0052] The comparator 120 may be configured to receive a comparison voltage from the main path.

[0053] Specifically, the comparator 120 may include a first input terminal i1 for receiving a comparison voltage, a second input terminal i2 for receiving a reference voltage, and an output terminal o for outputting a result signal. In addition, the comparator 120 may further include a power terminal to which a driving power is applied, and preferably, the driving power may be applied from the battery cell 10.

[0054] For example, in Figure 2 In an embodiment of the present invention, the first input terminal i1 of the comparator 120 may be connected to the main path through the first line L1. A voltage applied to the main path may be input to the first input terminal i1 of the comparator 120 through the first line L1.

[0055] In addition, Figure 2 In the embodiment of the present invention, the second input terminal i2 of the comparator 120 may be connected to the second line L2. Therefore, the reference voltage may be input to the second input terminal i2 of the comparator 120 through the second line L2.

[0056] In addition, Figure 2 In the embodiment, the output terminal o of the comparator 120 may be connected to the third line L3. Specifically, the output terminal o of the comparator 120 may be connected to the relay 110 through the third line L3. Therefore, the result signal output from the comparator 120 may be input to the relay 110 through the third line L3.

[0057] Furthermore, the comparator 120 may be configured to output a result signal to the relay 110 based on a difference between the reference voltage and the comparison voltage.

[0058] Preferably, the comparator 120 can output different result signals according to the magnitude of the reference voltage and the comparison voltage. For example, if the reference voltage is greater than the comparison voltage, the comparator 120 can output a first result signal, and if the reference voltage is less than the comparison voltage, the comparator 120 can output a second result signal.

[0059] exist Figure 2 In the implementation manner, the output terminal o of the comparator 120 can output the first result signal or the second result signal according to the magnitudes of the reference voltage and the comparison voltage.

[0060] Relay 110 may be configured to receive the result signal.

[0061] Preferably, the relay 110 may be a field effect transistor (FET). More preferably, the relay 110 may be a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

[0062] For example, in Figure 2In an embodiment, the relay 110 may include a gate terminal G, a drain terminal D, and a source terminal S. Preferably, the drain terminal D of the relay 110 may be connected to the positive terminal of the battery cell 10, and the source terminal S may be connected to the positive terminal P+ of the battery pack 1. In addition, the gate terminal G may be connected to the output terminal o of the comparator 120. Therefore, the result signal output from the comparator 120 may be applied to the gate terminal G of the relay 110.

[0063] The relay 110 may be configured to control its operation state to be an on state or an off state according to the size of the received result signal.

[0064] The operation state may be controlled corresponding to the result signal received from the comparator 120. For example, the relay 110 may be a P-channel MOSFET. Due to the characteristics of the P-channel MOSFET, if a voltage greater than a threshold voltage is applied to the gate terminal G, the relay 110 may be controlled to be in an off state, and if a voltage less than the threshold voltage is applied, the relay 110 may be controlled to be in an on state.

[0065] More specifically, reference will be made to Figure 3 An embodiment of controlling the operating state of the relay 110 is described.

[0066] Figure 3 is a diagram showing another exemplary configuration of a battery pack 1 including a relay control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Figure 3 The load 20 is connected to Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a battery pack 1 in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] Reference Figure 3 , a comparison voltage (Vc) may be applied from the load 20 to the first input terminal i1 of the comparator 120 through the first line L1, and a reference voltage (Vr) may be applied to the second input terminal i2 through the second line L2. In addition, the output terminal o of the comparator 120 may be connected to the gate terminal G of the relay 110 through the third line L3 so that the result signal (Vo) is applied to the gate terminal G.

[0068] If the comparison voltage (Vc) is greater than the reference voltage (Vr), the comparator 120 may output a first result signal to control the operation state of the relay 110 to be a cut-off state.

[0069] For example, in Figure 3In the embodiment of the present invention, if the comparison voltage (Vc) input to the first input terminal i1 through the first line L1 is greater than the reference voltage (Vr) input to the second input terminal i2 through the second line L2, the first result signal may be output from the output terminal o as the result signal (Vo). The first result signal may be applied to the gate terminal G through the third line L3. In this case, the voltage difference between the gate terminal G and the source terminal S may be greater than the threshold voltage. Therefore, the relay 110 becomes an off state, and current may not flow from the source terminal S to the drain terminal D.

