Energy storage device and current detection device

Abstract

The utility model provides an energy storage device and a current detection device. The current detection device comprises a sensing element, a first detection circuit, a second detection circuit and a processor. The sensing element is coupled to a battery unit in the energy storage device. The first detection circuit is coupled to the sensing element and is used for generating a detection signal according to the cross voltage of the sensing element. The second detection circuit is coupled to a safety switch in the energy storage device and is used for generating a second detection signal according to the cross voltage of the safety switch. The processor is coupled to the first detection circuit and the second detection circuit and used for comparing the first detection signal with the second detection signal to generate a detection result signal. Therefore, the cost, the detection accuracy and the overall impedance can be considered at the same time.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to current detection technology, especially a kind of energy storage device and current detection device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In energy storage device, usually configure the sensor of detecting current, to confirm the power supply state of energy storage device normal. Since sensor can also be damaged or abnormal, so some manufacturers will configure two sets of sensors in energy storage device, to ensure detection function. However, configuration two sets of sensors will certainly increase cost, and also increase overall impedance, therefore, a kind of cost and detection accuracy is needed. SUMMARY

[0003] One aspect of the utility model is a kind of current detection device, including sensing element, first detection circuit, second detection circuit and processor. Sensing element is coupled in the battery unit in energy storage device. First detection circuit is coupled to sensing element, to generate first detection signal according to the cross voltage of sensing element. Second detection circuit is coupled in the safety switch in energy storage device, to generate second detection signal according to the cross voltage of safety switch. Processor is coupled to first detection circuit and second detection circuit, to compare first detection signal and second detection signal, to generate detection result signal.

[0004] In an embodiment, processor is used to judge whether the difference between first detection signal and second detection signal is greater than preset value.

[0005] In an embodiment, second detection circuit includes operational amplifier, and two inputs of operational amplifier are coupled at two ends of safety switch.

[0006] In an embodiment, sensing element includes first sensing element and second sensing element, and first sensing element and second sensing element are parallelly connected.

[0007] In an embodiment, sensing element and safety switch are coupled at negative terminal and positive terminal of battery unit respectively.

[0008] In an embodiment, safety switch is coupled at positive terminal of battery unit by control switch.

[0009] Another aspect of the utility model discloses a kind of energy storage devices, including battery unit, first sensor, second sensor and processor.First sensor includes sensing element and first detection circuit.Sensing element is coupled to battery unit, and first detection circuit is coupled to sensing element, to generate first detection signal according to the cross voltage of sensing element.Second sensor includes safety switch and second detection circuit.Safety switch is coupled to battery unit, and second detection circuit is coupled to safety switch, to generate second detection signal according to the cross voltage of safety switch.Processor is coupled to first detection circuit and second detection circuit, to compare first detection signal and second detection signal, to generate detection result signal.

[0010] In an embodiment, the processor is used to determine whether the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal is greater than a preset value.

[0011] In an embodiment, the second detection circuit includes an operational amplifier, and two input terminals of the operational amplifier are coupled to two ends of the safety switch.

[0012] In an embodiment, the sensing element includes a first sensing element and a second sensing element, and the first sensing element and the second sensing element are connected in parallel.

[0013] In an embodiment, the sensing element and the safety switch are respectively coupled to a negative terminal and a positive terminal of the battery unit.

[0014] In an embodiment, the safety switch is coupled to the positive terminal of the battery unit through a control switch.

[0015] Accordingly, using the safety switch in the energy storage device as the sensing element can effectively control the cost of the energy storage device / current detection device, and avoid increasing additional impedance, so as to balance the accuracy of current detection and the charging and discharging efficiency of the energy storage device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an energy storage device and a current detection device according to some embodiments of the utility model.

[0017] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an energy storage device and a current detection device according to some embodiments of the utility model.

[0018] Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an energy storage device and a current detection device according to some embodiments of the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following describes several embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. For clarity, many practical details will be described in the following description. However, it should be understood that these practical details should not be used to limit the present invention. That is, in some embodiments of the present invention, these practical details are not essential. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity, some conventional structures and elements will be shown in the drawings in a simple schematic manner.

