Fire protection device and method of operation thereof

Abstract

A fireproof device is provided, including a switch connected to a battery through a first line, a variable resistor unit connected to the switch, a fuse connected to a second line connecting the battery with a device powered by the battery and connected to the variable resistor, a sensor configured to sense information about a fire of the battery, and a controller configured to control the switch and the variable resistor based on the information about the fire of the battery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority and benefit to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0140130, filed on October 20, 2021, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0004] The embodiments disclosed herein relate to a fire protection device and its operation method. Background Technology

[0005] Recently, research and development on rechargeable batteries have been actively pursued. In this article, rechargeable batteries, as rechargeable / dischargeable batteries, can include all traditional nickel (Ni) / cadmium (Cd) batteries, Ni / metal hydride (MH) batteries, and more recently, lithium-ion batteries. Among rechargeable batteries, lithium-ion batteries have a significantly higher energy density than traditional Ni / Cd and Ni / MH batteries. Furthermore, lithium-ion batteries can be manufactured to be small and lightweight, enabling their use as power sources for mobile devices. Recently, the application of lithium-ion batteries has expanded to electric vehicles, attracting attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0006] When a fire occurs in a battery, the heat generated can spread along the wiring harness of the device on which the battery is mounted, potentially causing a larger fire. Battery-powered devices are prone to fire; therefore, a method is needed to prevent the fire from spreading to battery-powered devices when a fire occurs in a battery. Summary of the Invention

[0007] [Technical Issues]

[0008] The embodiments disclosed herein aim to provide a fire prevention device and its operating method, wherein it is determined whether a fire has occurred in a battery, and based on the determination result, the fire can be prevented from spreading to battery-powered devices.

[0009] The technical problems of the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand other unmentioned technical problems from the following description.

[0010] [Technical Solution]

[0011] A fire protection device according to one embodiment disclosed herein includes: a switch connected to a battery via a first line; a variable resistor unit connected to the switch; a fuse connected to a second line connecting the battery to a battery-powered device and to the variable resistor; a sensor configured to sense information about a fire in the battery; and a controller configured to control the switch and the variable resistor based on the information about a fire in the battery.

[0012] In one embodiment, the sensor may include at least one of a light sensor and a flame detection sensor.

[0013] In one embodiment, the controller may be further configured to reduce the resistance of the variable resistor and short-circuit the switch when a fire is detected in the battery.

[0014] In one embodiment, the controller may be further configured to reduce the resistance of the variable resistor to allow current equal to or greater than the rated current to flow in the fuse.

[0015] In one embodiment, the first line may be a high-voltage line of the battery, while the second line may be a communication line.

[0016] In one embodiment, when the resistance of the variable resistor is reduced and the switch is short-circuited, the fuse can be physically disconnected due to the current flowing in the high-voltage line.

[0017] In one embodiment, the switch may be connected between the variable resistor and the battery, or between the variable resistor and the fuse.

[0018] In one embodiment, the sensor may include at least one of a light sensor and a flame detection sensor.

[0019] An operating method of a fire prevention device according to an embodiment disclosed herein includes: sensing information about a fire in the battery; determining whether a fire has occurred in the battery based on the information about the fire in the battery; and controlling a switch and a variable resistor based on the determination of whether a fire has occurred in the battery.

[0020] In one embodiment, controlling the switch and variable resistor based on a determination of whether a fire has occurred in the battery may include: reducing the resistance of the variable resistor when a fire is determined to have occurred in the battery; and short-circuiting the switch.

[0021] In one embodiment, reducing the resistance of a variable resistor and shorting a switch when a fire is determined to have occurred in the battery may include: reducing the resistance of the variable resistor to allow current equal to or greater than the rated current to flow in the fuse.

[0022] In one embodiment, the operation method may further include: disconnecting the second line via a fuse when the resistance of the variable resistor is reduced and the switch is short-circuited.

