Battery management device and method of operation thereof

Abstract

A battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application may include a plurality of resistors respectively connected to a plurality of batteries, a plurality of first switches respectively connecting the plurality of resistors to output terminals of the plurality of batteries, a plurality of second switches connecting the plurality of resistors in parallel, and a controller that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries and controls the operation of the plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches based on the presence or absence of an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0122898, filed September 27, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The disclosed embodiments relate to a battery management device and method of operation. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, research and development into secondary batteries has been actively pursued. Secondary batteries are rechargeable and dischargeable batteries, and include both conventional nickel (Ni) / cadmium (Cd) batteries, nickel (Ni) / metal hydride (MH) batteries, and more recent lithium-ion batteries. Among secondary batteries, lithium-ion batteries have the advantage of having a much higher energy density than conventional Ni / Cd batteries and Ni / MH batteries. Furthermore, because lithium-ion batteries can be manufactured to be compact and lightweight, they are used as power sources for mobile devices. In recent years, their range of use has expanded to include electric vehicles, and they are attracting attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0003] To further enhance the usability and portability of these lithium-ion batteries, battery exchange services are being offered. However, if one of the batteries in a battery exchange station catches fire, there is a risk that a chain reaction of fire may occur among the surrounding batteries, causing all the batteries in the battery exchange station to burn out.

[0004] There is a method to increase the discharge rate of a flaming battery to prevent chain fires at battery exchange stations, but this method is cumbersome because the discharge rate of the battery is determined and fixed by the resistance value of the discharge resistor connected to the battery, and the discharge resistor itself must be changed to adjust the discharge rate. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] One objective of the embodiments disclosed herein is to provide a battery management device and an operating method thereof that can control the discharge rate and / or heat generation of a battery using multiple resistors connected in parallel with each other.

[0006] The technical problems of the embodiments disclosed in the present application are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application may include a plurality of resistors respectively connected to a plurality of batteries, a plurality of first switches respectively connecting the plurality of resistors to output terminals of the plurality of batteries, a plurality of second switches connecting the plurality of resistors in parallel, and a controller that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries and controls the operation of the plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches based on the presence or absence of an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries.

[0008] In one embodiment, the plurality of resistors may be connected in series to the plurality of batteries, respectively, and the plurality of second switches may be connected in series to each other.

[0009] In one embodiment, the device further includes a communication unit that receives abnormal signals of the plurality of batteries from a battery management system (BMS) of each of the plurality of batteries, and the controller can determine, based on the abnormal signals, a first battery among the plurality of batteries from which an abnormal signal has been detected and at least one second battery associated with the first battery.

[0010] In one embodiment, the controller acquires temperature information of the plurality of batteries from a plurality of temperature measurement sensors that measure the temperatures of the plurality of batteries, and based on the temperature information, can determine the first battery among the plurality of batteries in which an abnormal temperature has been detected and the at least one second battery associated with the first battery.

[0011] In one embodiment, when the controller detects an abnormal temperature or abnormal signal of the first battery among the plurality of batteries, it can determine the at least one second battery adjacent to the first battery based on the arrangement order of the plurality of batteries.

[0012] In one embodiment, the controller can calculate the capacity of the first battery and the at least one second battery, compare the capacity of the first battery with the capacity of the second battery, and control the operation of the plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches.

[0013] In one embodiment, when the capacity of the first battery exceeds the capacity of the at least one second battery, the controller may turn on a first switch among the plurality of first switches that connects the first battery to a resistor connected to the first battery, and may turn on at least one second switch among the plurality of second switches.

[0014] In one embodiment, when the capacity of the first battery is less than the capacity of the at least one second battery, the controller may turn on a first switch among the plurality of first switches that connects the second battery to a resistor connected to the second battery, and may turn on at least one second switch among the plurality of second switches.

[0015] An operating method of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include the steps of: determining whether or not each of a plurality of batteries has an abnormality; controlling the operation of a plurality of first switches that connect a plurality of resistors connected to the plurality of batteries respectively to the battery current output terminals of the plurality of batteries based on the presence or absence of an abnormality of each of the plurality of batteries; and controlling the operation of a plurality of second switches that connect the plurality of resistors in parallel.

[0016] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether or not each of the plurality of batteries has an abnormality can include receiving an abnormality signal for each of the plurality of batteries from a battery management system (BMS), and determining, based on the abnormality signal, a first battery among the plurality of batteries for which an abnormality signal has been detected and at least one second battery associated with the first battery.

[0017] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether or not each of the plurality of batteries has an abnormality can involve obtaining temperature information about the plurality of batteries from a plurality of temperature measurement sensors that measure the temperatures of the plurality of batteries, and determining, based on the temperature information, the first battery among the plurality of batteries in which an abnormal temperature has been detected and the at least one second battery associated with the first battery.

