Battery control device for responding to communication abnormality situations and energy storage system including the same

Abstract

An energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of BMSs provided corresponding to a plurality of batteries, respectively, and a host control device that collects status information on the plurality of batteries from the plurality of BMSs and monitors or controls the plurality of batteries based on the collected status information. Here, when the host control device does not receive status information on a first battery from a first BMS due to a communication abnormality, the host control device can select a second battery from the plurality of batteries based on stored battery history information and use the status information on the second battery as the status information on the first battery.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing dates of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0122226 filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on September 27, 2022, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0018655 filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on February 13, 2023, and all of the contents disclosed in the documents of said Korean patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery control device and an energy storage system including the same, and more particularly to a battery control device and an energy storage system including the same that can stably operate an energy storage system when a communication abnormality occurs. [Background technology]

[0003] Secondary batteries are batteries that can be reused by charging after discharging, and can be used as energy sources for small devices such as mobile phones, tablet PCs, and vacuum cleaners, as well as medium-sized and large devices such as automobiles and ESS (Energy Storage Systems) for smart grids.

[0004] Secondary batteries are applied to systems in the form of assemblies such as battery modules in which a number of battery cells are connected in series and parallel, or battery packs in which battery modules are connected in series and parallel, depending on the requirements of the system.

[0005] The integrated control device (or upper control device) of the energy storage system monitors and controls the battery assemblies based on battery state information such as SOC (State of Charge) collected from the battery assemblies. If a loss of communication (LOC) occurs in a specific battery assembly, the integrated control device cannot receive battery state information from the corresponding battery assembly, and thus cannot control the energy storage system. In this case, the operation of the energy storage system must be stopped for maintenance work on the communication error module. Meanwhile, in the case of an energy storage system using LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries, the battery assemblies need to be fully charged or fully discharged so that the entire battery assemblies are connected in parallel to each other when they have the same SOC.

[0006] In order to solve such problems of the conventional technology, a suitable control technique is required that can stably operate the energy storage system without shutting down when a communication abnormality occurs in a specific battery assembly. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery control device that can operate an energy storage system stably without stopping it when a communication abnormality occurs in a specific battery assembly.

[0008] Another object of the present invention to solve the above problems is to provide a battery control method using such a battery control device.

[0009] Another object of the present invention to solve the above problems is to provide an energy storage system including such a battery control device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above object, an energy storage system according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of BMSs (battery management systems) each corresponding to a plurality of batteries, and a host control device that collects status information regarding the plurality of batteries from the plurality of BMSs and monitors or controls the plurality of batteries based on the collected status information.

[0011] Here, when the upper control device does not receive status information of the first battery from the first BMS due to a communication abnormality, it can select a second battery from the multiple batteries based on the stored battery history information, and use the status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery.

[0012] Even if the status information of the first battery is not received from the first BMS, the upper control device can monitor or control the plurality of batteries by using the status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery without stopping the operation of the energy storage system.

[0013] The upper control device can receive status information of the second battery from a second BMS during a period in which status information of the first battery is not received, and record the received status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery.

[0014] When the upper control device does not receive the SOC (charging rate) of the first battery from the first BMS, it can select a second battery from the multiple batteries based on the stored battery history information and use the SOC of the second battery as the SOC of the first battery.

[0015] The upper control device can select the second battery using history information related to one or more of a battery's SOC, an accumulated charge / discharge amount, and a temperature value.

[0016] The upper control device can compare historical information of the first battery with historical information of the remaining batteries excluding the first battery, calculate the similarity with the first battery, and determine the battery having the highest similarity as the second battery.

[0017] The upper control device may exclude from the comparison among the remaining batteries, batteries that have a failure history recorded within a preset period.

[0018] If a failure occurs in the second battery after the second battery is selected, the upper control device can update the second battery to a battery having a lower similarity.

[0019] If the SOC of the first battery is not received, the upper control device may check the latest SOC of the first battery or the remaining batteries excluding the first battery, and check whether the checked latest SOC is within a threshold SOC range predefined as a SOC estimation impossible section. Here, if the checked latest SOC is outside the threshold SOC range, the upper control device may determine a battery having the highest similarity to history information regarding the SOC of the first battery as the second battery.

[0020] When there are two or more batteries having the highest similarity to the historical information regarding the SOC of the first battery, the upper control device can determine, among the two or more batteries, the battery having the highest similarity to the historical information regarding one or more of the accumulated charge / discharge amount and temperature value of the first battery as the second battery.

[0021] If the confirmed latest SOC is within the threshold SOC range, the upper control device can determine the battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding one or more of the accumulated charge / discharge amount and temperature value of the first battery as the second battery.

[0022] The upper control device can determine the battery having the highest similarity to the history information related to the accumulated charge / discharge amount of the first battery as the second battery. In this case, if there are two or more batteries having the highest similarity, the upper control device can determine the battery having the highest similarity to the history information related to the temperature value of the first battery among the two or more batteries as the second battery.

[0023] A battery control device according to one embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned another object is a battery control device that works in conjunction with a plurality of BMSs provided corresponding to a plurality of batteries, and can include at least one processor and a memory that stores at least one instruction to be executed through the at least one processor.

[0024] Here, the at least one command may include an command to collect status information regarding the plurality of batteries from the plurality of BMSs and monitor or control the plurality of batteries based on the collected status information, an command to select a second battery from the plurality of batteries based on previously stored battery history information when status information of a first battery is not received from a first BMS due to a communication abnormality, and an command to use the status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery.

[0025] The instructions to use the status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery may include instructions to use the status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery to monitor or control the plurality of batteries without ceasing operation of the energy storage system even if status information of the first battery is not received from the first BMS.

