Battery module, method of operating the battery module, and battery pack

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a battery module, a method of operating the same, and a battery pack, and a technical problem to be solved is to provide a mechanism that can improve thermal management efficiency and space efficiency of a battery pack. To this end, the present disclosure provides a configuration for performing communication between battery management systems (BMSs) by using acoustic communication using silicon oil as a medium.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a battery module, a method for operating the battery module, and a battery pack. Background Technology

[0002] Electric vehicles (xEVs) are environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles and are rapidly gaining popularity worldwide. xEVs include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), with a high-performance battery system as their core component. The battery management system (BMS) is primarily used for the effective management and monitoring of these battery systems.

[0003] Battery Management Systems (BMS) are used to monitor and control battery state of charge, state of health, temperature, and other parameters in real time to optimize battery performance and lifespan. Recently, there has been active development of battery systems incorporating BMSs that utilize wireless communication. These systems include multiple slave BMSs (or node BMSs) configured to manage battery modules and a master BMS (or management BMS) configured to manage the multiple slave BMSs wirelessly. This battery system reduces the number of wiring lines within the battery pack, thereby reducing its weight and improving maintenance ease.

[0004] The information disclosed in this Background section is intended to enhance understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may contain information that does not constitute related (or prior art). Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure aims to provide a battery module, a method for operating the battery module, and a battery pack including the battery module, the battery module being able to use silicone oil as a medium for filling the battery pack to communicate acoustically with another battery module and a main BMS.

[0006] However, the purposes of this disclosure are not limited to those described herein, and other purposes not described will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0007] A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a housing; a plurality of battery modules or a plurality of battery cell stacks disposed inside the housing; a fluid filling the interior of the housing; and a main battery management system (BMS) for managing the plurality of battery modules or the plurality of battery cell stacks, wherein the battery modules or battery cell stacks use the fluid as a medium to perform acoustic communication with another battery module, another battery cell stack, or the main BMS.

[0008] The fluid may be silicone oil.

[0009] The battery module or the battery cell stack may include: multiple battery cells; management of the multiple battery cells from the BMS; and a communication module supporting the acoustic communication.

[0010] The communication module may be an underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit (UARF IC).

[0011] The UARF IC may include an ultrasonic transducer array, an analog front-end, and a digital signal processor.

[0012] The analog front end may include a low-noise amplifier, a variable gain amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter, and a digital-to-analog converter.

[0013] The UARF IC can modulate the input data into an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal through the digital signal processor, convert the OFDM signal into an analog signal through the analog front end, amplify the converted analog signal, convert the amplified analog signal into an acoustic signal through the ultrasonic transducer array, and then output the converted acoustic signal.

[0014] The UARF IC can receive acoustic signals through the ultrasonic transducer array, amplify the acoustic signals through the analog front end, convert the amplified acoustic signals into digital signals, and demodulate the digital signals through the digital signal processor.

[0015] The UARF IC can estimate the Doppler frequency shift of the acoustic signal and compensate the acoustic signal based on the Doppler frequency shift.

[0016] The UARF IC may also include a least mean square (LMS) based adaptive equalizer, and the UARF IC may use the adaptive equalizer to correct distortions in the acoustic signal caused by changes in the properties of the fluid.

[0017] The UARF IC can perform channel coding using low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes.

[0018] A battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of battery cells; a battery management system (BMS) for managing the plurality of battery cells; and an underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit (UARF IC) for transmitting data from the BMS using a fluid as a medium, or receiving data transmitted using the fluid as a medium and transmitting the received data to the BMS.

[0019] An embodiment of the present disclosure of a method for operating a battery module includes: transmitting data from a battery management system (BMS) using a fluid as a medium via an underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit (UARF IC); receiving the data transmitted using the fluid as a medium by the UARF IC; and transmitting the received data to the BMS.