[0018] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether or not each of the plurality of batteries has an abnormality can determine the at least one second battery adjacent to the first battery based on the arrangement order of the plurality of batteries when an abnormal temperature or abnormal signal is detected in the first battery among the plurality of batteries.

[0019] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether or not there is an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries can include calculating the capacity of the first battery and the at least one second battery, comparing the capacity of the first battery with the capacity of the second battery, and controlling the operation of the plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches.

[0020] In one embodiment, the step of controlling the operation of a plurality of first switches respectively connecting a plurality of resistors respectively connected to the plurality of batteries to the battery current output terminals of the plurality of batteries based on the presence or absence of an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries may turn on a first switch among the plurality of first switches connecting the first battery and a resistor connected to the first battery when a capacity of the first battery exceeds a capacity of the at least one second battery, and the step of controlling the operation of a plurality of second switches connecting the plurality of resistors in parallel may turn on at least one second switch among the plurality of second switches.

[0021] In one embodiment, the step of controlling the operation of a plurality of first switches connecting a plurality of resistors respectively connected to the plurality of batteries and the battery current output terminals of the plurality of batteries based on the presence or absence of an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries may turn on a first switch connecting the second battery and a resistor connected to the second battery among the plurality of first switches when the capacity of the first battery is less than the capacity of the at least one second battery, and the step of controlling the operation of a plurality of second switches connecting the plurality of resistors in parallel may turn on at least one second switch among the plurality of second switches. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] A battery management device and an operating method thereof according to an embodiment disclosed herein can control the discharge rate and / or heat generation of a battery using a plurality of resistors connected in parallel with each other. Furthermore, the battery management device and its operating method according to an embodiment disclosed in the present application can stably manage the life of a battery. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram of a battery exchange station according to one embodiment disclosed herein; [Figure 2]FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a battery exchange station according to another embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram for explaining the operation of the battery management device according to the embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 5] 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery management device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing system that implements an operation method of a battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that when assigning reference numerals to components in each drawing, the same numerals are assigned to the same components when they appear in other drawings as much as possible. Furthermore, when describing the embodiments disclosed herein, if a detailed description of related known structures or functions is deemed to hinder understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0025] When describing components of the embodiments disclosed herein, terms such as "first," "second," "A," "B," "(a)," and "(b)" may be used. Such terms are merely used to distinguish the component from other components and do not limit the nature, order, or procedure of the components. Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein belong. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a battery exchange station according to one embodiment disclosed herein. Referring to FIG. 1 , a battery swapping station (BSS) 1000 can provide general battery management services, such as battery analysis, evaluation, charging, and replacement. In this disclosure, the functions of the battery swapping station 1000 will be described, focusing on the battery swapping service. Here, the battery swapping service may refer to a service that analyzes the status of multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 to be serviced and replaces the batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 with other batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 based on the analysis results. Such replacement can be performed automatically based on administrator and / or user settings. For example, the battery swapping station 1000 can collect batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 returned by users and provide them with other, already-charged batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, thereby providing the user with a battery swapping service.

[0027] Here, the batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 are attached to a target device (e.g., an electric vehicle (EV), an electric scooter, an electric bicycle, or other electric mobility device) and supply power to drive the target device. The batteries may be implemented in the form of a battery pack. The battery pack may include a battery for storing power and a battery management system (BMS) for controlling the operation of the battery. The battery may include at least one battery cell for storing power under the control of the battery management system (BMS). The battery cell is a basic unit of a battery that can be used by charging and discharging electrical energy, and may be, but is not limited to, a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, a lithium-ion polymer (Li-ion polymer) battery, a nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery, a nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery, or the like. The battery management system (BMS) may control the charging and discharging of the battery. According to an embodiment, the BMS may collect and transmit data serving as a basis for analyzing the state of the battery in response to an external request.

[0028] In the following description, it is assumed that the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 are implemented in the form of a battery pack. While FIG. 1 shows five batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, the number of batteries is not limited to five, and the batteries may be configured as n batteries (n is a natural number equal to or greater than 2).

[0029] According to an embodiment, the battery exchange station 1000 can be located in a service station where a battery exchange service is provided, or in a space separate from the service station.

[0030] The battery exchange station 1000 performs a status analysis on the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 connected thereto, and can replace the batteries 10, 20, 30 with other batteries 10, 20, 30 or reuse them (i.e., not replace them) depending on the results of the status analysis. The battery exchange station 1000 may analyze the status of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and / or determine whether the batteries 10, 20, 30 need to be replaced by itself, but in other embodiments, at least some of the operations may be performed in cooperation with a server (e.g., a cloud server) connected via a network. For example, the battery exchange station 1000 may transmit information on which to determine whether a battery needs to be replaced to the cloud server, and the cloud server may determine whether a battery needs to be replaced based on the received information and transmit the information regarding whether a battery needs to be replaced to the battery exchange station 1000.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a battery exchange station according to another embodiment disclosed herein. Referring to FIG. 2, the battery exchange station 1000 may include a battery slot unit 100 , a battery management unit 200 , and a charger 300 .

