Battery management device and battery pack including same

Abstract

The utility model relates to a battery management device and a battery pack including the same. The battery management device comprises: a first battery management module which is located inside a first housing accommodating a plurality of battery modules and manages the plurality of battery modules in a unified manner; the first wireless communication chip is positioned in the first shell and is connected with the first battery management module; a plurality of second battery management modules, each of which is located inside a plurality of second cases, each of which accommodates the plurality of battery modules and is formed so as to include a metal material, and each of which monitors and manages the state of the plurality of battery modules; and the plurality of second wireless communication chips are respectively positioned in the plurality of second shells, are respectively connected with the plurality of second battery management modules and are in wireless communication with the first wireless communication chip. The plurality of second housings may have a first opening portion formed at a position corresponding to each of the plurality of second wireless communication chips.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to battery management devices and battery packs including therein. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the information communication and display industries, secondary batteries, which can be repeatedly charged and discharged, are widely used as power sources for portable electronic communication devices such as camcorders, mobile phones, smartphones, tablets (PCs), and laptops. In addition, battery packs comprising multiple battery modules are being developed in recent years for use as power sources for environmentally friendly vehicles such as electric vehicles.

[0003] On one hand, a battery pack may include a battery management system (BMS) for monitoring and managing the status of the battery modules. The BMS may include slave BMSs located on each battery module and a master BMS that communicates with each slave BMS and manages the plurality of battery modules uniformly. With the development of wireless communication technology, the slave and master BMSs are connected wirelessly. However, since the battery modules are surrounded by a metal casing (e.g., aluminum foil), the slave BMS needs to be located outside the battery module to communicate wirelessly with the master BMS. Alternatively, even if the slave BMS is located inside the battery module, an antenna (e.g., a wire antenna) is still required outside the battery module. As mentioned above, this has historically required additional space for the slave BMS or antennas, resulting in a larger battery pack size or difficulty in increasing the energy density of the battery pack. Utility Model Content

[0004] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a battery management device for improving space efficiency, a battery pack including the battery pack, and a device including the battery pack can be provided.

[0005] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a battery management device for improving manufacturing efficiency, a battery pack including the same, and a device including the battery pack can be provided.

[0006] The battery management device and / or battery packs including the disclosed device can be widely used in green technology fields such as electric vehicles, battery charging stations, and solar power generation and wind power generation that use batteries. Furthermore, the battery management device and / or battery packs including the disclosed device can be used in eco-friendly electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and the like to mitigate climate change by reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

[0007] A battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a first battery management module located inside a first housing accommodating a plurality of battery modules, for unified management of the plurality of battery modules; a first wireless communication chip located inside the first housing and connected to the first battery management module; a plurality of second battery management modules, each located inside a plurality of second housings, for monitoring and managing the state of the plurality of battery modules, wherein each of the plurality of second housings accommodates the plurality of battery modules and is formed of a material including metal; and a plurality of second wireless communication chips, each located inside the plurality of second housings, connected to each of the plurality of second battery management modules, and wirelessly communicating with the first wireless communication chip. The plurality of second housings may have a first opening formed at a position opposite to each of the plurality of second wireless communication chips.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the first housing may include: a first region in which the plurality of battery modules are disposed; and a second region in which a first substrate is disposed, on which the first battery management module and the first wireless communication chip are mounted.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the first region and the second region can be separated by a shielding membrane having a second opening on one side.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the first housing may include: a first region in which a portion of the plurality of battery modules is disposed; a second region in which the remaining portions of the plurality of battery modules are disposed; and a third region in which a first substrate is disposed, on which the first battery management module and the first wireless communication chip are mounted.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the first region can be separated from the third region by a shielding film, wherein the shielding film has a second-1 opening between the first region and the third region, and a second-2 opening between the second region and the third region.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the first wireless communication chip may be disposed at the end of a first substrate on which the first battery management module and the first wireless communication chip are mounted, and the plurality of second wireless communication chips may each be disposed at the end of the plurality of second substrates.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the first wireless communication chip and the plurality of second wireless communication chips may include antennas for transmitting and receiving wireless signals.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the device may further include an external communication chip that communicates with an external device that receives power from a battery pack including the battery management device to operate.

