Battery disconnect unit

Abstract

This utility model relates to a battery disconnection unit for transferring battery power to a load or disconnecting battery power. The battery disconnection unit according to this utility model includes: a printed circuit board, a relay, a power supply unit for connecting or disconnecting the battery power in a first region of the printed circuit board, and a control unit including one or more processors and a memory, incorporating a second region of the printed circuit board to control the relay. The printed circuit board includes an insulating region for electrically insulating the first and second regions of the printed circuit board, thereby maintaining electrical insulation between components located in the first region and components located in the second region, and enabling the battery disconnection unit to be implemented on a single printed circuit board.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a battery disconnection unit for connecting or disconnecting the power supply and load of a battery, and more particularly to a battery disconnection unit using a semiconductor relay. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of environmentally friendly (electric, hydrogen-powered, hybrid) vehicles and e-mobility, technologies that safely supply power to or disconnect the battery from the motor are crucial for providing safety and stability.

[0003] Therefore, a battery pack system can consist of a battery module assembly (BMA), a battery management unit (BMU), a cell monitoring unit (CMU), and a battery disconnect unit (BDU).

[0004] The battery disconnection unit is typically located between the inverter of the battery and the motor, and serves to supply power from the battery to the motor or disconnect power from the battery.

[0005] A battery disconnect unit typically includes a relay for connecting or disconnecting the battery's high voltage and load, and an MCU for controlling the relay.

[0006] Unlike relays, the MCU that controls relays operates at low voltages. Therefore, electrical insulation is required between this low-voltage region and the high-voltage region. When the contactor (relay) is a mechanical structure, the size of the mechanical relay and the need to maintain the insulation distance between the relay and the MCU make it impossible to construct a battery disconnection unit using a single substrate.

[0007] Figure 5 This is an example of a printed circuit board (PCB) structure for a battery management system (BMS) used to address this problem.

[0008] The battery management system components may include a first printed circuit board 10, a second printed circuit board 20, and an insulating member 30.

[0009] Since it is not possible to mount all components on a single substrate, a structure in which the first printed circuit board 10 and the second printed circuit board 20 are vertically stacked can be used to reduce the size of the BMS assembly.

[0010] In this case, since the distance between the components mounted on the first printed circuit board 10 and the second printed circuit board 20 will become closer, it is necessary to use an additional insulating member 30 for electrical insulation between them.

[0011] Therefore, in addition to the printed circuit boards 10 and 20, an additional insulating member 30 is required for insulation, which results in an increase in volume in the vertical direction and a more complicated assembly process as the number of substrates increases.

[0012] The inventors of this invention have been dedicated to researching and solving the size and insulation problems of existing BMS components. After extensive efforts, this invention was finally completed, providing a battery disconnection unit that can be mounted on a single printed circuit board by replacing the mechanical relay of the battery disconnection unit with a semiconductor relay and configuring an insulating region between the high-voltage and low-voltage regions of the battery disconnection unit to insulate these two regions. Utility Model Content

[0013] The technical problem to be solved

[0014] The purpose of this invention is to provide a battery disconnection unit that replaces a mechanical relay by using an electronic relay in which semiconductors are applied to the battery disconnection unit, thereby enabling implementation on a single printed circuit board.

[0015] Another objective of this invention is to provide a battery disconnection unit that enables electrical insulation between components in high-voltage and low-voltage regions by including an insulating region on the printed circuit board of the battery disconnection unit.

[0016] On the other hand, other objectives not explicitly stated in this invention can be further considered within the scope of what can be readily inferred from the following detailed description and its effects.

[0017] Technical solutions for solving the problem

[0018] The battery disconnection unit according to this utility model includes: a printed circuit board, a relay, a power supply for connecting or disconnecting the battery in a first region of the printed circuit board, and a control unit including one or more processors and a memory, in a second region of the printed circuit board to control the relay; the printed circuit board includes an insulating region for electrically insulating the first region and the second region of the printed circuit board.

[0019] The first region is a high-voltage region, and the second region is a low-voltage region.

[0020] The insulating region is arranged side-by-side between the first region and the second region.

[0021] The relay is a semiconductor relay.

[0022] The relay is located in an area that is at least a predetermined distance from the second area.

[0023] An isolator is incorporated in the first region for electrically separating the control unit and the relay.

[0024] The first region, the second region, and the insulating region are located on the same plane of the printed circuit board.

[0025] Technical effect

[0026] According to this invention, by replacing the mechanical relay included in the battery disconnection unit with a semiconductor relay, the overall size of the battery disconnection unit can be reduced.