[0032] The battery slot unit 100 can accommodate a plurality of connected batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. The battery slot unit 100 can include a plurality of battery slots, each accommodating a respective one of the connected batteries. The battery slot unit 100 can be connected to a battery management unit 200. The plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 accommodated in the battery slot unit 100 can be physically controlled based on a control signal from the battery management unit 200.

[0033] The battery management unit 200 can manage and / or control the status and / or operation of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50. The battery management unit 200 can manage the charging and / or discharging of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50.

[0034] The battery management unit 200 can also monitor the voltage, current, temperature, etc. of each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. The battery management unit 200 can calculate parameters that indicate the state of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 based on the measured values ​​of the monitored voltage, current, temperature, etc.

[0035] The battery management unit 200 can manage the SOC (State of Charge) and / or SOH (State of Health) of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 used to provide services. The battery management unit 200 can receive SOC (State of Charge) information for each of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 from the corresponding battery 10, 20, and 30. Here, the SOC information indicates the current SOC of the corresponding battery, and SOC may refer to the state of charge of the battery included in the corresponding battery, i.e., the remaining capacity rate. The battery management system (BMS) of the corresponding battery can calculate the remaining capacity rate by dividing the currently usable capacity of the battery by the total capacity of the battery. As an example, the remaining capacity rate can be calculated as a percentage. In another embodiment, the battery management unit 200 may directly obtain the SOC information of the corresponding battery by calculating the remaining capacity rate of the battery without receiving the SOC information from the battery management system (BMS) of the corresponding battery.

[0036] Charger 300 can charge each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 under the control of battery management unit 200. Charger 300 receives power from an external commercial power source, converts it into a form of power that can be received by the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, and supplies power to the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. According to one embodiment, charger 300 supplies power until the SOC of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 reaches 100%, thereby fully charging the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50.

[0037] The configuration and operation of the battery management unit 200 will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 3, the battery management device 200 may include a plurality of resistors (R), a plurality of first switches 210, a plurality of second switches 220, a controller 230, and a communication unit 240.

[0039] When one of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 catches fire, the battery management device 200 can discharge the ignited battery or the adjacent battery to prevent heat from spreading to the adjacent battery or the entire battery, and to remove fuel, which is the energy source of the ignited battery or the adjacent battery. The battery management device 200 can discharge the batteries by connecting a plurality of resistors (R) to the outside of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, respectively, and applying a discharge current to each resistor.

[0040] Here, the discharge rate of a battery is determined by the resistance values ​​of the resistors R, and the resistance values ​​must be changed to adjust the discharge rate of the battery. Therefore, the battery management device 200 can adjust the discharge rate by connecting the resistors R in parallel, distributing the discharge current to the parallel-connected resistors R, and adjusting the discharge current value.

[0041] The plurality of resistors R may be connected in series to the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, respectively. The plurality of resistors R may also be connected in series to the plurality of first switches 210, respectively. Specifically, when the plurality of first switches 210 are turned on, the plurality of resistors R are connected in series to the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 connected in series to the first switches 210, respectively, thereby discharging the batteries.

[0042] In addition, the plurality of resistors R are connected in parallel to one another and can be selectively connected in parallel to one another based on the on / off of the plurality of first switches 210 connected in series to each of the plurality of resistors R. Specifically, by selectively turning on any one of the plurality of first switches 210 connected in series to each of the plurality of resistors R, only the resistors R connected to the plurality of first switches 210 in the on state among the plurality of resistors R connected in parallel can be connected in parallel to one another.

[0043] That is, some of the resistors R may be selectively connected in parallel depending on whether the first switches 210 are turned on or off. Therefore, the resistance values ​​of the resistors R may be changed, and thus the discharge rates of the batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 may be changed.

[0044] The plurality of first switches 210 may respectively connect the plurality of resistors (R) to the output terminals of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. The plurality of first switches 210 may respectively be connected in series to the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. In addition, the plurality of first switches 210 may respectively be connected in series to the plurality of resistors (R). Each of the first switches 210 can be turned on or off by receiving a control signal from the controller 230 .

[0045] The plurality of second switches 220 may be connected in parallel to a plurality of resistors (R). The plurality of second switches 220 may be connected in series to each other. Each of the plurality of second switches 220 may receive a control signal from the controller 230 and be turned on or off.

[0046] The communication unit 240 can communicate with the battery management systems (BMS) of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 in a wired and / or wireless manner. For example, the communication unit 240 can communicate with the battery management systems (BMS) of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 using a differential input communication protocol. Here, an example of a differential input communication protocol is CAN (Controller Area Network). Furthermore, the communication unit 240 can communicate with the battery management systems (BMS) of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 using a wireless communication protocol such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0047] According to the embodiment, the communication unit 240 may periodically communicate with a battery management system (BMS) of each of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. If the battery management system (BMS) of one of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 does not transmit a communication signal for a certain period of time, the communication unit 240 may again transmit a communication signal to the battery management system (BMS) of one of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50.