[0070] On the contrary, if the comparison voltage (Vc) is less than the reference voltage (Vr), the comparator 120 may be configured to output a second result signal to control the operation state of the relay 110 to be a conducting state.

[0071] For example, in Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present invention, if the comparison voltage (Vc) input to the first input terminal i1 through the first line L1 is less than the reference voltage (Vr) input to the second input terminal i2 through the second line L2, the second result signal may be output from the output terminal o as the result signal (Vo). The second result signal may be applied to the gate terminal G through the third line L3. In this case, the voltage difference between the gate terminal G and the source terminal S may be lower than the threshold voltage. Therefore, the relay 110 becomes conductive, and a channel may be formed between the source terminal S and the drain terminal D. Current may flow from the source terminal S to the drain terminal D through this channel.

[0072] Therefore, the relay control device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can block the surge flowing from the load 20 to the battery cell 10. Therefore, the relay control device 100 can prevent the relay 110 from being damaged. In addition, since the surge is dissipated via the ground connected to the comparator 120, the internal elements of the battery pack 1 including the relay control device 100 can be prevented from being damaged by the surge.

[0073] Meanwhile, the control unit 150 provided in the relay control device 100 may selectively include a processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), other chipsets, logic circuits, registers, communication modems, data processing devices, etc. known in the art to execute various control logics executed in the present disclosure. Moreover, when the control logic is implemented in software, the control unit 150 may be implemented as a set of program modules. In this case, the program modules may be stored in a memory and executed by the control unit 150. The memory may be located inside or outside the control unit 150 and may be connected to the control unit 150 by various well-known means.

[0074] The comparator 120 may be configured to receive a comparison voltage between the relay 110 and a component terminal.

[0075] Specifically, the comparator 120 may be connected between the relay 110 and the positive terminal P+ of the battery pack 1. In addition, the comparator 120 may receive a voltage between the relay 110 and the positive terminal P+ of the battery pack 1 as a comparison voltage.

[0076] For example, in Figure 3 In the embodiment, the comparator 120 may be connected between the source terminal S of the relay 110 and the positive terminal P+ of the battery pack 1 through the first line L1. In addition, the comparator 120 may receive the voltage between the source terminal S of the relay 110 and the positive terminal P+ of the battery pack 1 as the comparison voltage (Vc) through the first input terminal i1. Here, the comparison voltage (Vc) may be the same as the voltage of the load 20.

[0077] In addition, if the comparison voltage (Vc) is lower than the reference voltage (Vr), the comparator 120 may control the operation state of the relay 110 to be a conducting state. In other words, the comparator 120 may prevent a large current from flowing when a high voltage is applied to the relay 110.

[0078] Therefore, the relay control device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can prevent a large current from flowing through the relay 110, thereby preventing the relay 110 from being damaged by the large current. In addition, the relay control device 100 can prevent internal elements of the battery pack 1 from being damaged by the large current flowing through the relay 110.

[0079] The relay 110 may include a diode which is disposed such that a direction from the battery cell 10 toward the assembly terminal is a forward direction.

[0080] Specifically, the relay 110 may include a diode in which a direction from the drain terminal D toward the source terminal S is a forward direction. Here, the diode may be a parasitic diode (body diode).

[0081] For example, in Figure 2 In the embodiment of the present invention, it is assumed that the load 20 is connected to the battery pack 1. In the case where the battery cell 10 is discharged, the current output from the battery cell 10 may flow through the relay 110 through the diode. In addition, since a voltage is applied between the source terminal S of the relay 110 and the positive terminal P+ of the battery pack 1 due to the current flowing through the diode, the comparison voltage may be applied to the first input terminal i1 of the comparator 120. If the magnitude of the comparison voltage is less than the reference voltage, the operating state of the relay 110 may be controlled to be a conducting state by the result signal output from the comparator 120. At this time, since a channel is formed between the drain terminal D and the source terminal S of the relay 110, the current output from the battery cell 10 may flow through the formed channel. Therefore, during the discharge process of the battery cell 10, the discharge current initially flows through the diode, but may then flow through the channel formed in the relay 110.

