Battery management device and method of operation thereof

Abstract

A battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may include a cell balancing unit connected to a battery cell and performing balancing of the battery cell, an auxiliary cell balancing unit connected to the battery cell and performing auxiliary balancing of the battery cell, a voltage distribution unit that distributes voltages of the battery cells based on a temperature of the cell balancing unit to generate a distribution voltage and applies the generated distribution voltage to the auxiliary cell balancing unit, and a control unit that controls the cell balancing unit based on the generated distribution voltage.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0137790, filed on October 15, 2021, and all contents disclosed in the documents of this Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The embodiments disclosed herein relate to a battery management device and method of operation. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, research and development into secondary batteries has been actively pursued. Here, the term "secondary battery" refers to a rechargeable battery, encompassing both conventional Ni / Cd batteries, Ni / MH batteries, and more recent lithium-ion batteries. Among secondary batteries, lithium-ion batteries have the advantage of having a much higher energy density than conventional Ni / Cd batteries, Ni / MH batteries, and other batteries. Furthermore, because lithium-ion batteries can be manufactured to be compact and lightweight, they are used as power sources for mobile devices. Recently, their use has expanded to include electric vehicles, drawing attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0003] Generally, lithium-ion batteries are realized by using multiple battery cells to supply power. Voltage differences occur among the multiple battery cells due to differences in chemical properties, physical properties, and degree of deterioration. These voltage differences cause differences in the charge / discharge time and charge / discharge amount of each battery cell as the battery cells continue to charge and discharge. Battery cells with a high level of degradation have a shorter charge / discharge time than other battery cells, and are the first to reach a fully charged or discharged state. This creates a problem in that relatively less deteriorated battery cells finish charging or discharging before they are fully charged or discharged. To address this issue, various cell balancing techniques for multiple battery cells have been introduced.

[0004] Passive cell balancing uses resistance to consume the energy of the cells, so the higher the current, the higher the temperature of the resistor, and the lower the current, the slower the cell balancing speed. If the temperature of the resistor increases, the temperature of the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) will also increase, posing a risk of fire. Therefore, when using passive cell balancing, a method for controlling the temperature of the PCB is necessary. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the embodiments disclosed herein is to provide a battery management device and an operating method thereof that can manage the temperature of a resistor so that it does not increase above a certain value.

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

[0007] A battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may include a cell balancing unit connected to battery cells and performing balancing of the battery cells, an auxiliary cell balancing unit connected to the battery cells and performing auxiliary balancing of the battery cells, a voltage distribution unit that distributes voltages of the battery cells based on the temperature of the cell balancing unit to generate a distribution voltage and applies the generated distribution voltage to the auxiliary cell balancing unit, and a control unit that controls the cell balancing unit based on the generated distribution voltage.

[0008] In one embodiment, the cell balancing unit may include a first resistor and a first switch, the auxiliary cell balancing unit may include a second resistor and a second switch, and the cell balancing unit and the auxiliary cell balancing unit may be connected in parallel.

[0009] In one embodiment, the voltage dividing unit may include an NTC resistor and a third resistor whose resistance value changes based on the temperature of the first resistor. In one embodiment, the control unit may short-circuit the first switch when the generated distribution voltage is equal to or less than a preset value, and open the first switch when the generated distribution voltage is equal to or greater than a preset value.

[0010] In one embodiment, the NTC resistor may be positioned to have a temperature corresponding to the temperature of the first resistor. In one embodiment, the voltage dividing unit may apply the generated divided voltage to the second switch.

[0011] In one embodiment, only one of the first switch and the second switch can be short-circuited based on the generated divided voltage. In one embodiment, the first resistor and the second resistor may have the same resistance value.

[0012] In one embodiment, the control unit may control the operation of the cell balancing unit based on the voltage of the battery cell. In an embodiment, the control unit may control the operation of the cell balancing unit so that the temperature of the cell balancing unit does not exceed a preset value.

[0013] In an embodiment, the auxiliary cell balancing unit may perform auxiliary balancing of the battery cells when the temperature of the cell balancing unit is equal to or higher than a preset value.

[0014] An operating method of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include the steps of: performing cell balancing of battery cells; distributing the voltages of the battery cells based on the temperature of the cell balancing unit to generate a distributed voltage; applying the generated distributed voltage to an auxiliary cell balancing unit; performing auxiliary balancing of the battery cells; and controlling the cell balancing unit based on the generated distributed voltage.