[0015] A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a plurality of battery modules, each comprising a plurality of battery cells; a first housing housing the plurality of battery modules; a first substrate located on one side inside the housing, the first substrate including a first battery management module and a first wireless communication chip, the first battery management module uniformly managing the plurality of battery modules, the first wireless communication chip being connected to the first battery management module; a plurality of second substrates, each included in the plurality of battery modules, the second substrate including a second battery management module and a second wireless communication chip, the second battery management module monitoring the state of the plurality of battery cells, the second wireless communication chip being connected to the second battery management module and communicating wirelessly with the first wireless communication chip; and a plurality of second housings housing the plurality of battery cells and the plurality of second substrates, each having at least one opening at a position opposite to the second wireless communication chip, and formed in a manner including a metallic material.

[0016] An apparatus including a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a battery pack including a battery management device; a communication module communicating with the battery management device; and a control system communicating with the battery management device through the communication module and controlling the state of the battery pack.

[0017] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, space efficiency can be improved. For example, this disclosure allows for the placement of a wireless communication chip inside a module housing (or cell housing) formed with a metallic material surrounding the battery module (or cell housing), with a hole formed on one side of the module housing (or cell housing) (e.g., opposite to the wireless communication chip). Thus, this disclosure minimizes the space required for the wireless communication chip, thereby minimizing the increase in the volume of the battery pack (or battery module) and increasing the energy density of the battery pack (or battery module).

[0018] Furthermore, this disclosure can prevent performance degradation of the wireless communication chip. For example, this disclosure arranges the wireless communication chip at the end of the substrate on which it is mounted to isolate it from other components that affect wireless communication, thereby preventing performance degradation of the wireless communication.

[0019] Furthermore, this disclosure improves manufacturing efficiency. For example, it eliminates the need to expose the antenna to the outside of the module housing (or monolithic housing). As described above, this disclosure simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces manufacturing costs. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the structure of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 2a This is a diagram illustrating a main substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 2b This is a diagram illustrating a sub-substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the structure of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the structure of a battery pack according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the structure of a battery pack according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an electric vehicle including a battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present disclosure is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these are merely examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated.

[0028] It should be understood that although terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used to describe various elements, constituent elements, and / or parts, these elements, constituent elements, and / or parts are not limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element, constituent element, or part from another. Therefore, it should be understood that the first element, first constituent element, or first part mentioned below, within the technical concept of this disclosure, may also be a second element, second constituent element, or second part.

[0029] The terminology used in this specification is for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit this disclosure. In this specification, the singular form also includes the plural form unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises" and / or "made of" as used in this specification mean that the referenced components, steps, operations, and / or elements do not exclude the presence or addition of more than one other component, step, operation, and / or element.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in this specification (including technical and scientific terms) are to be used in a meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Furthermore, unless expressly defined in this disclosure, terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should not be idealized or over-interpreted.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the structure of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2a This is a diagram illustrating a main substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2b This is a diagram illustrating a sub-substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] refer to Figures 1 to 2b According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a battery pack 100 may include a first housing (hereinafter referred to as battery pack housing) 110, a plurality of battery modules 120 and a first substrate (hereinafter referred to as main substrate) 130.

[0033] The main substrate 130 may be located inside the battery pack housing 110. For example, the main substrate 130 may be located in a second region 102, separated from the first region 101 where the plurality of battery modules 120 are located. Figure 2a As shown, the main substrate 130 may include a first wireless communication chip 131, a first battery management module (hereinafter referred to as the main battery management system) 132, and an external communication chip 133.

[0034] The first wireless communication chip 131 can communicate wirelessly with a plurality of battery modules 120 (e.g., the second wireless communication chip 123a). The first wireless communication chip 131 may include a communication module (not shown) that converts baseband signals into wireless signals or vice versa, and an antenna (e.g., a chip antenna) for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. According to one embodiment, the antenna may also be excluded from the first wireless communication chip 131 and mounted as an additional structure on the main substrate 130.

