Charging protocol setting device and method

Abstract

A charging protocol setting device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a profile acquisition unit configured to acquire a resistance profile showing the correspondence between the SOC and resistance of a battery charged at a predetermined C rate, and a control unit configured to determine a target SOC that satisfies predetermined conditions in the resistance profile and set a charging protocol that includes the correspondence between a predetermined C rate and the target SOC.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging protocol setting apparatus and method, and more particularly, to a charging protocol setting apparatus and method for setting a charging protocol of a battery.

[0002] The present application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0193652 filed on December 27, 2023, and all contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of the said application are incorporated into the present application.

Background Art

[0003] Recently, as demand for portable electronic products such as notebook PCs (Personal Computers), video cameras, mobile phones and the like has increased rapidly, and development of electric vehicles, power storage storage batteries, robots, artificial satellites and the like has entered full swing, research on high-performance batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged has been actively conducted.

[0004] Currently, commercially available batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium batteries and the like. Among these, lithium batteries are in the spotlight because they hardly cause memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries, allow free charge and discharge, have an extremely low self-discharge rate and high energy density.

[0005] As power-driven devices such as electric vehicles, electric motorcycles, electric bicycles and the like have been commercialized, demand for high-capacity and high-performance batteries has been increasing. However, as the capacity of batteries increases, there is a disadvantage that the time required for charging the battery also increases. To solve such problems, technologies for rapidly charging batteries have been developed, but there is a concern that rapid charging may accelerate the deterioration of batteries. Therefore, in order to prevent deterioration of batteries caused by rapid charging, a rapid charging protocol capable of efficiently charging batteries is required.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a charging protocol setting device and method for setting a charging protocol.

[0007] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood by the embodiments of the invention described below. Furthermore, it will be understood that the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations thereof set forth in the claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A charging protocol setting device according to one aspect of the present invention may include: a profile acquisition unit configured to acquire a resistance profile showing the correspondence between the SOC and resistance of a battery charged at a predetermined C rate; and a control unit configured to determine a target SOC that satisfies predetermined conditions in the resistance profile and to set a charging protocol including the correspondence between the predetermined C rate and the target SOC.

[0009] The control unit may be configured to determine a target interval in the resistance profile and to determine the target SOC within the SOC belonging to the target interval.

[0010] The control unit may be configured to determine a first reference SOC and a second reference SOC that satisfy the predetermined conditions in the resistance profile, and to determine the SOC interval including the first reference SOC and the second reference SOC as the target interval.

[0011] The control unit may be configured to determine the second reference SOC in an SOC interval exceeding the first reference SOC.

[0012] The control unit may be configured to determine the minimum point in the resistance profile where the corresponding SOC is largest, and to determine the SOC corresponding to the determined minimum point as the first reference SOC.

[0013] The control unit may be configured to determine the target point with the largest corresponding rate of change in the resistance profile, and to determine the SOC corresponding to the determined target point as the second reference SOC.

[0014] The control unit may be configured to set the target SOC to the upper limit SOC of charge corresponding to the predetermined C rate.

[0015] The profile acquisition unit may be configured to acquire multiple resistance profiles with different corresponding C rates.

[0016] The control unit may be configured to determine the target SOC in each of the plurality of resistance profiles and to set the charging protocol to include a correspondence between the C rates of the plurality of resistance profiles and the target SOC.

[0017] The resistance profile can be configured to show a correspondence between the state of charge (SOC) in the idle state and the resistance due to the voltage drop in the idle state while the battery is repeatedly charged at the predetermined C rate while in a charging state and idle state.

[0018] Furthermore, a charging control device according to another aspect of the present invention may be configured to control the charging of a battery to be charged based on the charging protocol set by a charging protocol setting device according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0019] A battery pack according to yet another aspect of the present invention may include a charging control device according to yet another aspect of the present invention.

[0020] An automobile according to another aspect of the present invention may be equipped with a charging control device according to another aspect of the present invention.

[0021] A charging protocol setting apparatus according to still another aspect of the present invention may include: a profile obtaining step of obtaining a resistance profile indicating a correspondence between an SOC and a resistance of a battery charged at a predetermined C-rate; a target SOC determining step of determining a target SOC satisfying a predetermined condition in the resistance profile; and a charging protocol setting step of setting a charging protocol including a correspondence between the predetermined C-rate and the target SOC.

Effects of the Invention

[0022] According to an aspect of the present invention, deterioration of the battery caused by charging is prevented, whereby the battery can be charged safely, and the expected service life of the battery can be extended.

