Charging protocol generation device and method

Abstract

A charging protocol generation device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a curve obtaining unit configured to obtain a charging curve of a battery charged by repeating a charging period and a rest period at a preset charging C rate; and a control unit configured to generate a resistance curve representing a correspondence relationship between resistance and SOC (state of charge) for the plurality of rest periods, determine a maximum allowable SOC corresponding to the charging C-rate based on a resistance pattern of a target SOC section of the generated resistance curve, and determine a maximum allowable SOC corresponding to the charging C-rate based on the maximum allowable SOC. And generate a charging protocol including a correspondence between the charging C rate and the maximum allowable SOC.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application is based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0070934, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on May 30, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] This disclosure relates to a charging protocol generation apparatus and method, and more specifically to an apparatus and method for generating a fast charging protocol. Background Technology

[0003] In recent years, demand for portable electronic products such as laptops, cameras, and mobile phones has grown dramatically, and electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, and satellites have also seen significant development. Therefore, high-performance batteries that allow for repeated charging and discharging are being actively researched.

[0004] Currently available batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium batteries. Among them, lithium batteries have attracted much attention due to their almost non-existent memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries, as well as their very low self-discharge rate and high energy density.

[0005] With the commercialization of electric vehicles, electric motorcycles, and electric bicycles, the demand for high-capacity and high-performance batteries is increasing. However, as battery capacity increases, the time required to charge them also increases, which is disadvantageous. To address this issue, technologies for fast charging batteries are currently being developed, but there are concerns that fast charging may accelerate battery degradation.

[0006] Specifically, during the rapid charging process of a battery, lithium metal may be deposited on the surface of the negative electrode (lithium plating, Li plating). If lithium is deposited on the surface of the negative electrode, it causes side reactions with the electrolyte and changes in the battery's kinetic balance, which may lead to battery degradation. Furthermore, since internal short circuits may occur in the battery due to lithium metal deposition on the negative electrode surface, there is a risk of fire and explosion caused by these internal short circuits. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a charging protocol that can prevent lithium metal deposition on the surface of the negative electrode and facilitate rapid charging of the battery. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] This disclosure is designed to address problems in the related art, and therefore relates to generating a charging protocol that can charge batteries efficiently and quickly.

[0009] These and other objects and advantages of this disclosure may be understood from the following detailed description and will become more fully apparent from exemplary embodiments thereof. Furthermore, it will be readily understood that the objects and advantages of this disclosure may be achieved by the means and combinations thereof as shown in the appended claims.

[0010] Technical solution

[0011] A charging protocol generation apparatus according to one aspect of this disclosure may include: a curve acquisition unit configured to acquire a charging curve of a battery charged by repeated charging periods and rest periods at a preset charging rate C; and a control unit configured to generate a resistance curve representing the correspondence between resistance and SOC (state of charge) for multiple rest periods, determine a maximum permissible SOC corresponding to the charging rate C based on the resistance pattern of a target SOC segment of the generated resistance curve, and generate a charging protocol including the correspondence between the charging rate C and the maximum permissible SOC.

[0012] The control unit can be configured to calculate the resistance of each of the multiple rest periods based on the voltage drop of each rest period and the current value corresponding to the charging C rate.

[0013] The control unit can be configured to calculate the voltage drop by calculating the difference between the voltage at the target point and the voltage at the end point in each of the multiple rest periods.

[0014] The control unit can be configured to identify the target point as the point with the maximum voltage among the points where the instantaneous rate of change of voltage is greater than or equal to a preset reference rate of change in each of the multiple rest periods.

[0015] The control unit can be configured to set the voltage change rate at the start and end points of each of the multiple rest periods to a reference change rate corresponding to that rest period.

[0016] When the resistance corresponding to the upper limit SOC of the target SOC segment is the largest among the multiple resistances corresponding to the target SOC segment of the resistance curve, the control unit is configured to set the maximum allowable SOC to the upper limit SOC.

[0017] When there is a resistor among the multiple resistors corresponding to the target SOC segment of the resistance curve that is greater than the resistor corresponding to the upper limit SOC of the target SOC segment, and there is at least one maximum value point in the target SOC segment, the control unit is configured to set the maximum allowable SOC based on the at least one maximum value point.

[0018] When there is a resistor among the multiple resistors corresponding to the target SOC segment of the resistance curve that is greater than the resistor corresponding to the upper limit SOC of the target SOC segment, there is no maximum value point in the target SOC segment, and there is at least one inflection point in the target SOC segment, the control unit is configured to set the maximum allowable SOC based on the at least one inflection point.

[0019] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the battery pack may include a charging protocol generation device according to one aspect of this disclosure.

[0020] The server according to another aspect of this disclosure may include a charging protocol generation device according to one aspect of this disclosure.

[0021] A battery charging control device according to another aspect of the present disclosure may include: a memory configured to store a charging protocol generated by a charging protocol generation device according to one aspect of the present disclosure; and a processor configured to control charging of a target battery based on the charging protocol.

