Battery management system and temperature control method of energy storage system

Abstract

The invention provides a battery management system and a temperature control method of an energy storage system. The battery management system includes: a battery monitoring unit configured to monitor a temperature and a voltage of a battery and determine whether an abnormality occurs in the battery; a fire monitoring unit configured to detect an occurrence of a fire; and a cooler control unit configured to control a cooling temperature of the cooler according to monitoring results of the battery monitoring unit and the fire monitoring unit. The chiller control unit is configured to reduce a cooling temperature of the chiller when the battery monitoring unit determines that the abnormality has occurred. The cooler control unit is further configured such that when the fire monitoring unit detects the fire, the cooler control unit operates the cooler at a cooling temperature lower than the reduced cooling temperature used when the abnormality occurs.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery management system for temperature control of a battery module / battery pack or an energy storage system and a temperature control method of an energy storage system. BACKGROUND

[0002] Primary batteries are designed not to be charged, while secondary batteries are designed to be discharged and recharged. Low-capacity secondary batteries are used in small portable electronic devices such as smartphones, feature phones, notebook computers, digital cameras, and camcorders. High-capacity secondary batteries are widely used as a power source for driving an electric motor such as a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle and as a power source for power storage. A secondary battery can include an electrode assembly including a positive electrode and a negative electrode, a case accommodating the electrode assembly, and a terminal connected to the electrode assembly.

[0003] A plurality of secondary batteries are combined together to form an energy storage system (ESS) having an extended voltage and / or current capacity. The energy storage system can include a battery module / battery pack for a vehicle or an electric appliance.

[0004] A battery module / battery pack or an energy storage system can include a battery management system (BMS). The BMS measures the voltage (V), current (I), and temperature (T) of a battery installed in an electric vehicle or an energy storage system through a sensor, and controls these aspects of the battery to make the battery exhibit the best performance.

[0005] The BMS generally performs battery monitoring and stops a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) power supply and also stops a power supply to a cooler when a fire is detected. Then, a fire extinguishing action such as spraying a fire extinguishing agent is performed.

[0006] The information disclosed in this section is for the purpose of providing background information to assist in understanding the present disclosure. It can contain information that does not constitute the related art or the prior art. SUMMARY

[0007] The present disclosure relates to different control of the temperature of a cooler when an abnormality and a fire occur in a battery of a battery module / battery pack or an energy storage system, thereby maximizing the cooling effect of a fire cell and nearby cells.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery management system including: a battery monitoring unit configured to monitor a temperature and a voltage of a battery and determine whether an abnormality occurs in the battery; a fire monitoring unit configured to detect occurrence of a fire; and a cooler control unit configured to control a cooling temperature of a cooler according to monitoring results of the battery monitoring unit and the fire monitoring unit, wherein the cooler control unit is configured to lower the cooling temperature of the cooler when the battery monitoring unit determines that the abnormality occurs, and the cooler control unit is configured such that the cooler control unit operates the cooler at a lower cooling temperature than the lowered cooling temperature used when the abnormality occurs when the fire monitoring unit detects the fire.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery management system including: a battery monitoring unit configured to monitor a temperature and a voltage of a battery and determine whether an abnormality occurs in the battery; a fire monitoring unit configured to detect occurrence of a fire; a cooler control unit configured to (i) lower a cooling temperature of a cooler when the battery monitoring unit determines that the abnormality occurs, and (ii) operate the cooler at a lower cooling temperature than the lowered cooling temperature when the fire monitoring unit detects the fire; an alarm generation unit configured to generate an alarm when the battery monitoring unit determines that the abnormality occurs; and a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control unit configured to shut down an HVAC system when the fire monitoring unit detects the fire.

[0010] According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a temperature control method of an energy storage system including: monitoring a temperature and a voltage of a battery and determining whether an abnormality occurs in the battery using a battery management system; outputting a signal to lower a cooling temperature of a cooler when it is determined that the abnormality occurs using the battery management system; detecting occurrence of a fire using the battery management system; and outputting a signal so as to operate the cooler at a lower cooling temperature than the lowered cooling temperature used when it is determined that the abnormality occurs using the battery management system when the fire is detected.