[0023] [Beneficial Effects]

[0024] The fire prevention device and its operating method according to the embodiments disclosed herein can determine whether a fire has occurred in the battery based on information about a battery fire, and prevent the fire from spreading to battery-powered devices based on the determination of whether a fire has occurred in the battery.

[0025] The fire prevention device and its operation method according to the embodiments disclosed herein can adjust a variable resistor and disconnect a fuse by short-circuiting a switch when a battery fire is determined to have occurred, thereby preventing the fire from spreading to battery-powered devices.

[0026] In addition, various effects that can be directly or indirectly recognized from the present invention can be provided. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 A device for installing a battery according to an embodiment disclosed herein is described.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of a fire protection device, a battery, and a battery-powered device according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the operation method of the fire protection device according to the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating in detail the operation method of the fire protection device according to the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of the hardware configuration of a computing system for performing an operation method of a fire protection device according to embodiments disclosed herein. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments disclosed in this document will be described in detail below with reference to the exemplary accompanying drawings. When adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are given the same reference numerals, even if these components are indicated in different drawings. Furthermore, in describing the embodiments disclosed in this document, detailed descriptions of related known constructions or functions will be omitted if it is determined that such detailed descriptions would interfere with the understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this document.

[0033] To describe the components of the embodiments disclosed herein, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc., may be used. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another and do not limit the nature, order, or sequence of the components. The terms used herein—including technical and scientific terms—have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. Generally, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the same meaning as in the context of the related art, and not as having an ideal or exaggerated meaning, unless they are explicitly defined in this application.

[0034] Figure 1 A device for installing a battery according to an embodiment disclosed herein is described.

[0035] Reference Figure 1 The battery mounting device 10 according to the embodiments disclosed herein may include a battery 20, a battery-powered device 30, and a fireproof device 100.

[0036] Battery 20 can be connected to battery-powered device 30. For example, battery 20 can supply power to battery-powered device 30. According to an embodiment, a fuse can be connected to the line where battery 20 and battery-powered device 30 are connected.

[0037] Battery 20 can be connected to fire protection device 100. For example, battery 20 can be connected to fire protection device 100 via a high-voltage line. According to one embodiment, fire protection device 100 can be powered by battery 20. According to another embodiment, fire protection device 100 can be powered by a different power supply device than battery 20.

[0038] Battery-powered device 30 may include multiple devices 31, 32, 33, and 34. Although in Figure 4 The diagram illustrates a battery-powered device 30 comprising four devices 31, 32, 33, and 34, but it is not limited thereto; the battery-powered device 30 may include n devices (n is a natural number equal to or greater than 1). According to embodiments, the battery-powered device 30 may include a controller (e.g., ECU, MCU, etc.) performing various functions. In one embodiment, the battery-powered device 30 may be powered by a battery 20, such that if a fire occurs in the battery 20, the fire may spread.

[0039] When a fire occurs in battery 20, fire prevention device 100 can prevent the fire from spreading to battery-powered device 30. For example, fire prevention device 100 can sense information about a fire in battery 20 and determine whether a fire has occurred in battery 20 based on the sensed information. When fire prevention device 100 determines that a fire has occurred in battery 20, battery 20 and battery-powered device 30 can be physically disconnected, thereby preventing the fire in battery 20 from spreading to battery-powered device 30.

[0040] In the battery installation apparatus 10 according to the embodiments disclosed herein, when a fire occurs in the battery 20, the fire prevention device 100 physically disconnects the wiring connecting the battery and the battery-powered device 30 to prevent the generated heat from spreading to the battery-powered device 30 through the wiring connected to the battery-powered device 30, thereby preventing the fire occurring in the battery 20 from spreading to the battery-powered device 30.