[0015] In one embodiment, the cell balancing unit includes a first resistor and a first switch connected in series with the first resistor, the auxiliary cell balancing unit includes a second resistor and a second switch connected in series with the second resistor, and the cell balancing unit and the auxiliary cell balancing unit may be connected in parallel.

[0016] In one embodiment, the step of controlling the cell balancing unit based on the generated distribution voltage may include shorting the first switch if the generated distribution voltage is equal to or less than a preset value, and opening the first switch if the generated distribution voltage is equal to or greater than a preset value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The battery management device and its operating method according to an embodiment disclosed herein can manage the temperature of the resistors performing passive cell balancing so that it does not increase above a preset value without adjusting the current performing passive cell balancing.

[0018] A battery management device and an operating method thereof according to an embodiment disclosed herein can detect the temperature of a resistor performing cell balancing via an NTC, distribute the voltage of the battery cells, and control the cell balancing to be performed by another resistor other than the resistor whose temperature has risen.

[0019] A battery management device and an operating method thereof according to an embodiment disclosed in this document can provide an efficient circuit by unifying a cell balancing unit that performs cell balancing and a voltage distribution unit that detects the temperature of resistors and distributes voltage.

[0020] The battery management device and its operating method according to an embodiment disclosed herein do not adjust the cell balancing current, and therefore can manage the temperature of the cell balancing resistor without increasing the cell balancing time.

[0021] In the battery management device and its operating method according to an embodiment disclosed herein, an NTC resistor for measuring temperature controls the operation of the switches of the auxiliary cell balancing unit, thereby simplifying the circuit implementation. In addition, this document may provide a variety of other benefits that may be perceived directly or indirectly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a battery pack according to one embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a computing system for performing an operation method of a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. When assigning reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components in other drawings whenever possible. Furthermore, when describing the embodiments disclosed herein, if a detailed description of related known structures or functions is deemed to hinder understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0024] When describing components of the embodiments disclosed herein, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. Such terms are merely used to distinguish the component from other components and do not limit the nature, order, or procedure of the components. Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein belong. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in this application.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a battery pack according to one embodiment disclosed herein. Referring to FIG. 1 , a battery pack 1000 according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include a battery module 100 , a battery management unit 200 , and a relay 300 .

[0026] The battery module 100 may include a plurality of battery cells 110, 120, 130, and 140. Although FIG. 1 illustrates the plurality of battery cells as four, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the battery module 100 may include n (n is a natural number equal to or greater than two) battery cells. The battery module 100 may supply power to a target device (not shown). To this end, the battery module 100 may be electrically connected to the target device. Here, the target device may include an electrical, electronic, or mechanical device that operates by receiving power from a battery pack 1000 including the plurality of battery cells 110, 120, 130, and 140, and the target device may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electric vehicle (EV).

[0027] The plurality of battery cells 110, 120, 130, 140 may be, but are not limited to, lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries, lithium ion polymer (Li-ion polymer) batteries, nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries, nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries, etc. Meanwhile, although Fig. 1 shows one battery module 100, multiple battery modules 100 may be configured depending on the embodiment.

[0028] The battery management unit 200 can manage and / or control the state and / or operation of the battery module 100. For example, the battery management unit 200 can manage and / or control the state and / or operation of the plurality of battery cells 110, 120, 130, 140 included in the battery module 100. The battery management unit 200 can manage the charging and / or discharging of the battery module 100.

[0029] The battery management unit 200 can also monitor the voltage, current, temperature, insulation resistance, etc. of the battery pack 1000, the battery module 100, and / or each of the plurality of battery cells 110, 120, 130, and 140 included in the battery module 100. For monitoring via the battery management unit 200, sensors and various measurement modules (not shown) can be further provided at any position in the charge / discharge path or the battery module 100. The battery management unit 200 can calculate parameters indicating the state of the battery module 100, such as SOC (State of Charge) and SOH (State of Health), based on the measured values ​​of the monitored voltage, current, temperature, etc.

[0030] The battery management unit 200 can control the operation of the relay 300. For example, the battery management unit 200 can short-circuit the relay 300 to supply power to a target device. In addition, the battery management unit 200 can short-circuit the relay 300 when a charging device is connected to the battery pack 1000.