[0023] Effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and other effects of the present invention not mentioned herein can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

[0024] The following drawings attached to the present specification serve to facilitate further understanding of the technical idea of the present invention together with the detailed description of the invention described below, and the present invention should not be construed as being limited only to the matters described in the drawings.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a charging protocol setting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a charging process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a resistance profile according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a differential profile according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating negative electrode profiles of a reference battery and first to third batteries. [Figure 6]This diagram schematically shows the capacity profiles of the reference battery and the first to third batteries. [Figure 7] This figure schematically shows the resistance profiles of the battery, positive electrode, and negative electrode according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure schematically shows multiple resistance profiles according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure schematically shows a charging control device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This figure schematically shows a battery pack according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure schematically shows a charging device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This figure schematically shows an automobile according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This figure schematically illustrates a method for setting a charging protocol according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Prior to this, terms and words used in this specification and in the claims shall not be interpreted to be limited to their usual or dictionary meanings, but rather to be interpreted in terms and concepts appropriate to the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principle that inventors may appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best describe their invention.

[0027] Therefore, the embodiments described herein and the configurations shown in the drawings represent only one of the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical concept of the invention. It should be understood that there are various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted for these at the time of filing this application.

[0028] In addition, when describing the present invention, if it is determined that a specific description of a related known configuration or function would unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, such description will be omitted.

[0029] Terms that include ordinal numbers, such as "the first," "the second," etc., are used to distinguish one of several components from the rest, and such terms do not limit the components themselves.

[0030] Throughout the specification, when a part of it is said to "include" or "equip" a certain component, unless otherwise specified, it means that other components are not excluded and may further include other components.

[0031] Furthermore, when a part of the specification is described as being "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where it is "directly connected," but also cases where it is "indirectly connected" through other elements in between.

[0032] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a charging protocol setting device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Referring to Figure 1, the charging protocol setting device 100 may include a profile acquisition unit 110 and a control unit 120.

[0035] The profile acquisition unit 110 may be configured to acquire a resistance profile that shows the correspondence between the state of charge (SOC) and resistance of a battery charged at a predetermined C rate.

[0036] Here, a battery can mean a single, physically separable, independent cell equipped with a negative terminal and a positive terminal. For example, a lithium-ion battery or a lithium polymer battery may be considered a battery. The type of battery can be cylindrical, prismatic, or pouch type. A battery can also refer to a battery bank, battery module, or battery pack in which multiple cells are connected in series and / or parallel. For the sake of explanation, below, a battery will be described as a single, independent cell.

[0037] The resistance profile can be configured to show the correspondence between the state of charge (SOC) in the dormant state and the resistance due to the voltage drop in the dormant state, while the battery is charged at a predetermined C rate through repeated charging and dormant states.

[0038] Specifically, the battery can be charged starting from a preset State of Charge (SOC) or SOC 0%, and continuing until it reaches a preset End SOC or SOC 100%. During the charging process, the battery may enter a dormant state each time its SOC increases by a preset unit of SOC. Here, the dormant state duration can be a preset unit of time.

[0039] For example, a charging device may charge a battery in a charging state. The charging device may then remain in a dormant state for one second for every 1% increase in the battery's State of Charge (SOC). Subsequently, the charging device may switch to a charging state that charges the battery until the battery's SOC increases by 1%.

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the charging process according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the charging device can charge the battery. The charging current is Ic. The battery is in a charged state before Ts and after Td, and in a rest state between Ts and Td. In other words, the period before Ts and the period after Td are charging periods, and the period from Ts to Td is a rest period. During the rest period, the battery voltage may decrease from Vs to Vd.

[0042] The battery resistance can be calculated based on the charging current and the voltage drop during the idle period. For example, assuming that the battery switches to idle mode each time the battery's SOC increases by 1%, the resistance corresponding to the SOC can be calculated for each 1% increase in the battery's SOC. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the voltage drop is Vs-Vd and the charging current is Ic, so the resistance corresponding to the SOC can be calculated using the formula "(Vs-Vd)÷Ic".

[0043] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the resistance profile RP according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, in the embodiment of Figure 3, the resistance profile RP may be represented by an XY graph in which the X axis represents the state of charge (SOC) and the Y axis represents resistance. In the embodiment of Figure 3, the battery starts charging at SOC 0% and ends charging at SOC 100%.

[0044] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the differential profile DP according to one embodiment of the present invention. Here, the differential profile DP is the profile obtained by differentiating the resistance profile RP in Figure 3 with respect to SOC. That is, the differential profile DP can show the correspondence between SOC and the differential resistance dR / dSOC. Here, the differential resistance dR / dSOC is the rate of change of resistance with respect to SOC. Specifically, in the embodiment of Figure 4, the differential profile DP can be shown as an XY graph in which the X axis represents SOC and the Y axis represents the differential resistance dR / dSOC. The embodiment of Figure 4 shows a portion of the SOC range from 30% to 100%.