[0022] A charging protocol generation method according to another aspect of this disclosure may include: a charging curve obtaining step, which obtains a charging curve of a battery being charged by repeated charging periods and rest periods at a preset charging C rate; a resistance curve generating step, which generates a resistance curve representing the correspondence between resistance and SOC (state of charge) for multiple rest periods; a maximum permissible SOC determining step, which determines the maximum permissible SOC corresponding to the charging C rate based on the resistance pattern of a target SOC segment of the generated resistance curve; and a charging protocol generation step, which generates a charging protocol including the correspondence between the charging C rate and the maximum permissible SOC.

[0023] Beneficial effects

[0024] According to one aspect of this disclosure, the charging protocol generation apparatus can generate a charging protocol that prevents lithium plating from occurring during the charging process. In other words, the charging protocol generation apparatus has the advantage of being able to generate a charging protocol that can extend the expected lifespan of the battery by preventing unnecessary battery degradation.

[0025] The effects of this disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand other effects not mentioned in the description of the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the foregoing disclosure, are intended 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 drawings.

[0027] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging protocol generation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging curve according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of the charging curve.

[0030] Figures 4 to 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a resistance curve according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging protocol according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery pack according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a server according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging control device according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery pack according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging device according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a vehicle according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 14 This is a diagram schematically illustrating a charging protocol generation method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0039] It should be understood that the terms used in the specification and appended claims should not be construed as limited to their general and dictionary meanings, but rather as being interpreted based on their meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical aspects of this disclosure, in accordance with the principle that the inventors are permitted to define the terms appropriately for the best interpretation.

[0040] Therefore, the descriptions presented herein are merely preferred examples for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. It should be understood that other equivalents and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0041] Additionally, in describing this disclosure, if a detailed description of a relevant known element or function is deemed to obscure the key subject matter of this disclosure, such detailed description is omitted herein.

[0042] Terms including ordinal numbers such as “first” and “second” can be used to distinguish one element from another among various elements, but are not intended to limit these elements through these terms.

[0043] Throughout this specification, when a part is referred to as “comprising” or “including” any element, unless otherwise expressly stated, it means that the part may further include other elements, without excluding other elements.

[0044] Furthermore, throughout this 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”, in which another element is inserted between them.

[0045] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging protocol generation apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] refer to Figure 1 The charging protocol generation device 100 may include a curve acquisition unit 110 and a control unit 120.

[0048] Here, a battery refers to a single, physically separable cell with negative and positive terminals. For example, a lithium-ion battery or a lithium polymer battery can be considered a battery. Additionally, the type of battery can be cylindrical, prismatic, or pouch-shaped. Furthermore, a battery can mean a battery bank, battery module, or battery pack, in which multiple cells are connected in series and / or parallel. Below, for ease of explanation, a battery is explained as referring to a single, independent cell.

[0049] The curve acquisition unit 110 can be configured to acquire the charging curve of a battery that is charged by repeated charging periods and rest periods at a preset charging rate C (current rate).

[0050] Specifically, the battery can be charged until the state of charge (SOC) is charged from a preset starting SOC or 0% to a preset ending SOC or 100%. Preferably, the charging rate (C) can be kept constant during the battery charging process. Here, the charging rate (C) can be a C rate selected to set or change the maximum allowable SOC.

[0051] Additionally, the battery can be charged by repeating charging periods and rest periods. For example, the battery can be charged for a first period, and charging can be stopped for a second period. Preferably, the rest periods can be repeated at preset intervals.

[0052] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging curve according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, the charging curve may be configured to represent the correspondence between time (X-axis) and voltage (Y-axis). However, depending on the embodiment, the charging curve may also be configured to represent the correspondence between the battery's SOC and voltage or capacity and voltage.

[0053] exist Figure 2 In this embodiment, the battery is charged for approximately 105 minutes by repeating charging and rest periods, with the rest period being repeated approximately every 3 minutes. Since the battery is in an unloaded state during the rest period (Rr), the battery voltage may drop during the rest period.

[0054] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of the charging curve. Specifically, the rest period can last for a time interval of ΔT(Td-Ts). The voltage at the start point Ps of the rest period is Vs, and the voltage at the end point Pd of the rest period is Vd. That is, during the rest period, the battery voltage can decrease by "Vs-Vd".

[0055] For example, the curve acquisition unit 110 can directly receive the battery's charging curve from an external source. That is, the curve acquisition unit 110 can obtain the charging curve by connecting to an external source via a wired and / or wireless connection and receiving the charging curve.

[0056] As another example, the curve acquisition unit 110 can receive voltage information based on the battery's charging time from an external source. Then, the curve acquisition unit 110 can generate a charging curve based on the received voltage information. In other words, the curve acquisition unit 110 can obtain a charging curve by directly generating a charging curve based on the battery's voltage information.

[0057] The curve acquisition unit 110 can be connected to communicate with the control unit 120. For example, the curve acquisition unit 110 can be connected to the control unit 120 via wired and / or wireless means. The curve acquisition unit can send the acquired charging curve to the control unit 120.

[0058] The control unit 120 can be configured to generate a resistance curve representing the correspondence between resistance and state of charge (SOC) for multiple rest periods.

[0059] Specifically, the control unit 120 can determine the resistance and state of charge (SOC) for each rest period. Then, the control unit 120 can map the corresponding resistance and SOC to generate a resistance curve representing the correspondence between resistance and SOC.