[0082] As another example, in Figure 3 In the embodiment of , it is assumed that the load 20 is connected to the battery pack 1 and the charging current flows from the load 20. In this case, unlike the case of discharge, the charging current flowing from the load 20 may not pass through the diode provided in the relay 110. That is, the charging current may pass through the relay 110 only when the operation state of the relay 110 is controlled to be the on state. Therefore, the relay 110 can be prevented from being damaged by the inflow of the surge.

[0083] The comparator 120 may be configured to receive a reference voltage corresponding to a withstand voltage of the relay 110 .

[0084] Here, the withstand voltage may refer to an internal voltage that the relay 110 can withstand without being damaged. That is, by setting the reference voltage of the comparator 120 to correspond to the withstand voltage of the relay 110, a voltage higher than the withstand voltage may be prevented from being applied to the relay 110.

[0085] For example, in Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present invention, if the comparison voltage (Vc) applied from the load 20 is greater than the reference voltage (Vr) set to correspond to the withstand voltage of the relay 110, the first result signal may be output from the comparator 120 as the result signal (Vo). In addition, the operation state of the relay 110 may be controlled to be a cut-off state. Therefore, the connection between the battery cell 10 and the load 20 may be blocked.

[0086] If the comparison voltage (Vc) applied from the load 20 is less than the reference voltage (Vr) set to correspond to the withstand voltage of the relay 110, the second result signal may be output from the comparator 120 as the result signal (Vo). In addition, the operation state of the relay 110 may be controlled to be a conducting state. Therefore, since the battery cell 10 and the load 20 may be electrically connected, the battery cell 10 may be charged by the load 20.

[0087] The relay control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can prevent a high voltage higher than a withstand voltage from being applied to the relay 110 by setting the reference voltage to correspond to the withstand voltage of the relay 110. Therefore, the relay 110 can be prevented from being damaged, thereby extending the life of the relay 110.

[0088] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a battery pack 1 including a relay control device 100 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0089] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 4, the relay control device 100 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a voltage source 130 , a variable resistor 140 , and a control unit 150 .

[0090] The voltage source 130 may be configured to apply a reference voltage to the comparator 120 .

[0091] Here, the voltage source 130 may be a voltage source that applies a reference voltage to the comparator, which is separate from the battery cell 10. Preferably, the voltage source 130 may apply a DC voltage to the comparator 120.

[0092] For example, in Figure 4 In an embodiment, the voltage source 130 may be connected to the second input terminal i2 of the comparator 120 through the second line L2. The voltage output from the voltage source 130 may be applied to the second input terminal i2 of the comparator 120 through the second line L2.

[0093] The variable resistor 140 may be disposed between the voltage source 130 and the comparator 120 .

[0094] The variable resistor 140 may be a device whose resistance can be changed according to a setting. That is, the DC voltage output from the voltage source 130 may pass through the variable resistor 140, and a voltage drop may occur at this time. Therefore, the variable resistor 140 may be configured so that the reduced voltage corresponds to the withstand voltage of the relay 110.

[0095] For example, in Figure 4 In the embodiment, the variable resistor 140 may be disposed on the second line L2. That is, one end of the variable resistor 140 may be connected to the voltage source 130 through the second line L2, and the other end of the variable resistor 140 may be connected to the second input terminal i2 of the comparator 120 through the second line L2.

[0096] The control unit 150 may be configured to adjust the resistance of the variable resistor 140 .

[0097] Preferably, the variable resistor 140 may be an electronic variable resistor 140 . That is, the resistance of the variable resistor 140 may be adjusted by the control unit 150 .

[0098] For example, in Figure 4 In an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 150 may be electrically connected to the variable resistor 140. In addition, the control unit 150 may adjust the resistance of the variable resistor 140 by outputting a control signal to the variable resistor 140.

[0099] Furthermore, the control unit 150 may be configured to adjust the magnitude of the reference voltage applied to the comparator 120 so that the reference voltage corresponds to the withstand voltage of the relay 110 .

[0100] Preferably, the control unit 150 may obtain in advance the voltage information output from the voltage source 130. For example, the output voltage information according to the specification of the voltage source 130 may be stored in the internal memory of the control unit 150 in advance.