[0048] According to the embodiment, the communication unit 240 can receive a battery abnormality signal from a battery management system (BMS) of any one of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50.

[0049] The controller 230 can determine whether or not each of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 has an abnormality. According to an embodiment, if the communication unit 240 is unable to receive a communication signal from the battery management system (BMS) of one of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 for a certain period of time, and if the communication unit 240 is unable to receive a communication signal even after repeatedly transmitting (retries) the communication signal to the battery management system (BMS) of one of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, the controller 230 can determine that one of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 is an abnormal battery.

[0050] According to an embodiment, when the communication unit 240 receives a battery abnormality signal from the battery management system (BMS) of any of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, the controller 230 can determine that any of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 is an abnormal battery.

[0051] According to an embodiment, the controller 230 receives temperature information of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 from a plurality of temperature measurement sensors attached to the battery slot portion 100, and if the temperature of any one of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 exceeds a critical temperature based on the temperature information, the controller 230 can determine that any one of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 is an abnormal battery.

[0052] For example, the controller 230 can determine a first battery 10, among the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, in which an abnormal temperature or an abnormal signal has been detected, as an abnormal battery. The controller 230 can identify at least one second battery 20 associated with the first battery 10 determined to be an abnormal battery. For example, the controller 230 can identify at least one second battery 20 adjacent to the first battery 10 based on the arrangement order of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 already stored.

[0053] The controller 230 can control the operations of the first switches 210 and the second switches 220 based on whether or not each of the batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 has an abnormality.

[0054] FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram for explaining the operation of the battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application. Hereinafter, the operation of the battery management device will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

[0055] FIG. 4 illustrates an example in which five batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 are connected to the battery exchange station 1000 for receiving battery exchange service, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and n batteries (n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) can be connected to the battery exchange station 1000 for receiving battery exchange service.

[0056] 4, the battery slot unit 100 may include a plurality of battery slots 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150. The plurality of battery slots 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 may accommodate any one of a plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, respectively.

[0057] The battery slots 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 may each include temperature measurement sensors T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5. The temperature measurement sensors T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 may measure the temperatures of the batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. For example, the temperature measurement sensors T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 may each include thermistors. A thermistor is a resistor whose resistance changes sensitively in response to temperature changes. Thermistors can measure temperature using the temperature-dependent resistance change of ceramic materials. When a current is applied to a thermistor, self-heating can occur, causing the temperature of the thermistor itself to rise.

[0058] According to the embodiment, the controller 230 can acquire temperature information of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 from a plurality of temperature measurement sensors T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 that measure the temperatures of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50. For example, the controller 230 can determine that a first battery 10, of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, in which an abnormal temperature has been detected, is an abnormal battery.

[0059] Furthermore, for example, if the communication unit 240 is unable to receive a communication signal from the battery management system (BMS) of the first battery 10 among the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 for a certain period of time, and the communication unit 240 is unable to receive the communication signal even after repeatedly transmitting (retries) the communication signal to the battery management system (BMS) of the first battery 10, the controller 230 can determine that the first battery 10 is an abnormal battery.

[0060] Furthermore, for example, when the communication unit 240 receives a battery abnormality signal from the battery management device of the first battery 10 among the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, the controller 230 can determine that the first battery 10 is an abnormal battery.

[0061] If the controller 230 determines that the first battery 10 is an abnormal battery, it can transmit a signal to the charger 300 to stop charging the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50.

[0062] The controller 230 can calculate the capacities of the first battery 10 and the second battery 20. The controller 230 can receive battery data via communication with the battery management system (BMS) of the first battery 10 and the battery management system (BMS) of the second battery 20. Here, the battery data can include, for example, the voltage of the battery, the voltage of the battery cells that make up the battery, a fault signal, the internal temperature of the battery, etc. The controller 230 can calculate the capacities of the first battery 10 and the second battery 20 based on the battery data of the first battery 10 and the second battery 20.

[0063] The controller 230 can compare the capacity of the first battery 10 with the capacity of the second battery 20 and control the operation of the plurality of first switches 210 and the plurality of second switches 220 .

[0064] According to the embodiment, when the capacity of the first battery 10 exceeds the capacity of the second battery 20, the controller 230 can discharge the first battery 10 until its capacity becomes the same as that of the second battery 20. For example, when the capacity of the first battery 10 is 8000 mAh, the voltage of the first battery 10 is 60 V, and the capacity of the second battery 20 is 4000 mAh, and the voltage of the second battery 20 is 50 V, the controller 230 can discharge the first battery 10 until its capacity becomes the same as that of the second battery 20. The controller 230 can turn on the first switch 211, which connects the first battery 10 and a first resistor R1 connected to the first battery 10, among the plurality of first switches 210, and turn off the remaining plurality of first switches 212, 213, 214, and 215.