[0060] First, the control unit 120 can be configured to calculate the resistance for each of the multiple rest periods based on the voltage drop during each rest period and the current value corresponding to the charging rate C. That is, since the battery is in an unloaded state during the rest periods, the battery voltage naturally decreases. The control unit 120 can use Ohm's law to calculate the resistance corresponding to the rest period based on the voltage drop during the rest period and the current value according to the charging rate C. For example, in Figure 3 In this embodiment, the voltage drop during the rest period is "Vs-Vd", and the current is Ic. Therefore, the control unit 120 can calculate the resistance during the rest period using the formula "(Vs-Vd) ÷ Ic".

[0061] Furthermore, the control unit 120 can estimate the SOC corresponding to the rest period.

[0062] For example, control unit 120 can estimate the SOC corresponding to the voltage at the start of the rest period by using a table showing the correspondence between SOC and voltage. Figure 3 In one embodiment, the control unit 120 can estimate the SOC corresponding to the rest period by comparing the voltage (Vs) at the start point Ps of the rest period with a preset table.

[0063] As another example, control unit 120 can estimate the State of Charge (SOC) during the rest period based on the battery's capacity from charging until the rest period. In this case, control unit 120 can estimate the SOC by using a current integration method (ampere counting, coulomb counting) that accumulates the charging current until the rest period. Figure 3 In one embodiment, the control unit 120 can estimate the SOC corresponding to the rest period based on the battery capacity from the start of charging until the rest period Ps. Preferably, the control unit 120 can calculate the battery capacity from the start of charging until the rest period based on the total charging time and current. Here, the control unit 120 can calculate the total charging time by simply accumulating the time of the charging periods (excluding the time of the previous rest period).

[0064] The control unit 120 can estimate the resistance and state of charge (SOC) for each of the multiple rest periods and generate a resistance curve representing the correspondence between the estimated resistance and SOC. For example, the resistance curve can be represented as an XY graph, where the X-axis is set to SOC and the Y-axis is set to resistance.

[0065] The control unit 120 can be configured to determine the maximum permissible SOC corresponding to the charging C rate based on the resistance pattern of the target SOC segment of the generated resistance curve.

[0066] Here, the maximum permissible SOC refers to the maximum SOC at which lithium plating is estimated to not occur when the battery is charged at a charging rate C. The maximum permissible SOC for each charging rate C can be determined based on the resistance pattern of the target SOC segment included in the resistance curve. Here, the target SOC segment refers to the segment where the SOC is 50% or greater based on the BOL (Start of Life) battery. In other words, as the battery degrades or the charging rate C increases, the percentage included in the target SOC segment of the resistance curve may decrease.

[0067] The following text will refer to Figures 4 to 6 This describes one embodiment of setting the maximum permissible SOC for the control unit 120. Figures 4 to 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a resistance curve according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0068] For example, the control unit 120 can be configured to set the maximum allowable SOC to the upper limit SOC when the resistance corresponding to the upper limit SOC of the target SOC segment is the largest among the multiple resistances corresponding to the target SOC segment of the resistance curve.

[0069] Specifically, when the resistance corresponding to the upper limit SOC of the target SOC segment is at its maximum, even if there are maximum value points and / or inflection points in the target SOC segment, the maximum allowable SOC for the charging C rate can be set as the upper limit SOC.

[0070] exist Figure 4 In this embodiment, the first resistance curve S1 is the curve of a battery charged at the C1C rate. In the first resistance curve S1, Pa is the upper limit of the target SOC segment TR. Among the multiple resistors belonging to the target SOC segment TR, the resistor corresponding to Pa is the largest. Therefore, the maximum allowable SOC corresponding to the C1C rate can be set to SOCa corresponding to Pa.

[0071] As another example, the control unit 120 can be configured to set the maximum allowable SOC based on the at least one maximum point when there is a resistor among a plurality of resistors corresponding to the target SOC segment of the resistance curve that is greater than the resistor corresponding to the upper limit SOC of the target SOC segment and there is at least one maximum point in the target SOC segment.

[0072] Specifically, if the resistance corresponding to the upper limit SOC of the target SOC segment is not the maximum and there is a maximum value point in the target SOC segment, then even if there is an inflection point in the target SOC segment, the maximum allowable SOC for the charging C rate can be set to the SOC of that maximum value point.

[0073] Preferably, if the target SOC segment includes multiple maximum points, the SOC of one of the multiple maximum points can be set as the maximum permissible SOC. More preferably, the maximum SOC among the SOCs corresponding to the multiple maximum points can be set as the maximum permissible SOC.

[0074] exist Figure 5 In this embodiment, the second resistance curve S2 is the curve of the battery charged at a C2C rate. In the second resistance curve S2, Pb is the maximum value point of the target SOC segment TR. Among the multiple resistors belonging to the target SOC segment TR, the resistor corresponding to Pb is the largest. That is, among the multiple resistors belonging to the target SOC segment TR, the resistor corresponding to the upper limit of the target SOC segment TR is not the largest. Therefore, the maximum allowable SOC corresponding to the C2C rate can be set to SOCb corresponding to Pb.