[0011] Aspects and features of the present disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other aspects and features not specifically mentioned herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

[0013] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a pouch-type secondary battery;

[0014] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a cylindrical secondary battery;

[0015] Figure 3A is a top perspective view of a prismatic secondary battery;

[0016] Figure 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I' of Figure 3A

[0017] Figure 4 is an example of a secondary battery module in which the secondary battery is arranged;

[0018] Figure 5 illustrates configurations related to responding to an energy storage system (ESS) fire of a battery management system according to embodiments of the disclosure;

[0019] Figure 6 illustrates a general temperature control procedure of a battery management system;

[0020] Figure 7 illustrates an operation procedure of a battery management system according to embodiments of the disclosure;

[0021] Figure 8 is a configuration diagram of a battery monitoring unit according to embodiments of the disclosure;

[0022] Figure 9 is a configuration diagram of a cooler control unit according to some embodiments of the disclosure; and

[0023] Figure 10 illustrates a temperature rise curve caused by temperature control of a battery management system according to embodiments of the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Embodiments of the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms or words used in the present specification and claims should not be interpreted as being restricted according to the general meaning or dictionary meaning of the terms, but should be interpreted based on the idea that the inventor can properly define the concept of the terms in order to describe his / her own invention in the best way. Accordingly, the description proposed herein is just a preferable example and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, and the scope of the disclosure should be interpreted based on the appended claims.

[0025] The embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations shown in the accompanying drawings are only some embodiments of the disclosure, and do not represent all aspects, features, and embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that there can be various equivalents and modifications to one or more embodiments or features described herein that can be substituted or modified at the time of filing the present application.

[0026] ​It will be understood that if an element or layer is referred to as being "on" another element or layer, "connected to," or "linked to" another element or layer, then it can be directly on, directly connected to, or linked to that other element or layer, or one or more intermediary elements or layers may be present. When an element or layer is referred to as being "directly on" another element or layer, "directly connected to," or "directly linked to" another element or layer, no intermediary element or layer is present. For example, if a first element is described as being "linked" or "connected" to a second element, then the first element can be directly linked to or connected to the second element, or the first element can be indirectly linked to or connected to the second element via one or more intermediary elements.

[0027] In the figures, the dimensions of various elements, layers, etc., may be enlarged for clarity. The same reference numerals label the same elements. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed related items. Furthermore, the use of “may” refers to “one or more embodiments of this disclosure” when describing embodiments of this disclosure. Expressions such as “at least one of…” and “any one of…” modify the entire list of elements, not individual elements, if preceding a list of elements. When phrases such as “at least one of A, B, and C,” “at least one selected from the group of A, B, and C,” or “at least one selected from A, B, and C” are used to label a list of elements A, B, and C, the phrase may refer to any and all suitable combinations or subsets of A, B, and C, such as A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C. As used herein, the term “use” and variations thereof may be considered synonymous with the term “utilize” and variations thereof, respectively. As used herein, the terms “substantially,” “about,” and similar terms are used as approximations rather than terms of degree and are intended to describe the inherent biases of measurements or calculations that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0028] It will be understood that although the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, areas, layers, or segments, these elements, components, areas, layers, or segments should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, area, layer, or segment from another element, component, area, layer, or segment. Therefore, the first element, component, area, layer, or segment discussed below may be referred to as the second element, component, area, layer, or segment without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.

[0029] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as “below,” “under,” “down,” “above,” and “above” are used herein to describe the relationship between one element or feature illustrated in the figures and another element(s). It will be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation, other than those depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is flipped, an element described as “below” or “under” other elements or features will consequently be oriented “above” or “above” other elements or features. Thus, the term “below” can encompass both above and below orientations. The device may be oriented in other ways (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptive terms used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0030] The terminology used herein is for describing embodiments of this disclosure and is not intended to limit this disclosure. As used herein, the singular form “a” is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” and / or variations thereof, if used in this specification, indicate the presence of the stated features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0031] Furthermore, any numerical range disclosed and / or described herein is intended to include all subranges with the same numerical precision contained within the described range. For example, the range “1.0 to 10.0” is intended to include all subranges between the described minimum value of 1.0 and the described maximum value of 10.0 (inclusive), that is, all subranges having a minimum value equal to or greater than 1.0 and a maximum value equal to or less than 10.0, such as, for example, 2.4 to 7.6. Any maximum numerical limit described herein is intended to include all lower numerical limits contained therein, and any minimum numerical limit described in this specification is intended to include all higher numerical limits contained therein. Accordingly, the applicant reserves the right to amend this specification (including the claims) to explicitly describe any subranges contained within the range explicitly described herein. All such ranges are intended to be described inherently in this specification such that any modification to explicitly describe any such subrange will comply with the requirements of the patent rules.

[0032] Referring to two compared elements, features, etc., as “identical” can mean that they are “substantially identical.” Therefore, the phrase “substantially identical” can include cases where the deviation is considered low in the art (e.g., less than 5%). Additionally, if a parameter is described as uniform in a given region, this can mean that it is uniform in terms of its average value.

[0033] Throughout this specification, unless otherwise stated, each element may be singular or plural.

[0034] Placing any element "above (or below)" or "above (below)" another element can mean that the arbitrary element can contact the upper (or lower) surface of the other element, and can also mean that another element can be located between the other element and the arbitrary element located above (or below) the other element.

