Battery management device and its operating method

Abstract

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

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0122898, filed on September 27, 2022, and all the contents disclosed in the literature of the patent application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a battery management device and an operating method thereof.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, research and development on secondary batteries have been actively conducted. A secondary battery is a rechargeable battery, which includes both conventional nickel (Ni) / cadmium (Cd) batteries, nickel (Ni) / metal hydride (MH) batteries, etc., and recent lithium-ion batteries. Among secondary batteries, lithium-ion batteries have the advantage of much higher energy density compared to conventional Ni / Cd batteries, Ni / MH batteries, etc. In addition, since lithium-ion batteries can be manufactured in a small and lightweight form, they are used as a power source for mobile devices. In recent years, their usage range has been extended to the power source of electric vehicles, and they have attracted attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0003] In order to further improve the usability and portability of such lithium-ion batteries, a battery replacement service is provided. However, if ignition progresses in some of the multiple batteries present in a battery replacement station, there is a risk that chain ignition may occur in the surrounding batteries, and all the batteries in the battery replacement station may be completely burned.

[0004] There is a method of increasing the discharge rate of a fired battery to prevent chain ignition in a battery replacement station. However, the discharge rate of a battery is determined and fixed by the resistance value of a discharge resistor connected to the battery, and there is the inconvenience that the discharge resistor itself must be changed to adjust the discharge rate.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

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

[0006] The technical problems of the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned above 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 herein may include: a plurality of resistors each connected to a plurality of batteries; a plurality of first switches each connecting the plurality of resistors to the output terminals of the plurality of batteries; a plurality of second switches each connecting the plurality of resistors in parallel; and a controller that determines whether each of the plurality of batteries is abnormal and controls the operation of the plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches based on whether each of the plurality of batteries is abnormal.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0015] An operating method for a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include the steps of: determining whether each of a plurality of batteries is abnormal; controlling the operation of a plurality of first switches that connect a plurality of resistors connected to each of the plurality of batteries to the battery current output terminals of the plurality of batteries, based on whether each of the plurality of batteries is abnormal; and controlling the operation of a plurality of second switches that connect the plurality of resistors in parallel.

[0016] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether each of the plurality of batteries is abnormal can be performed by receiving an abnormality signal for each of the plurality of batteries from a battery management system (BMS), and based on the abnormality signal, determining from the plurality of batteries the first battery for which an abnormality signal was detected and at least one second battery associated with the first battery.

[0017] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether each of the plurality of batteries is abnormal can be performed by obtaining temperature information of the plurality of batteries from a plurality of temperature measuring sensors that measure the temperature of the plurality of batteries, and based on the temperature information, determining which of the plurality of batteries has detected an abnormal temperature, the first battery and at least one second battery associated with the first battery.

[0018] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether each of the plurality of batteries is abnormal can be performed by detecting an abnormal temperature or abnormal signal in the first battery among the plurality of batteries, and then determining at least one second battery adjacent to the first battery based on the arrangement order of the plurality of batteries.

[0019] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether each of the plurality of batteries is abnormal can be used to calculate the capacity of the first battery and the at least one second battery, compare the capacity of the first battery with the capacity of the second battery, and control the operation of the plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches.

[0020] In one embodiment, the step of controlling the operation of a plurality of first switches that connect a plurality of resistors connected to each of the plurality of batteries and the battery current output terminals of the plurality of batteries, based on whether or not each of the plurality of batteries is abnormal, is to turn on the first switch that connects the first battery and the resistor connected to the first battery among the plurality of first switches, if the capacity of the first battery exceeds the capacity of at least one of the second batteries, and the step of controlling the operation of a plurality of second switches that connect the plurality of resistors in parallel is to turn on at least one of the plurality of second switches.

[0021] In one embodiment, the step of controlling the operation of a plurality of first switches that connect a plurality of resistors connected to each of the plurality of batteries and the battery current output terminals of the plurality of batteries, based on whether or not each of the plurality of batteries is abnormal, is to turn on the first switch that connects the second battery and the resistor connected to the second battery among the plurality of first switches, if the capacity of the first battery is less than the capacity of at least one of the second batteries, and the step of controlling the operation of a plurality of second switches that connect the plurality of resistors in parallel is to turn on at least one of the plurality of second switches. [Effects of the Invention]