[0026] The instructions to use the second battery status information as the first battery status information may include instructions to receive the second battery status information from a second BMS during a period when the first battery status information is not received, and instructions to record the received second battery status information as the first battery status information.

[0027] The command to select the second battery may include a command to select the second battery from the plurality of batteries based on stored battery history information when the SOC of the first battery is not received from the first BMS. Here, the command to use the status information of the second battery as the status information of the first battery may include a command to use the SOC of the second battery as the SOC of the first battery.

[0028] The instruction to select the second battery may include an instruction to select the second battery using history information related to one or more of a battery's SOC, an accumulated charge / discharge amount, and a temperature value.

[0029] The instruction to select the second battery may include an instruction to compare history information of the first battery with history information of the remaining batteries excluding the first battery to calculate a similarity to the first battery, and an instruction to determine the battery having the highest similarity as the second battery.

[0030] The command to select the second battery may include a command to exclude from the remaining batteries any battery that has a failure history recorded within a preset period of time.

[0031] The at least one instruction may further include an instruction to update a battery having a lower similarity as the second battery if a failure occurs in the second battery after the second battery is sorted.

[0032] The command to select the second battery may include a command to confirm the latest SOC of the first battery or the remaining batteries excluding the first battery if the SOC of the first battery is not received, a command to confirm whether the confirmed latest SOC is within a threshold SOC range predefined as an SOC estimation impossible interval, and a command to determine the battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding the SOC of the first battery as the second battery if the confirmed latest SOC is outside the threshold SOC range.

[0033] The instruction to select the second battery may further include, when there are two or more batteries having the highest similarity to the history information regarding the SOC of the first battery, an instruction to determine, among the two or more batteries, the battery having the highest similarity to history information regarding one or more of the accumulated charge / discharge amount and temperature value of the first battery as the second battery.

[0034] The instruction to select the second battery may include an instruction to determine, if the confirmed latest SOC is within the range of the threshold SOC, a battery having the highest similarity to history information regarding one or more of the accumulated charge / discharge amount and temperature value of the first battery as the second battery.

[0035] The instruction to select the second battery may include an instruction to determine the battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding the accumulated charge / discharge amount of the first battery as the second battery, and, if there are two or more batteries having the highest similarity, an instruction to determine, among the two or more batteries, the battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding the temperature value of the first battery as the second battery.

[0036] A battery control method according to one embodiment of the present invention to achieve the above-mentioned another object is a battery control method by a battery control device that works in conjunction with multiple BMSs provided corresponding to multiple batteries, and includes the steps of collecting status information regarding the multiple batteries from the multiple BMSs, and monitoring or controlling the multiple batteries based on the collected status information, selecting a second battery from the multiple batteries based on previously stored battery history information when status information of a first battery is not received from a first BMS due to a communication abnormality, and using the status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery.

[0037] The step of using the status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery may include using the status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery to monitor or control the plurality of batteries without stopping operation of the energy storage system even if status information of the first battery is not received from the first BMS.

[0038] The step of using the second battery status information as the first battery status information may include a step of receiving the second battery status information from a second BMS during a period when the first battery status information is not received, and a step of recording the received second battery status information as the first battery status information.

[0039] The step of selecting the second battery may include a step of selecting the second battery from the plurality of batteries based on stored battery history information when the SOC of the first battery is not received from the first BMS, wherein the step of using the state information of the second battery as state information of the first battery may include a step of using the SOC of the second battery as the SOC of the first battery.

[0040] The step of sorting the second battery may include a step of sorting the second battery using history information related to one or more of a battery's SOC, an accumulated charge / discharge amount, and a temperature value.

[0041] The step of selecting the second battery may include a step of comparing history information of the first battery with history information of the remaining batteries excluding the first battery to calculate a similarity with the first battery, and a step of determining the battery having the highest similarity as the second battery.

[0042] The step of selecting the second battery may include the step of excluding, from the remaining batteries, batteries that have a failure history recorded within a preset period of time.

[0043] The battery control method may further include a step of updating a battery having a lower similarity as the second battery if a failure occurs in the second battery after the second battery is sorted.

[0044] The step of selecting the second battery may include the steps of: if the SOC of the first battery is not received, checking the latest SOC of the first battery or the remaining batteries excluding the first battery; checking whether the confirmed latest SOC is within a threshold SOC range predefined as an SOC estimation impossible interval; and, if the confirmed latest SOC is outside the threshold SOC range, determining the battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding the SOC of the first battery as the second battery.

[0045] The step of selecting the second battery may further include, when there are two or more batteries having the highest similarity to the history information regarding the SOC of the first battery, determining, among the two or more batteries, the battery having the highest similarity to the history information regarding one or more of the accumulated charge / discharge amount and temperature value of the first battery as the second battery.

[0046] The step of selecting the second battery may include a step of determining, when the confirmed latest SOC is within the range of the threshold SOC, a battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding one or more of the accumulated charge / discharge amount and temperature value of the first battery as the second battery.

[0047] The step of selecting the second battery may include a step of determining a battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding the accumulated charge / discharge amount of the first battery as the second battery, and if there are two or more batteries having the highest similarity, a step of determining, among the two or more batteries, a battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding the temperature value of the first battery as the second battery. Effect of the Invention

[0048] According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, even if a communication abnormality occurs in a specific battery assembly, the energy storage system can be operated stably without being shut down. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0049] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a typical energy storage system. [Diagram 2] The charging characteristic curve of an LFP battery is shown. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a general method of operating an energy storage system when a communication anomaly occurs. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a battery control method of the battery control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a reference battery screening method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 2 is a reference table for explaining a reference battery selection method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a block diagram of a battery control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0050] The present invention can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments, but a specific embodiment will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. It is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiment, but it should be understood that the present invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. Similar reference numerals are used for similar components while describing each drawing.