[0020] In this document, when an element is referred to as a "connection" or "coupled," it may mean an "electrical connection" or "electrical coupling." "Connection" or "coupled" can also be used to indicate the operation or interaction between two or more elements. Furthermore, although terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used herein to describe different elements, these terms are merely used to distinguish elements or operations described using the same technical terms. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, these terms do not specifically refer to or imply any order or sequence, nor are they intended to limit the scope of this invention.

[0021] Figure 1 The diagram shows a schematic of an energy storage device 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. The energy storage device 100 includes a battery cell BT, a first sensor 110, a second sensor 120, and a processor 130. In one embodiment, the first sensor 110, the second sensor 120, and the processor 130 can serve as a "current detection device" for the energy storage device 100, used to detect the current in the energy storage device 100 and determine whether the current is abnormal. In some embodiments, the first sensor 110 and the second sensor 120 respectively include a first detection circuit 111 and a second detection circuit 121, and the first detection circuit 111, the second detection circuit 121, and the processor 130 serve as the current detection device for the energy storage device 100.

[0022] In one embodiment, the energy storage device 100 is used in a vehicle to provide power to the engine or vehicle equipment, and the current detection device can be used as an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system, but this invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the energy storage device 100 can also be used in a battery swapping station or in a power generation device.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the energy storage device 100 has a positive power supply terminal TP and a negative power supply terminal TN for providing power to a load or receiving charging power. The battery cell BT may contain one or more battery modules, such as lithium batteries. The positive power supply terminal TP and the negative power supply terminal TN correspond to the positive and negative terminals of the battery cell BT, respectively.

[0024] In one embodiment, the energy storage device 100 further comprises a control switch SW. The control switch SW is coupled to the positive terminal of the battery cell BT, and when the control switch SW is turned on, the battery cell BT can be charged or discharged.

[0025] The first sensor 110 comprises a first detection circuit 111 and a sensing element 112. The sensing element 112 is coupled to the battery cell BT, and its electrical characteristics (e.g. the voltage across) vary with the current passing through. In one embodiment, the sensing element 112 can be a shunt (high precision resistor) or a Hall element. The first detection circuit 111 is coupled to the sensing element 112 to generate a first detection signal according to the voltage across (i.e. the voltage difference between the two terminals) of the sensing element 112.

[0026] In one embodiment, the first detection circuit 111 comprises an operational amplifier. The two input terminals of the first detection circuit 111 are coupled to the two terminals of the sensing element 112, so that the first detection circuit 111 can output a first detection signal according to the voltage across the sensing element 112.

[0027] The second sensor 120 comprises a second detection circuit 121 and a safety switch 122. The safety switch 122 is coupled to the battery cell BT, for example, to the positive terminal of the battery cell BT through the control switch SW. When the voltage or current applied to the safety switch 122 is within a normal range, the safety switch 122 is considered to be in a short-circuit state. Conversely, if the voltage or current applied to the safety switch 122 exceeds the normal range, the safety switch 122 will automatically turn off, forming an open circuit. In one embodiment, the safety switch 122 can be a fuse or a thermal breaker.

[0028] The second detection circuit 121 is coupled to the safety switch 122 to generate a second detection signal according to the voltage across the safety switch 122. In other words, the second sensor 120 uses the safety switch 122 in the energy storage device 100 as another sensing element in addition to the sensing element 112. Accordingly, although there is only one sensing element 112 in the energy storage device 100, two sensors 110, 120 can still be provided to ensure that the current detection mechanism can still operate even if one of the sensors fails.

[0029] In one embodiment, the second detection circuit 121 comprises an operational amplifier. The two input terminals of the operational amplifier are coupled to the two terminals of the safety switch 122, so that the operational amplifier can output a detection signal according to the voltage difference (voltage across) between the two terminals of the safety switch 122.

[0030] The processor 130 is coupled to the first detection circuit 111 of the first sensor 110 and the second detection circuit 121 of the second sensor 120, and is used to compare the first detection signal and the second detection signal to generate a detection result signal. In one embodiment, the processor 130 includes an analog-to-digital converter for converting the detection result signal into a digital format.