[0027] In addition, by reducing the size of the relay and configuring an insulating area on the PCB, it has the advantage of being able to implement the battery disconnection unit on a single PCB.

[0028] On the other hand, even effects not explicitly mentioned herein, as long as they are contemplated by the technical features of this utility model, should be regarded as described in the following specification and their potential effects. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a battery disconnection unit according to any preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of the semiconductor relay of the battery disconnection unit in any preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the control unit of the battery disconnection unit in any preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a typical battery system.

[0033] Figure 5 This is one embodiment of a PCB assembly used for electrical insulation between components.

[0034] The accompanying drawings are provided as examples to help understand the technical concept of this utility model and do not limit the scope of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the structure of the present invention according to various embodiments and the effects produced by the structure will be studied. In describing the present invention, detailed descriptions will be omitted if it is determined that relevant known functions are obvious to those skilled in the art and may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention.

[0036] The terms "first," "second," etc., can be used to describe various constituent elements, but the constituent elements are not limited to the terms used above. These terms are used only to distinguish one constituent element from others. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, "first constituent element" can be named "second constituent element," and similarly, "second constituent element" can be named "first constituent element." Furthermore, unless the context clearly specifies otherwise, singular expressions include plural expressions. Unless otherwise defined, the terms used in the embodiments of the present invention should be interpreted as having the meaning commonly understood by those skilled in the art.

[0037] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the structure of the present invention according to various embodiments and the effects produced by the structure will be studied.

[0038] Figure 4 This is an example of a battery system that supplies power from the battery to the motor.

[0039] The battery system may include: an inverter 2 for driving a motor 1; a battery 5 for supplying power to the motor 1; a cell monitoring unit (CMU) 6 for monitoring the cells of the battery 5; a battery management unit (BMU) 4 for managing the battery system; and a battery disconnection unit 10 for managing the connection between the battery 5 and the motor 1.

[0040] The battery disconnection unit 10 may include: a main contactor 13, which is connected to the positive terminal of the battery 5 and supplies power to or disconnects the inverter 2; a negative terminal contactor 15; and a pre-charge resistor 11 and a pre-charge contactor 12 for initial charging of the DC link capacitor 3.

[0041] The battery disconnection unit 10 includes contactors 12, 13, and 15 for connecting the high voltage of the battery 5, and an MCU (not shown) for controlling the contactors 12, 13, and 15.

[0042] During the initial charging process of DC link capacitor 3, in order to prevent inrush current, battery disconnection unit 10 transmits the high voltage of battery 5 to inverter 2 through precharge contactor 12 until the voltage of DC link capacitor 3 reaches the specified voltage.

[0043] Subsequently, when the initial charging of the DC link capacitor 3 is completed, the high voltage of the battery 5 is transmitted to the inverter 2 through the main contactor 13.

[0044] Therefore, for this process, the MCU controls contactors 12, 13, and 15. Since the contactors operate under high voltage and the MCU operates under low voltage, insulation is required between them.

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a battery disconnection unit according to any preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] The battery disconnect unit (BDU) 100 according to this utility model may include a printed circuit board (PCB) 110, a relay 120, a control unit 130, and an isolator 140.

[0047] Various electronic components of the battery disconnection unit 100 are integrated into the printed circuit board 110.

[0048] Because electronic components contain both parts that operate at high voltages and parts that operate at low voltages, they need to be kept insulated from each other.

[0049] For this purpose, the printed circuit board 110 may include a first region 112, a second region 114, and an insulating region 116.

[0050] By distributing the insulating region 116 between the first region 112 and the second region 114, insulation can be maintained between the component located in the first region 112 and the component located in the second region 114.

[0051] The first region 112, the second region 114, and the insulating region 116 can be arranged side by side in approximately parallel order so that the first region 112 and the second region 114 can be kept at a minimum distance in any position.

[0052] In one embodiment, the first region 112 may be a high-voltage region, and the second region 114 may be a low-voltage region.

[0053] Therefore, a relay 120 or the like that operates under high voltage can be incorporated into the first region 112.

[0054] Relay 120 serves to connect the high voltage of the battery to a load such as an inverter or disconnect the high voltage of the battery.

[0055] In the case of ordinary mechanical relays, due to their large size, the size of the battery disconnect unit, including the mechanical relay, will inevitably increase as well.

[0056] Therefore, the relay 120 included in the battery disconnection unit 100 according to the present invention can be a semiconductor relay, which is an electronic relay made of semiconductor elements.

[0057] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of the semiconductor relay of the battery disconnection unit in any preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] The semiconductor relay 120 may include a first semiconductor switch 122 and a second semiconductor switch 124.