[0035] Additionally, it will be understood that if a component is referred to as “linked,” “connected,” or “attached” to another component, then these components can be directly “connected,” “linked,” or “attached” to each other, or another component can be “between” these components.

[0036] Throughout this specification, unless otherwise stated, if "A and / or B" is mentioned, it means A, B, or A and B. That is, "and / or" includes any or all of the listed items. Unless otherwise specified, when "C to D" is mentioned, it means C and below D.

[0037] The terminology used herein is for describing embodiments of this disclosure and is not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0038] Figure 1 A pouch-type secondary battery is schematically illustrated. The pouch-type secondary battery includes an electrode assembly 10 and a pouch 20 for housing the electrode assembly 10.

[0039] The electrode assembly 10 includes a first electrode tab 14 and a second electrode tab 15, which can be electrically connected to corresponding external first terminal leads 16 and second terminal leads 17 by soldering. A tab film 18 can be attached to each of the first terminal leads 16 and second terminal leads 17 for insulation from the bag 20.

[0040] By bringing the sealing portions 21 into contact with each other at the edges of the bag 20, the bag 20 can be sealed while housing the electrode assembly 10. In this case, the seal can be achieved by the bonding membrane 18 between the sealing portions 21. The sealing portions 21 of the bag 20 can each be made of a hot-melt material with weak adhesion to metal. Therefore, by placing the thin bonding membrane 18 between the sealing portions 21, the hot-melt material can be fused to the bag 20.

[0041] Figure 2 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of a cylindrical secondary battery. Figure 2 As shown, the secondary battery may include an electrode assembly 30 and a housing 38 therein containing the electrode assembly 30 and an electrolyte. A cover assembly 50 is coupled to the housing 38 to seal the housing 38. An insulating plate 37 is located inside the housing 38, between the electrode assembly 30 and the cover assembly 50.

[0042] The electrode assembly 30 may include a first electrode 30c and a second electrode 30a, which are positioned such that a diaphragm 30b is located between the electrodes 30c and 30a. The electrode assembly 30 may be wound into a core shape.

[0043] The first electrode 30c includes a first substrate and a first active material layer located on the first substrate. A first lead tab 35 extends from a first uncoated portion of the first substrate where the first active material layer is not provided. The first lead tab 35 can be electrically connected to the cover assembly 50.

[0044] The second electrode 30a includes a second substrate and a second active material layer located on the second substrate. A second lead tab 34 can extend outward from a second uncoated portion of the second substrate where no second active material layer is provided. The second lead tab 34 can be electrically connected to the housing 38. The first lead tab 35 and the second lead tab 34 can extend in opposite directions.

[0045] The first electrode 30c can be used as a positive electrode. In this embodiment, the first substrate can be made of, for example, aluminum foil, and the first active material layer can include, for example, a transition metal oxide. The second electrode 30a can be used as a negative electrode. In this embodiment, the second substrate can be made of, for example, copper foil or nickel foil, and the second active material layer can include, for example, graphite.

[0046] The separator 30b prevents a short circuit between the first electrode 30c and the second electrode 30a, while allowing lithium ions to move between them. The separator 32 can be made of, for example, a polyethylene membrane, a polypropylene membrane, or a polyethylene-polypropylene membrane.

[0047] The housing 38 houses the electrode assembly 30 and the electrolyte. The housing 38, together with the cover assembly 50, forms the appearance of the battery. The housing 38 may have a generally cylindrical body portion 38b and a bottom 38a connected to one side of the body portion 38b. A rolled edge 31 (e.g., a rolled edge) may be formed in the body portion 38b and deformed inward relative to the body portion 38b. An inwardly bent curled portion 33 (e.g., a curl) may be formed at the open end of the body portion 38b. The rolled edge 31 can reduce or prevent movement of the electrode assembly 30 within the housing 38 and facilitates the placement of the gasket 32 ​​and the cover assembly 50. The curled portion 33 can securely fix the cover assembly 50 by pressing the edge of the housing 38 against the gasket 32. The housing 38 may be formed of, for example, nickel-plated iron.

[0048] The cover assembly 50 can be secured to the inside of the curled portion 33 by a gasket 32 ​​to seal the housing 38. The cover assembly 50 may include an upper cover 51, a safety vent 52, a lower cover 53, an insulating member, and a sub-plate 54. However, this disclosure is not limited to this configuration, and various alternative configurations are possible.

[0049] The top cover 51 may be located at the uppermost part of the cover assembly 50. The top cover 51 may include a terminal portion that protrudes upward and connects to an external circuit. An outlet for venting gas may be arranged around the terminal portion.