[0045] For example, the profile acquisition unit 110 can receive the battery's resistance profile from an external source. That is, the profile acquisition unit 110 can receive and acquire a resistance profile from an external source.

[0046] In another example, the profile acquisition unit 110 may receive information related to the battery's SOC and resistance from an external source. The profile acquisition unit 110 can then generate and acquire a resistance profile by mapping the corresponding SOC and resistance values.

[0047] In another example, the profile acquisition unit 110 can directly measure the battery current and voltage. Based on the measured current and voltage, the profile acquisition unit 110 can calculate the State of Charge (SOC) and the resistance for each SOC. Then, the profile acquisition unit 110 can generate a resistance profile based on the calculated SOC and the resistance for each SOC. That is, the profile acquisition unit 110 can directly generate and acquire a resistance profile.

[0048] The profile acquisition unit 110 may be connected to the control unit 120 in a communicative manner. For example, the profile acquisition unit 110 may be connected to the control unit 120 by wire and / or wirelessly. The profile acquisition unit may transmit the acquired differential profile to the control unit 120.

[0049] The control unit 120 may be configured to determine a target SOC that satisfies predetermined conditions in the resistance profile.

[0050] Specifically, the control unit 120 may be configured to determine a target interval in the resistance profile. Here, the target interval may be an SOC interval that belongs to the entire SOC interval of the battery.

[0051] More specifically, the control unit 120 may be configured to determine a first reference SOC and a second reference SOC that satisfy predetermined conditions in the resistance profile, and to determine an SOC interval including the first reference SOC and the second reference SOC as a target interval.

[0052] Here, the first reference SOC may be 0% or greater and less than or equal to the second reference SOC. The second reference SOC may be greater than or equal to the first reference SOC and less than or equal to 100%. If the first reference SOC and the second reference SOC are the same, the target interval (the interval from the first reference SOC to the second reference SOC) may only include the first reference SOC (or the second reference SOC), but for the sake of explanation, it will be described as the target interval. However, preferably, the control unit 120 may be configured to determine the second reference SOC in an SOC interval that exceeds the first reference SOC.

[0053] Furthermore, the control unit 120 may be configured to determine the target SOC among the SOCs belonging to the target interval.

[0054] For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, let's assume that the target interval is set to the first SOC (S1) to the fourth SOC (S4). The control unit 120 can determine any one of the SOCs belonging to the SOC interval from the first SOC (S1) to the fourth SOC (S4) as the target SOC.

[0055] The control unit 120 may be configured to set a charging protocol that includes a correspondence between a predetermined C rate and the target SOC.

[0056] The control unit 120 may be configured to set the target SOC to the upper limit SOC of charge corresponding to a predetermined C rate.

[0057] Here, the upper limit of charge SOC is the SOC value set so that charging of the battery corresponding to a predetermined C rate is completed, and can also be called the charge termination SOC.

[0058] Generally, during the rapid charging process, a phenomenon called lithium plating (Li-plating) can occur, in which lithium metal is deposited due to non-uniform reactions within the battery. In particular, the decrease in battery resistance shown around 100% SOC in the resistance profile is due to the deposition of lithium metal. That is, the point at which the battery resistance decreases can be considered the starting point of lithium plating. Therefore, in order to terminate battery charging before lithium plating begins, the control unit 120 may set the target SOC to the upper limit SOC of the charge corresponding to the C-rate charge.

[0059] Specifically, the control unit 120 may be configured to set a charging protocol that includes a correspondence between the C rate and the maximum charge state of charge (SOC).

[0060] For example, the control unit 120 may set a charging protocol by mapping the C rate to the maximum charge SOC. That is, the charging protocol may include mapping information between the C rate and the maximum charge SOC. If the battery is charged at a first C rate by the charging protocol, charging of the battery may be terminated when the battery's SOC reaches the maximum charge SOC corresponding to the first C rate.

[0061] The charging protocol setting device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention can effectively prevent lithium plating from occurring during the charging process by determining the maximum charge SOC for each C rate. Therefore, by preventing battery degradation due to charging, the battery is charged safely and the expected lifespan of the battery is extended.

[0062] The following describes embodiments of a reference battery and the first to third batteries to which different charging protocols are applied.

[0063] Here, the reference battery is a battery that has been charged by a conventional charging protocol, without applying the charging protocol of the present invention.