[0020] However, the effects achievable through this disclosure are not limited to those described herein, and other effects not described will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the detailed description. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The following accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description of the present disclosure, further describe aspects and features of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the drawings: Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the communication module of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3 This is an example diagram used to describe methods for estimating and compensating for Doppler frequency shift; Figure 4 This is an example diagram used to describe the method for updating equalizer coefficients; Figure 5 This is an example diagram used to describe methods for encoding and decoding data; Figure 6 This is a first flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and Figure 7 This is a second flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0022] In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, and should be interpreted in accordance with the principle that the inventor may be his / her own lexicographer to appropriately define the concepts of the terms so as to best interpret his / her disclosure, and are consistent with the meanings and concepts of the technical concept of the present disclosure.

[0023] The embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the accompanying drawings are merely some of the embodiments of this disclosure and do not represent all technical concepts, aspects, and features of this disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications may exist to replace or modify the embodiments described herein at the time of filing this application.

[0024] It should be understood that when a component or layer is referred to as being "on," "connected to," or "coupled to" another component or layer, it may be directly on, directly connected to, or directly coupled to the other component or layer, or one or more intermediate components or layers may be present. When a component or layer is referred to as being "directly on," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another component or layer, no intermediate components or layers are present. For example, when a first component is described as being "coupled" or "connected" to a second component, the first component may be directly coupled to or connected to the second component, or the first component may be indirectly coupled to or connected to the second component via one or more intermediate components.

[0025] In the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of various elements, layers, etc., may be exaggerated for clarity. The same reference numerals denote the same elements. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Furthermore, when describing embodiments of this disclosure, the use of "may" refers to "one or more embodiments of this disclosure." Expressions such as "at least one of..." and "any one of..." modify the entire list of elements when following a list of elements, without modifying individual elements in the list. When a list of elements A, B, and C is specified using phrases such as "at least one of A, B, and C," "at least one of A, B, or C," "at least one selected from the group of A, B, and C," or "at least one selected from 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" may be considered synonymous with the term "utilize." As used herein, the terms “substantially,” “about,” and similar terms are used as approximate terms rather than terms of degree and are intended to explain the inherent biases of measurements or calculations that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0026] It should be understood that although the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or portions, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or portions should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or portion from another element, component, region, layer, or portion. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments, the first element, first component, first region, first layer, or first portion discussed herein may be referred to as a second element, second component, second region, second layer, or second portion.

[0027] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as “below,” “under,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” etc., may be used herein to describe the relationship between one element or feature and another element or feature as shown in the figure. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientation shown in the figure, spatial relative terms are intended to cover different orientations of the device during use or operation. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, an element described as “below” or “under” other elements or features will be oriented as “above” or “on top” other elements or features. Therefore, the term “below” can cover both above and below orientations. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0028] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments of this disclosure and is not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that, when used in this specification, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” and / or “having” specify the presence of the stated features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0029] Furthermore, any numerical range disclosed and / or enumerated herein is intended to include all subranges of the same numerical precision falling within the enumerated range. For example, the range "1.0 to 10.0" is intended to include all subranges between the enumerated minimum value of 1.0 and the enumerated maximum value of 10.0 (and including end values), i.e., a minimum value greater than or equal to 1.0 and a maximum value less than or equal to 10.0, such as 2.4 to 7.6. Any maximum numerical limit enumerated herein is intended to include all lower numerical limits falling within it, and any minimum numerical limit enumerated in this specification is intended to include all higher numerical limits falling within it. Therefore, the applicant reserves the right to amend this specification (including the claims) to explicitly enumerate any subranges falling within the scope explicitly enumerated herein.

[0030] Referring to two compared elements, features, etc., as “identical” can mean that they are “substantially identical.” Therefore, the phrase “substantially identical” can include cases with a deviation considered low in the art, such as 5% or less. Additionally, when a particular parameter is said to be uniform in a given region, it can mean that it is uniform in terms of average value.

[0031] Throughout this specification, unless otherwise stated, each element may be a single or multiple.

[0032] When any element is referred to as being positioned (or located or positioned) "above (or below)" or "on (or below)" a component, it can mean that the element is placed in contact with the upper (or lower) surface of the component, and it can also mean that another component may be located between the component and the element positioned (or located or positioned) on (or below) the component.