[0051] Terms such as first, second, A, B, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by these terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one component from another. For example, a first component can be named a second component, and similarly, a second component can be named a first component, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The term "and / or" includes a combination of multiple associated listed items or any of multiple associated listed items.

[0052] When a component is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, but that there may be other components in between. In contrast, when a component is referred to as being "directly coupled" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0053] The terms used in this application are merely used to describe certain embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. A singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, the terms "comprise" and "have" are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, and are not intended to preclude the presence or additional possibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0054] 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 present invention belongs. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the relevant art, and are not to be interpreted as idealized or overly formal unless expressly defined in this application.

[0055] Some terms used in this specification are defined as follows:

[0056] A battery cell is the smallest unit that serves to store electric power, and a battery module refers to an assembly of multiple battery cells that are electrically connected together.

[0057] A battery rack refers to a system with the smallest single structure that can be monitored and controlled through a Battery Management System (BMS) by connecting module units set by a battery manufacturer in series / parallel, and can be composed of multiple battery modules and one BPU or protection device.

[0058] A battery bank can refer to a large-scale collection of battery rack systems that are made up of multiple battery racks connected in parallel. The battery bank BMS can monitor and control the rack BMS (RBMS) for each battery rack.

[0059] The battery assembly means an assembly including a plurality of electrically connected battery cells and applied to a specific system or device to function as a power supply source. Here, the battery assembly may mean a battery module, a battery pack, a battery rack, a battery bank, or the like, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0060] A BSC (Battery System Controller) is a device that performs top-level control of a battery system including a battery system in units of a battery bank, and may be used as a control device in a battery system with a multiple bank level structure.

[0061] SOC (State of Charge) is the current charged state of the battery expressed as a percentage [%], and SOH (State of Health) is the current remaining state of the battery expressed as a percentage [%].

[0062] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a typical energy storage system.

[0063] The smallest unit of a battery that serves to store power in an energy storage system (ESS) is usually a battery cell. A series / parallel combination of battery cells forms a battery module, and a number of battery packs can form a battery rack. In other words, a battery rack is a series / parallel combination of battery packs and can be the smallest unit of a battery system. Here, a battery pack can also be called a battery module depending on the device or system in which the battery is used.

[0064] 1, one battery rack 10 may include a plurality of battery modules and one BPU or protection device. The battery rack can be monitored and controlled through a Rack BMS (RBMS). The RBMS can monitor the current, voltage, and temperature of each battery rack under its management, calculate the SOC of the battery based on the monitoring results, and control charging and discharging.

[0065] Meanwhile, a BPU (Battery Protection Unit) is a device for protecting batteries from abnormal current and fault current in battery rack units. The BPU can include a main contactor (MC), fuses, circuit breakers (CB) or disconnect switches (DS), etc. The BPU can control the battery system in rack units by controlling the main contactors on / off under the control of the RBMS. The BPU can also protect the batteries from short circuit current using fuses when a short circuit occurs. In this way, a conventional battery system can be controlled through protection devices such as a BPU and switchgear.

[0066] Meanwhile, a BSC 20 is provided in each battery section including a number of batteries and peripheral circuits and devices, and is capable of monitoring and controlling control targets such as voltage, current, temperature, and circuit breakers. The BSC is the highest-level control device of a battery system including a bank-based battery system including a number of battery racks, and may also be used as a control device in a battery system with a multiple bank-level structure.

[0067] In addition, a power conversion system (PCS) 40 provided for each battery section is a device that performs substantial charging and discharging based on a charge / discharge command from the EMS 30, and may include a power conversion unit (DC / AC inverter) and a controller. Meanwhile, the output of each BPU may be connected to a power generation device (e.g., a solar power generation device) and the PCS 40 via a DC bus, and the PCS 40 may be connected to a grid. In addition, the EMS (Energy Management System) 30 or a PMS (Power Management System) manages the ESS system as a whole.

[0068] FIG. 2 shows the charging characteristic curve of an LFP battery.

[0069] Carbon materials are primarily used as the negative electrode active material for lithium secondary batteries, and lithium-containing cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) is primarily used as the positive electrode active material, with lithium-containing manganese oxide (LiMnO2, LiMn2O4, etc.) and lithium-containing nickel oxide (LiNiO2) also being considered for use.

[0070] In recent years, lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4)-based compounds have been used as the positive electrode active material in lithium secondary batteries. LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries, which use lithium iron phosphate as the positive electrode active material, are superior in thermal stability and cost efficiency compared to other batteries.

[0071] In the operation process of the energy storage system, balancing control or charge / discharge control may be performed based on the SOC of the battery. Here, in order to calculate the SOC of the battery, a method of measuring the open circuit voltage value of the battery and estimating the SOC of the battery based on the measured open circuit voltage value is mainly used.

[0072] FIG. 2 is a charging characteristic curve of an LFP battery, showing the relationship between the open circuit voltage (OCV) and the SOC measured during the charging process of the LFP battery.

[0073] 2, the charging characteristic curve of an LFP battery has a voltage plateau in an SOC range of about 10% to about 90%. For an LFP battery having such a plateau characteristic, it is difficult to accurately estimate the SOC in the plateau range, and accurate estimation is possible only in non-plateau ranges (e.g., ranges where the SOC is 90% or more or ranges where the SOC is 10% or less). In other words, a battery system using an LFP battery can accurately estimate the SOC only in a very limited SOC range.