[0041] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of a fire protection device, a battery, and a battery-powered device according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0042] Reference Figure 2 The fire protection device 100 according to embodiments disclosed herein may include a switch 110, a variable resistor 120, a fuse 130, a sensor 140, and a controller 150. In one embodiment, the fire protection device 100 may be coupled with... Figure 1 The fire protection device 100 is basically the same, and the battery 20 can be used with... Figure 1 The battery 20 is basically the same, and the battery-powered device 30 can be used with... Figure 1 The battery-powered devices are basically the same as those in 30.

[0043] Switch 110 can be connected to battery 20 via first line 10. For example, first line 40 can be a high-voltage line of battery 20. The operation of switch 110 can be controlled by controller 150.

[0044] The variable resistor 120 can be connected to a switch. For example, similar to switch 110, the variable resistor 120 can be connected to the first line 40. The resistance of the variable resistor 120 can be controlled (adjusted) by the controller 150.

[0045] Although Figure 1 The diagram shows switch 110 connected between variable resistor 120 and battery 20, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, switch 110 may be connected between variable resistor 120 and fuse 130.

[0046] Fuse 130 can trip when a current equal to or greater than its rated current flows. Fuse 130 can be connected to a second line 50 that connects battery 20 to battery-powered device 30. Fuse 130 can be connected to variable resistor 120 to allow current to flow through variable resistor 120 when switch 110 is short-circuited.

[0047] Sensor 140 can sense information about a fire in battery 20. For example, sensor 140 may include at least one of a light sensor and a flame detection sensor. In another example, sensor 140 can sense at least one of the temperature, flame, light, current, voltage, and insulation resistance of battery 20. According to an embodiment, sensor 140 can send the sensed information about a fire in battery 20 to controller 150.

[0048] The controller 150 can determine whether a fire has occurred in the battery 20 based on information about a fire in the battery 20. For example, the controller 150 can determine whether a fire has occurred in the battery 20 based on at least one of the fire-related information about the battery 20 sensed by the sensor 140.

[0049] The controller 150 can control the switch 110 and the variable resistor 120. For example, the controller 150 can control the operation of the switch 110 and control (or adjust) the resistance of the variable resistor 120.

[0050] The controller 150 can control the switch 110 and the variable resistor 120 based on whether a fire has occurred in the battery 20. For example, when the controller 150 determines that a fire has occurred in the battery 20, the controller 150 can short-circuit the switch 110 and reduce the resistance of the variable resistor 120. According to an embodiment, the controller 150 can reduce the resistance of the variable resistor 120 to allow a current equal to or greater than the rated current to flow in the fuse 130.

[0051] When the controller 150 short-circuits the switch 110 and reduces the resistance of the variable resistor 120, current can flow through the first line 40 of the battery 20 into the fuse 130. The fuse 130 can disconnect the second line 50 when a high current is flowing, such that when the switch 110 is short-circuited and the resistance of the variable resistor 120 is reduced, a current equal to or greater than the rated current flows through the first line 40, which serves as the high-voltage line of the battery 20, into the fuse 130, causing the second line 50 to disconnect. Therefore, when a fire is determined to have occurred in the battery 20, the fuse 130 can disconnect the second line 50, which serves as the line connected to the battery-powered device 30.

[0052] In the fire protection device 100 according to the embodiments disclosed herein, the controller 150 can determine whether a fire has occurred in the battery 20 based on information about a fire in the battery 20 sensed by the sensor 140. When the controller 150 determines that a fire has occurred in the battery 20, the controller 150 can short-circuit the switch 110 and reduce the resistance of the variable resistor 120, thereby disconnecting the fuse 130 by allowing a current equal to or greater than the rated current to flow through the first line 40. Therefore, when a fire occurs in the battery 20, the fire protection device 100 can prevent the spread of heat or fire to the battery-powered device 30 by disconnecting the second line 50 in the fuse 130.

[0053] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the operation method of the fire protection device according to the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0054] The operation method may include: operating S110 to sense information about a fire in the battery, operating S120 to determine whether a fire has occurred in the battery based on the information about a fire in the battery, and operating S130 to control the switch and the variable resistor based on the determination that a fire has occurred in the battery.