[0035] The first wireless communication chip 131 can be located inside one side of the battery pack housing 110 and connected to the main battery management system 132. For example... Figure 2aAs shown, the first wireless communication chip 131 can be located at the end of the main substrate 130 to be separated from other components (not shown) that affect wireless communication. Therefore, this disclosure can greatly reduce (or prevent) the performance degradation of wireless communication between the first wireless communication chip 131 and the second wireless communication chip 123a. On the one hand, the battery pack 100 may include a plurality of first wireless communication chips 131 (or a plurality of chip antennas). This is to increase bandwidth, thereby increasing wireless communication speed.

[0036] The main battery management system 132 can uniformly manage a plurality of battery modules 120 (e.g., status monitoring, charging control, and / or discharging control). For example, the main battery management system 132 can receive status information from each battery module through a first wireless communication chip 131 and transmit control information to each battery module for controlling charging, discharging, and / or single-cell balancing. The main battery management system 132 can be a battery management unit (BMU).

[0037] The external communication chip 133 can communicate with external devices (e.g., electric mobility devices, energy storage systems (ESS)) that can draw power from the battery pack 100 to operate. For example, when the electric vehicle includes the battery pack 100, the external communication chip 133 can communicate with the electric vehicle's control system (e.g., electronic control unit (ECU)). The external communication chip 133 can support wired communication networks (e.g., controller area network (CAN)) or wireless communication networks.

[0038] A plurality of battery modules 120 may be located inside the battery pack housing 110. For example, a plurality of battery modules 120 may be located in a first region 101 of the battery pack housing 110. Although not shown, a plurality of battery modules 120 may be secured to the battery pack housing 110 by means of a fixing device (e.g., a tray).

[0039] Each of the plurality of battery modules 120 may include a plurality of stacked battery cells 121, at least one second substrate (hereinafter referred to as sub-substrate) 123 and a second housing (hereinafter referred to as module housing) 125.

[0040] Each of the multiple battery cells 121 serves as the smallest unit of a secondary battery and may include positive electrode material, negative electrode material, electrolyte, etc.

[0041] At least one sub-substrate 123 can be connected to at least a portion of a plurality of battery cells 121. For example, as Figure 1 As shown, at least one sub-substrate 123 may include a first sub-substrate 123-1 connected to at least a portion of the plurality of battery cells 121 and a second sub-substrate 123-2 connected to the remaining portions of the plurality of battery cells 121. Figure 2b As shown, each sub-substrate (e.g., the first sub-substrate 123-1 and the second sub-substrate 123-2) may include a second wireless communication chip 123a and a second battery management module (hereinafter referred to as a slave battery management system) 123b. On one hand, Figure 1 The illustration shows a case where at least one sub-substrate 123 includes two sub-substrates (first sub-substrate 123-1 and second sub-substrate 123-2), however, at least one sub-substrate 123 may also include one or more sub-substrates.

[0042] The second wireless communication chip 123a can be located inside the module housing 125 and connected to the slave battery management system 123b. The second wireless communication chip 123a can communicate wirelessly with the first wireless communication chip 131. For example, the second wireless communication chip 123a can send the status of individual battery cells to the first wireless communication chip 131. Additionally, the second wireless communication chip 123a can receive control information from the first wireless communication chip 131. The second wireless communication chip 123a may include a communication module (not shown) and an antenna (e.g., a chip antenna). According to one embodiment, the antenna may also be excluded from the second wireless communication chip 123a and mounted as an additional structure on the sub-substrate 123.

[0043] like Figure 2b As shown, the second wireless communication chip 123a can be located at the end of the sub-substrate 123 to be separated from other components (not shown) that affect wireless communication. Therefore, this disclosure can greatly reduce (or prevent) the performance degradation of wireless communication between the second wireless communication chip 123a and the first wireless communication chip 131.

[0044] The slave battery management system 123b can monitor and manage the status of individual battery cells. For example, the slave battery management system 123b can send the status of the monitored battery cells to the first wireless communication chip 131 via the second wireless communication chip 123a. Additionally, the slave battery management system 123b can control the charging, discharging, and / or balancing of battery cells based on control information received via the second wireless communication chip 123a. The slave battery management system 123b can be a cell monitoring unit (CMU).