[0065] The controller 230 can turn on at least one of the second switches 220 to adjust the distribution ratio of the discharge current of the first battery 10 applied to the plurality of resistors (R).

[0066] For example, when the discharge current of the first battery 10 is 10 A and the voltage of the first battery 10 is 60 V, the controller 230 can turn on some of the second switches 220 and turn off some of them to control the resistance (R) values ​​to 60 V / 10 A = 6 Ω (ohm).

[0067] For example, when the resistance value of each of the plurality of resistors (R) is 24Ω, the controller 230 may connect the first resistor (R1), the second resistor (R2), the third resistor (R3), and the fourth resistor (R4) of the plurality of resistors (R) in parallel and control the total resistance value of the first resistor (R1), the second resistor (R2), the third resistor (R3), and the fourth resistor (R4) connected in parallel to each other to 6Ω. Specifically, the controller 230 may turn on some of the second switches 221, 222, and 223 of the plurality of second switches 220 that can connect the first resistor (R1), the second resistor (R2), the third resistor (R3), and the fourth resistor (R4) in parallel, and turn off the second switch 224 that can connect the fifth resistor (R5) in parallel.

[0068] According to the embodiment, when the capacity of the first battery 10 is less than the capacity of the second battery 20, the controller 230 can discharge the second battery 20 until its capacity becomes the same as that of the first battery 10. For example, when the capacity of the first battery 10 is 4000 mAh, the voltage of the first battery 10 is 50 V, and the capacity of the second battery 20 is 8000 mAh, and the voltage of the second battery 20 is 60 V, the controller 230 can discharge the second battery 20 until its capacity becomes the same as that of the first battery 10. The controller 230 can turn on the first switch 212, which connects the second battery 20 and the second resistor R2 connected to the second battery 20, among the plurality of first switches 210, and turn off the remaining plurality of first switches 211, 213, 214, and 215.

[0069] The controller 230 can turn on at least one of the second switches 220 to adjust the distribution ratio of the discharge current of the second battery 20 applied to the plurality of resistors (R).

[0070] For example, when the discharge current of the second battery 20 is 10 A and the voltage of the second battery 20 is 60 V, the controller 230 can turn on some of the multiple second switches 220 and turn off some of them to control the multiple resistance (R) values ​​to 60 V / 10 A = 6 Ω.

[0071] For example, when the resistance value of each of the plurality of resistors (R) is 24Ω, the controller 230 may connect the first resistor (R1), the second resistor (R2), the third resistor (R3), and the fourth resistor (R4) of the plurality of resistors (R) in parallel and control the total resistance value of the first resistor (R1), the second resistor (R2), the third resistor (R3), and the fourth resistor (R4) connected in parallel to each other to 6Ω. Specifically, the controller 230 may turn on some of the second switches 221, 222, and 223 of the plurality of second switches 220 that can connect the first resistor (R1), the second resistor (R2), the third resistor (R3), and the fourth resistor (R4) in parallel, and turn off the second switch 224 that can connect the fifth resistor (R5) in parallel.

[0072] According to an embodiment, the controller 230 can simultaneously discharge the first battery 10 and the second battery 20 when the capacity of the first battery 10 is the same as the capacity of the second battery 20 .

[0073] The controller 230 can turn on the first switch 211 connecting the first battery 10 and the first resistor (R1) connected to the first battery 10, turn on the first switch 212 connecting the second battery 20 and the second resistor (R2) connected to the second battery 20, and turn off the remaining first switches 213, 214, and 215. The controller 230 can also turn on at least one second switch among the plurality of second switches 220 to adjust the distribution ratio of the discharge current of the first battery 10 and the second battery 20 applied to the plurality of resistors (R).

[0074] As described above, the battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can control the discharge rate and heat generation of a battery using a plurality of resistors connected in parallel to each other.

[0075] In addition, if a dangerous situation or abnormal phenomenon occurs in some of the batteries, the battery management device forcibly discharges the abnormal battery and adjacent batteries, thereby preventing a chain reaction of accidents among adjacent batteries and enabling the stable operation of the battery exchange station.

[0076] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein. Referring to FIG. 5, an operating method of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein includes a step (S101) of determining whether or not each of a plurality of batteries has an abnormality, a step (S102) of controlling the operation of a plurality of first switches that respectively connect a plurality of resistors connected to the plurality of batteries to the battery current output terminals of the plurality of batteries based on the presence or absence of an abnormality of each of the plurality of batteries, and a step (S103) of controlling the operation of a plurality of second switches that connect the plurality of resistors in parallel.

[0077] Steps S101 to S103 will be specifically described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The battery management device 200 is substantially similar to the battery management device 200 described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, and therefore will be described briefly below to avoid duplication.