[0074] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a general method of operating an energy storage system when a communication anomaly occurs.

[0075] A host controller of the energy storage system (e.g., BSC or EMS) can monitor and control the battery rack based on the SOC collected from the RBMS. If a communication error (LOC: Loss of Communication) occurs in a specific battery rack (S310), the host controller cannot receive the SOC from the RBMS of the corresponding battery rack (LOC-occurring rack).

[0076] If the SOC of the battery rack where the communication abnormality occurred is leaked, the operation of the energy storage system becomes impossible, and the operation of the energy storage system is stopped (S320). In order to resolve the communication abnormality, the corresponding battery rack is opened and inspection and repair work is performed (S330).

[0077] When the communication abnormality of the corresponding battery rack is resolved, the corresponding battery rack can be reconnected to the energy storage system. Here, for stable operation of the energy storage system, the corresponding battery rack needs to be reconnected to the energy storage system when the SOC between the corresponding battery rack and other battery racks is very similar.

[0078] Here, in the case of a battery rack using LFP batteries, since accurate estimation of SOC can only be performed in a non-flat section (e.g., a section where the SOC is 90% or more, or a section where the SOC is 10% or less), the battery rack must be fully charged or fully discharged (S340). After that, if the battery rack is electrically connected, the energy storage system can be restarted (S350).

[0079] In other words, if a communication abnormality occurs in a particular battery rack during the operation of the energy storage system, the entire system must be shut down and a full charge or full discharge process must be performed, which takes a considerable amount of time before the system can be restarted.

[0080] The present invention has been devised to solve these problems, and relates to a battery control device and an energy storage system including the same, which can operate stably without stopping the energy storage system even if a communication abnormality occurs in a specific battery assembly.

[0081] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0082] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 4, an energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of batteries 100 and a plurality of BMSs (Battery Management Systems) 200 each corresponding to the plurality of batteries and managing and controlling the corresponding battery.

[0084] A plurality of batteries 100 can be configured to be electrically connected in parallel with each other.

[0085] In the present invention, the battery 100 may refer to a battery assembly, that is, the battery 100 according to the present invention may correspond to a battery module, a battery pack, a battery rack, or a battery bank.

[0086] In an embodiment, the battery 100 may correspond to a battery assembly including one or more battery cells (eg, LFP battery cells) having at least a voltage plateau section in a charging characteristic curve.

[0087] The BMS 200 can collect status information on the corresponding battery 100 and perform a predefined control operation based on the collected status information to manage and control the corresponding battery 100. Here, the BMS 200 can control the charging and discharging of the battery and diagnose whether or not a battery cell has a failure based on the battery status information.

[0088] Each of the multiple BMSs 200 can be configured to be connected to the upper control device 300 via a network, transmit battery status information such as the battery's SOC to the upper control device 300, and receive control commands from the upper control device 300 to operate.

[0089] The upper control device 300 can collect status information on the plurality of batteries from the plurality of BMSs 200 and monitor or control the plurality of batteries based on the collected status information. Here, the upper control device 300 can correspond to a BSC (Battery System Controller), an EMS (Energy Management System), or a PMS (Power Management System).

[0090] When a communication abnormality occurs in a specific battery (first battery) and the upper control device 300 is unable to receive status information from the BMS (first BMS) corresponding to the battery, the upper control device 300 can be configured to select a reference battery (second battery) that is estimated to have a similar status to the battery (first battery), and use the status information of the selected reference battery (second battery) as status information of the battery with the communication abnormality (first battery) to operate the energy system.

[0091] In other words, the upper control device 300 can be configured to monitor or control multiple batteries by using status information of a selected reference battery (second battery) as status information of a battery with communication abnormality (first battery) without stopping operation of the energy storage system even if status information is not received from a specific BMS (first BMS).

[0092] Meanwhile, the upper control device 300 can select a second battery from among the multiple batteries based on the battery history information stored in the memory device 310. For example, the upper control device 300 can select a battery having an operation pattern similar to that of the first battery by using history information on one or more of the SOC, the accumulated charge / discharge amount, and the temperature value for the multiple batteries stored in the memory device 310, and determine the selected battery as the second battery.

[0093] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a battery control method of the battery control device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0094] The control method shown in Fig. 5 can be performed by a battery control device that is linked to a plurality of BMSs provided corresponding to a plurality of batteries, respectively. Here, the battery control device is a higher-level control device for the plurality of BMSs, and can correspond to, for example, a BSC, an EMS, or a PMS.

[0095] The battery control device collects status information on the batteries from the BMSs (S510), where the status information may include one or more of the battery's SOC, voltage value, current value, charge / discharge amount, and temperature value.

[0096] The battery control device may monitor or control the plurality of batteries based on the collected status information (S520). For example, the battery control device may control charging and discharging of each of the batteries based on the collected status information.

[0097] The battery control device may detect whether a communication abnormality has occurred in a specific battery among the plurality of batteries (S530). Here, if the battery control device does not receive status information from a specific battery, it may determine that a communication abnormality has occurred in the corresponding battery.

[0098] If a communication abnormality occurs in a specific battery (first battery) and status information is not received from the BMS (first BMS) that manages the battery in question (Y in S530), the battery control device can determine a reference battery (second battery) for the battery with the communication abnormality (first battery) (S540).

[0099] The battery control device can select the second battery based on the battery history information stored in the storage device.