[0064] The first battery is a battery charged by a first charging protocol that includes a charge limit SOC for each C rate corresponding to the first SOC(S1) in Figure 3.

[0065] The second battery is a battery charged by a second charging protocol that includes a charge limit SOC for each C rate corresponding to the third SOC (S3) in Figure 3.

[0066] The third battery is a battery charged by a third charging protocol that includes a charge limit SOC for each C rate corresponding to the fourth SOC (S4) in Figure 3.

[0067] Figure 5 schematically shows the negative electrode profiles Rn, Rn1, Rn2, and Rn3 of the reference battery and the first to third batteries. Specifically, the negative electrode profiles in Figure 5 are profiles that show the correspondence between the state of charge (SOC) and the negative electrode voltage. That is, Figure 5 includes the reference negative electrode profile Rn corresponding to the reference battery, the first negative electrode profile Rn1 corresponding to the first battery, the second negative electrode profile Rn2 corresponding to the second battery, and the third negative electrode profile Rn3 corresponding to the third battery.

[0068] It is generally known that when the negative electrode voltage is below a predetermined voltage, the lithium electrodeposition reaction occurs. That is, when the negative electrode voltage decreases below a predetermined voltage, the lithium plating phenomenon may occur. The following describes the case where the predetermined voltage is -0.1V.

[0069] Referring to the reference negative electrode profile, it can be confirmed that the negative electrode voltage of the reference battery is lower than -0.1V. That is, if a charge limit SOC is not set for each C rate, the negative electrode voltage may drop below -0.1V, causing lithium metal to deposit on the negative electrode surface.

[0070] On the other hand, referring to the first negative electrode profile Rn1, the second negative electrode profile Rn2, and the third negative electrode profile Rn3, the negative electrode voltages of the first, second, and third batteries can be maintained at a voltage greater than -0.1V. That is, lithium plating may not occur in the first, second, and third batteries due to charging.

[0071] Figure 6 schematically shows the capacity profiles Rr, Rr1, Rr2, and Rr3 of the reference battery and the first to third batteries. Specifically, the capacity profiles in Figure 6 are profiles that show the correspondence between cycles and capacity retention rates. That is, Figure 6 includes the reference capacity profile Rr corresponding to the reference battery, the first capacity profile Rr1 corresponding to the first battery, the second capacity profile Rr2 corresponding to the second battery, and the third capacity profile Rr3 corresponding to the third battery.

[0072] Here, the capacity profile is a diagram showing the capacity retention rate of a battery through charge-discharge cycles. Here, the battery capacity can be either the fully charged capacity or the fully discharged capacity. The capacity retention rate represents the capacity in the target cycle relative to the capacity in the BOL (Beginning of Life) state. For example, assuming that the capacity in the first cycle is Qi and the capacity in the target cycle is Qt, the capacity retention rate in the target cycle can be calculated using the formula "Qt ÷ Qi × 100".

[0073] Referring to Figure 6, it can be seen that as the cycle progresses, the capacity retention rate of the reference battery is lower than that of the first to third batteries. As the cycle progresses, the capacity retention rates increase in the order of the reference battery, the third battery, the second battery, and then the first battery. In other words, as the cycle progresses, the reference battery charged by the reference charging protocol may degrade even more than the first to third batteries charged by the first to third charging protocols.

[0074] When a battery is charged according to a charging protocol set by a charging protocol setting device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the occurrence of lithium plating of the battery due to charging can be effectively prevented.

[0075] The charging protocol setting device 100 has the advantage of being able to set a charging protocol that can extend the expected lifespan of the battery by preventing unnecessary battery degradation. In other words, by preventing battery degradation due to charging, the battery can be charged safely, and the expected lifespan of the battery can be extended.

[0076] On the other hand, the control unit 120 provided in the charging protocol setting device 100 may selectively include known processors, ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits), other chipsets, logic circuits, registers, communication modems, data processing devices, etc., in order to execute the various control logics performed in the present invention. Furthermore, if the control logic is embodied as software, the control unit 120 may be embodied by a collection of program modules. In this case, the program modules are stored in memory and can be executed by the control unit 120. The memory may be located inside or outside the control unit 120 and can be connected to the control unit 120 by various known means.

[0077] The charging protocol setting device 100 may further include a storage unit 130. The storage unit 130 may store data and programs necessary for each component of the charging protocol setting device 100 to operate and function, or data generated during the process of operation and functioning. The type of storage unit 130 is not particularly limited, as long as it is a known information storage means capable of recording, erasing, updating, and reading data. For example, information storage means may include RAM, flash memory, ROM, EEPROM, registers, etc. The storage unit 130 may also store program code that defines processes executable by the control unit 120.