[0075] As another example, the control unit 120 can be configured to set the maximum allowable SOC based on at least one inflection point if there is a resistor among a plurality of resistors corresponding to the target SOC segment of the resistance curve that is greater than the resistor corresponding to the upper limit SOC of the target SOC segment, there is no maximum value point in the target SOC segment, and there is at least one inflection point in the target SOC segment.

[0076] Specifically, even if there is an inflection point in the target SOC range, the SOC corresponding to the inflection point can only be set as the upper limit SOC, which is the maximum permissible SOC at the charging rate C, if the resistance corresponding to the upper limit SOC is not the largest among the multiple resistances included in the target SOC range and there is no maximum value point in the target SOC range. This is because the maximum permissible SOC must be set conservatively and strictly to represent the SOC at which lithium plating will not occur even if the battery is charged at the charging rate C.

[0077] Preferably, when the target SOC segment includes multiple inflection points, the SOC of one of the multiple inflection points can be set as the maximum permissible SOC. More preferably, the maximum SOC among the SOCs corresponding to the multiple inflection points can be set as the maximum permissible SOC.

[0078] exist Figure 6In this embodiment, the third resistance curve S3 is the curve of the battery charged at a C3C rate. In the third resistance curve S3, Pc is the inflection point of the target SOC segment TR. Among the multiple resistors belonging to the target SOC segment TR, the resistor corresponding to the upper limit SOC is not the largest, and there is no maximum value point in the target SOC segment TR. Therefore, the maximum allowable SOC corresponding to the C3C rate can be set to the SOCc corresponding to Pc.

[0079] The control unit 120 can be configured to generate a charging protocol that includes the correspondence between the charging C rate and the maximum permissible SOC.

[0080] The control unit 120 can be set with a maximum permissible SOC corresponding to the charging C rate, and generate a charging protocol representing the correspondence between them. That is, the charging protocol can include information on the maximum permissible SOC for each charging C rate without lithium plating.

[0081] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging protocol according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0082] Specifically, Figure 7 The charging protocol CP is a representation of Figures 4 to 6 The embodiment describes a charging protocol that establishes the correspondence between the charging rate (C) and the maximum permissible state of charge (SOC). Figure 7 In the embodiments, the maximum permissible SOC for C1 C rate is set to SOCa, the maximum permissible SOC for C2 C rate is set to SOCb, and the maximum permissible SOC for C3 C rate is set to SOCc.

[0083] For example, when a battery is charged at a C1-C rate, lithium plating may occur in the battery if the State of Charge (SOC) exceeds SOCa. Therefore, the battery can be initially charged at a C1-C rate until the battery's SOC reaches SOCa, and then the battery can be charged at a C rate with a maximum permissible SOC above SOCa. Since reducing the charging C rate increases the battery's charging time, it is preferable to change the charging C rate when the battery's SOC reaches the SOC corresponding to the charging C rate.

[0084] The charging protocol generation apparatus 100 according to this disclosure can generate a charging protocol that prevents lithium plating during the charging process. Therefore, according to the charging protocol generated by the charging protocol generation apparatus 100, unexpected battery degradation due to charging can be prevented. In other words, the charging protocol generation apparatus 100 has the advantage that it can generate a charging protocol that can extend the expected life of the battery by preventing unnecessary battery degradation.

[0085] Meanwhile, the curve acquisition unit 110 and control unit 120 included in the charging protocol generation device 100 may optionally include processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), other chipsets, logic circuits, registers, communication modems, data processing devices, etc., known in the art, to execute the various control logics performed in this disclosure. Furthermore, when the control logic is implemented as software, the curve acquisition unit 110 and control unit 120 can be implemented as a collection of program modules. In this case, the program modules can be stored in memory and executed by the curve acquisition unit 110 and control unit 120. The memory can be located inside or outside the curve acquisition unit 110 and control unit 120, and can be connected to the control unit 120 by various well-known means.

[0086] Additionally, the charging protocol generation device 100 may also include a storage unit 130. The storage unit 130 may store data required for the operation and function of each component of the charging protocol generation device 100, data generated during the execution of operations or functions, etc. The type of storage unit 130 is not particularly limited, as long as it is a known information storage device capable of recording, erasing, updating, and retrieving data. For example, the information storage device may include RAM, flash memory, ROM, EEPROM, registers, etc. Furthermore, the storage unit 130 may also store program code defining the processes that can be executed by the curve acquisition unit 110 and the control unit 120.

[0087] For example, storage unit 130 can store charging curves, resistance curves, and charging protocols.

[0088] In another embodiment, the control unit 120 may be configured to calculate the voltage drop by calculating the difference between the voltage at the target point and the voltage at the end point in each of a plurality of rest periods.

[0089] Specifically, the resistance calculated based on the voltage drop between the start and end points of the rest period includes both the battery's ohmic resistance (Ro) and charge transfer resistance (Rct). However, since the battery's ohmic resistance is not an indicator of lithium plating, it is desirable to consider only the charge transfer resistance in order to set the maximum permissible SOC associated with lithium plating.

[0090] For example, when the ohmic resistance is too high, it is difficult to set a maximum permissible state of charge (SOC) that can prevent lithium plating due to the low ratio of charge transfer resistance to resistance during rest periods. In other words, the battery's ohmic resistance can act as noise in terms of lithium plating. Therefore, when developing a charging protocol to prevent lithium plating, it is desirable to exclude the ohmic resistance and consider only the charge transfer resistance.