[0100] The battery control device can determine a second battery from among the plurality of batteries using history information for a preset period. Here, the history information can include history data on one or more of SOC, accumulated charge / discharge amount, and temperature value. For example, the battery control device can select a second battery having an operating pattern similar to that of the first battery using history data on SOC, accumulated charge / discharge amount, or temperature value from the time of occurrence of the communication abnormality up to three days prior.

[0101] The battery control device can compare the history information of the first battery with the history information of the remaining batteries excluding the first battery, calculate the similarity to the first battery, and determine the second battery based on the calculated similarity. For example, the battery control device can calculate the difference value of the time-based state value (e.g., SOC, accumulated charge / discharge amount, or temperature value) included in the history data, accumulate the calculated difference value, and calculate the similarity based on the accumulated difference value. Here, the similarity can be calculated as a higher value as the accumulated difference value is lower.

[0102] In an embodiment, the battery control device may exclude from the comparison target batteries, among the remaining batteries excluding the first battery, batteries that have a history of failure recorded within a preset period. For example, batteries that have a history of occurrence of voltage abnormality, detection of a fire event, etc. recorded within a period from the occurrence of the communication abnormality up to three days before may be excluded from candidates for the second battery.

[0103] The battery control device can determine, from among the remaining batteries excluding the first battery, the battery that has the highest similarity to the first battery as the second battery.

[0104] The battery control device can use the sorted second battery's status information as the first battery's status information (S550) to monitor or control the multiple batteries (S560) without stopping the operation of the energy storage system. For example, the battery control device can operate the energy storage system using the second battery's SOC as the first battery's SOC.

[0105] The battery control device can record the second battery status information received from the second BMS as the first battery status information in the storage device during a period in which the first battery status information is not received.

[0106] In an embodiment, if a failure occurs in the second battery after the second battery is selected, the battery control device may update the battery having the lower similarity as the second battery. For example, if a communication abnormality occurs in Rack #1, Rack #2 having the highest similarity to Rack #1 may be selected as the reference battery, and the SOC of Rack #2 may be used as the SOC of Rack #1 to operate the energy storage system. If a failure occurs in Rack #2 during the operation of the energy storage system, Rack #3 having the second highest similarity after Rack #2 may be changed to the reference battery.

[0107] The battery control device can check whether the communication abnormality state for the first battery has been cleared. Here, if the battery control device receives status information from the first BMS, it can determine that the communication abnormality state for the first battery has been cleared.

[0108] When the communication abnormality state for the first battery is cleared, the battery control device can monitor and control the batteries using the status information of each of the batteries without using the status information of the second battery as status information for the first battery.

[0109] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a reference battery screening method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0110] The battery control device may determine a second battery among the plurality of batteries using historical information for a preset period, where the historical information may include historical data regarding one or more of a SOC, an accumulated charge / discharge amount, and a temperature value.

[0111] In an embodiment, the battery control device can determine the second battery based on the SOC immediately before the occurrence of the communication abnormality and a predetermined priority order predefined for each of the history data items, where the priority order can be the SOC, the accumulated charge / discharge amount, and the temperature value in that order.

[0112] Referring to Figure 6, when a communication abnormality occurs in a specific battery (first battery) and status information is not received from the BMS (first BMS) that manages the corresponding battery, the battery control device can determine that a communication abnormality has occurred in the first battery.

[0113] The battery control device can check the latest SOC of the first battery or the remaining batteries excluding the first battery (S610). For example, if a communication abnormality occurs, the battery control device can check the SOC of each of the batteries that was last recorded in the storage device.

[0114] The battery control device may check whether the confirmed latest SOC is within a predetermined threshold SOC range predefined as an SOC estimation impossible section (S620). Here, the threshold SOC range may be a predefined SOC section in which the amount of change in voltage with respect to the amount of change in SOC is equal to or less than a predefined threshold in a curve between the SOC and voltage of the battery, and may be defined as, for example, more than 10 and less than 90.

[0115] If the confirmed latest SOC is outside the threshold SOC range (N in S620), the battery control device can compare the history information regarding the SOC between the first battery and other batteries (S630) to determine the battery with the highest similarity. For example, if the latest SOC of the first battery is outside the threshold SOC range (i.e., if a communication abnormality occurs in the first battery in a state where the SOC can be estimated), the battery control device can compare the history information of a predetermined SOC predefined as a first-order comparison item to determine the second battery.

[0116] Here, if there is one battery that has the highest similarity to the history information regarding the SOC of the first battery (N of S640), the corresponding battery may be determined as the second battery (S650).

[0117] On the other hand, if there are two or more batteries having the highest similarity to the history information regarding the SOC of the first battery (Y in S640), the battery control device can determine, among the two or more batteries, the battery having the highest similarity to the history information regarding one or more of the accumulated charge / discharge amount and the temperature value of the first battery as the second battery (S660-680). That is, when a single reference battery is not determined by comparing the first comparison item with the predefined predetermined SOC history, the battery control device can sequentially compare subsequent history items to determine a single reference battery.

[0118] For example, if there are two or more batteries having the highest similarity to the history information regarding the SOC of the first battery, the battery control device may compare (S660) history information (second order) regarding the accumulated charge / discharge amount between the first battery and the other batteries to determine the battery having the highest similarity. If there are two or more batteries having the highest similarity to the history information regarding the accumulated charge / discharge amount of the first battery (Y in S670), the battery control device may compare (S680) history information (third order) regarding the temperature value between the first battery and the other batteries to determine the battery having the highest similarity. Here, if a single battery having the highest similarity is selected, the selection process of the reference battery may be completed (S650). On the other hand, if a single battery is not selected even through the comparison of the temperature value, the battery located closest to the first battery among the batteries having the same similarity may be finally selected as the second battery.