[0078] For example, the battery's resistance profile and charging protocol can be stored in the storage unit 130.

[0079] The following describes specific embodiments of the first and second standard SOCs.

[0080] The control unit 120 may be configured to determine the minimum point in the resistance profile where the corresponding SOC is largest, and to determine the SOC corresponding to the determined minimum point as a first reference SOC.

[0081] Specifically, the battery's resistance profile may include at least one local minimum. The control unit 120 may determine the local minimum with the largest corresponding SOC among the at least one local minimum included in the resistance profile as the first reference SOC. Here, if the resistance profile includes one local minimum, the control unit 120 may determine the SOC of that local minimum as the first reference SOC.

[0082] Referring to the minimum point, it can be seen that the battery resistance increases in SOC intervals above the SOC of the minimum point. That is, the SOC interval above the first reference SOC includes the SOC at which the lithium electrodeposition reaction begins. Therefore, the control unit 120 can set the first reference SOC, where the occurrence of the lithium electrodeposition reaction is strongly estimated, as the starting point of the target interval.

[0083] For example, in the embodiments shown in Figures 3 and 4, the minimum point in the resistance profile RP where the corresponding SOC is largest may be the point that becomes the first SOC(S1). Therefore, the control unit 120 can set the first SOC(S1) as the first reference SOC.

[0084] The control unit 120 may be configured to determine the target point with the largest corresponding rate of change in the resistance profile and to determine the SOC corresponding to the determined target point as a second reference SOC.

[0085] Preferably, the control unit 120 can determine a second reference SOC in an SOC interval greater than or equal to the first reference SOC. That is, the control unit 120 can determine the target point with the largest rate of change in an SOC interval greater than or equal to the first reference SOC.

[0086] In the SOC interval beyond the target point, the rate of change of resistance relative to the SOC may gradually decrease. That is, since the negative electrode voltage decreases in this interval, a decrease in the rate of change of the battery's resistance profile may be observed. Therefore, the control unit 120 may determine a target point that is strongly estimated to be the starting point where the negative electrode voltage begins to decrease, and set the SOC corresponding to the target point as a second reference SOC.

[0087] For example, in the embodiments shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rate of change (differential resistance) at the point corresponding to the fourth SOC (S4) in the resistance profile RP is the largest. Therefore, the control unit 120 can set the second reference SOC to the fourth SOC (S4).

[0088] The target interval, set based on the minimum point and rate of change of the resistance profile, may be the SOC interval before the negative electrode voltage decreases below a predetermined voltage. Therefore, according to the charging protocol set based on the target SOC (charge limit SOC) belonging to the target interval, it is possible to prevent unnecessary degradation of the battery due to charging. Thus, the charging protocol setting device 100 has the advantage of being able to set a charging protocol that does not cause lithium plating.

[0089] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the resistance profiles of the battery FC, positive electrode PE, and negative electrode NE according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 includes the resistance profiles of the battery FC, positive electrode PE, and negative electrode NE. At the end of charging (approximately 60% SOC), the resistance of the negative electrode NE decreases, but the resistance of the positive electrode PE may increase. In the case of a battery with a large proportion of positive electrode resistance, the increase in the resistance of the positive electrode PE is dominant over the decrease in the resistance of the negative electrode NE, and therefore the resistance of the battery FC may also increase.

[0090] For example, a typical battery containing a perlithium manganese oxide with an excess of lithium as the positive electrode active material is one in which the increase in resistance of the positive electrode PE is dominant over the decrease in resistance of the negative electrode NE. In this case, the perlithium manganese oxide with an excess of lithium has a crystalline structure in which a layered phase (LiMO2) and a rock salt phase (Li2MnO3) are mixed. During the charge and discharge process, the rock salt phase is activated, and the capacity due to the oxidation-reduction reaction of oxygen is further expressed, resulting in a high capacity. Specifically, since the oxidation-reduction reaction of oxygen induces the oxidation-reduction reaction of manganese (Mn redox reaction), the battery capacity can be further expressed.

[0091] As mentioned above, when the negative electrode voltage drops below a predetermined voltage, lithium metal can be deposited on the negative electrode surface by lithium electrodeposition. However, in batteries where the increase in positive electrode resistance is dominant, the decrease in negative electrode resistance may not be clearly shown in the battery's resistance profile. In this case, the battery may be charged until the negative electrode voltage drops below a predetermined voltage, which can lead to lithium plating in the battery.