[0055] In operation S110, which senses information about a battery fire, sensor 140 can sense this information. For example, sensor 140 may include at least one of a light sensor and a flame detection sensor. In another example, sensor 140 can sense at least one of the battery's temperature, flame, light, current, voltage, and insulation resistance. According to an embodiment, sensor 140 can send the sensed information about the battery fire to controller 150.

[0056] In operation S120, which determines whether a fire has occurred in the battery based on information about a fire in the battery, the controller 150 may determine whether a fire has occurred in the battery based on information about a fire in the battery sensed by the sensor 140. For example, the controller 150 may determine whether a fire has occurred in the battery based on at least one of the battery's temperature, flame, light, current, voltage, and insulation resistance.

[0057] In operation S130, which controls the switch and variable resistor based on the determination of whether a fire has occurred in the battery, controller 150 can control switch 110 and variable resistor 120 based on the determination of whether a fire has occurred in the battery. For example, controller 150 can control the operation of switch 110 and control (or adjust) the resistance of variable resistor 120.

[0058] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating in detail the operation method of a fire protection device according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0059] Reference Figure 4 The operation method may include: operation S210, reducing the resistance of the variable resistor when a fire is determined to have occurred in the battery; operation S220, short-circuiting the switch; and operation S230, disconnecting the second circuit via a fuse when the resistance of the variable resistor is reduced and the switch is short-circuited. In an embodiment, operations S210 and S220 may include... Figure 3 In operation S130.

[0060] In this embodiment, switch 110 can be connected to a first line of the battery, variable resistor 120 can be connected to switch 110, fuse 130 can be connected to a second line between the battery and the battery-powered device, and when switch 110 is short-circuited, current can flow through variable resistor 120 into fuse 130.

[0061] In operation S210, which reduces the resistance of the variable resistor when a fire is detected in the battery, the controller 150 may reduce the resistance of the variable resistor when a fire is detected in the battery. For example, when the resistance of the variable resistor decreases, the load on the first line can decrease, and therefore a current equal to or greater than the rated current can flow. According to an embodiment, the first line may be the high-voltage line of the battery.

[0062] According to an embodiment, in operation S210, the controller 150 can adjust the size of the variable resistor to allow current equal to or greater than the rated current to flow in the fuse 130.

[0063] In operation S220, which short-circuit the switch, the controller 150 can short-circuit the switch 110. For example, when the switch 110 is short-circuited, current can flow in the first line, and the current flowing in the first line can be applied to the fuse 130.

[0064] In operation S230, where the second circuit is disconnected by a fuse when the resistance of the variable resistor 120 is reduced and the switch 110 is short-circuited, the fuse 130 can disconnect the second circuit when the resistance of the variable resistor 120 is reduced and the switch 110 is short-circuited. For example, the fuse 130 can physically disconnect the second circuit when a high current flows therein, thus the high current flows when the resistance of the variable resistor 120 is reduced and the switch 110 is short-circuited, and therefore the fuse 130 can disconnect the second circuit. According to an embodiment, the second circuit may be a line connecting a battery and battery-powered devices (e.g., a communication line or a power supply line).

[0065] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of the hardware configuration of a computing system for performing an operation method of a fire protection device according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0066] Reference Figure 5The computing system 1000 according to the embodiments disclosed herein may include an MCU 1010, a memory 1020, an input / output I / F 1030, and a communication I / F 1040.

[0067] The MCU 1010 can execute various programs stored in the memory 1020 (e.g., programs for sensing information about a battery fire, programs for determining whether a fire has occurred in the battery, programs for controlling switches and variable resistors, etc.), process various information including information about a battery fire, and perform... Figure 2 The processor for the aforementioned functions of the fire protection device shown.

[0068] The memory 1020 can store various programs related to battery log information collection and diagnostics. Furthermore, the memory 1020 can store various information such as the battery pack's current or voltage.