[0031] Under normal circumstances, the voltage difference between the sensing element 112 and the fuse switch 122 should remain the same (e.g., 5 volts and 3 volts respectively). Therefore, when the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal changes significantly, the detection result signal generated by the processor 130 can serve as a warning signal to notify the user or manager of the energy storage device 100. In one embodiment, the detection result signal can be used to represent the current detection result, for example, a signal level "0" represents normal current and a signal level "1" represents abnormal current, but this invention is not limited thereto.

[0032] This invention utilizes a fuse switch 122 within the energy storage device 100 as a sensing element to realize the second sensor 120. This design has at least three advantages: First, since no additional sensing element is required, the cost of the energy storage device 100 / current detection device can be controlled. Second, because the fuse switch 122 in the energy storage device 100 is used as the sensing element, the overall impedance of the energy storage device 100 does not increase due to the addition of the second sensor 120, thereby ensuring the charging and discharging efficiency of the energy storage device 100. Third, the electrical characteristics of the fuse switch 122 are not affected by magnetic field interference like those of a Hall element, thus ensuring the accuracy of current detection.

[0033] In one embodiment, the processor 130 is a processing chip of the current detection device, specifically used to detect and determine whether the current of the energy storage device 100 is abnormal. In other embodiments, the processor 130 may be integrated into the microcontroller of the energy storage device 100. That is, in addition to detecting whether the current is abnormal, the processor 130 also has management functions such as controlling the energy storage device 100 to perform charging and discharging.

[0034] In one embodiment, the processor 130 has a preset value. The processor 130 determines whether the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal is greater than the preset value. If it is greater than the preset value, it indicates that the operation of the energy storage device 100 is abnormal (e.g., abnormal current). At this time, the processor 130 will generate a detection result signal as a warning signal to notify the user or administrator.

[0035] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of an energy storage device 200 according to a partial embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 In, with Figure 1Similar elements related to the embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals for ease of understanding, and the specific principles of the similar elements have been described in detail in the preceding paragraphs. Figure 2 The components that work together in a coordinated manner will not be elaborated upon here.

[0036] The energy storage device 200 includes a battery cell BT, a control switch SW, a first sensor 210, a second sensor 120, and a processor 130. In this embodiment, the first sensor 210 includes a first detection circuit 211, a first sensing element 212, and a second sensing element 213. The first sensing element 212 and the second sensing element 213 are connected in parallel. The two input terminals of the first detection circuit 211 are coupled to the two ends of the two sensing elements 212 and 213 to detect the voltage across them.

[0037] Since sensing elements 212 and 213 are connected in parallel, the arrangement of multiple sensing elements does not increase the impedance of the first sensor 210. Furthermore, since both ends of sensing elements 212 and 213 are coupled to the first detection circuit 211, even if any of sensing elements 212 or 213 becomes open-circuited due to damage, the power supply path of the energy storage device 200 will not be directly disconnected. Therefore, the power supply stability of the energy storage device 200 can be ensured, avoiding the problem of instantaneous power outage due to sensing element damage.

[0038] Figure 2 In this context, the operation of the second sensor 120 and the processor 130 is the same as described above. Figure 1 The same applies to other embodiments. If the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal exceeds a preset value, it indicates that the operation of the energy storage device 200 is abnormal. At this time, the processor 130 will generate a detection result signal (warning signal).

[0039] When either sensing element 212 or 213 fails, the parallel impedance of sensing elements 212 and 213 will change, thus changing the voltage across them. Therefore, even if the battery cell BT is operating normally at this time, the processor 130 will still determine that the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal has changed, and will generate a detection result signal for management personnel to check.

[0040] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the aforementioned embodiments, the first sensor (sensing element) is coupled to the negative terminal of the battery cell, and the second sensor (fuse switch) is coupled to the positive terminal of the battery cell; however, this invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the first sensor (sensing element) may be coupled to the positive terminal of the battery cell, and the second sensor (fuse switch) may be coupled to the negative terminal of the battery cell. Similarly, the control switch SW may be coupled to either the positive or negative terminal of the battery cell.