[0031] The battery management unit 200 can control the battery cells 110, 120, 130, and 140 to perform cell balancing. For example, the battery management unit 200 can determine whether at least one of the battery cells 110, 120, 130, and 140 requires cell balancing. The battery management unit 200 can perform cell balancing on the battery cells determined to require cell balancing. For example, the battery management unit 200 can control the battery cells to perform passive cell balancing by dissipating energy from the battery cells determined to require cell balancing through a resistor (e.g., a first resistor). As another example, when performing passive cell balancing, heat is generated in the resistor, increasing the temperature and potentially overheating the PCB. Therefore, the battery management unit 200 can manage the temperature of the resistor used for cell balancing so that it does not exceed a set temperature.

[0032] The battery management unit 200 may include an NTC capable of detecting the temperature of a resistor performing cell balancing. The NTC may be located at a position that can have a temperature corresponding to the temperature of the resistor (first resistor) performing cell balancing. For example, the NTC may be located as close as possible to the resistor (first resistor) performing cell balancing. The battery management unit 200 detects the temperature of the resistor (first resistor) performing cell balancing via the NTC, and if the temperature of the resistor (first resistor) performing cell balancing increases above a set temperature, the battery management unit 200 may continue cell balancing via an auxiliary balancing resistor (second resistor). For example, the auxiliary balancing resistor (second resistor) may have the same resistance value as the cell balancing resistor (first resistor).

[0033] The battery management unit 200 can balance the battery cells based on the cell balancing resistor (first resistor) and the auxiliary balancing resistor (second resistor). For example, when the temperature of the cell balancing resistor (first resistor) is equal to or higher than a set temperature, the battery management unit 200 can manage the temperature of the cell balancing resistor (first resistor) by performing cell balancing via the auxiliary balancing resistor (second resistor). Furthermore, because the resistance value of the auxiliary balancing resistor (second resistor) is the same as the resistance value of the cell balancing resistor (first resistor), the same current flows as when cell balancing is performed via the cell balancing resistor (first resistor), and the speed of cell balancing can be maintained.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein. 2, a battery management device 200 according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include a cell balancing unit 210, an auxiliary cell balancing unit 220, a voltage distribution unit 230, and a control unit 240. In one embodiment, the battery management device 200 may be substantially identical to the battery management device 200 of FIG.

[0035] The cell balancing unit 210 may be connected to the battery cells. The cell balancing unit 210 may perform balancing of the battery cells. For example, the cell balancing unit 210 may perform passive balancing by dissipating energy of the battery cells through resistance. In one embodiment, the battery cells may be substantially identical to any one of the battery cells 110, 120, 130, and 140 of FIG. 1.

[0036] The cell balancing unit 210 may include a first resistor for balancing the battery cells. The cell balancing unit 210 may also include a first switch for controlling current flow through the first resistor. For example, the first resistor and the first switch may be connected in series. As another example, the operation of the first switch may be controlled by the control unit 240.

[0037] The auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may be connected to the battery cells. The auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may perform auxiliary balancing of the battery cells. For example, the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may perform balancing of the battery cells when the temperature of a first resistor included in the cell balancing unit 210 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. As another example, the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may perform balancing of the battery cells when the cell balancing unit 210 is in a state where it cannot perform balancing.

[0038] The auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may include a second resistor for balancing the battery cells. The auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may also include a second switch for controlling current flow through the second resistor. For example, the second resistor and the second switch may be connected in series. As another example, the second switch may be operated by a voltage applied from the voltage dividing unit 230. In one embodiment, the second resistor may have the same resistance as the first resistor. That is, a balancing current flowing when balancing is performed by the first resistor may be the same as an auxiliary balancing current flowing when auxiliary balancing is performed by the second resistor. In one embodiment, the cell balancing unit 210 and the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may be connected in parallel.

[0039] The voltage distribution unit 230 may generate a distributed voltage by distributing the voltage of the battery cells. For example, the voltage distribution unit 230 may generate a distributed voltage by distributing the voltage of the battery cells based on the temperature of the cell balancing unit 210. The voltage distribution unit 230 may apply the generated distributed voltage to the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220. For example, the voltage distribution unit 230 may apply the generated distributed voltage to a second switch included in the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220, and the second switch may operate based on the generated distributed voltage.