[0091] Specifically, to calculate the charge transfer resistance, the control unit 120 can calculate the voltage drop by calculating the difference between the voltage at the target point and the voltage at the end point, and can calculate the resistance corresponding to the rest period based on the calculated voltage drop and charging current. For example, in Figure 3 In one embodiment, the control unit 120 can calculate the voltage drop (Vt-Vd) between the voltage (Vt) at the target point Pt and the voltage (Vd) at the end point Pd, and calculate the resistance during the rest period using the formula “(Vt-Vd) ÷ Ic”.

[0092] In other words, the resistance corresponding to the starting point of the rest period (the resistance calculated according to the formula "(Vs-Vd)÷Ic") includes both the ohmic resistance of the battery and the charge transfer resistance, while the resistance corresponding to the target point of the rest period (the resistance calculated according to the formula "(Vt-Vd)÷Ic") includes only the charge transfer resistance of the battery.

[0093] The charging protocol generation device 100 has the advantage of being able to generate a charging protocol that further prevents lithium plating during the charging process by excluding ohmic resistance and only considering charge transfer resistance.

[0094] Here, the control unit 120 can be configured to determine the target point as the point with the maximum voltage among the points where the instantaneous rate of change of voltage is greater than or equal to a preset reference rate of change in each of the multiple rest periods.

[0095] Specifically, when the battery enters the rest period (i.e., when charging stops), the ohmic resistance and charge transfer resistance affect the battery voltage in sequence, causing a voltage drop. First, immediately after charging stops and the rest period begins, the battery voltage drops rapidly due to the ohmic resistance. Thereafter, the battery voltage gradually decreases due to the charge transfer resistance.

[0096] For example, in Figure 3 In this embodiment, when the rest period begins, the battery voltage immediately drops from Vs to Vt due to the influence of the ohmic resistance. Thereafter, the battery voltage gradually decreases from Vt to Vd due to the influence of the charge transfer resistance. That is, the voltage drop due to the ohmic resistance progresses rapidly, while the voltage drop due to the charge transfer resistance progresses more slowly.

[0097] Therefore, the control unit 120 can determine the target point based on the result of comparing the instantaneous rate of change of the voltage with the reference rate of change, so as to identify the point affected by the charge transfer resistance as the target point. This is because the instantaneous rate of change of the voltage drop due to the influence of the ohmic resistance is less than the reference rate of change, while the instantaneous rate of change of the voltage drop due to the influence of the charge transfer resistance is greater than the reference rate of change.

[0098] More specifically, the control unit 120 can be configured to set the voltage change rate at the start and end points of each of the plurality of rest periods to a reference change rate corresponding to that rest period.

[0099] Specifically, the voltage change rate at the start and end of the rest period is greater than the voltage change rate caused by the ohmic resistance, and equal to or less than the voltage change rate caused by the charge transfer resistance. Therefore, the control unit 120 can set the voltage change rate at the start and end of the rest period as a reference change rate to more accurately determine the target point at which the charge transfer resistance begins to function in each rest period. In other words, the control unit 120 can set the average voltage change rate of the rest period as a reference change rate for the corresponding rest period.

[0100] For example, in Figure 3 In this embodiment, the voltage change rate at the start and end points of the rest period can be determined using the formula "(Pd-Ps) ÷ ΔT". The control unit 120 can set the voltage change rate at the start point Ps and end point Pd of the rest period as a reference change rate, and determine the points in the rest period where the instantaneous voltage change rate is greater than or equal to the reference change rate. Then, the control unit 120 can determine the point with the maximum corresponding voltage among the determined points as the target point Pt.

[0101] In other words, according to the charging protocol generation device 100, the target point at which the influence of the charge transfer resistance begins can be set more accurately among multiple points where the voltage change rate is greater than or equal to the reference change rate. Furthermore, since the reference change rate can be set for each rest period, a charging protocol reflecting the battery's state of current can be generated by setting the reference change rate for each rest period reflecting the battery's state of current.

[0102] The charging protocol generation apparatus 100 according to this disclosure can be applied to a battery management system (BMS). That is, the BMS according to this disclosure may include the charging protocol generation apparatus 100 described above. In this configuration, at least some of the components in the charging protocol generation apparatus 100 can be implemented by supplementing or adding the functionality of components included in a conventional BMS. For example, the curve acquisition unit 110, control unit 120, and storage unit 130 of the charging protocol generation apparatus 100 can be implemented as components of the BMS.

[0103] Additionally, the charging protocol generation device 100 according to this disclosure can be disposed in the battery pack. That is, the battery pack according to this disclosure may include the aforementioned charging protocol generation device 100 and at least one battery cell. Additionally, the battery pack may also include electrical components (relays, fuses, etc.) and a housing.

[0104] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery pack 1 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0105] The positive terminal of battery 10 can be connected to the positive terminal P+ of battery pack 1, and the negative terminal of battery 10 can be connected to the negative terminal P- of battery pack 1.