[0119] In S620, if the confirmed latest SOC is within the range of the threshold SOC (Y in S620), the battery control device can determine the battery having the highest similarity to the history information regarding one or more of the accumulated charge / discharge amount and the temperature value of the first battery as the second battery (S660-680). For example, if the latest SOC of the first battery is within the range of the threshold SOC (i.e., if a communication abnormality occurs in a state in which the SOC of the first battery cannot be estimated), the battery control device can determine the reference battery by sequentially comparing subsequent history items without comparing the first-order history information with a predefined predetermined SOC.

[0120] FIG. 7 is a look-up table for explaining a reference battery selection method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0121] In an embodiment, the comparison priority for each of the SOC estimation impossible section and the history items for selecting the reference battery may be predefined, and the battery control device may select a reference battery for the communication abnormal battery based on the SOC estimation impossible section and the comparison priority stored in the storage device.

[0122] For example, referring to FIG. 7, the SOC unpredictable interval (threshold SOC range) can be defined as greater than 10 and less than 90.

[0123] In addition, the history items to be compared may include SOC, accumulated charge / discharge current (Ah), accumulated charge / discharge energy (Wh), average temperature, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature. Here, the comparison priority of the history items may be defined in the order of SOC, accumulated charge / discharge current (Ah), accumulated charge / discharge energy (Wh), average temperature, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature.

[0124] In the case where the battery capacity is predefined as in the table of FIG. 7, the battery control device can determine the reference battery (second battery) as follows.

[0125] If the most recent SOC of the first battery is outside the threshold SOC range, the battery control device can sequentially compare historical information regarding SOC, cumulative charge / discharge current (Ah), cumulative charge / discharge energy (Wh), average temperature, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature until a single reference battery is derived.

[0126] If the latest SOC of the first battery is within the threshold SOC, the battery control device can sequentially compare historical information regarding the cumulative charge / discharge current (Ah), cumulative charge / discharge energy (Wh), average temperature, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature until a single reference battery is derived.

[0127] On the other hand, if a single battery is not selected as a result of the comparison of history items, the battery located closest to the first battery among the batteries having the same similarity may be finally selected as the second battery.

[0128] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a battery control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0129] The battery control device 800 according to the embodiment of the present invention is located in an energy storage system and may correspond to a higher-level control device that is linked to a plurality of BMSs provided corresponding to a plurality of batteries, respectively. For example, the battery control device 800 may correspond to a BSC, an EMS, or a PMS, or may be embodied as being included in any one of them.

[0130] The battery control device 800 may include at least one processor 810, a memory 820 for storing at least one instruction executed by the processor, and a transceiver 830 for communicating with a network.

[0131] The at least one instruction may include an instruction to collect status information regarding the plurality of batteries from the plurality of BMSs and monitor or control the plurality of batteries based on the collected status information, an instruction to select a second battery from the plurality of batteries based on previously stored battery history information when status information of a first battery is not received from a first BMS due to a communication abnormality, and an instruction to use the status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery.

[0132] The instructions to use the status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery may include instructions to use the status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery to monitor or control the plurality of batteries without ceasing operation of the energy storage system even if status information of the first battery is not received from the first BMS.

[0133] The instructions to use the second battery status information as the first battery status information may include instructions to receive the second battery status information from a second BMS during a period when the first battery status information is not received, and instructions to record the received second battery status information as the first battery status information.

[0134] The command to select the second battery may include a command to select the second battery from among a plurality of batteries based on stored battery history information when the SOC (State of Charge) of the first battery is not received from the first BMS. Here, the command to use the state information of the second battery as state information of the first battery may include a command to use the SOC of the second battery as the SOC of the first battery.

[0135] The instruction to select the second battery may include an instruction to select the second battery using history information related to one or more of a battery's SOC, an accumulated charge / discharge amount, and a temperature value.

[0136] The instruction to select the second battery may include an instruction to compare history information of the first battery with history information of the remaining batteries excluding the first battery to calculate a similarity to the first battery, and an instruction to determine the battery having the highest similarity as the second battery.

[0137] The command to select the second battery may include a command to exclude from the remaining batteries any battery that has a failure history recorded within a preset period of time.

[0138] The at least one instruction may further include an instruction to update a battery having a lower similarity as the second battery if a failure occurs in the second battery after the second battery is sorted.

[0139] The command to select the second battery may include a command to confirm the latest SOC of the first battery or the remaining batteries excluding the first battery if the SOC of the first battery is not received, a command to confirm whether the confirmed latest SOC is within a predetermined threshold SOC range predefined as an SOC estimation impossible interval, and a command to determine the battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding the SOC of the first battery as the second battery if the confirmed latest SOC is outside the threshold SOC range.

[0140] The instruction to select the second battery may further include, when there are two or more batteries having the highest similarity to the history information regarding the SOC of the first battery, an instruction to determine, among the two or more batteries, the battery having the highest similarity to history information regarding one or more of the accumulated charge / discharge amount and temperature value of the first battery as the second battery.

[0141] The instruction to select the second battery may include an instruction to determine, if the confirmed latest SOC is within the range of the threshold SOC, a battery having the highest similarity to history information regarding one or more of the accumulated charge / discharge amount and temperature value of the first battery as the second battery.

[0142] The instruction to select the second battery may include an instruction to determine the battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding the accumulated charge / discharge amount of the first battery as the second battery, and, if there are two or more batteries having the highest similarity, an instruction to determine, among the two or more batteries, the battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding the temperature value of the first battery as the second battery.

[0143] The battery control device 800 may further include an input interface device 840, an output interface device 850, a memory device 860, etc. The components included in the battery control device 800 are connected by a bus 870 to communicate with each other.