[0092] Therefore, the charging protocol setting device 100 can determine an appropriate upper charge limit (SOC) for each C rate by considering the decrease in negative electrode resistance regardless of the battery type. Thus, the charging protocol set by the charging protocol setting device 100 has the advantage of preventing lithium plating from occurring in the battery during the charging process.

[0093] The profile acquisition unit 110 may be configured to acquire multiple resistance profiles with different corresponding C rates.

[0094] For example, the profile acquisition unit 110 may acquire multiple resistance profiles generated when a single reference battery is charged at multiple C rates. In another example, the profile acquisition unit 110 may acquire multiple resistance profiles generated when multiple identical batteries are charged at corresponding C rates.

[0095] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing multiple resistance profiles according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0096] Specifically, Figure 8 includes a first resistance profile corresponding to 0.33C, a second resistance profile corresponding to 0.5C, a third resistance profile corresponding to 1.0C, a fourth resistance profile corresponding to 1.5C, a fifth resistance profile corresponding to 2.0C, a sixth resistance profile corresponding to 2.5C, a seventh resistance profile corresponding to 3.0C, and an eighth resistance profile corresponding to 3.5C.

[0097] The control unit 120 may be configured to determine the target SOC for each of the multiple resistance profiles.

[0098] Specifically, the C rates corresponding to each of the multiple resistance profiles may differ. Therefore, the control unit 120 can determine the target SOC for each of the multiple resistance profiles, thereby determining the target SOC corresponding to each C rate.

[0099] The control unit 120 may be configured to set the charging protocol to include a correspondence between the C rate and the target SOC for multiple resistance profiles.

[0100] For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 8, the charging protocol set by the control unit 120 may include a first charging limit SOC corresponding to 0.33C, a second charging limit SOC corresponding to 0.5C, a third charging limit SOC corresponding to 1.0C, a fourth charging limit SOC corresponding to 1.5C, a fifth charging limit SOC corresponding to 2.0C, a sixth charging limit SOC corresponding to 2.5C, a seventh charging limit SOC corresponding to 3.0C, and an eighth charging limit SOC corresponding to 3.5C.

[0101] In other words, the charging protocol setting device 100 can provide an optimal charging protocol that prevents lithium plating from occurring in the battery due to charging by setting a charging protocol that includes a correspondence between the C rate and the maximum charge state of charge (SOC).

[0102] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing a charging control device 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0103] Referring to Figure 9, the charging control device 200 may include a memory 210 and a processor 220.

[0104] Specifically, the charging protocol set by the charging protocol setting device 100 can be stored in the memory 210. Then, when the processor 220 needs to control the charging of the battery to be charged, it can access the memory 210 and retrieve the stored charging protocol. The processor 220 can then be configured to control the charging of the battery to be charged based on the charging protocol.

[0105] On the other hand, the processor 220 provided in the charge control device 200 may selectively include known processors, ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits), other chipsets, logic circuits, registers, communication modems, data processing devices, etc., in order to execute the various control logics performed in the present invention. Furthermore, when the control logic is embodied as software, the processor 220 may be embodied by a collection of program modules. In this case, the program modules are stored in memory and can be executed by the processor 220. The memory may be located inside or outside the processor 220 and can be connected to the processor 220 by various known means.

[0106] Furthermore, the memory 210 mounted on the charging control device 200 can store data and programs necessary for the operation and functioning of each component of the charging control device 200, or data generated during the process of operation and functioning. The type of memory 210 is not particularly limited as long as it is a known information storage means capable of recording, erasing, updating, and reading data. Examples of information storage means include RAM, flash memory, ROM, EEPROM, and registers. The memory 210 can also store program code that defines processes executable by the processor 220.

[0107] Furthermore, the charging control device 200 according to the present invention may be provided in the battery pack 1. That is, the battery pack 1 according to the present invention may include the aforementioned charging control device 200 and one or more battery cells. The battery pack 1 may further include electrical components (relays, fuses, etc.) and a case.

[0108] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing a battery pack 1 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0109] The positive terminal of battery 10 may be connected to the positive terminal P+ of battery pack 1, and the negative terminal of battery 10 may be connected to the negative terminal P- of battery pack 1.

[0110] The measuring unit 20 may be connected to a first sensing line SL1, a second sensing line SL2, and a third sensing line SL3. Specifically, the measuring unit 20 may be connected to the positive terminal of the battery 10 via the first sensing line SL1 and to the negative terminal of the battery 10 via the second sensing line SL2. The measuring unit 20 may measure the voltage of the battery 10 based on the voltages measured at the first sensing line SL1 and the second sensing line SL2, respectively.