[0106] The measuring unit 20 can be connected to a first sensing line SL1, a second sensing line SL2, and a third sensing line SL3. Specifically, the measuring unit 20 can be connected to the positive terminal of the battery 10 via the first sensing line SL1 and to the negative terminal of the battery 10 via the second sensing line SL2. The measuring unit 20 can measure the voltage of the battery 10 based on the voltage measured at each of the first sensing line SL1 and the second sensing line SL2.

[0107] Furthermore, the measurement unit 20 can be connected to the current measurement unit A via the third sensing line SL3. For example, the current measurement unit A can be an ammeter or a shunt resistor, capable of measuring the charging and discharging currents of the battery 10. The measurement unit 20 can measure the charging current of the battery 10 via the third sensing line SL3 to calculate the amount of charge. Additionally, the measurement unit 20 can also measure the discharging current of the battery 10 via the third sensing line SL3 to calculate the amount of discharge.

[0108] For example, the curve acquisition unit 110 can directly receive the battery charging curve from the measurement unit 20. That is, the curve acquisition unit 110 can obtain the charging curve by connecting to the measurement unit 20 via wired and / or wireless means and receiving the charging curve.

[0109] As another example, the curve acquisition unit 110 can receive voltage information based on the battery's charging time from the measurement unit 20. Then, the curve acquisition unit 110 can generate a charging curve based on the received voltage information. In other words, the curve acquisition unit 110 can obtain a charging curve by directly generating a charging curve based on the battery's voltage information.

[0110] An external device can be connected to the positive terminal P+ and the negative terminal P- of battery pack 1. For example, the external device can be a charging device or a load. In addition, the positive terminal of battery 10, the positive terminal P+ of battery pack 1, the external device, the negative terminal P- of battery pack 1, and the negative terminal of battery 10 can be electrically connected.

[0111] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a server 900 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0112] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the server 900 may include a charging protocol generation device 100.

[0113] Server 900 can be connected to at least one BMS to enable wired and / or wireless communication. For example, server 900 can be connected to communicate with the BMS, an in-vehicle BMS installed in a vehicle, and an ESS BMS installed in an ESS. Additionally, server 900 can be connected to communicate with devices capable of controlling battery charging (such as charging stations and charging equipment) and the BMS. Furthermore, server 900 can be connected to communicate with at least one user terminal. Additionally, server 900 can be connected to communicate with a battery manufacturing system that manufactures batteries and sets initial battery data.

[0114] For example, server 900 can receive the charging curve of a battery from an external source. Then, server 900 can generate a charging protocol for the corresponding battery based on the charging curve. As another example, server 900 can receive the charging curve of a reference battery and generate a reference charging protocol for batteries of the same type as the reference battery. Server 900 can then send the generated charging protocol to at least one device connected to enable communication.

[0115] Additionally, server 900 can check the status of a corresponding battery by storing the battery's charging protocol and managing the history of changes to the charging protocol. For example, since batteries degrade with use, if a charging protocol generated for a BOL (Browser-Occupied) battery is applied to a MOL (Medium-Occupied) battery, lithium plating may occur during the charging process. Therefore, server 900 can update the charging protocol based on the battery's status and check the battery's status based on the update history. For example, server 900 can generate and update the battery's charging protocol whenever the battery's SOH (State of Health) decreases by a preset threshold. In one embodiment, server 900 can update the battery's charging protocol whenever the battery's SOH decreases by 2%.

[0116] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging control device 200 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0117] refer to Figure 10 The charging control device 200 may include a memory 210 and a processor 220.

[0118] Specifically, the charging protocol set by the charging protocol generation device 100 can be stored in the memory 210. Then, when the processor 220 needs to control the charging of the target battery, the processor 220 can access the memory 210 to obtain the stored charging protocol. The processor 220 can then be configured to control the charging of the target battery based on the charging protocol.

[0119] Meanwhile, the processor 220 included in the charging control device 200 may optionally include processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), other chipsets, logic circuits, registers, communication modems, data processing devices, etc., known in the art, to execute the various control logics performed in this disclosure. Furthermore, when the control logic is implemented as software, the processor 220 may be implemented as a collection of program modules. In this case, the program modules may be stored in memory and executed by the processor 220. The memory may be located inside or outside the processor 220 and may be connected to the processor 220 by various well-known means.

[0120] Furthermore, the memory 210 included in the charging control device 200 can store data required for the operation and function of each component in the charging control device 200, data generated during the execution of operations or functions, etc. The type of memory 210 is not particularly limited, as long as it is a known information storage device capable of recording, erasing, updating, and retrieving data. For example, the information storage device may include RAM, flash memory, ROM, EEPROM, registers, etc. Additionally, the memory 210 can store program code that defines processes executable by the processor 220.

[0121] Additionally, the charging control device 200 according to this disclosure can be disposed in the battery pack 1. That is, the battery pack 1 according to this disclosure may include the aforementioned charging control device 200 and at least one battery cell. Additionally, the battery pack 1 may also include electrical components (relays, fuses, etc.) and a housing.

[0122] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery pack 1 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. The battery pack 1 includes a battery 10, a measuring unit 20, and first to third sensing lines SL1, SL2, SL3 and... Figure 8 The same figures are shown in the illustrations, so their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0123] Battery information measured by measurement unit 20 can be sent to charging control device 200. For example, measurement unit 20 and charging control device 200 can be connected to achieve wired or wireless communication. Battery information received from measurement unit 20 can be stored in memory 210 and input to processor 220. Additionally, processor 220 can access memory 210 to obtain the stored battery information.