[0069] The memory 1020 can be configured in multiples as needed. The memory 1020 can be volatile or non-volatile. For memory 1020 as volatile memory, random access memory (RAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), etc., can be used. For memory 1020 as non-volatile memory, read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically modifiable ROM (EAROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), flash memory, etc., can be used. The examples of memory 1020 listed above are merely illustrative and are not limited to these.

[0070] The Input / Output I / F 1030 provides an interface for sending and receiving data by connecting input devices (not shown) such as a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, etc., and output devices such as a display (not shown) to the MCU 1010.

[0071] The communication I / F 1040, which is a component capable of sending and receiving various data from a server, can be a variety of devices capable of supporting wired or wireless communication. For example, a fire protection device can use the communication I / F 1040 to send and receive, from a separately configured external server, information including relay control programs in battery packs or information such as the current or voltage of various battery packs, as well as information about whether a fire has occurred in the batteries.

[0072] Thus, the computer program according to the embodiments disclosed herein can be recorded in memory 1020 and processed by MCU 1010, thereby being implemented for execution. Figure 2 The module that provides the indicated function.

[0073] The above description is merely an illustration of the technical concept of the present invention, and various modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein pertain without departing from the basic characteristics of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0074] Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are intended to describe, and not limit, the technical spirit of the embodiments disclosed herein, and the scope of the technical spirit of the invention is not limited to these embodiments disclosed herein. The scope of protection of the technical spirit disclosed herein should be interpreted through the following claims, and all technical spirit within the same scope should be understood to be included within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A fire-prevention device, comprising: A switch, which is connected to the battery via a first line; A variable resistor unit, which is connected to the switch; A fuse, which is connected to a second line connecting the battery to a device powered by the battery, and is also connected to the variable resistor; A sensor configured to sense information about a fire in the battery; as well as A controller configured to control the switch and the variable resistor based on information about a fire in the battery.

2. The fire protection device according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is further configured to determine whether a fire has occurred in the battery based on information about a fire in the battery, and to control the operation of the switch and the magnitude of the variable resistor based on the determination of whether a fire has occurred in the battery.

3. The fire protection device according to claim 2, wherein, The controller is further configured to reduce the resistance of the variable resistor and short-circuit the switch when a fire is detected in the battery.

4. The fire protection device according to claim 3, wherein, The controller is further configured to reduce the resistance of the variable resistor to allow current equal to or greater than the rated current to flow in the fuse.

5. The fire protection device according to claim 1, wherein, The first line is the high-voltage line of the battery, and the second line is the communication line.

6. The fire protection device according to claim 1, wherein, The switch is connected between the variable resistor and the battery, or between the variable resistor and the fuse.

7. The fire protection device according to claim 1, wherein, The sensor includes at least one of a light sensor and a flame detection sensor.

8. A method for operating a fire prevention device, the method comprising: Detect information about a battery fire; It is determined whether a fire has occurred in the battery based on information about a fire in the battery; as well as The switch and variable resistor are controlled based on the determination of whether a fire has occurred in the battery.

9. The operating method according to claim 8, wherein, The switch is connected to the battery via a first line, the variable resistor is connected to the switch, and the fuse is connected to a second line that connects the battery to a device powered by the battery and is also connected to the variable resistor.

10. The operating method according to claim 9, wherein, Controlling the switch and the variable resistor based on determining whether a fire has occurred in the battery includes: When a fire is detected in the battery, the resistance of the variable resistor is reduced; and Short-circuit the switch.

11. The operating method according to claim 10, wherein, Reducing the resistance of the variable resistor and shorting the switch when a fire is detected in the battery includes: reducing the resistance of the variable resistor to allow a current equal to or greater than the rated current to flow in the fuse.

12. The operating method according to claim 11, further comprising: When the resistance of the variable resistor is reduced and the switch is short-circuited, the second line is disconnected by the fuse.

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