[0050] The safety vent 52 may be located below the top cover 51. The safety vent 52 may include a downwardly convex protrusion that connects to the sub-plate 54. At least one recess may be formed in the safety vent 52 around the protrusion. When gas is generated due to overcharging or abnormal operation of the secondary battery, the protrusion deforms upward under pressure and separates from the sub-plate 54, while the safety vent 52 is cut off along the recess. The cut-off safety vent 52 prevents the secondary battery from exploding by allowing gas to be released to the outside of the secondary battery.

[0051] The lower cover 53 may be located below the safety vent 52. The lower cover 53 may have a first opening for exposing the protrusion of the safety vent 52 and a second opening for gas venting. An insulating member may be located between the safety vent 52 and the lower cover 53 to insulate the safety vent 52 from the lower cover 53.

[0052] Subplate 54 may be located below lower cover 53. Specifically, subplate 54 may be fixed to the lower surface of lower cover 53 to block the first opening of lower cover 53, and the protrusion of safety vent 52 may be fixed to subplate 54. First lead tab 35 extending from electrode assembly 30 may be fixed to subplate 54. Accordingly, upper cover 51, safety vent 52, lower cover 53 and subplate 54 may be electrically connected to the first electrode 30c of electrode assembly 30.

[0053] The insulating plate 37 can contact the electrode assembly 30 below the rolled edge 31. The insulating plate 37 may have a tab opening through which a first lead tab 35 extends. The cover assembly 50, electrically connected to the first electrode 30c via the first lead tab 35, can face the electrode assembly 30, and the insulating plate 37 is interposed therebetween, such that the insulating plate 37 electrically insulates the tab (e.g., between the cover assembly 50 and the electrode assembly 30). Another insulating plate 36 may be provided for insulation between the electrode assembly 30 and the bottom 38a of the housing 38.

[0054] Figure 3A This is a top perspective view of a prismatic secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] The housing 59 defines the overall appearance of the prismatic secondary battery. The housing 59 can be made of a conductive metal such as aluminum, aluminum alloy, or nickel-plated steel. Furthermore, the housing 59 provides space for housing the electrode assembly therein.

[0056] The cover assembly 60 may include a cover plate 61 that covers the opening of the housing 59. In some examples, the housing 59 and the cover plate 61 may be made of a conductive material. Here, the first terminal 63 and the second terminal 62 may be electrically connected to corresponding positive and negative electrodes (or negative and positive electrodes) inside the housing 59. Terminals 63 and 62 may protrude outward through the cover plate 61.

[0057] The cover plate 61 may provide an electrolyte injection port 64 and a gas vent 65. A vent, i.e., a gas venting device 66, may be connected to the gas vent 65. The gas venting device 66 is opened by gas generated inside the battery and allows gas to be released to the outside of the battery.

[0058] Figure 3B It is along Figure 3A The cross-sectional view taken by line I-I' illustrates the internal configuration of the prismatic secondary battery and the structure of the cover assembly 60.

[0059] Electrode assembly 40 can be formed by winding or stacking one or more first electrode plates, a diaphragm, and a second electrode plate, which are formed as a sheet or film. When electrode assembly 40 is wound, the winding axis can be parallel to the longitudinal direction of housing 59. In some other embodiments, electrode assembly 40 is stacked instead of wound. Furthermore, electrode assembly 40 can be a Z-stacked electrode assembly, wherein positive and negative electrode plates are inserted into the sides of a diaphragm, and then the diaphragm is bent into a Z-stack. Moreover, more than one electrode assembly can be stacked such that the long sides of the electrode assemblies are adjacent to each other and housed within housing 59. In this disclosure, the shape of electrode assembly 40 and the number of electrode assemblies in housing 59 are not limited. The first electrode plate of electrode assembly 40 can act as a negative electrode, and the second electrode plate can act as a positive electrode. Of course, the reverse is also possible.

[0060] The first electrode plate can be formed by applying a first electrode active material, such as graphite or carbon, to a first electrode current collector formed of a metal foil such as copper, a copper alloy, nickel, or a nickel alloy. The first electrode plate may include a first electrode tab 43 (e.g., a first uncoated portion), which is the area where the first electrode active material is not applied. The first electrode tab 43 can serve as a current flow path between the first electrode plate and the first current collector 41. In some embodiments, when fabricating the first electrode plate, the first electrode tab 43 is formed by cutting such that the first electrode tab 43 protrudes beyond one side of the electrode assembly 40. In other embodiments, the first electrode tab 43 protrudes beyond one side of the electrode assembly 40 than the diaphragm (e.g., protrudes further than or beyond the diaphragm), and the first electrode tab 43 is not individually cut.