[0111] The measurement unit 20 may be connected to the current measurement unit A via the third sensing line SL3. For example, the current measurement unit A may be an ammeter or shunt resistor capable of measuring the charging and discharging currents of the battery 10. The measurement unit 20 may measure the charging and discharging currents of the battery 10 via the third sensing line SL3.

[0112] Battery information measured by the measurement unit 20 can be transmitted to the charge control device 200. For example, the measurement unit 20 and the charge control device 200 can be connected to each other via wired and / or wireless communication. Battery information received from the measurement unit 20 can be stored in the memory 210 and input to the processor 220. The processor 220 can also access the memory 210 to retrieve the stored battery information.

[0113] A charging device 2 can be connected to the positive terminal P+ and negative terminal P- of the battery pack 1. Here, the charging device 2 is a device for charging the battery 10.

[0114] The processor 220 may be connected to the charging device 2 via a communication line CL in a wired and / or wireless manner. For example, the processor 220 may communicate with the charging device 2 using power-line communication (PLC). Based on the charging protocol stored in the memory 210, the processor 220 may determine whether the SOC of the battery 10 has reached the upper charge limit SOC corresponding to the current C rate. If the SOC of the battery 10 has reached the upper charge limit SOC, the processor 220 may instruct the charging device 2 to reduce the C rate. Preferably, the processor 220 may select a C rate smaller than the current C rate according to the charging protocol and instruct the charging device 2 to charge at the selected C rate.

[0115] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing a charging device 2 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0116] The battery pack 1 may include a battery 10, a measurement unit 20, and a BMS (Battery Management System) 30. Here, the BMS 30 is a battery management system that diagnoses the state of the battery and controls the charging and discharging of the battery. For example, the BMS 30 may be a configuration that has been widely used conventionally.

[0117] The charging device 2 may include a charging control device 200. For example, the charging device 2 may output a charging current at a C rate set by the charging control device 200.

[0118] The BMS30 can be connected to the charging device 2 via a communication line CL, enabling communication by wire and / or wirelessly. Preferably, the charging device 2 can receive battery information from the BMS30. The battery information can then be stored in the memory 210 and input to the processor 220. The processor 220 can also access the memory 210 to retrieve the stored battery information.

[0119] The processor 220 can determine, based on the charging protocol stored in the memory 210, whether the SOC of the battery 10 has reached the upper limit SOC corresponding to the current C rate. If the SOC of the battery 10 has reached the upper limit SOC, the processor 220 can reduce the charging C rate. That is, the processor 220 can reduce the charging current output from the charging device 2. Preferably, the processor 220 can select a C rate lower than the current C rate according to the charging protocol and change the C rate of the charging current output from the charging device 2 to the selected C rate. Therefore, the charging device 2 can output a charging current corresponding to the lower C rate to the battery 10.

[0120] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing an automobile according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0121] Referring to Figure 12, the battery pack 1210 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be included in an automobile 1200 such as an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid vehicle (HV). The battery pack 1210 can drive the automobile 1200 by supplying power to a motor via an inverter provided in the automobile 1200. Here, the battery pack 1210 may include a charging control device. That is, the automobile 1200 may include a charging control device 200.

[0122] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for setting a charging protocol according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0123] Referring to Figure 13, the method for setting the charging protocol may include a profile acquisition step S100, a target SOC determination step S200, and a charging protocol setting step S300.

[0124] Preferably, each step of the charging protocol setting method can be performed by the charging protocol setting device 100. For the sake of clarity, any content that overlaps with what has been described above will be omitted or explained in a simplified manner below.

[0125] The profile acquisition step S100 is a step in which a resistance profile showing the correspondence between the state of charge (SOC) and resistance of a battery charged at a predetermined C rate is acquired, and this can be performed by the profile acquisition unit 110.

[0126] For example, the profile acquisition unit 110 can receive the battery's resistance profile from an external source. That is, the profile acquisition unit 110 can receive and acquire a resistance profile from an external source.

[0127] In another example, the profile acquisition unit 110 may receive information related to the battery's SOC and resistance from an external source. The profile acquisition unit 110 can then generate and acquire a resistance profile by mapping the corresponding SOC and resistance values.

[0128] In another example, the profile acquisition unit 110 can directly measure the battery current and voltage. Based on the measured current and voltage, the profile acquisition unit 110 can calculate the State of Charge (SOC) and the resistance for each SOC. Then, the profile acquisition unit 110 can generate a resistance profile based on the calculated SOC and the resistance for each SOC. That is, the profile acquisition unit 110 can directly generate and acquire a resistance profile.