[0040] The voltage dividing unit 230 may include an NTC resistor and a third resistor to divide the voltage based on the temperature of the cell balancing unit 210. For example, the NTC resistor may be located at a position that may have a temperature corresponding to the temperature of the first resistor included in the cell balancing unit 210. As another example, the resistance value of the NTC resistor changes depending on the temperature of the first resistor, and therefore the divided voltage generated by the voltage dividing unit 230 may change depending on the temperature of the first resistor. According to an embodiment, the NTC resistor and the third resistor included in the voltage dividing unit 230 may be connected in series, and the voltage dividing unit 230 may divide the voltage of the battery cell via the NTC resistor and the third resistor to generate the divided voltage.

[0041] The voltage distribution unit 230 may input the generated distribution voltage to the control unit 240. The control unit 240 may control the cell balancing unit 210 based on the generated distribution voltage. For example, the control unit 240 may short-circuit a first switch included in the cell balancing unit 210 when the generated distribution voltage is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, and may open the first switch included in the cell balancing unit 210 when the generated distribution voltage is equal to or higher than the predetermined value.

[0042] In one embodiment, when balancing battery cells, at least one of the first switch included in the cell balancing unit 210 and the second switch included in the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may be short-circuited. For example, the first switch or the second switch may be short-circuited based on the distribution voltage generated by the voltage dividing unit 230. According to an embodiment, the battery management unit 200 may have a case where only one of the first switch and the second switch is short-circuited. According to another embodiment, the battery management unit 200 may have a case where both the first switch and the second switch are short-circuited. According to still another embodiment, the battery management unit 200 may have both the first switch and the second switch open when not balancing battery cells.

[0043] In one embodiment, the control unit 240 may control the operation of the cell balancing unit 210 based on the voltage of the battery cells. For example, if the battery cells require balancing, the control unit 240 may short-circuit a first switch included in the cell balancing unit 210. As another example, if the battery cells do not require balancing, the control unit 240 may open a first switch included in the cell balancing unit 210.

[0044] In one embodiment, the control unit 240 may control the operation of the cell balancing unit 210 so that the temperature of the cell balancing unit 210 does not exceed a set temperature. For example, a divided voltage is generated in the voltage dividing unit 230 based on the temperature of a first resistor included in the cell balancing unit 210, and the control unit 240, upon receiving the generated divided voltage, may control the operation of a first switch included in the cell balancing unit 210 based on the input divided voltage so that the temperature of the cell balancing unit 210 does not exceed a first set temperature.

[0045] In one embodiment, when the temperature of the cell balancing unit 210 is equal to or higher than a second set temperature, the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may perform auxiliary balancing of the battery cells. For example, a divided voltage may be generated in the voltage dividing unit 230 based on the temperature of a first resistor included in the cell balancing unit 210, and the generated divided voltage may be applied to a second switch included in the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 to short-circuit the second switch. Thus, the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may perform auxiliary balancing of the battery cells via the second resistor. In one embodiment, the first set temperature may be equal to or higher than the second set temperature. In one embodiment, the first set temperature may be 75°C, and the second set temperature may be 60°C.

[0046] The battery management device 200 according to an embodiment disclosed herein may perform balancing of battery cells via the cell balancing unit 210 and the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220. For example, if balancing of battery cells is required, balancing of the battery cells requiring balancing may be performed via the cell balancing unit 210, and if the temperature of the cell balancing unit 210 is equal to or higher than a first set temperature, the balancing execution via the cell balancing unit 210 may be terminated. In this case, if the temperature of the cell balancing unit 210 is equal to or higher than a second set temperature, the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may perform balancing of the battery cells, and thus the battery management device 200 may continuously perform balancing of the battery cells while managing the temperature of the cell balancing unit 210.

[0047] Furthermore, the battery management device 200 according to an embodiment disclosed herein may detect the temperature of the cell balancing unit 210 through the NTC resistor included in the voltage distribution unit 230 and distribute the voltage of the battery cells based on the temperature of the cell balancing unit 210. In this case, the control unit 240 may control the operation of the cell balancing unit 210 based on the distributed voltage, and the operating state of the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may be determined based on the distributed voltage. Therefore, the battery management device 200 may centrally and efficiently control the balancing operation of the battery cells based on the temperature of the cell balancing unit 210.