[0144] Here, the processor 810 may refer to a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor on which the method according to the embodiment of the present invention is performed. The memory (or storage device) may be composed of at least one of a volatile storage medium and a non-volatile storage medium. For example, the memory may be composed of at least one of a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM).

[0145] The operation of the method according to the embodiment of the present invention can be embodied as a computer readable program or code in a computer readable recording medium. The computer readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. In addition, the computer readable recording medium can be distributed to computer systems connected via a network, and the computer readable program or code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

[0146] Some aspects of the invention have been described in the context of an apparatus, but it may also be presented in terms of a corresponding method, where a block or apparatus corresponds to a method step or a feature of a method step. Similarly, aspects described in the context of a method may be presented in terms of a corresponding block or item or feature of a corresponding apparatus. Some or all of the method steps may be performed by (or using) a hardware apparatus, such as, for example, a microprocessor, a programmable computer, or an electronic circuit. In some embodiments, one or more of the most important method steps may be performed by such an apparatus.

[0147] Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 100:Battery 200:BMS 300: Upper control device 310: Storage device 800: Battery control device

Claims

1. A plurality of BMSs provided corresponding to the plurality of batteries, respectively; and and a host control device that collects status information on the plurality of batteries from the plurality of BMSs and monitors or controls the plurality of batteries based on the collected status information; The upper control device includes: An energy storage system, in which when status information of a first battery is not received from a first BMS due to a communication abnormality, a second battery is selected from a plurality of batteries based on previously stored battery history information, and the status information of the second battery is used as status information of the first battery.

2. The upper control device includes:

2. The energy storage system of claim 1, further comprising: a first battery status information receiving section configured to receive a first battery status information from the first BMS, the second battery status information being used as the first battery status information to monitor or control the plurality of batteries without stopping operation of the energy storage system.

3. The upper control device includes:

2. The energy storage system of claim 1, further comprising: during a period in which the status information of the first battery is not received, receiving status information of the second battery from a second BMS; and recording the received status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery.

4. The upper control device includes:

2. The energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein when the SOC of the first battery is not received from the first BMS, a second battery is selected from the plurality of batteries based on previously stored battery history information, and the SOC of the second battery is used as the SOC of the first battery.

5. The upper control device includes: The energy storage system of claim 4 , wherein the second battery is selected using history information regarding one or more of a battery's SOC, an accumulated charge / discharge amount, and a temperature value.

6. The upper control device includes:

6. The energy storage system of claim 5, further comprising: comparing history information of the first battery with history information of remaining batteries excluding the first battery to calculate a similarity to the first battery; and determining the battery having the highest similarity as the second battery.

7. The upper control device includes: The energy storage system of claim 6 , wherein among the remaining batteries, batteries that have a failure history recorded within a preset period are excluded from comparison.

8. The upper control device includes: The energy storage system according to claim 6, wherein if a failure occurs in the second battery after the second battery is sorted, a battery having a lower similarity is updated as the second battery.

9. The upper control device includes: if the SOC of the first battery is not received, checking the latest SOC of the first battery or the remaining batteries excluding the first battery; Check whether the confirmed latest SOC is within a threshold SOC range that is predefined as an SOC estimation impossible section; 5. The energy storage system of claim 4, wherein if the confirmed latest SOC is outside the threshold SOC range, a battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding the SOC of the first battery is determined as the second battery.

10. The upper control device includes: When there are two or more batteries having the highest similarity to the history information regarding the SOC of the first battery, The energy storage system of claim 9, wherein a battery among the two or more batteries having the highest similarity to history information regarding one or more of an accumulated charge / discharge amount and a temperature value of the first battery is determined as the second battery.

11. The upper control device includes:

10. The energy storage system of claim 9, wherein if the confirmed latest SOC is within the range of the threshold SOC, the battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding one or more of the accumulated charge / discharge amount and temperature value of the first battery is determined to be the second battery.

12. The upper control device includes: determining a battery having the highest similarity to history information regarding the accumulated charge / discharge amount of the first battery as a second battery; If there are two or more batteries with the highest similarity, The energy storage system of claim 11 , further comprising: determining, among the two or more batteries, a battery having a highest similarity to historical information regarding a temperature value of the first battery as a second battery.

13. A battery control device that is linked to a plurality of BMSs provided corresponding to a plurality of batteries, At least one processor; and a memory for storing at least one instruction to be executed by the at least one processor; The at least one instruction: instructions for collecting status information regarding the plurality of batteries from the plurality of BMSs and monitoring or controlling the plurality of batteries based on the collected status information; an instruction to select a second battery from the plurality of batteries based on previously stored battery history information when the state information of the first battery is not received from the first BMS due to a communication abnormality; and A battery control device comprising instructions for using the second battery status information as the first battery status information.

14. The instruction to use the second battery status information as the first battery status information further comprises:

14. The battery control device of claim 13, further comprising instructions to monitor or control the plurality of batteries using status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery without ceasing operation of an energy storage system even if status information of a first battery is not received from the first BMS.

15. The instruction to use the second battery status information as the first battery status information further comprises: instructions for receiving the second battery status information from a second BMS during a period when the first battery status information is not received; and The battery control device of claim 13 including instructions for recording received second battery status information as the first battery status information.

16. The instructions to screen the second battery include: If the SOC of the first battery is not received from the first BMS, a command is included to select a second battery from the plurality of batteries based on previously stored battery history information; The instruction to use the second battery status information as the first battery status information further comprises: The battery control device of claim 13 including instructions to use the SOC of the second battery as the SOC of the first battery.