[0061] The second electrode plate can be formed by applying a second electrode active material, such as a transition metal oxide, to a second electrode current collector formed of a metal foil such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The second electrode plate may include a second electrode tab 44 (or a second uncoated portion), which is the area where the second electrode active material is not applied. The second electrode tab 44 can serve as a current flow path between the second electrode plate and the second current collector 42. In some embodiments, the second electrode tab 44 may be cut to protrude from the side of the electrode assembly 40 opposite to the side from which the first electrode tab 43 protrudes. In other embodiments, the second electrode tab 44 may protrude beyond the diaphragm (e.g., protrude further than or beyond the diaphragm) without being separately cut.

[0062] The separator prevents or significantly reduces short circuits between the first and second electrode plates while allowing lithium ions to move between them. The separator can be made of, for example, a polyethylene membrane, a polypropylene membrane, or a polyethylene-polypropylene membrane.

[0063] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly 40 is housed together with the electrolyte in a housing 59. In the electrode assembly 40, the first current collector 41 and the second current collector 42 may be welded and connected to the first electrode terminal 43 extending from the first electrode plate and the second electrode terminal 44 extending from the second electrode plate, respectively.

[0064] The first current collector 41 and the second current collector 42 can be connected to the first terminal 62 and the second terminal 63, respectively, via connecting members 67. In some embodiments, the connecting members 67 may each have a threaded outer peripheral surface and can be fastened to the first terminal 62 and the second terminal 63 by screwing. However, this disclosure is not limited to this configuration. For example, the connecting members 67 may also be connected to the first terminal 62 and the second terminal 63 by riveting or welding.

[0065] Figure 4This is an example of a secondary battery module in which secondary batteries are arranged. For energy storage systems (ESS), a secondary battery module is manufactured by arranging and connecting multiple secondary battery cells in a horizontal and / or vertical direction. The secondary batteries can be arranged in a space defined by a pair of facing end plates 68a and 68b and a pair of facing side plates 69a and 69b. The arrangement and number of secondary batteries can be provided based on desired voltage and current specifications.

[0066] Figure 4 The battery module illustrated can be a basic unit of an Energy Storage System (ESS), which may include a Battery Management System (BMS) for managing the battery. The BMS uses sensors to measure and identify parameters such as voltage (V), current (I), and temperature (T) of the battery (e.g., a battery installed in an electric vehicle) or energy storage system, ensuring optimal battery performance. The BMS may include detection devices, balancing devices, and control devices.

[0067] The detection device can detect the state of the battery (e.g., voltage, current, temperature, etc.) to output state information indicating the battery's state. The detection device can detect the voltage of each battery module or each individual cell constituting the battery. The detection device can detect the current flowing through each battery module or each individual cell constituting the battery module or battery pack. The detection device can also detect the temperature of at least one cell and / or module and / or ambient temperature at at least one point on the battery.

[0068] The balancing device can perform balancing operations on the battery module and / or the individual cells constituting the battery module. The control device can receive state information (e.g., voltage, current, temperature, etc.) of the battery module from the detection device. Based on the state information received from the detection device, the control device can monitor and calculate the state of the battery module (e.g., voltage, current, temperature, state of charge (SOC), lifespan (state of health (SOH)), etc.). Furthermore, based on the state monitoring results, the control device can perform control functions (e.g., temperature control, balancing control, and charge / discharge control) or protection functions (e.g., over-discharge, overcharge and overcurrent prevention, short circuit and fire suppression functions, etc.). In addition, the control device can perform wired or wireless communication functions with external devices of the battery pack (e.g., higher-level controllers, vehicles, chargers, power conversion systems, etc.).

[0069] The control device can control the charging and discharging operations and protection operations of the battery. Therefore, the control device may include a charging and discharging control unit, a balancing control unit, and / or a protection unit.

[0070] A battery management system (BMS) is a system that monitors battery status and performs diagnostic, control, communication, and protection functions. A BMS can calculate the state of charge / discharge, calculate battery life or state of health (SOH), cut off battery power (if necessary, e.g., via relay control), control thermal management (e.g., cooling, heating), perform high-voltage interlock functions, and / or detect and / or calculate insulation and short-circuit conditions.

[0071] A relay can be a mechanical contactor that is switched on and off by the magnetic force of a coil, or a semiconductor switch such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). Relay control has the function of cutting off the power supply from the battery in the event of a problem in the battery system or in an operating environment with a battery system (e.g., a vehicle), and may include one or more relays and a pre-charge relay at the positive and negative terminals respectively.

[0072] In precharge control, there is a risk of inrush current in the high-voltage capacitor on the inverter input side when a battery load is connected. To prevent inrush current, for example when starting the vehicle with the battery system, the precharge relay can be operated before connecting the main relay and the precharge resistor.