[0129] The target SOC determination step S200 is a step in which a target SOC that satisfies predetermined conditions in the resistance profile is determined, and can be performed by the control unit 120.

[0130] Specifically, the control unit 120 may be configured to determine a first reference SOC and a second reference SOC that satisfy predetermined conditions in the resistance profile, and to determine an SOC interval including the first reference SOC and the second reference SOC as a target interval.

[0131] For example, the control unit 120 may be configured to determine the minimum point in the resistance profile where the corresponding SOC is largest, and to determine the SOC corresponding to the determined minimum point as a first reference SOC.

[0132] For example, the control unit 120 may be configured to determine the target point with the largest corresponding rate of change in the resistance profile and to determine the SOC corresponding to the determined target point as a second reference SOC.

[0133] The charging protocol setting step S300 is a step in which a charging protocol is set, which includes a correspondence between a predetermined C rate and a target SOC, and can be performed by the control unit 120.

[0134] The control unit 120 may be configured to set the target SOC to the upper limit SOC of charge corresponding to a predetermined C rate.

[0135] In other words, the charging protocol may include mapping information between the C rate and the maximum charge SOC. For example, if the charging protocol charges the battery at a first C rate, charging may be terminated when the battery's SOC reaches the maximum charge SOC corresponding to the first C rate.

[0136] The embodiments of the present invention described above are not necessarily carried out through apparatus and methods, but may also be carried out through a program that performs functions corresponding to the configuration of the embodiments of the present invention, or through a recording medium on which such a program is recorded. Such implementation should be easily carried out by experts in the art to which the present invention belongs, based on the above-described embodiments.

[0137] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited thereto, and that a wide range of modifications and variations are possible within the equivalent scope of the technical idea and claims of the present invention by persons with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[0138] Furthermore, since the present invention described above can be substituted, modified, and altered in various ways by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs, without departing from the technical spirit of the invention, it is not limited by the embodiments described above and the accompanying drawings, and all or part of each embodiment can be selectively combined to form a variety of modifications. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0139] 1 Battery Pack 2 Charging device 10 batteries 20 Measuring part 30 BMS 100 Charging Protocol Setting Device 110 Profile acquisition unit 120 Control Unit 130 Preservation Department 200 Charging control device 210 memory 220 processors 1200 automobiles 1210 Battery Pack

Claims

1. A profile acquisition unit configured to acquire a resistance profile showing the correspondence between the SOC and resistance of a battery charged at a predetermined C rate, A charging protocol setting device including a control unit configured to determine a target SOC that satisfies predetermined conditions in the resistance profile and to set a charging protocol that includes a correspondence between a predetermined C rate and the target SOC.

2. The charging protocol setting device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine a target interval in the resistance profile and to determine the target SOC among the SOCs belonging to the target interval.

3. The charging protocol setting device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to determine a first reference SOC and a second reference SOC that satisfy the predetermined conditions in the resistance profile, and to determine the SOC interval including the first reference SOC and the second reference SOC as the target interval.

4. The charging protocol setting device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the second reference SOC in an SOC interval exceeding the first reference SOC.

5. The charging protocol setting device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the minimum point in the resistance profile where the corresponding SOC is largest, and to determine the SOC corresponding to the determined minimum point as the first reference SOC.

6. The charging protocol setting device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the target point with the largest corresponding rate of change in the resistance profile, and to determine the SOC corresponding to the determined target point as the second reference SOC.

7. The charging protocol setting device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to set the target SOC to the charging upper limit SOC corresponding to the predetermined C rate.

8. The profile acquisition unit is configured to acquire multiple resistance profiles with different corresponding C rates. The charging protocol setting device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the target SOC in each of the plurality of resistance profiles and to set the charging protocol so as to include a correspondence between the C rates of the plurality of resistance profiles and the target SOC.

9. The charging protocol setting device according to claim 1, wherein the resistance profile is set to show a correspondence between the SOC in the idle state and the resistance due to the voltage drop in the idle state while the battery is repeatedly charged at the predetermined C rate by alternating between a charging state and a idle state.

10. A charging control device configured to control the charging of a battery to be charged based on the charging protocol set by the charging protocol setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A battery pack comprising the charging control device described in claim 10.

12. An automobile equipped with the charging control device described in claim 10.

13. A profile acquisition step is to acquire a resistance profile that shows the correspondence between the SOC and resistance of a battery charged at a predetermined C rate, A target SOC determination step in which a target SOC that satisfies predetermined conditions in the resistance profile is determined, A charging protocol setting method, comprising: a charging protocol setting step of setting a charging protocol that includes a correspondence between a predetermined C rate and the target SOC.

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