[0048] 3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document. 3, the battery management device 200 may include a cell balancing unit 210, an auxiliary cell balancing unit 220, a voltage distribution unit 230, and a control unit 240. The battery management device 200 may perform balancing of the battery cells 110. In one embodiment, the battery cell 110 may be substantially the same as any one of the battery cells 110, 120, 130, and 140 of FIG. 1. The battery management device 200 may also be substantially the same as the battery management device 200 of FIG. 2.

[0049] The cell balancing unit 210 may include a first resistor R1 and a first switch S1. For example, the first resistor R1 and the first switch S1 may be connected in series. When the first switch S1 is shorted, the battery cells 110 may be balanced by the first resistor R1. In one embodiment, the first switch S1 may be any one of a PNP-type BJT, an NPN-type BJT, and a MOSFET.

[0050] The auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may include a second resistor R2 and a second switch S2. For example, the second resistor R2 and the second switch S2 may be connected in series. When the second switch S2 is shorted, the battery cells 110 may be balanced by the second resistor R2. In one embodiment, the second switch S2 may be any one of a PNP-type BJT, an NPN-type BJT, and a MOSFET. In one embodiment, the second resistor R2 may have the same resistance as the first resistor R1. In one embodiment, the second resistor R2 may be located physically far from the first resistor R1 so that the temperature of the second resistor R2 does not change depending on the temperature of the first resistor R1. The cell balancing unit 210 and the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may be connected in parallel.

[0051] The voltage dividing unit 230 may include an NTC resistor and a third resistor R3. For example, the NTC resistor and the third resistor R3 may be connected in series. The voltage of the battery cell 110 may be divided through the NTC resistor and the third resistor R3. The divided voltage generated by the voltage dividing unit 230 may be input to the control unit 240 and applied to the second switch S2. In one embodiment, the NTC resistor may have a temperature corresponding to the temperature of the first resistor R1. For example, the NTC resistor may be located physically close to the first resistor R1.

[0052] The second switch S2 may operate based on the divided voltage generated by the voltage divider 230. For example, if the generated divided voltage is equal to or less than a preset value, the second switch S2 may be opened, and if the generated divided voltage exceeds the preset value, the second switch S2 may be closed.

[0053] The control unit 240 may receive the divided voltage generated by the voltage dividing unit 230 and control the first switch S1 based on the generated divided voltage. For example, if the generated divided voltage is equal to or greater than a preset value, the control unit 240 may open the first switch S1, and if the generated divided voltage is less than the preset value, the control unit 240 may short the first switch S1.

[0054] In one embodiment, the distribution voltage at which the first switch S1 is open and the distribution voltage at which the second switch S2 is shorted may be the same. In another embodiment, the distribution voltage at which the first switch S1 is open may be a first voltage value, and the distribution voltage at which the second switch S2 is shorted may be a second voltage value. In this case, the first voltage value may be the same as or greater than the second voltage value. That is, there may be cases where the first switch S1 and the second switch S2 are shorted at the same time.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 4, when the temperature of the first resistor R1 is below a preset value (first set temperature), the battery cells 110 may be balanced via the cell balancing unit 210. When the battery cells 110 are passively balanced via the cell balancing unit 210, current flows through the first resistor R1, generating thermal energy and increasing the temperature. The temperature of the first resistor R1 and the temperature of the NTC resistor may correspond to each other, and as the temperature of the NTC resistor increases, the resistance value of the NTC resistor decreases and the distribution voltage may increase. The control unit 240 may continuously receive the distribution voltage and open the first switch S1 when the distribution voltage increases above a certain value. Therefore, when the temperature of the first resistor R1 increases above the preset value (first set temperature), the control unit 240 may open the first switch S1 to discontinue use of the cell balancing unit 210.

[0056] In addition, if the temperature of the first resistor R1 increases above a preset value (second preset temperature), the temperature of the NTC resistor may increase. As the temperature of the NTC resistor increases, the resistance value of the NTC resistor decreases, and the distribution voltage may increase. As the distribution voltage increases, the second switch S2, to which the distribution voltage is applied, is shorted, and the battery cells 110 may be balanced via the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220. In this case, because the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2 may have the same resistance value, the balancing current for balancing the battery cells 110 is the same. Therefore, the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may balance the battery cells 110 at the same speed as the cell balancing unit 210. According to the embodiment, when balancing of the battery cells 110 via the first resistor R1 is interrupted, the temperature of the first resistor R1 may decrease, and when the temperature of the first resistor R1 becomes equal to or lower than a certain temperature, the control unit 240 may control the balancing of the battery cells 210 via the cell balancing unit 210 by shorting the first switch S1 again.