[0078] In step S101, the controller 230 can determine whether or not each of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 has an abnormality. In step S101, if the communication unit 240 is unable to receive a communication signal from the battery management system (BMS) of any of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 for a certain period of time, and if the communication unit 240 is unable to receive a communication signal even after repeatedly transmitting (retries) the communication signal to the battery management system (BMS) of any of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, the controller 230 can determine that any of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 is an abnormal battery.

[0079] In step S101, if the communication unit 240 receives a battery abnormality signal from the battery management device of any of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, the controller 230 can determine that any of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 is an abnormal battery.

[0080] In step S101, the controller 230 receives temperature information of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 from the plurality of temperature measurement sensors attached to the battery slot portion 100, and if the temperature of any one of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 exceeds a critical temperature based on the temperature information, the controller 230 can determine that any one of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 is an abnormal battery.

[0081] In step S101, for example, the controller 230 can determine that a first battery 10 in which an abnormal temperature or an abnormal signal has been detected is an abnormal battery among the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50. The controller 230 can identify at least one second battery 20 associated with the first battery 10 determined to be an abnormal battery. In step S101, for example, the controller 230 can identify at least one second battery 20 adjacent to the first battery 10 based on the arrangement order of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 that have already been stored.

[0082] In step S102, the controller 230 can control the operation of the plurality of first switches 210 based on whether or not each of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 has an abnormality.

[0083] In step S102, the controller 230 can compare the capacity of the first battery 10 with the capacity of the second battery 20 and control the operation of the multiple first switches 210.

[0084] In step S103, the controller 230 can control the operation of the second switches 220 based on whether or not each of the batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 has an abnormality.

[0085] In step S103, the controller 230 can turn on at least one of the plurality of second switches 220 to adjust the distribution ratio of the discharge current of the first battery 10 applied to the plurality of resistors (R).

[0086] In step S103, for example, when the discharge current of the first battery 10 is 10 A and the voltage of the first battery 10 is 60 V, the controller 230 can turn on some of the multiple second switches 220 and turn off some of them to control the multiple resistance (R) values ​​to 60 V / 10 A = 6 Ω.

[0087] In step S103, for example, when the resistance value of each of the plurality of resistors (R) is 24Ω, the controller 230 may connect the first resistor (R1), the second resistor (R2), the third resistor (R3), and the fourth resistor (R4) of the plurality of resistors (R) in parallel and control the total resistance value of the first resistor (R1), the second resistor (R2), the third resistor (R3), and the fourth resistor (R4) connected in parallel to each other to 6Ω. Specifically, in step S103, the controller 230 may turn on some of the second switches 221, 222, and 223 of the plurality of second switches 220 that can connect the first resistor (R1), the second resistor (R2), the third resistor (R3), and the fourth resistor (R4) in parallel, and turn off the second switch 224 that can connect the fifth resistor (R5) in parallel.

[0088] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery management device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 6, a method of operating a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein may include the steps of determining whether each of a plurality of batteries has an abnormality (S201), stopping charging of all of the plurality of batteries (S202), determining the capacities of a first battery and a second battery (S203), comparing the capacities of the first battery and the second battery (S204), discharging the first battery until its capacity becomes equal to that of the second battery (S205), discharging the second battery until its capacity becomes equal to that of the first battery (S206), and starting simultaneous discharge of the first battery and the second battery (S207).

[0089] Steps S201 to S207 will be specifically described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The battery management device 200 is substantially similar to the battery management device 200 described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, and therefore will be described briefly below to avoid duplication.

[0090] In step S201, the controller 230 can determine whether or not each of the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 has an abnormality. In step S201, for example, the controller 230 can determine that a first battery 10 in which an abnormal temperature or an abnormal signal has been detected is an abnormal battery among the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50. In step S201, the controller 230 can determine at least one second battery 20 associated with the first battery 10 determined to be an abnormal battery. In step S201, for example, the controller 230 can determine at least one second battery 20 adjacent to the first battery 10 based on the arrangement order of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 that have already been stored.

[0091] In step S202, the controller 230 can stop charging the plurality of batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. In step S202, the controller 230 can transmit a signal to the charger 300 to stop charging the first battery 10 determined to be an abnormal battery and the second battery 20 adjacent to the first battery 10.

[0092] In step S203, the controller 230 can calculate the capacities of the first battery 10 and the second battery 20 that have been determined to be abnormal batteries. In step S203, the controller 230 can receive battery data via communication with the battery management system (BMS) of the first battery 10 and the battery management system (BMS) of the second battery 20. Here, the battery data can include, for example, the battery voltage, the voltages of the battery cells that make up the battery, a fault signal, the internal temperature of the battery, etc. In step S203, the controller 230 can calculate the capacities of the first battery 10 and the second battery 20 based on the battery data of the first battery 10 and the second battery 20.