[0041] Figure 3 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of an energy storage device 300 according to a partial embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 In, with Figure 2 Similar elements related to the embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals for ease of understanding, and the specific principles of the similar elements have been described in detail in the preceding paragraphs. Figure 3 The components that work together in a coordinated manner will not be elaborated upon here.

[0042] like Figure 3 As shown, the first sensor 210, the second sensor 120, and the control switch SW are all coupled to the same end (e.g., the negative terminal) of the battery cell BT. As previously mentioned, the positions of the first sensor 210, the second sensor 120, and / or the control switch SW relative to the battery cell BT can be adjusted according to actual needs without affecting the operation of the energy storage device.

[0043] The various elements, method steps, or technical features in the foregoing embodiments can be combined with each other, and are not limited to the order of textual description or the order of presentation of drawings in this utility model.

[0044] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

[0045] [Symbol Explanation]

[0046] 100: Energy storage device

[0047] 110: First Sensor

[0048] 111: First detection circuit

[0049] 112: Sensing element

[0050] 120: Second sensor

[0051] 121: Second detection circuit

[0052] 122: Safety switch

[0053] 130: Processor

[0054] 200: Energy storage device

[0055] 210: First Sensor

[0056] 211: First detection circuit

[0057] 212: First sensing element

[0058] 213: second sensing element

[0059] 300: energy storage device

[0060] BT: battery unit

[0061] SW: control switch

[0062] TP: positive supply terminal

[0063] TN: negative supply terminal

Claims

1. A current detection device, characterized by, A battery unit is provided. The battery unit comprises: a sensing element coupled to a battery unit in an energy storage device; a first detection circuit coupled to the sensing element to generate a first detection signal according to a voltage across the sensing element; a second detection circuit coupled to a fuse switch in the energy storage device to generate a second detection signal according to a voltage across the fuse switch; and a processor coupled to the first detection circuit and the second detection circuit to compare the first detection signal and the second detection signal to generate a detection result signal. The processor is configured to determine whether a difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal is greater than a preset value.

2. The current detection device according to claim 1, wherein The second detection circuit comprises an operational amplifier, two input terminals of the operational amplifier are coupled to two terminals of the fuse switch.

3. The current detection device according to claim 1, wherein The sensing element comprises a first sensing element and a second sensing element, and the first sensing element and the second sensing element are connected in parallel.

4. The current detection device according to claim 1, wherein The sensing element and the fuse switch are respectively coupled to a negative terminal and a positive terminal of the battery unit.

5. The current detection device according to claim 1, wherein The fuse switch is coupled to the positive terminal of the battery unit through a control switch.

6. The current detection device according to claim 5, wherein A battery unit is provided. The battery unit comprises:

7. An energy storage device, characterized by, a battery unit; a first sensor comprising a sensing element and a first detection circuit, wherein the sensing element is coupled to the battery unit, and the first detection circuit is coupled to the sensing element to generate a first detection signal according to a voltage across the sensing element; a second sensor comprising a fuse switch and a second detection circuit, wherein the fuse switch is coupled to the battery unit, and the second detection circuit is coupled to the fuse switch to generate a second detection signal according to a voltage across the fuse switch; and a processor coupled to the first detection circuit and the second detection circuit to compare the first detection signal and the second detection signal to generate a detection result signal. The processor is configured to determine whether a difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal is greater than a preset value. The second detection circuit comprises an operational amplifier, two input terminals of the operational amplifier are coupled to two terminals of the fuse switch.

8. The energy storage device of claim 7, wherein, The sensing element comprises a first sensing element and a second sensing element, and the first sensing element and the second sensing element are connected in parallel.

9. The energy storage device of claim 7, wherein, The sensing element and the fuse switch are respectively coupled to a negative terminal and a positive terminal of the battery unit.

10. The energy storage device of claim 7, wherein, The fuse switch is coupled to the positive terminal of the battery unit through a control switch.

11. The energy storage device of claim 7, wherein, ​ 12. The energy storage device of claim 11, wherein, ​

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