[0033] Furthermore, it should be understood that when a component is referred to as being "coupled," "linked," or "connected" to another component, the components may be directly "coupled," "linked," or "connected" to each other, or there may be an intermediate component through which the component can be "coupled," "linked," or "connected" to the other component. Additionally, when a part is referred to as being "electrically coupled" to another part, that part may be directly connected to the other part, or there may be an intermediate part between them, allowing the two parts to be indirectly connected to each other.

[0034] Throughout this specification, when “A and / or B” is stated, it means A, B, or A and B, unless otherwise specified. That is, “and / or” includes any or all combinations of the listed items. When “C to D” is stated, it means C and below, unless otherwise specified.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the communication module of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 This is an example diagram used to describe methods for estimating and compensating for Doppler frequency shift. Figure 4 This is an example diagram used to describe the method for updating equalizer coefficients, and Figure 5 This is an example diagram used to describe methods for encoding and decoding data.

[0036] Reference Figure 1 According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery pack 100 may include a plurality of battery modules 110, a main battery management system (main BMS) 120, and a communication module 130. The battery pack 100 may include a battery pack housing having receiving space for accommodating the plurality of battery modules 110, the main BMS 120, and the communication module 130. The plurality of battery modules 110 may be connected in series or in parallel. The battery pack 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure may also include, in addition to... Figure 1 Various components other than those shown.

[0037] The interior of the battery pack housing may be filled with a fluid. The fluid may be silicone oil. However, the type of fluid is not limited to the embodiments described herein, and various types of fluids may be used instead of silicone oil. In the following description, for ease of description, it will be based on the assumption that the fluid is silicone oil. Multiple battery modules 110 may be connected to each other via silicone oil. Silicone oil may have high thermal conductivity and high electrical insulation. Therefore, when the interior of the battery pack housing is filled with silicone oil, the thermal management efficiency of the battery modules 110 can be improved. Silicone oil may have high heat capacity and high flame retardancy. Therefore, when the interior of the battery pack housing is filled with silicone oil, the spread of fire caused by thermal runaway of the battery modules 110 or the battery pack 100 can be effectively prevented. Silicone oil can be used as a medium for communication between battery modules 110 or between battery modules 110 and the main BMS 120. The interior of the battery pack housing may be filled with silicone oil having a thermal conductivity of 0.15 W / mK and a heat capacity of 10 W / mK. 14 With an electrical insulation strength of Ωcm or greater, a viscosity of 50 cSt, and a flash point of 300°C or greater, the battery pack 100 can operate safely in the range of -40°C to 120°C.

[0038] Battery pack 100 may include a stack of battery cells instead of battery module 110. The stack of battery cells may be a pile in which battery cells 111 are stacked. The stack of battery cells may be housed in a housing space within the battery pack casing or in a housing space within the battery pack 100 separated by a frame, partition walls, etc. A variable heat shield structure controlled by a shape memory alloy actuator may be applied to the outer wall of the battery pack 100. When the stack of battery cells is included in the battery pack 100 in place of battery module 110, the functions of battery module 110, as described herein, may be performed by the stack of battery cells.

[0039] The main BMS 120 manages the battery pack 100. The main BMS 120 can detect the state (voltage, current, temperature, etc.) of the battery pack 100 and generate state information indicating the state of the battery pack 100 based on the detection results. The main BMS 120 can detect the state (voltage, current, temperature, etc.) of each of the battery modules 110 constituting the battery pack 100 and generate state information indicating the state of each of the battery modules 110 based on the detection results.

[0040] The master BMS 120 can communicate with the slave BMS 112 via acoustic communication using silicone oil as a medium. The master BMS 120 can perform acoustic communication through the communication module 130. The master BMS 120 can receive and process data sent by the slave BMS 112. The master BMS 120 can control the slave BMS 112 by sending data to it. The master BMS 120 can communicate with external devices wirelessly and / or via wired connections.

[0041] The battery module 110 may include a plurality of battery cells 111, a battery management system (BMS) 112, and a communication module 113. The battery module 110 may include a module housing having receiving space for accommodating the plurality of battery cells 111, the BMS 112, and the communication module 113. The plurality of battery cells 111 may be connected in series or in parallel. The battery module 110 may have a honeycomb structure with a hexagonal cross-section.