[0124] The charging device 2 can be connected to the positive terminal P+ and the negative terminal P- of the battery pack 1. Here, the charging device 2 is a device for charging the battery 10.

[0125] The processor 220 can be connected to the charging device 2 via a communication line CL to enable wired and / or wireless communication. For example, the processor 220 can perform power line communication (PLC) with the charging device 2. The processor 220 can determine whether the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 10 has reached the upper limit SOC corresponding to the current charging rate (C rate) based on the charging protocol stored in the memory 210. If the SOC of the battery 10 has reached the upper limit SOC, the processor 220 can command the charging device 2 to reduce the charging rate (C rate). Preferably, the processor 220 can select a charging rate lower than the current charging rate in the charging protocol and command the charging device 2 to charge at the selected charging rate (C rate).

[0126] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging device according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0127] Battery pack 1 may include battery 10, measurement unit 20, and BMS 30. Here, BMS 30 is a battery management system that diagnoses the state of the battery and controls the charging and discharging of the battery. For example, BMS 30 may be a configuration that has been widely used in the past.

[0128] The charging device 2 may include a charging control device 200. For example, the charging device 2 may output a charging current at a rate C set by the charging control device 200.

[0129] The battery management system (BMS) 30 can be connected to the charging device 2 via a communication line CL to enable wired and / or wireless communication. Preferably, the charging device 2 can receive battery information from the BMS 30. This battery information can then be stored in the memory 210 and input to the processor 220. Additionally, the processor 220 can access the memory 210 to retrieve the stored battery information.

[0130] Processor 220 can determine whether the State of Charge (SOC) of battery 10 has reached the upper limit SOC corresponding to the current C-rate based on the charging protocol stored in memory 210. If the SOC of battery 10 has reached the upper limit SOC, processor 220 can reduce the charging C-rate. That is, processor 220 can reduce the charging current output from charging device 2. Preferably, processor 220 can select a C-rate lower than the current C-rate in the charging protocol and change the C-rate of the charging current output from charging device 2 to the selected C-rate. Therefore, charging device 2 can output a charging current to battery 10 corresponding to the reduced C-rate.

[0131] Figure 13 The figure schematically illustrates a vehicle 1300 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0132] refer to Figure 13According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a battery pack 1 may be included in a vehicle 1300, such as an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid vehicle (HV). Additionally, the battery pack 1 may drive the vehicle 1300 by supplying power to a motor via an inverter disposed in the vehicle 1300. For example, the battery pack 1 may include a charging control device. That is, the vehicle 1300 may include a charging protocol generation device 100 and / or a charging control device 200.

[0133] Figure 14 This is a diagram schematically illustrating a charging protocol generation method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0134] See Figure 14 The charging protocol generation method may include: a charging curve acquisition step (S100), a resistance curve generation step (S200), a maximum allowable SOC determination step (S300), and a charging protocol generation step (S400).

[0135] Preferably, each step of the charging protocol generation method can be performed by the charging protocol generation device 100. For ease of explanation, content overlapping with the above will be omitted or briefly described.

[0136] The charging curve acquisition step (S100) is a step of acquiring the charging curve of a battery that is charged by repeated charging periods and rest periods at a preset charging rate C, and can be executed by the curve acquisition unit 110.

[0137] For example, the curve acquisition unit 110 can directly receive the battery's charging curve from an external source. That is, the curve acquisition unit 110 can obtain the charging curve by connecting to an external source via wired and / or wireless means and receiving the charging curve.

[0138] As another example, the curve acquisition unit 110 can receive voltage information based on the battery's charging time from an external source. Then, the curve acquisition unit 110 can generate a charging curve based on the received voltage information. In other words, the curve acquisition unit 110 can obtain a charging curve by directly generating a charging curve based on the battery's voltage information.

[0139] The resistance curve generation step (S200) is a step of generating a resistance curve that represents the correspondence between resistance and SOC for multiple rest periods, and can be executed by the control unit 120.

[0140] First, the control unit 120 can be configured to calculate the resistance for each of the multiple rest periods based on the voltage drop and the current value corresponding to the charging rate C during each rest period. Then, the control unit 120 can estimate the state of charge (SOC) corresponding to each of the multiple rest periods. Finally, the control unit 120 can generate a resistance curve by mapping the corresponding resistance to the SOC.

[0141] The maximum permissible SOC determination step (S300) is a step of determining the maximum permissible SOC corresponding to the charging C rate based on the resistance pattern of the target SOC segment of the generated resistance curve, and can be executed by the control unit 120.

[0142] For example, the control unit 120 can be configured to set the maximum allowable SOC to the upper limit SOC when the resistance corresponding to the upper limit SOC of the target SOC segment is the largest among the multiple resistances corresponding to the target SOC segment of the resistance curve.

[0143] As another example, the control unit 120 can be configured to set the maximum allowable SOC based on the at least one maximum point when there is a resistor among a plurality of resistors corresponding to the target SOC segment of the resistance curve that is greater than the resistor corresponding to the upper limit SOC of the target SOC segment and there is at least one maximum point in the target SOC segment.