[0045] The module housing 125 can accommodate a plurality of battery cells 121 and at least one sub-substrate 123. The module housing 125 can be formed in a manner including metal. The module housing 125 may have a first opening (or first hole) 125a formed at a position opposite to the second wireless communication chip 123a.

[0046] The battery pack housing 110 can accommodate a plurality of battery modules 120 and a main substrate 130. The battery pack housing 110 can be formed of a metallic material (e.g., aluminum) or a non-metallic material.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the battery pack housing 110 may include a first region 101 where a plurality of battery modules 120 are located and a second region 102 where the main substrate 130 is located. The first region 101 and the second region 102 can be separated by a shielding film 111. A second opening (hereinafter referred to as a second hole) 111a may be formed on one side of the shielding film 111. The second hole 111a can provide a wireless communication path between the first wireless communication chip 131 and the second wireless communication chip 123a.

[0048] On the one hand, the battery pack 100 according to an embodiment of this disclosure may not include a part of the above-described structure, or may include at least one other structure (e.g., an ECM estimation module, an EIS measurement module, a temperature sensor, etc.). Additionally, Figure 1 The diagram shows a battery module configured vertically (or vertically), but it can also be configured horizontally (or horizontally).

[0049] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the structure of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] refer to Figure 3 According to another embodiment of this disclosure, the battery pack 200 can be connected with... Figure 1 The battery pack 100 is similar. The battery pack 200 may consist of a plurality of battery modules 220 arranged in multiple rows and columns within the battery pack housing 210. For this purpose, the battery pack housing 210 may include a first region 201 containing a portion of the plurality of battery modules 220, a second region 202 containing the remaining portions of the plurality of battery modules 220, and a third region 203 containing the main substrate 130. The first region 201 to the third region 203 can be separated by a first shielding film 211 and a second shielding film 212. The first shielding film 211 may have a second-first opening (or second-first hole) 211a formed between the first region 201 and the third region 203, and a second-second opening (or second-second hole) 211b formed between the second region 202 and the third region 203.

[0051] Figure 4This is a diagram illustrating the structure of a battery pack according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] refer to Figure 4 According to another embodiment of the battery pack 300 of the present disclosure, the battery pack housing 310 may not be divided into a region for configuring the main substrate 130 and a region for configuring the battery modules 320. In this case, the main substrate 130 may be disposed on the inner surface of the battery pack housing 310. Therefore, the battery pack 300 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure can be compared to... Figure 1 The battery pack 100 further reduces its size.

[0053] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the structure of a battery pack according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] refer to Figure 5 According to another embodiment of this disclosure, the battery pack 400 differs only in the position of the main substrate 130. Figure 4 The battery pack 300 is similar. That is, the battery pack 400 is comparable to... Figure 1 The battery pack 100 further reduces its size.

[0055] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an electric vehicle including a battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] refer to Figure 6 According to one embodiment of this disclosure, an electric vehicle can be driven by power obtained from a battery. For example, the electric vehicle can obtain the power required to drive an electric motor from a battery 600. The battery 600 can be... Figures 1 to 5 The battery packs are 100, 200, 300, and 400. Additionally, battery 600 (e.g., its battery management device) can communicate with the electric vehicle's control system (e.g., ECU) via a communication module (e.g., a wired communication network, such as CAN (Control Area Network)). The electric vehicle's control system can communicate with the battery management device included in battery 600 via the communication module and control the state of battery 600.

[0057] On the one hand, the examples above illustrate the inclusion of batteries in electric vehicles. However, the battery of this disclosure can be included in various devices that utilize the battery (hereinafter, battery utilization devices). For example, a battery utilization device may include the battery and be included in an electric mobility device (e.g., a hybrid electric vehicle, an electric motor vehicle, an electric motorcycle, etc.) powered by the battery's electricity. As another example, a battery utilization device may include a battery-integrated energy storage system (ESS). The energy storage system (ESS) may store surplus energy in the battery, or use the energy stored in the battery for operation when power is insufficient, or provide the stored energy to external devices (e.g., transmit power to external devices).