[0073] High-voltage interlocking is a circuit that uses a small signal to detect whether all high-voltage components of the entire system, including the battery system, are connected. It can also force the relay to disconnect even if a break occurs at one point in the entire circuit.

[0074] Figure 5 The illustration shows a configuration related to responding to an ESS fire in a battery management system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The battery management system may be located in an environment containing a battery pack or energy storage system comprising multiple battery cells, a cooler, and an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system for temperature control of the environment. The cooler may include a cooling water circulation device for cooling the battery modules / packs or energy storage system.

[0075] The battery management system (BMS) 100 may include a battery monitoring unit 110 for monitoring the temperature and voltage of individual battery cells and determining whether an abnormality has occurred. The BMS 100 may also include a fire monitoring unit 120 for detecting the occurrence of a fire. The BMS 100 may further include a cooler control unit 130 for controlling the cooling temperature of the cooler based on the monitoring results of the battery monitoring unit 110 and the fire monitoring unit 120.

[0076] The cooler control unit 130 of the BMS100 can be configured to reduce the cooler's cooling temperature to a temperature lower than the currently set cooling temperature when the battery monitoring unit 110 determines that an abnormality has occurred, and to operate the cooler at a cooling temperature lower than the reduced cooling temperature used when the fire monitoring unit 120 detects a fire. Here, the lower cooling temperature may include the lowest cooling temperature at which the cooler can operate.

[0077] In other embodiments, the cooler control unit 130 can output control signals to control the cooler. For example, when the battery monitoring unit 110 determines that a battery abnormality has occurred, the cooler control unit 130 can output control signals to reduce the cooling temperature of the cooler. Furthermore, when the fire monitoring unit 120 detects a fire, the cooler control unit 130 can output control signals to the cooler so that the corresponding cooler operates at a lower cooling temperature than the reduced cooling temperature used when the battery monitoring unit 110 determines that a battery abnormality has occurred.

[0078] According to some other embodiments, BMS100 may further include an alarm generation unit 150 for generating a warning alarm when battery monitoring unit 110 determines that a battery abnormality has occurred. The warning alarm may be a visual, auditory, or tactile medium.

[0079] The BMS100 may further include an HVAC control unit 140 for stopping power supply to the HVAC system when a fire detection unit 120 detects a fire. Stopping power supply to the HVAC system is similar to the operation of a conventional BMS 100.

[0080] BMS typically performs battery monitoring, such as Figure 6 As shown in step S10 of the flowchart illustrated. When a fire is detected in step S20, the BMS stops supplying power to the HVAC system in step S40, and also stops supplying power to the cooler in step S30. One reason for stopping the operation of the HVAC system is to prevent the supply of oxygen to the battery module / battery pack or ESS.

[0081] BMS100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 7 The diagram shows the operation process for controlling the temperature.

[0082] In step S100, the battery monitoring unit 110 monitors the battery. When an abnormality is determined to have occurred in the battery in step S110, the battery monitoring unit 110 provides a control signal to the cooler in step S120 to reduce the cooling temperature of the cooler to a temperature lower than the currently set temperature. Furthermore, in step S130, the alarm generation unit 150 generates a warning alarm. Here, the battery abnormality may refer to a state where the battery has not yet caught fire but may be in danger of catching fire. Because the cooling temperature of the cooler is reduced (i.e., the cooling level increases), the rise in battery temperature can be slowed down, thereby delaying or preventing ignition.

[0083] Simultaneously, the fire detection unit 120 of the BMS100 monitors for the occurrence of a fire in step S200. When the fire detection unit 120 detects a fire in step S210, the cooler control unit 130 controls the cooler to operate at a lower cooling temperature than the reduced cooling temperature used when a battery abnormality was determined to have occurred (in step S110) (in step S120). That is, in step S220, the cooler control unit 130 controls the cooler to operate at an additionally reduced cooling temperature. Furthermore, the HVAC control unit 140 stops supplying power to the HVAC system. When a fire occurs, the cooler does not shut down and operates at an additionally reduced cooling temperature. Therefore, a fire can be proactively addressed, and the possibility of a chain fire can be prevented by suppressing temperature rise in units adjacent to the unit where the fire occurred. The additionally reduced cooling temperature may include a minimum cooling temperature, which is the lowest cooling temperature at which the cooler can operate.

[0084] Figure 8 This is a configuration diagram of the battery monitoring unit 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0085] The battery monitoring unit 110 may include a temperature measurement unit 111 and a voltage measurement unit 112 for acquiring data to determine whether a battery abnormality has occurred, and includes a battery abnormality determination unit 113 for determining whether a battery abnormality has occurred based on the measured temperature or voltage. In some embodiments, the battery abnormality determination unit 113 may measure the temperature of the battery module or ESS or the temperature of a specific cell (referred to herein as the battery temperature) to determine whether a battery abnormality has occurred, and may determine that a battery abnormality has occurred when the measured battery temperature is at or above a preset threshold.