[0093] In step S204, the controller 230 can compare the capacity of the first battery 10 with the capacity of the second battery 20. In step S205, the controller 230 can compare the capacity of the first battery 10 with the capacity of the second battery 20 and control the operation of the multiple first switches 210.

[0094] In step S205, if the capacity of the first battery 10 exceeds the capacity of the second battery 20, the controller 230 can discharge the first battery 10 until its capacity becomes the same as that of the second battery 20. For example, in step S205, if the capacity of the first battery 10 is 8000 mAh, the voltage of the first battery 10 is 60 V, and the capacity of the second battery 20 is 4000 mAh, and the voltage of the second battery 20 is 50 V, the controller 230 can discharge the first battery 10 until its capacity becomes the same as that of the second battery 20. In step S205, the controller 230 can turn on the first switch 211 of the plurality of first switches 210, which connects the first battery 10 and the first resistor (R1) connected to the first battery 10, and turn off the remaining plurality of first switches 212, 213, 214, 215.

[0095] In step S206, if the capacity of the first battery 10 is less than the capacity of the second battery 20, the controller 230 can discharge the second battery 20 until its capacity becomes the same as that of the first battery 10. In step S102, for example, if the capacity of the first battery 10 is 4000 mAh, the voltage of the first battery 10 is 50 V, the capacity of the second battery 20 is 8000 mAh, and the voltage of the second battery 20 is 60 V, the controller 230 can discharge the second battery 20 until its capacity becomes the same as that of the first battery 10. In step S102, the controller 230 can turn on the first switch 212 of the plurality of first switches 210, which connects the second battery 20 and the second resistor (R2) connected to the second battery 20, and turn off the remaining plurality of first switches 211, 213, 214, 215.

[0096] In step S207, if the capacity of the first battery 10 is the same as the capacity of the second battery 20, the controller 230 can discharge the first battery 10 and the second battery 20 simultaneously.

[0097] In step S207, the controller 230 can turn on the first switch 211 among the plurality of first switches 210, which connects the first battery 10 and the first resistor (R1) connected to the first battery 10, turn on the first switch 212 connecting the second battery 20 and the second resistor (R2) connected to the second battery 20, and turn off the remaining plurality of first switches 213, 214, 215. In step S207, the controller 230 can also turn on at least one second switch among the plurality of second switches 220 to adjust the distribution ratio of the discharge current of the first battery 10 and the second battery 20 applied to the plurality of resistors (R).

[0098] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing system that implements the method of operating a battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 7, a computing system 2000 according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include an MCU (microcontroller unit) 2100, a memory 2200, an input / output I / F (interface) 2300, and a communication I / F (interface) 2400.

[0100] The MCU 2100 may be a processor that executes various programs (e.g., a battery capacity calculation program) stored in the memory 2200, processes various data including the SOC, SOH, etc. of multiple battery cells through such programs, and performs the functions of the battery management device 200 described with reference to FIG. 1, or a processor that executes the operating method of the battery management device described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0101] The memory 2200 can store various programs related to calculating the SOH of the battery cells and determining which cells are to be executed, and can also store various data such as SOC and SOH data for each battery cell.

[0102] A plurality of such memories 2200 may be provided as necessary. The memories 2200 may be volatile or nonvolatile memories. The volatile memory 2200 may be a random access memory (RAM), a dynamic RAM (DRAM), a static RAM (SRAM), or the like. The nonvolatile memory 2200 may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an electrically alterable ROM (EAROM), an electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a flash memory, or the like. The examples of the memory 2200 listed above are merely illustrative and are not limiting.

[0103] The input / output I / F 2300 can provide an interface that connects input devices (not shown) such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel, and output devices such as a display (not shown), to the MCU 2100, enabling data to be sent and received.

[0104] The communication I / F 2400 is configured to be able to send and receive various data to and from a server, and may be any device that supports wired or wireless communication. For example, programs and various data for calculating the SOH of battery cells and determining eligibility can be sent and received from a separately provided external server via the communication I / F 2400.

[0105] In this manner, the method for operating the battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein can be stored in the memory 2200 and executed by the MCU 2100.

[0106] The above description is merely an illustrative example of the technical ideas disclosed in the present application, and a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed in the present application belong may make various modifications and variations within the scope that does not deviate from the essential characteristics of the embodiments disclosed in the present application.