[0144] As another example, the control unit 120 can be configured to set the maximum allowable SOC based on at least one inflection point if there is a resistor among a plurality of resistors corresponding to the target SOC segment of the resistance curve that is greater than the resistor corresponding to the upper limit SOC of the target SOC segment, there is no maximum value point in the target SOC segment, and there is at least one inflection point in the target SOC segment.

[0145] The charging protocol generation step (S400) is a step of generating a charging protocol that includes the correspondence between the charging C rate and the maximum permissible SOC, and can be executed by the control unit 120.

[0146] The control unit 120 can set a maximum permissible SOC corresponding to the charging C rate and generate a charging protocol representing the correspondence between them. That is, the charging protocol can include information on the maximum permissible SOC for each charging C rate without lithium plating.

[0147] The embodiments of this disclosure described above can be implemented not only by apparatus and methods, but also by a program that implements functions corresponding to the configuration of the embodiments of this disclosure, or by a recording medium on which the program is recorded. The program or recording medium can be readily implemented by those skilled in the art based on the above description of the embodiments.

[0148] This disclosure has been described in detail. However, it should be understood that while the detailed description and specific examples indicate preferred embodiments of this disclosure, they are given by way of illustration only, as various variations and modifications within the scope of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art based on this detailed description.

[0149] Additionally, those skilled in the art can make many substitutions, modifications and variations to the present disclosure described above without departing from the technical aspects of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and drawings, and each embodiment can be selectively combined in part or in whole to allow for various modifications.

[0150] (Explanation of the labels in the attached diagram)

[0151] 1: Battery pack

[0152] 2: Charging equipment

[0153] 10: Battery

[0154] 20: Measurement Unit

[0155] 30: BMS

[0156] 100: Charging protocol generation device

[0157] 110: Curve Acquisition Unit

[0158] 120: Control Unit

[0159] 130: Storage unit

[0160] 200: Charging control equipment

[0161] 210: Memory

[0162] 220: Processor

[0163] 900: Server

[0164] 1300: Vehicles

Claims

1. A charging protocol generation device, comprising: A curve acquisition unit is configured to acquire a charging curve of a battery that is charged by repeated charging periods and rest periods at a preset charging rate C. as well as The control unit is configured to generate a resistance curve representing the correspondence between resistance and SOC for multiple rest periods, determine the maximum permissible SOC corresponding to the charging C rate based on the resistance pattern of the target SOC segment of the generated resistance curve, and generate a charging protocol including the correspondence between the charging C rate and the maximum permissible SOC.

2. The charging protocol generation device according to claim 1, in, The control unit is configured to calculate the resistance of each of the plurality of rest periods based on the voltage drop of each rest period and the current value corresponding to the charging C rate.

3. The charging protocol generation device according to claim 2, in, The control unit is configured to calculate the voltage drop by calculating the difference between the voltage at the target point and the voltage at the end point during each of the plurality of rest periods.

4. The charging protocol generation device according to claim 3, in, The control unit is configured to determine the target point as the point with the maximum voltage among the points in each of the plurality of rest periods where the instantaneous rate of change of voltage is greater than or equal to a preset reference rate of change.

5. The charging protocol generation device according to claim 4, in, The control unit is configured to set the voltage change rate at the start point and the end point of each of the plurality of rest periods to a reference change rate corresponding to the rest period.

6. The charging protocol generation device according to claim 1, in, When the resistance corresponding to the upper limit SOC of the target SOC segment is the largest among the multiple resistances corresponding to the target SOC segment of the resistance curve, the control unit is configured to set the maximum allowable SOC to the upper limit SOC.

7. The charging protocol generation device according to claim 1, in, When there is a resistor among the plurality of resistors corresponding to the target SOC segment of the resistance curve that is greater than the resistor corresponding to the upper limit SOC of the target SOC segment, and there is at least one maximum value point in the target SOC segment, the control unit is configured to set the maximum allowable SOC based on the at least one maximum value point.

8. The charging protocol generation device according to claim 1, in, When there is a resistor among the plurality of resistors corresponding to the target SOC segment of the resistance curve that is greater than the resistor corresponding to the upper limit SOC of the target SOC segment, there is no maximum value point in the target SOC segment, and there is at least one inflection point in the target SOC segment, the control unit is configured to set the maximum allowable SOC based on the at least one inflection point.

9. A battery pack comprising a charging protocol generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A server comprising a charging protocol generation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A battery charging control device, comprising: A memory configured to store a charging protocol generated by the charging protocol generation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8; as well as A processor configured to control the charging of a target battery based on the charging protocol.

12. A method for generating a charging protocol, comprising: The charging curve acquisition step obtains the charging curve of a battery that is charged by repeated charging periods and rest periods at a preset charging rate C. The resistance curve generation step generates a resistance curve that represents the correspondence between resistance and SOC for multiple rest periods. The maximum permissible SOC determination step determines the maximum permissible SOC corresponding to the charging C rate based on the resistance pattern of the target SOC segment of the generated resistance curve. as well as The charging protocol generation step generates a charging protocol that includes the correspondence between the charging C rate and the maximum allowable SOC.

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