[0042] Multiple battery cells 111 can be housed in a stack within a module housing. Each battery cell 111 may include a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead. Various types of battery cells, such as circular, prismatic, and pouch types, can be used to form the battery module 110.

[0043] The battery cell 111 can generate a significant amount of heat during charging / discharging. This heat can accumulate in the battery cell 111, leading to its degradation. Therefore, the battery pack 100 may further include a cooling member to suppress degradation of the battery cells 111. The cooling member may be disposed in the lower portion of the housing where the battery cells 111 are located, but this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the cooling member may be disposed on its upper portion or side surface depending on the battery pack 100.

[0044] The battery module 110 can be managed from the BMS 112. The BMS 112 can detect the state (voltage, current, temperature, etc.) of the battery module 110 and generate state information indicating the state of the battery module 110 based on the detection results. The BMS 112 can also detect the state (voltage, current, temperature, etc.) of each of the battery cells 111 constituting the battery module 110 and generate state information indicating the state of each of the battery cells 111 based on the detection results.

[0045] The slave BMS 112 can communicate with the master BMS 120 or another slave BMS 112 via acoustic communication using silicone oil as a medium. The slave BMS 112 can perform acoustic communication via communication module 113. The slave BMS 112 can receive and process data sent from the master BMS 120 or another slave BMS 112. The slave BMS 112 can also send data (status information, etc.) related to the battery module 110 or individual battery cells 111 to the master BMS 120 or another slave BMS 112.

[0046] Communication module 113 supports acoustic communication. Communication module 113 can use silicone oil as a medium to transmit data sent from BMS 112. Communication module 113 can receive data transmitted using silicone oil as a medium and send that data back to BMS 112.

[0047] An underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit (UARF IC) configured to perform acoustic communication can be used as communication module 113. (See reference...) Figure 2 The UARF IC 113 may include an ultrasonic transducer array 113-1, an analog front-end 113-2, a digital signal processor 113-3, a protocol processor 113-4, and a power management unit 113-5. The communication module 130 has the same structure as the communication module 113 and can operate in the same manner.

[0048] The ultrasonic transducer array 113-1 may include multiple ultrasonic transducers. The ultrasonic transducer array 113-1 can generate acoustic signals (ultrasonic signals). The ultrasonic transducer array 113-1 can receive acoustic signals. The ultrasonic transducer array 113-1 may include piezoelectric ceramic (PZT) and can operate in a frequency range of 100 kHz to 500 kHz. The ultrasonic transducer array 113-1 may have a 4×4 array structure and may support beamforming functionality.

[0049] Analog front-end 113-2 can preprocess the acoustic signals received by the ultrasonic transducer array 113-1. Analog front-end 113-2 can preprocess the acoustic signals to convert them into a form that will be digitally processed. Analog front-end 113-2 can preprocess the digitally processed signals and convert them into a form that can be converted into acoustic signals.

[0050] The analog front-end 113-2 may include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) for amplifying signals, a variable-gain amplifier that maintains signal strength within a specific range by adjusting the gain according to signal strength, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for converting analog signals to digital signals, and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for converting digital signals to analog signals. The LNA's gain range may be from 20 dB to 60 dB, and its noise figure may be less than or equal to 2 dB. The variable-gain amplifier's gain range may be from 0 dB to 40 dB. The bit resolution of the ADC and DAC may be 24 bits, and their maximum sampling rate may be 2 MSPS. The digital signal processor 113-3 may have a very long instruction word (VLIW) architecture, and its operating frequency may be 500 MHz.

[0051] The digital signal processor (DSP) 113-3 can modulate or demodulate signals. The DSP 113-3 can use orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) to modulate or demodulate signals, but this disclosure is not limited thereto, and various other methods can be used to modulate or demodulate signals.

[0052] Protocol processor 113-4 can manage protocols used in the physical layer, data link layer, network layer and transport layer, and can process data according to protocol rules, enabling data to be sent and received in each layer.