[0107] Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this application are intended to illustrate, not limit, the technical ideas disclosed in this application, and the scope of the technical ideas disclosed in this application is not limited by such embodiments. The scope of protection of the technical ideas disclosed in this application should be interpreted according to the claims below, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of this application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 10, 20, 30, 40, 50: Multiple batteries 1000: Battery exchange station 100: Battery slot 110, 120, 130, 140: Multiple battery slots T1, T2, T3, T4, T5: Multiple temperature measurement sensors 200:Battery management device R1: First resistor R2: 2nd resistance R3: 3rd resistor R4: 4th resistor R5: 5th resistor 211, 212, 213, 214, 215: multiple first switches 221, 222, 223, 224: Multiple second switches 230: Controller 240: Communications Department 300: Charger 2000: Computing Systems 2100:MCU 2200:Memory 2300: Input / output interface 2400:Communication I / F

Claims

1. a plurality of resistors respectively coupled to the plurality of batteries; a plurality of first switches respectively connecting the plurality of resistors to output terminals of the plurality of batteries; a plurality of second switches connecting the plurality of resistors in parallel; a controller that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries, and controls the operation of the plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches based on the presence or absence of an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries.

2. the plurality of resistors are connected in series to the plurality of batteries, respectively; The battery management device of claim 1 , wherein the second switches are connected in series with each other.

3. a communication unit that receives an abnormality signal from a battery management system (BMS) of each of the plurality of batteries; The battery management device according to claim 2 , wherein the controller determines, based on the abnormality signal, a first battery from which an abnormality signal has been detected and at least one second battery associated with the first battery among the plurality of batteries.

4. The battery management device of claim 3, wherein the controller acquires temperature information of the plurality of batteries from a plurality of temperature measurement sensors that measure the temperatures of the plurality of batteries, and determines, based on the temperature information, the first battery and the at least one second battery associated with the first battery among the plurality of batteries in which an abnormal temperature has been detected.

5. 5. The battery management device of claim 4, wherein when the controller detects an abnormal temperature or abnormal signal of the first battery among the plurality of batteries, the controller determines the at least one second battery adjacent to the first battery based on the arrangement order of the plurality of batteries.

6. 5. The battery management device of claim 4, wherein the controller calculates the capacities of the first battery and the at least one second battery, compares the capacity of the first battery with the capacity of the second battery, and controls the operation of the plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches.

7. If the capacity of the first battery exceeds the capacity of the at least one second battery, the controller: turning on a first switch connecting the first battery and a resistor connected to the first battery among the plurality of first switches; The battery management device according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of second switches is turned on.

8. If the capacity of the first battery is less than the capacity of the at least one second battery, the controller: turning on a first switch among the plurality of first switches, the first switch connecting the second battery and a resistor connected to the second battery; The battery management device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of second switches is turned on.

9. determining whether or not there is an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries; controlling the operation of a plurality of first switches respectively connecting a plurality of resistors respectively connected to the plurality of batteries and battery current output terminals of the plurality of batteries based on the presence or absence of an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries; and controlling the operation of a plurality of second switches that connect the plurality of resistors in parallel.

10. The step of determining whether or not there is an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries includes: receiving an abnormality signal for the plurality of batteries from a battery management system (BMS) for each of the plurality of batteries; The method of claim 9, further comprising: determining, based on the abnormality signal, a first battery in which the abnormality signal is detected and at least one second battery associated with the first battery among the plurality of batteries.

11. The step of determining whether or not there is an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries includes: acquiring temperature information of the plurality of batteries from a plurality of temperature measurement sensors that measure temperatures of the plurality of batteries; The method of claim 10, further comprising determining, based on the temperature information, the first battery in which an abnormal temperature has been detected and the at least one second battery associated with the first battery among the plurality of batteries.

12. The step of determining whether or not there is an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries includes:

12. The method for operating a battery management device according to claim 11, characterized in that, when an abnormal temperature or abnormal signal is detected in the first battery among the plurality of batteries, the at least one second battery adjacent to the first battery is determined based on the arrangement order of the plurality of batteries.

13. The step of determining whether or not there is an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries includes:

13. The method for operating a battery management device according to claim 12, further comprising: calculating the capacities of the first battery and the at least one second battery; comparing the capacity of the first battery with the capacity of the second battery; and controlling the operation of the plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches.

14. controlling operations of a plurality of first switches respectively connecting a plurality of resistors respectively connected to the plurality of batteries and battery current output terminals of the plurality of batteries based on the presence or absence of an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries, When a capacity of the first battery exceeds a capacity of the at least one second battery, a first switch connecting the first battery and a resistor connected to the first battery is turned on among the plurality of first switches; The step of controlling the operation of a plurality of second switches connecting the plurality of resistors in parallel includes: The method of claim 13, further comprising turning on at least one second switch among the plurality of second switches.

15. controlling operations of a plurality of first switches respectively connecting a plurality of resistors respectively connected to the plurality of batteries and battery current output terminals of the plurality of batteries based on the presence or absence of an abnormality in each of the plurality of batteries, When a capacity of the first battery is less than a capacity of the at least one second battery, turning on a first switch connecting the second battery and a resistor connected to the second battery among the plurality of first switches; The step of controlling the operation of a plurality of second switches connecting the plurality of resistors in parallel includes: The method of claim 13, further comprising turning on at least one second switch among the plurality of second switches.

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