[0058] The above description is merely an example of applying the principles of this disclosure, and other structures may be included without departing from the scope of this utility model. For example, at least some of the various embodiments of this disclosure described above may be combined.

Claims

1. A battery management device, comprising: A first substrate on which a first battery management module and a first wireless communication chip are mounted. The first battery management module is located inside a first housing accommodating a plurality of battery modules and manages the plurality of battery modules uniformly. The first wireless communication chip is located inside the first housing and is connected to the first battery management module. A second substrate has a plurality of second battery management modules and a plurality of second wireless communication chips mounted thereon. Each of the plurality of second battery management modules is located inside a plurality of second housings and monitors and manages the status of the plurality of battery modules. Each of the plurality of second housings houses the plurality of battery modules and is formed using a metal material. Each of the plurality of second wireless communication chips is located inside the plurality of second housings, connected to each of the plurality of second battery management modules, and communicates wirelessly with the first wireless communication chip. The plurality of second housings have a first opening at a position opposite to each of the plurality of second wireless communication chips.

2. The battery management device according to claim 1, wherein, The first housing includes: A first region, wherein the plurality of battery modules are provided; and The second region contains the first substrate.

3. The battery management device according to claim 2, wherein, The first region and the second region are separated by a shielding membrane having a second opening on one side.

4. The battery management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first housing includes: A first region, wherein a portion of the plurality of battery modules is disposed; The second region includes the remaining portions of the plurality of battery modules; and The third region contains the first substrate.

5. The battery management device according to claim 4, wherein, The first region, the second region, and the third region are separated from each other by a shielding film. The shielding film has a second-1 opening between the first region and the third region, and a second-2 opening between the second region and the third region.

6. The battery management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first wireless communication chip is disposed at the end of the first substrate. Each of the plurality of second wireless communication chips is disposed at an end of the plurality of second substrates.

7. The battery management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first wireless communication chip and the plurality of second wireless communication chips include antennas for transmitting and receiving wireless signals.

8. The battery management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The battery management device further includes: An external communication chip that communicates with an external device that draws power from a battery pack including the battery management device to operate.

9. A battery pack comprising: A plurality of battery modules, each comprising a plurality of individual battery cells; A first housing that accommodates the plurality of battery modules; A first substrate is located inside the first housing. The first substrate includes a first battery management module and a first wireless communication chip. The first battery management module manages the plurality of battery modules in a unified manner, and the first wireless communication chip is connected to the first battery management module. A plurality of second substrates, each included in the plurality of battery modules, each second substrate including a second battery management module and a second wireless communication chip, the second battery management module monitoring the state of the plurality of individual battery cells, the second wireless communication chip being connected to the second battery management module and communicating wirelessly with the first wireless communication chip; and A plurality of second housings, each housing the plurality of battery cells and the plurality of second substrates, each having at least one opening at a position opposite to the second wireless communication chip.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, wherein, The first housing includes: A first region, wherein the plurality of battery modules are provided; and The second region includes a first substrate on which the first battery management module and the first wireless communication chip are mounted.

11. The battery pack according to claim 10, wherein, The first region and the second region are separated by a shielding membrane having a second opening on one side.

12. The battery pack according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein, The first housing includes: A first region, wherein a portion of the plurality of battery modules is disposed; The second region includes the remaining portions of the plurality of battery modules; and The third region includes the first substrate, on which the first battery management module and the first wireless communication chip are mounted.

13. The battery pack according to claim 12, wherein, The first region, the second region, and the third region are separated from each other by a shielding film. The shielding film has a second-1 opening between the first region and the third region, and a second-2 opening between the second region and the third region.

14. The battery pack according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein, The first wireless communication chip is disposed at the end of the first substrate on which the first battery management module and the first wireless communication chip are mounted. Each of the plurality of second wireless communication chips is disposed at an end of the plurality of second substrates.

15. The battery pack according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein, The first wireless communication chip and the plurality of second wireless communication chips include antennas for transmitting and receiving wireless signals.

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