[0101] In addition, the control unit 150 may obtain in advance the withstand voltage information of the relay 110. For example, the withstand voltage information of the relay 110 may be stored in advance in an internal memory of the control unit 150. Here, the withstand voltage information of the relay 110 may be initial withstand voltage information of the relay 110.

[0102] The control unit 150 may adjust the resistance of the variable resistor 140 based on the withstand voltage information of the relay 110 and the output voltage information of the voltage source 130 obtained in advance to adjust the reference voltage applied to the second input terminal i2 of the comparator 120 to correspond to the withstand voltage of the relay 110 .

[0103] Preferably, the control unit 150 may adjust the magnitude of the reference voltage applied to the second input terminal i2 of the comparator 120 to be the same as the withstand voltage of the relay 110 .

[0104] Therefore, the relay control apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may prevent the relay 110 from being damaged by a high voltage applied thereto by adjusting the magnitude of the reference voltage to correspond to the withstand voltage of the relay 110 .

[0105] That is, even if the relay 110 is replaced, the relay control device 100 can change the resistance of the variable resistor 140 based on the withstand voltage information of the replaced relay 110 and the output voltage information of the voltage source 130. Therefore, since the relay control device 100 can adjust the reference voltage according to the withstand voltage information of the relay 110, the present disclosure can be generally applied without being limited to any specifications or types of the relay 110.

[0106] The control unit 150 may be configured to determine a degree of degradation of the relay 110 .

[0107] In addition, the degradation of the relay 110 may be proportional to the number of operations. For example, each time the relay 110 is controlled to be in the on state to allow current to flow, the relay 110 may gradually degrade. Thus, the control unit 150 may determine the degree of degradation of the relay 110 based on the number of operations of the relay 110, that is, the number of times the relay 110 is converted to the on state.

[0108] For example, in Figure 4In an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 150 may be connected to the output terminal o of the comparator 120. In addition, the control unit 150 may receive a result signal output from the comparator 120. That is, the result signal output from the comparator 120 may be applied to the control unit 150 and the gate terminal G of the relay 110. The control unit 150 may obtain and store the threshold voltage of the relay 110 in advance. Thus, the control unit 150 may calculate the number of operations of the relay 110 by comparing the threshold voltage of the relay 110 with the size of the result signal received from the comparator 120. In addition, the control unit 150 may determine the degree of degradation of the relay 110 based on the calculated number of operations of the relay 110.

[0109] That is, as described above, in the case where the battery cell 10 is discharged, the operation state of the relay 110 can be controlled to be in the on state by the result signal output from the comparator 120. In addition, even in the case where charging is performed by the load 20, the operation state of the relay 110 can be controlled to be in the on state by the result signal output from the comparator 120. Considering these two situations, the control unit 150 can determine the degree of degradation of the relay 110 by counting the number of operations of the relay 110.

[0110] In addition, in another example, as the relay 110 deteriorates, the internal resistance of the relay 110 may increase. Therefore, the control unit 150 may determine the degree of degradation of the relay 110 by calculating the voltage drop generated by the relay 110. Figure 4 Although not shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the control unit 150 may be electrically connected to both ends of the relay 110. In addition, the control unit 150 may determine the degree of degradation of the relay 110 by calculating a voltage drop generated by the relay 110.

[0111] The control unit 150 may be configured to adjust the resistance of the variable resistor 140 based on the determined degree of degradation.

[0112] The withstand voltage of the relay 110 may decrease corresponding to the degree of degradation of the relay 110. If the reference voltage applied to the comparator 120 is set without considering the withstand voltage decreased due to degradation of the relay 110, the reference voltage may be greater than the withstand voltage of the relay 110. In this case, a voltage greater than the withstand voltage of the relay 110 may be applied to the relay 110.

[0113] For example, in Figure 4In the embodiment of , it is assumed that the withstand voltage of the relay 110 is lower than the reference voltage applied to the second input terminal i2 of the comparator 120 due to the deterioration of the relay 110. Since the comparator 120 outputs a result signal according to the comparison result of the reference voltage applied to the second input terminal i2 and the comparison voltage applied to the first input terminal i1, a comparison voltage greater than the withstand voltage of the relay 110 may be applied to the relay 110. Therefore, there is a problem of applying a high voltage greater than the withstand voltage to the relay 110 and damaging the relay 110, which may destroy the insulation of the relay 110, or burn the relay 110 in a severe case.