[0057] 4 illustrates, but is not limited to, balancing of the battery cells 110 via the cell balancing unit 210 when the temperature of the first resistor R1 is equal to or lower than a preset value, and balancing of the battery cells 110 via the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 when the temperature of the first resistor R1 is equal to or higher than a preset value. For example, when the temperature of the first resistor R1 is a second preset temperature (e.g., 60°C), the second switch S2 is shorted, and the cell balancing unit 210 and the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 can simultaneously balance the battery cells 110. When the temperature of the first resistor R1 is a first preset temperature (e.g., 75°C), the control unit 240 opens the first switch S1, and balancing of the battery cells 110 can be performed only by the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220.

[0058] 2 to 4 show one auxiliary cell balancing unit, but is not limited thereto. That is, a battery management device according to an embodiment may include multiple auxiliary cell balancing units, and may manage the balancing of battery cells by dividing the temperature ranges of the cell balancing units.

[0059] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein. Referring to FIG. 5, an operating method of the battery management device 200 according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include a step of performing cell balancing of the battery cells (S110), a step of distributing the voltages of the battery cells based on the temperature of the cell balancing unit to generate a distributed voltage (S120), a step of applying the generated distributed voltage to the auxiliary cell balancing unit (S130), a step of performing auxiliary balancing of the battery cells (S140), and a step of controlling the cell balancing unit based on the generated distributed voltage (S150).

[0060] In the step of performing cell balancing of the battery cells (S110), the cell balancing unit 210 may perform the cell balancing of the battery cells. For example, the cell balancing unit 210 may include a first resistor and a first switch connected in series with the first resistor, and when the first switch is short-circuited, the first resistor consumes energy of the battery cell, thereby balancing the battery cells.

[0061] In the step of generating a distributed voltage by distributing the voltage of the battery cells based on the temperature of the cell balancing unit (S120), the voltage dividing unit 230 may generate a distributed voltage by distributing the voltage of the battery cells based on the temperature of the cell balancing unit 210. For example, the voltage dividing unit 230 may include an NTC resistor and a third resistor having a temperature corresponding to the temperature of the first resistor included in the cell balancing unit 210, and may distribute the voltage of the battery cells via the NTC resistor and the third resistor.

[0062] In the step of applying the generated divided voltage to the auxiliary cell balancing unit (S130), the voltage dividing unit 230 may apply the generated divided voltage to the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220. For example, the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may include a second resistor and a second switch connected in series with the second resistor, and the generated divided voltage may be applied to the second switch.

[0063] In the step of performing auxiliary balancing of the battery cells (S140), the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may perform auxiliary balancing of the battery cells. For example, if the generated distribution voltage is equal to or greater than a preset value, the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 may perform auxiliary balancing of the battery cells via the second resistor, and if the generated distribution voltage is equal to or less than the preset value, the auxiliary cell balancing unit 220 does not perform auxiliary balancing of the battery cells.

[0064] In the step of controlling the cell balancing unit based on the generated distribution voltage (S150), the control unit 240 may control the cell balancing unit 210 based on the distribution voltage generated by the voltage distribution unit 230. For example, the control unit 240 may short-circuit a first switch included in the cell balancing unit 210 when the generated distribution voltage is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, and may open the first switch included in the cell balancing unit 210 when the generated distribution voltage is equal to or higher than the predetermined value.

[0065] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing system for performing the method of operating a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 6, a computing system 600 according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include an MCU 610, a memory 620, an input / output I / F 630, and a communication I / F 640.

[0067] The MCU 610 may be a processor that executes various programs (e.g., a battery cell balancing program, a voltage detection program, a switch control program, etc.) stored in the memory 620, processes various information including the distribution voltage through such programs, and performs the functions of the battery management device shown in FIG. 2 described above.

[0068] The memory 620 can store various programs related to collecting and diagnosing battery log information, and can also store various information such as the voltage of the battery cells or the distributed voltage of the battery cells.

[0069] A plurality of such memories 620 may be provided as necessary. The memories 620 may be volatile memories or nonvolatile memories. As the volatile memories 620, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, etc. may be used. As the nonvolatile memories 620, ROM, PROM, EAROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, etc. may be used. The examples of the memories 620 listed above are merely illustrative and are not limited to these examples.