17. The instructions to screen the second battery include: The battery control device according to claim 16 , further comprising instructions for sorting the second battery using history information relating to one or more of a battery's SOC, an accumulated charge / discharge amount, and a temperature value.

18. The instructions to screen the second battery include: An instruction to compare history information of the first battery with history information of remaining batteries excluding the first battery, and calculate a similarity to the first battery; and The battery control device of claim 17 including instructions for determining the battery having the highest similarity as the second battery.

19. The instructions to screen the second battery include: The battery control device according to claim 18 , further comprising a command to exclude, from the remaining batteries, batteries that have a failure history recorded within a preset period of time.

20. The at least one instruction: The battery control device according to claim 18 , further comprising an instruction to update a battery having a lower similarity as the second battery if a failure occurs in the second battery after the second battery is sorted.

21. The instructions to screen the second battery include: if the SOC of the first battery is not received, instructions to ascertain an updated SOC of the first battery or any remaining battery other than the first battery; An instruction to confirm whether the confirmed latest SOC is within a threshold SOC range predefined as an SOC estimation impossible interval; and 17. The battery control device of claim 16, further comprising instructions for determining, if a confirmed latest SOC is outside the threshold SOC range, a battery having a highest similarity to historical information regarding the SOC of the first battery as the second battery.

22. The instructions to screen the second battery include: When there are two or more batteries having the highest similarity to the history information regarding the SOC of the first battery, The battery control device according to claim 21 , further comprising an instruction to determine, as a second battery, a battery among the two or more batteries that has the highest similarity to history information regarding one or more of an accumulated charge / discharge amount and a temperature value of the first battery.

23. The instructions to screen the second battery include:

22. The battery control device of claim 21, further comprising instructions for determining, if the confirmed latest SOC is within the range of the threshold SOC, a battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding one or more of the accumulated charge / discharge amount and temperature value of the first battery as the second battery.

24. The instructions to screen the second battery include: An instruction to determine, as a second battery, a battery having a highest similarity to history information regarding a cumulative charge / discharge amount of the first battery; and 24. The battery control device of claim 23, further comprising an instruction for, when there are two or more batteries with the highest similarity, determining, among the two or more batteries, the battery with the highest similarity to history information regarding the temperature value of the first battery as the second battery.

25. A battery control method using a battery control device that is linked to a plurality of BMSs provided corresponding to a plurality of batteries, collecting status information regarding the plurality of batteries from the plurality of BMSs, and monitoring or controlling the plurality of batteries based on the collected status information; When the state information of the first battery is not received from the first BMS due to a communication abnormality, selecting a second battery from the plurality of batteries based on the stored history information of the batteries; and A battery control method comprising the step of using the second battery status information as the first battery status information.

26. using the second battery status information as the first battery status information, 26. The battery control method of claim 25, further comprising: monitoring or controlling the plurality of batteries using status information of the second battery as status information of the first battery without ceasing operation of an energy storage system even if status information of a first battery is not received from the first BMS.

27. using the second battery status information as the first battery status information, receiving the second battery status information from a second BMS during a period when the first battery status information is not received; and 26. The battery control method of claim 25, further comprising the step of recording the received second battery status information as the first battery status information.

28. The step of sorting the second battery includes: When the SOC of the first battery is not received from the first BMS, selecting a second battery from the plurality of batteries based on previously stored battery history information; using the second battery status information as the first battery status information, 26. The battery control method of claim 25, including using the SOC of the second battery as the SOC of the first battery.

29. The step of sorting the second battery includes:

30. The battery control method of claim 28, further comprising the step of: selecting the second battery using history information relating to one or more of a battery's SOC, an accumulated charge / discharge amount, and a temperature value.

30. The step of sorting the second battery includes: A step of comparing history information of the first battery with history information of remaining batteries excluding the first battery to calculate a similarity between the first battery and the remaining batteries; and 30. The battery control method of claim 29, comprising determining the battery having the highest similarity as the second battery.

31. The step of sorting the second battery includes: The battery control method according to claim 30, further comprising the step of excluding, from the remaining batteries, batteries that have a failure history recorded within a preset period of time.

32. 31. The battery control method of claim 30, further comprising: updating a battery having a lower similarity as the second battery if a failure occurs in the second battery after the second battery is sorted.

33. The step of sorting the second battery includes: if the SOC of the first battery is not received, checking the latest SOC of the first battery or the remaining batteries excluding the first battery; A step of confirming whether the confirmed latest SOC is within a threshold SOC range predefined as an SOC estimation impossible interval; and 30. The battery control method of claim 28, further comprising the step of determining, if the confirmed latest SOC is outside the threshold SOC range, a battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding the SOC of the first battery as a second battery.

34. The step of sorting the second battery includes: When there are two or more batteries having the highest similarity to the history information regarding the SOC of the first battery, The battery control method of claim 33, further comprising the step of determining, as a second battery, a battery among the two or more batteries that has the highest similarity to history information regarding one or more of an accumulated charge / discharge amount and a temperature value of the first battery.

35. The step of sorting the second battery includes:

34. The battery control method of claim 33, further comprising a step of determining, when the confirmed latest SOC is within the range of the threshold SOC, a battery having the highest similarity to historical information regarding one or more of the accumulated charge / discharge amount and temperature value of the first battery as the second battery.

36. The step of sorting the second battery includes: determining a battery having the highest similarity to history information regarding the accumulated charge / discharge amount of the first battery as a second battery; and 36. The battery control method of claim 35, further comprising a step of determining, when there are two or more batteries with the highest similarity, the battery among the two or more batteries that has the highest similarity to history information regarding the temperature value of the first battery as the second battery.

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