[0059] The first semiconductor switch 122 and the second semiconductor switch 124 can be MOSFETs (Si, SiC, IGBT, etc.) used to implement bidirectional electronic relays.

[0060] A MOSFET is a structure that includes a diode to block current when the switch is off. Since reverse current can flow through the diode, the semiconductor relay 120 can be formed as a back-to-back structure, wherein the diodes included in the first semiconductor switch 122 and the second semiconductor switch 124 are opposite to each other.

[0061] When a semiconductor relay is used in relay 120, the first region 112, the second region 114, and the insulating region 116 of the printed circuit board 110 can be located on the same plane of the printed circuit board 110 due to its smaller size. That is, since the battery disconnect unit 100 can be implemented on a single printed circuit board 110, the overall size can be reduced and the ease of operation can be improved.

[0062] A control unit 130 may be integrated in the second region 114 of the printed circuit board 110. The control unit 130 operates under low voltage and is used to control the relay 120 and the like integrated in the first region 112.

[0063] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the control unit of the battery disconnection unit in any preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] The control unit 130 receives information acquired through sensors or commands from a higher-level controller, thereby enabling it to control the components included in the battery disconnection unit 100.

[0065] Therefore, the control unit 130 may include one or more processors 132 and memory 134.

[0066] The memory 134 may store instructions, data structures, and program code that can be read by the processor 132. In an embodiment, at least the actions performed by the processor 132 can be achieved by executing the instructions or code of the program stored in the memory.

[0067] The memory may include flash memory type, hard disk type, multimedia card micro type, card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), and may include: non-volatile memory, including at least one of read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), magnetic storage, magnetic disk and optical disk; and volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) or static random access memory (SRAM).

[0068] The memory 134 can store more than one instruction or program, which can be used when the processor 132 controls the semiconductor relay 120 or transmits and receives data through the communication unit.

[0069] The processor 132 controls the overall operation of the battery disconnection unit 100. For example, the processor 132 can control the overall operation of the battery disconnection unit 100, such as supplying or disconnecting power to the battery, by executing one or more instructions stored in the memory 134.

[0070] For example, processor 132 may be composed of at least one of the following: a central processing unit, a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), an application processor, a neural network processing unit, or an AI-specific processor with a hardware architecture specifically designed for processing AI models, but not limited to these.

[0071] The control unit 130 transmits the high voltage of the battery to the load or disconnects the high voltage of the battery by controlling a plurality of relays 120 included in the battery disconnection device 100.

[0072] Since the control logic including the control unit 130 operates at a relatively low voltage, the second region 114 is located in the low voltage region of the printed circuit board 110.

[0073] The battery disconnection unit 100 may also include an isolator 140 to electrically insulate the transmission of signals between the component located in the second region 114 and the component located in the first region 112.

[0074] As isolator 140, optical isolators (Opto-isolators) can be used, but it is not limited to these.

[0075] Despite the presence of the insulation region 116, in order to minimize the electrical influence from the relay 120 operating at a relatively high voltage, the relay 120 is preferably located as far away from the second region 114 as possible.

[0076] Therefore, multiple relays 120 can be arranged side-by-side with the insulating region 116 in the first region 112, which is separated from the insulating region 116 by a predetermined distance d or more. Thus, the multiple relays 120 can maintain a minimum distance from components such as the control unit 130 arranged in the second region 114.

[0077] As described above, the battery disconnection unit according to this invention reduces the size by using a semiconductor relay and provides an insulating area on a printed circuit board, thereby having the advantage of being able to implement the battery disconnection unit on a single printed circuit board.

[0078] The scope of protection of this utility model is not limited to the embodiments described and illustrated above. Furthermore, it should be specifically stated that obvious modifications or substitutions within the technical field to which this utility model pertains do not limit the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A battery disconnection unit, characterized in that, include: Printed circuit boards A relay, integrated into a first area of ​​the printed circuit board, connects or disconnects the power supply to the battery, and The control unit, including one or more processors and a memory, is integrated into a second area of ​​the printed circuit board to control the relay; The printed circuit board includes an insulating region for electrically insulating a first region and a second region of the printed circuit board.

2. The battery disconnection unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first region is a high-voltage region, and the second region is a low-voltage region.

3. The battery disconnection unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insulating region is arranged side-by-side between the first region and the second region.

4. The battery disconnection unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The relay is a semiconductor relay.

5. The battery disconnection unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The relay is located in an area that is at least a predetermined distance from the second area.

6. The battery disconnection unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, An isolator is incorporated in the first region for electrically separating the control unit and the relay.

7. The battery disconnection unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first region, the second region, and the insulating region are located on the same plane of the printed circuit board.

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