[0053] In this embodiment, the UARF IC 113 can send and receive data through a network including a physical layer, a data link layer, a network layer, and a transport layer. In the physical layer, OFDM is used as the modulation method, with a frequency band in the range of 100kHz to 500kHz, a subcarrier spacing of 1kHz, a symbol duration of 1ms, and a cyclic prefix length of 100μs. In the data link layer, the preamble (128 bits), header (64 bits), payload (variable length up to 1024 bytes), and CRC (32 bits) are set as the frame structure. CRC-32 is used as the error detection method, and Selective Repeat Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) is used as the ARQ method. In the network layer, a mesh network is used as the topology, and Self-Organizing On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV) is used as the routing protocol. In the transport layer, Modified Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is used as the connection-oriented protocol, and Additive Increase / Multiplicative Decrease (AIMD) algorithm is used as the congestion control method.

[0054] The power management unit 113-5 manages and controls power. The power management unit 113-5 can provide the required power to each of the units constituting the UARF IC 113.

[0055] The UARF IC 113 estimates the Doppler frequency shift of an acoustic signal (received signal) received from an external source and compensates for the received signal based on the estimated Doppler frequency shift. The Doppler effect can occur due to changes in medium density caused by external vibrations or temperature variations. The Doppler effect can cause carrier frequency shift, thereby degrading communication performance. Therefore, in this embodiment, the Doppler effect (Doppler frequency shift) caused by external vibrations or changes in medium density can be estimated, and the received signal can be compensated based on the estimated Doppler frequency shift, thus preventing communication performance degradation. The UARF IC 113 can use maximum likelihood estimation techniques to estimate the Doppler frequency shift.

[0056] The UARF IC 113 can estimate the Doppler frequency from the received signal, carrier frequency value, and sampling rate. The UARF IC 113 calculates the Doppler frequency shift by: performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the received signal; generating a frequency axis corresponding to the FFT using the sampling rate and a preset FFT size (e.g., 8192); calculating the magnitude of each frequency component from the FFT result; detecting the frequency component with the largest magnitude; detecting the frequency value of the previously detected frequency component on the previously generated frequency axis; and calculating the difference between the detected frequency value and the carrier frequency value. The UARF IC 113 estimates the Doppler frequency shift by performing a Fast Fourier Transform on the received signal to obtain the frequency components and finding the frequency that produces the largest change in the carrier frequency.

[0057] The UARF IC 113 can compensate for the received signal through the following steps: generating a time vector corresponding to the received signal from the number of samples and a preset sampling rate; calculating the Doppler compensation coefficient from the time vector and the Doppler frequency shift; and multiplying the calculated Doppler compensation coefficient by the acoustic signal. Methods for estimating and compensating for the Doppler frequency shift can be as follows: Figure 3 The Python code shown is an example.

[0058] The UARF IC 113 may also include a least mean square (LMS) based adaptive equalizer. The UARF IC 113 can use the adaptive equalizer to correct distortion in the acoustic signal caused by changes in the properties of the silicone oil.

[0059] The UARF IC 113 can repeatedly update the equalizer coefficients through the following steps: calculating the convolution between the received signal and the equalizer coefficients to generate an equalized signal; calculating the error between the equalized signal and the training signal; multiplying the calculated convolution between the calculated error and the reverse of the received signal by a preset learning rate; and adding the multiplied value to the equalizer coefficients. In this way, the UARF IC 113 can continuously update the equalizer coefficients and generate an equalized signal (distortion-corrected acoustic signal) by calculating the convolution between the updated equalizer coefficients and the received signal. The method for updating the equalizer coefficients can be as follows: Figure 4 The Python code shown is an example.

[0060] The UARF IC 113 can use low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes to perform channel coding. LDPC codes have high error correction capabilities and a structure capable of parallel processing, making them suitable for high-speed and high-reliability communications. In this embodiment, LDPC codes can be used to perform channel coding, thus effectively correcting erroneous bits caused by multipath and fading effects.