[0086] In other embodiments, the battery anomaly determination unit 113 may determine that a battery anomaly has occurred when the temperature of a specific cell in the battery module or ESS is [the average temperature of the plurality of cells constituting the battery module or ESS + a preset temperature] or higher, in order to determine whether a battery anomaly has occurred. Here, the "preset temperature" may be, for example, 20°C.

[0087] In other embodiments, the battery anomaly determination unit 113 may measure the voltage of the battery module or ESS, or the voltage of a specific cell (referred to herein as the battery voltage), to determine whether a battery anomaly has occurred. The battery anomaly determination unit 113 may determine that a battery anomaly has occurred when the measured battery voltage is at or above a preset threshold.

[0088] Figure 9 The figure illustrates the configuration of a cooler control unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The cooler control unit 130 may include an interface 131 with a battery monitoring unit 110 and a fire monitoring unit 120. Through the interface 131, the cooler control unit 130 can receive battery abnormality signals from the battery monitoring unit 110 and / or receive fire detection signals from the fire monitoring unit 120.

[0089] The cooler control unit 130 may include a cooling temperature changing unit 132 for providing a control signal to the cooler in response to receiving a battery abnormality signal to change the cooling temperature of the cooler to a temperature lower than the currently set temperature. The amount of change (reduction) in the cooling temperature may be a constant value or a value that depends on the value included in the signal received from the battery monitoring unit 110.

[0090] The cooler control unit 130 may also include an additional cooling temperature setting unit 133 for providing a control signal to the cooler in response to receiving a fire detection signal from the fire monitoring unit 120 to operate the cooler by further reducing its cooling temperature. As described above, the additional cooling temperature may include the lowest cooling temperature value at which the cooler can operate.

[0091] Figure 10 The effect of temperature control by the BMS according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Reference numeral 270 indicates an area where no fire has occurred.

[0092] When a specific temperature value 250 is higher than the average temperature 240 of the individual cells, the battery monitoring unit 110 determines that an anomaly exists in the battery, but no fire has yet occurred. Therefore, the battery monitoring unit 110 generates a warning alarm 220 and reduces the cooling temperature of the cooler. Due to the reduction in cooling temperature, the battery temperature does not follow a sharp rise curve 210, but rather a slower rise curve 230 and 230', preventing it from reaching the ignition temperature 260. Therefore, the anomaly in the battery may not lead to a fire.

[0093] When a battery experiences an abnormal upgrade and catches fire at an ignition temperature of 260°C, the cooler can operate at an additionally lower cooling temperature, thereby suppressing the temperature rise of the battery module or ESS and preventing the fire from spreading to other cells.

[0094] Hereinafter, a temperature control method according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The temperature control method (e.g., the ESS temperature control method) may include: monitoring the temperature and voltage of individual battery cells by a battery management system and determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the battery cell; when an abnormality is determined to have occurred, outputting a signal by the battery management system to reduce the cooling temperature of the cooler; detecting the occurrence of a fire by the battery management system; and when a fire is detected, outputting a signal by the battery management system to operate the cooler at a cooling temperature lower than the reduced cooling temperature used when the battery abnormality occurred. In some embodiments, the cooling temperature lower than the reduced cooling temperature used in the case of a battery abnormality may be the lowest cooling temperature at which the cooler can operate.

[0095] The temperature control method further includes generating an alarm by the battery management system when an abnormality is determined to have occurred in the battery. Additionally, in some embodiments, the temperature control method may further include outputting a signal from the battery management system to shut down the HVAC system upon detection of a fire.

[0096] In some embodiments, the battery management system may measure the battery temperature to determine if an anomaly has occurred in the battery, and determine that an anomaly has occurred when the battery temperature is at or above a threshold. Further, the battery management system may determine that an anomaly has occurred when the average temperature of multiple cells is higher than a preset temperature. In other embodiments, the battery management system may measure the battery voltage to determine if an anomaly has occurred in the battery, and determine that an anomaly has occurred when the battery voltage is at or above a threshold.

[0097] The temperature control method described above, which can be used with energy storage systems, can be clearly understood based on the description of BMS100 provided above.

[0098] According to this disclosure, when a battery abnormality is detected but no fire occurs, a warning alarm is generated, and the cooling temperature of the cooler is reduced to slow the rise in battery temperature, thus preventing it from reaching the ignition temperature and preventing a fire. Furthermore, in the event of a fire, the cooler can operate at a lower cooling temperature than the reduced cooling temperature used when the battery abnormality was detected (e.g., the minimum cooling temperature based on cooler performance), thereby further suppressing the temperature rise of the battery module or energy storage system and preventing the fire from spreading to other cells.