[0114] Therefore, the control unit 150 may adjust the resistance of the variable resistor 140 corresponding to the degree of degradation of the relay 110 to adjust the magnitude of the reference voltage applied to the comparator 120 to correspond to the withstand voltage of the relay 110 .

[0115] The relay control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can more effectively prevent the relay 110 from being damaged by a high voltage applied thereto by setting a reference voltage in consideration of the degree of degradation of the relay 110. In addition, the relay control device 100 has an advantage in that, because it determines the degree of degradation of the relay 110, it provides information on the timing of replacing the relay 110.

[0116] The relay control device 100 according to the present disclosure may be applied to a BMS (battery management system). That is, the BMS according to the present disclosure may include the relay control device 100 described above. In this configuration, at least some components of the relay control device 100 may be implemented by supplementing or adding component functions included in a conventional BMS. For example, the relay 110, the comparator 120, the voltage source 130, the variable resistor 140, and the control unit 150 of the relay control device 100 may be implemented as components of the BMS.

[0117] In addition, the relay control device 100 according to the present disclosure may be provided in the battery pack 1. For example, referring to Figure 2 and Figure 4 , the battery pack 1 may include a relay control device 100. In addition, the battery pack 1 may further include at least one battery cell 10, an electrical device (relay, fuse, etc.) and a housing. Thus, by controlling the operating state of the relay 110 according to the magnitude of the comparison voltage, the relay control device 100 can prevent a high voltage from being applied to various components included in the battery pack 1.

[0118] The embodiments of the present disclosure described above can be implemented not only by a device, but also by a program that realizes the functions corresponding to the configuration of the embodiments of the present disclosure or a recording medium on which the program is recorded. The program or recording medium can be easily implemented by those skilled in the art from the above description of the embodiments.

[0119] The present disclosure has been described in detail. However, it should be understood that these detailed descriptions and specific examples indicating preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the scope of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

[0120] In addition, without departing from the technical aspects of the present disclosure, those skilled in the art may make many substitutions, modifications and changes to the present disclosure described above, and the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and drawings, and the various embodiments may be selectively combined in part or in whole to allow various modifications.

[0121] (reference symbol)

[0122] 1: Battery Pack

[0123] 10: Battery Cell

[0124] 20: Load

[0125] 100: Relay control equipment

[0126] 110: Relay

[0127] 120: Comparator

[0128] 130: Voltage Source

[0129] 140: Variable resistor

[0130] 150: Control unit

Claims

1. A relay control device, comprising: a relay disposed on a main path between a battery cell and an assembly terminal and configured to electrically connect or disconnect the main path according to an operating state of the relay; and a comparator configured to receive a comparison voltage from the main path and output a result signal to the relay based on a difference between a reference voltage and the comparison voltage, The relay is configured to receive the result signal and control the operation state to be an on state or an off state according to the size of the received result signal. The comparator is configured to receive a reference voltage corresponding to a withstand voltage of the relay.

2. The relay control device according to claim 1, Wherein the comparator is configured to receive the comparison voltage between the relay and the component terminal.

3. The relay control device according to claim 1, The relay includes a diode, and the diode is arranged so that a direction from the battery cell toward the assembly terminal is a forward direction.

4. The relay control device according to claim 1, The comparator is configured to output a first result signal when the comparison voltage is greater than the reference voltage, so as to control the operation state of the relay to be an off state.

5. The relay control device according to claim 1, The comparator is configured to output a second result signal when the comparison voltage is less than the reference voltage, so as to control the operation state of the relay to be a conducting state.

6. The relay control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a voltage source configured to apply the reference voltage to the comparator; a variable resistor, the variable resistor being arranged between the voltage source and the comparator; and A control unit configured to adjust a magnitude of the reference voltage applied to the comparator to correspond to the withstand voltage of the relay by adjusting a resistance of the variable resistor.

7. The relay control device according to claim 6, The control unit is configured to determine a degree of degradation of the relay and adjust a resistance of the variable resistor based on the determined degree of degradation.

8. The relay control device according to claim 7, The control unit is configured to determine the degree of degradation according to an operation number of the relay.

9. A battery pack comprising the relay control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images