[0061] The UARF IC 113 encodes data to be transmitted (input data) into LDPC codes. The UARF IC 113 encodes the input data by multiplying it by a predefined generator matrix of the LDPC code. The UARF IC 113 decodes data received from an external source (received data). The UARF IC 113 calculates a syndrome by multiplying the received data by the transpose of a predefined parity check matrix, and determines whether the received data is erroneous based on the calculated syndrome. When the value obtained by dividing the syndrome by 2 is 0, the UARF IC 113 determines that there are no errors in the received data. The UARF IC 113 repeats the process of calculating the syndrome and determining whether there are errors in the received data a preset number of times, and finally determines that there are no errors in the received data when it is determined that there are no errors in all processes. The UARF IC 113 can estimate the actual value of the received data from the syndrome using confidence propagation, sum-product algorithms, etc., and correct the received data to the estimated actual value. The methods for encoding input data and decoding received data can be derived from methods such as... Figure 5 The Python code shown is an example of this.

[0062] In various embodiments, the UARF IC 113 may use adaptive beamforming technology to output acoustic signals to reduce multipath interference. In various embodiments, the UARF IC 113 may encrypt and decrypt transmitted and received data using the AES-256 encryption algorithm. In various embodiments, the UARF IC 113 may use a challenge-response method to perform mutual authentication. In various embodiments, the UARF IC 113 may use a hash-based message authentication code (HMAC) to perform integrity verification of transmitted and received data.

[0063] Figure 6 This is a first flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] In the following text, reference will be made to Figure 6 The operation of UARF IC 113 is also used to describe the processing of data transmitted by battery module 110.

[0065] First, the digital signal processor 113-3 of the UARF IC 113 modulates the data to be transmitted (input data) into an OFDM signal (S601). The UARF IC 113 can receive input data from the BMS 112. Before operating S601, the UARF IC 113 can encode the input data using LDPC code.

[0066] Next, the analog front-end 113-2 of UARF IC 113 converts the OFDM signal output from digital signal processor 113-3 into an analog signal, and then amplifies the converted analog signal (S603). Operation S603 can be performed by the digital-to-analog converter, LNA, and variable gain amplifier of analog front-end 113-2.

[0067] Next, the ultrasonic transducer array 113-1 of UARF IC 113 can convert the analog signal output from the analog front end 113-2 into an acoustic signal and output the converted acoustic signal (S605).

[0068] Figure 7 This is a second flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0069] In the following text, reference will be made to Figure 7 The operation of UARF IC 113 is also used to describe the processing of data received by battery module 110.

[0070] First, the ultrasonic transducer array 113-1 of UARF IC 113 can receive acoustic signals transmitted through silicone oil (S701).

[0071] Next, the analog front end 113-2 of the UARF IC 113 amplifies the acoustic signal received through the ultrasonic transducer array 113-1, and then converts the amplified acoustic signal into a digital signal (S703). Operation S703 can be performed by the LNA and analog-to-digital converter of the analog front end 113-2.

[0072] Before operating S703, the UARF IC 113 can use an LMS-based adaptive equalizer to recover the acoustic signal distorted due to changes in the properties of the silicone oil. Furthermore, before operating S703, the UARF IC 113 can estimate the Doppler frequency shift of the acoustic signal and compensate for the acoustic signal based on the estimated Doppler frequency shift.

[0073] Next, the digital signal processor 113-3 of the UARF IC 113 demodulates the digital signal output from the analog front-end 113-2 (S705). The demodulated digital signal can be output to the BMS 112. After operating S705, the UARF IC 113 can decode the signal output from the digital signal processor 113-3.

[0074] In this way, according to this disclosure, since the battery pack is filled with silicone oil, the thermal management efficiency (cooling performance) of the battery pack can be improved, and the spread of fire due to thermal runaway can be prevented.

[0075] Furthermore, according to this disclosure, since silicone oil is used as a medium to perform communication between battery modules or between battery modules and the main BMS via acoustic communication, the space efficiency of the battery pack can be improved, and the volume and weight of the battery pack can be reduced.