[0099] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments thereof, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Various modifications and changes can be made thereto by those skilled in the art within the spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery management system, comprising: A battery monitoring unit is configured to monitor the temperature and voltage of the battery and determine whether any abnormality has occurred in the battery. The fire monitoring unit is configured to detect the occurrence of a fire; and The cooler control unit is configured to control the cooling temperature of the cooler based on the monitoring results of the battery monitoring unit and the fire monitoring unit. The cooler control unit is configured to reduce the cooling temperature of the cooler when the battery monitoring unit determines that the abnormality has occurred. The cooler control unit is configured such that when the fire monitoring unit detects a fire, the cooler control unit operates the cooler at a lower cooling temperature than the reduced cooling temperature used when the anomaly occurs.

2. The battery management system according to claim 1, wherein, The low cooling temperature is the lowest cooling temperature at which the cooler can operate.

3. The battery management system according to claim 1, further comprising: An alarm generation unit is configured to generate an alarm when the battery monitoring unit determines that the abnormality has occurred.

4. The battery management system according to claim 1, further comprising: The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control unit is configured to shut down the HVAC system when the fire monitoring unit detects a fire.

5. The battery management system according to claim 1, wherein, The battery monitoring unit is configured to measure the temperature of the battery to determine whether the anomaly has occurred, and to determine that the anomaly has occurred when the temperature of the battery is at or above a threshold.

6. The battery management system according to claim 1, wherein, The battery monitoring unit is configured to determine that the abnormality has occurred when the battery temperature is [the average temperature of multiple cells constituting the battery module or ESS + a preset temperature] or higher.

7. The battery management system according to claim 1, wherein, The battery monitoring unit is configured to measure the voltage of the battery to determine whether the abnormality has occurred, and to determine that the abnormality has occurred when the voltage of the battery is at or above a threshold.

8. A battery management system, comprising: A battery monitoring unit is configured to monitor the temperature and voltage of the battery and determine whether any abnormality has occurred in the battery. The fire monitoring unit is configured to detect the occurrence of a fire; A cooler control unit is configured to (i) reduce the cooling temperature of the cooler when the battery monitoring unit determines that the abnormality has occurred, and (ii) operate the cooler at a cooling temperature lower than the reduced cooling temperature when the fire monitoring unit detects a fire. An alarm generation unit is configured to generate an alarm when the battery monitoring unit determines that the abnormality has occurred. and The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control unit is configured to shut down the HVAC system when the fire monitoring unit detects a fire.

9. The battery management system according to claim 8, wherein, The low cooling temperature is the lowest cooling temperature at which the cooler can operate.

10. The battery management system according to claim 8, wherein, The battery monitoring unit is configured to measure the temperature of the battery to determine whether the abnormality has occurred, and to determine that the abnormality has occurred when the temperature of the battery is at or above a threshold.

11. The battery management system according to claim 8, wherein, The battery monitoring unit is configured to determine that the abnormality has occurred when the battery temperature is [the average temperature of multiple cells constituting the battery module or ESS + a preset temperature] or higher.

12. The battery management system according to claim 8, wherein, The battery monitoring unit is configured to measure the voltage of the battery to determine whether the abnormality has occurred, and to determine that the abnormality has occurred when the voltage of the battery is at or above a threshold.

13. A temperature control method for an energy storage system, the method comprising: The battery management system is used to monitor the temperature and voltage of the battery and determine if any abnormalities have occurred in the battery. When the aforementioned anomaly is detected, the battery management system outputs a signal to reduce the cooling temperature of the cooler; The battery management system is used to detect the occurrence of fires; and When a fire is detected, the battery management system outputs a signal to operate the cooler at a lower cooling temperature than the reduced cooling temperature used when the anomaly was determined to have occurred.

14. The temperature control method according to claim 13, wherein, The low cooling temperature is the lowest cooling temperature at which the cooler can operate.

15. The temperature control method according to claim 13, further comprising: When the aforementioned anomaly is detected, an alarm is generated using the battery management system.

16. The temperature control method according to claim 13, further comprising: When the fire is detected, the battery management system outputs a signal to shut down the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

17. The temperature control method according to claim 13, comprising: The battery management system is used to measure the temperature of the battery to determine whether the anomaly has occurred, and the anomaly is determined to have occurred when the temperature of the battery is at or above a threshold.

18. The temperature control method according to claim 13, wherein, The anomaly is determined to have occurred when the average temperature of multiple cells in the battery is higher than a preset temperature.

19. The temperature control method according to claim 13, comprising: The battery management system is used to measure the voltage of the battery to determine whether the anomaly has occurred, and the anomaly is determined to have occurred when the voltage of the battery is at or above a threshold.

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