[0070] The input / output I / F 630 can provide an interface that connects input devices (not shown) such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel, and output devices such as a display (not shown), to the MCU 610, enabling data to be sent and received.

[0071] The communication I / F 640 is configured to be able to transmit and receive various data to and from a server and may be any device capable of supporting wired or wireless communication. For example, the battery management device can transmit and receive information such as a battery cell balancing program, battery current or voltage, and information related to battery cell balancing from a separately provided external server via the communication I / F 640.

[0072] In this way, a computer program according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may be recorded in memory 620 and processed by MCU 610, thereby realizing, for example, a module that performs each function shown in FIG. 2.

[0073] The above description is merely an illustrative example of the technical ideas disclosed in this document, and various modifications and variations may be made by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed in this document pertain without departing from the essential characteristics of the embodiments disclosed in this document.

[0074] Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this document are intended to illustrate, not limit, the technical ideas disclosed in this document, and such embodiments do not limit the scope of the technical ideas disclosed in this document. The scope of protection of the technical ideas disclosed in this document should be interpreted according to the claims set forth below, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of this document. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 100 Battery Module 110 battery cells 120 battery cells 130 battery cells 140 battery cells 200 Battery management device 210 Cell balancing section 220 Auxiliary cell balancing unit 230 Voltage distribution unit 240 Control Unit

Claims

1. a cell balancing unit connected to the battery cells and balancing the battery cells; an auxiliary cell balancing unit connected to the battery cells and performing auxiliary balancing of the battery cells; a voltage distribution unit that distributes the voltages of the battery cells based on the temperature of the cell balancing unit to generate a distributed voltage and applies the generated distributed voltage to the auxiliary cell balancing unit; a control unit that controls the cell balancing unit based on the generated distribution voltage; Including, The auxiliary cell balancing unit A battery management device, characterized in that auxiliary balancing of the battery cells is performed when the temperature of the cell balancing unit is equal to or higher than a preset value.

2. the cell balancing unit includes a first resistor and a first switch; the auxiliary cell balancing unit includes a second resistor and a second switch; The battery management device of claim 1 , wherein the cell balancing unit and the auxiliary cell balancing unit are connected in parallel.

3. The voltage distribution unit 3. The battery management device according to claim 2, further comprising an NTC resistor and a third resistor, wherein the resistance value of the NTC resistor changes depending on the temperature of the first resistor.

4. The control unit 4. The battery management device of claim 3, wherein the first switch is short-circuited when the generated distribution voltage is equal to or lower than a preset value, and the first switch is opened when the generated distribution voltage is equal to or higher than a preset value.

5. The battery management device of claim 3, wherein the NTC resistor is positioned so that it can have a temperature corresponding to the temperature of the first resistor.

6. The voltage distribution unit The battery management device according to claim 2 , wherein the generated divided voltage is applied to the second switch.

7. The battery management device according to claim 2 , wherein only one of the first switch and the second switch is short-circuited based on the generated divided voltage.

8. 3. The battery management device according to claim 2, wherein the first resistor and the second resistor have the same resistance value.

9. The control unit 2. The battery management device according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the cell balancing unit is controlled based on the voltage of the battery cells.

10. The control unit 2. The battery management device according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the cell balancing unit is controlled so that the temperature of the cell balancing unit does not exceed a preset value.

11. performing cell balancing of the battery cells; generating a distributed voltage by distributing the voltages of the battery cells based on the temperature of a cell balancing unit; applying the generated divided voltage to an auxiliary cell balancing unit; performing auxiliary balancing of the battery cells; controlling the cell balancing unit based on the generated distributed voltage; Including, 10. The method for operating a battery management device, wherein the step of performing auxiliary balancing of the battery cells is performed when the temperature of the cell balancing unit is equal to or higher than a preset value.

12. the cell balancing unit includes a first resistor and a first switch connected in series with the first resistor; the auxiliary cell balancing unit includes a second resistor and a second switch connected in series with the second resistor; The method of claim 11, wherein the cell balancing unit and the auxiliary cell balancing unit are connected in parallel.

13. The step of controlling the cell balancing unit based on the generated distribution voltage includes:

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first switch is short-circuited when the generated distribution voltage is equal to or lower than a preset value, and the first switch is opened when the generated distribution voltage is equal to or higher than a preset value.

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