[0076] The embodiments described herein can be implemented as, for example, methods or processes, apparatus, software programs, data streams, or signals. Although discussed in the context of a single type of implementation (e.g., discussed only as a method), the features discussed herein can also be implemented in other forms (e.g., apparatus or program). The apparatus can be implemented by suitable hardware, software, firmware, etc. The method can be implemented on an apparatus (such as a processor, which generally refers to a processing apparatus including a computer, microprocessor, integrated circuit, programmable logic device, etc.). The processor includes communication devices, such as computers, cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and other devices that facilitate information communication between the device and the end user.

[0077] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to embodiments and accompanying drawings illustrating various aspects thereof, this disclosure is not limited thereto. Various modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains within the technical spirit of this disclosure and the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising: case; Multiple battery modules or multiple battery cells are stacked inside the casing; A fluid, the interior of which is filled with the fluid; as well as The main battery management system is configured to manage the plurality of battery modules or the plurality of battery cell stacks. The battery module or battery cell stack uses the fluid as a medium to conduct acoustic communication with another battery module, another battery cell stack, or the main battery management system.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein, The fluid is silicone oil.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein, The battery module or the battery cell stack includes: Multiple battery cells; The battery management system is configured to manage the plurality of battery cells; and The communication module is configured to support the acoustic communication.

4. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein, The communication module is an underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit.

5. The battery pack according to claim 4, wherein, The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit includes: Ultrasonic transducer array; Simulated front-end; and Digital signal processor.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5, wherein, The simulation front end includes: Low-noise amplifier; Variable gain amplifier; Analog-to-digital converters; and Digital-to-analog converter.

7. The battery pack according to claim 5, wherein, The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit modulates the input data into an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signal through the digital signal processor, converts the orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signal into an analog signal through the analog front end, amplifies the converted analog signal, converts the amplified analog signal into an acoustic signal through the ultrasonic transducer array, and then outputs the converted acoustic signal.

8. The battery pack according to claim 5, wherein, The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit receives acoustic signals through the ultrasonic transducer array, amplifies the acoustic signals through the analog front end, converts the amplified acoustic signals into digital signals, and demodulates the digital signals through the digital signal processor.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein, The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit estimates the Doppler frequency shift of the acoustic signal and compensates the acoustic signal based on the Doppler frequency shift.

10. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein, The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit also includes a least-mean-square adaptive equalizer, and The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit uses the adaptive equalizer to correct the distortion in the acoustic signal caused by changes in the properties of the fluid.

11. The battery pack according to claim 4, wherein, The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit uses low-density parity-check codes to perform channel coding.

12. A battery module, comprising: Multiple battery cells; A battery management system is configured to manage the multiple battery cells; as well as The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit is configured to use a fluid as a medium to transmit data from the battery management system, or to receive data transmitted using the fluid as a medium and transmit the received data to the battery management system.

13. The battery module according to claim 12, wherein, The fluid is silicone oil.

14. The battery module according to claim 12, wherein, The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit includes: Ultrasonic transducer array; Simulated front-end; and Digital signal processor.

15. The battery module according to claim 14, wherein, The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit modulates the input data into an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signal through the digital signal processor, converts the orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signal into an analog signal through the analog front end, amplifies the converted analog signal, converts the amplified analog signal into an acoustic signal through the ultrasonic transducer array, and then outputs the converted acoustic signal.

16. The battery module according to claim 14, wherein, The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit receives acoustic signals through the ultrasonic transducer array, amplifies the acoustic signals through the analog front end, converts the amplified acoustic signals into digital signals, and demodulates the digital signals through the digital signal processor.

17. The battery module according to claim 16, wherein, The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit estimates the Doppler frequency shift of the acoustic signal and compensates the acoustic signal based on the Doppler frequency shift.

18. The battery module of claim 16, further comprising an adaptive equalizer based on least mean square, and in, The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit uses the adaptive equalizer to correct the distortion in the acoustic signal caused by changes in the properties of the fluid.

19. The battery module according to claim 12, wherein, The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit uses low-density parity-check codes to perform channel coding.

20. A method for operating a battery module, comprising: Data from the battery management system is transmitted using a fluid as a medium via an underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit. as well as The underwater acoustic radio frequency integrated circuit receives data transmitted using the fluid as a medium and sends the received data to the battery management system.

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