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

[0023] [Figure 1] This is a diagram conceptually illustrating a battery exchange station according to one embodiment disclosed in this application. [Figure 2]It is a diagram conceptually showing a battery replacement station according to another embodiment disclosed in the present application. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed in the present application. [Figure 4] It is a circuit diagram for explaining the operation of a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed in the present application. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart showing an operation method of a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed in the present application. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart showing an operation method of a battery management device according to another embodiment disclosed in the present application. [Figure 7] It is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a computing system for realizing an operation method of a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed in the present application.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. Note that when assigning reference numerals to the components of each drawing, the same components are assigned the same numerals as much as possible when they are shown on other drawings. Also, when explaining the embodiments disclosed in the present application, if it is determined that a specific explanation of a related known configuration or function hinders the understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present application, the detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0025] In describing the components of the embodiments disclosed herein, terms such as First, Second, A, B, (a), (b), etc., may be used. Such terms are merely for distinguishing a component from other components, and do not limit the nature, order, or procedure of that component. Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as those generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein belong. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and shall not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0026] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a battery exchange station according to one embodiment disclosed in this application. Referring to Figure 1, the Battery Swapping Station (BSS) 1000 can provide comprehensive battery management services, including battery analysis, evaluation, charging, and replacement. This disclosure will focus on describing the functions of the Battery Swapping Station 1000, particularly the Battery Swapping Service. Here, the Battery Swapping Service may mean a service that analyzes the condition of multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 to be serviced, and replaces batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 with other batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 according to the analysis results. Such replacements can be performed automatically by administrator and / or user settings. For example, the Battery Swapping Station 1000 can provide the Battery Swapping Service to a user by collecting batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 returned by the user and providing the user with other batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 that have already been charged.

[0027] Here, batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 are devices attached to a target device (e.g., an electric vehicle (EV), electric scooter, electric bicycle, or other electric means of transportation) and supply power to drive the target device, and can be implemented in the form of a battery pack. The battery pack may include a battery for storing power and a battery management system (BMS) for controlling the operation of the battery. The battery may include at least one battery cell that stores power in accordance with the control of the battery management system (BMS). A battery cell is the basic unit of a battery that can be charged and discharged to make electrical energy usable, and may be, but is not limited to, a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, a lithium-ion polymer (Li-ion polymer) battery, a nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery, a nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery, and the like. The battery management system (BMS) can control the charging and discharging of the battery and, according to one embodiment, can collect and transmit data that forms the basis for battery state analysis in response to external requests.

[0028] In the following explanation, we will assume that the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 are implemented in the form of a battery pack. On the other hand, while Figure 1 shows five of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, the battery is not limited to this, and can consist of n batteries (where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2).

[0029] According to one embodiment, the battery replacement station 1000 may be located in a service station where battery replacement services are provided, or it may be located in a separate space from the service station.

[0030] The battery swapping station 1000 performs a condition analysis on multiple connected batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, and, depending on the results of the condition analysis, can swap batteries 10, 20, and 30 with other batteries 10, 20, and 30, or reuse them (i.e., not swap them). The battery swapping station 1000 may perform the condition analysis on multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 and / or determine whether batteries 10, 20, and 30 need to be replaced on its own, but according to other embodiments, at least some operations can be performed in cooperation with a server connected via a network (e.g., a cloud server). For example, the battery swapping station 1000 can transmit information to the cloud server that forms the basis for determining whether batteries need to be replaced, and the cloud server can determine whether batteries need to be replaced based on the received information and transmit information regarding whether batteries need to be replaced to the battery swapping station 1000.

[0031] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a battery exchange station according to another embodiment disclosed herein. Referring to Figure 2, the battery replacement station 1000 may include a battery slot section 100, a battery management device 200, and a charger 300.

[0032] The battery slot section 100 can accommodate multiple connected batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. The battery slot section 100 may include multiple battery slots, each accommodating one of the multiple connected batteries. The battery slot section 100 can be connected to a battery management device 200. The multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 housed in the battery slot section 100 can be physically controlled based on control signals from the battery management device 200.

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

[0034] Furthermore, the battery management device 200 can monitor the voltage, current, temperature, etc., of each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. Based on the measured values ​​of the monitored voltage, current, temperature, etc., the battery management device 200 can calculate parameters indicating the state of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50.

[0035] The battery management device 200 can manage the State of Charge (SOC) and / or State of Health (SOH) of multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 used to provide the service. The battery management device 200 can receive SOC information from each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. Here, the SOC information indicates the current SOC of the battery, and SOC may mean the charge state of the batteries contained in the battery, i.e., the remaining capacity percentage. The battery management system (BMS) of the battery can calculate the remaining capacity percentage by dividing the currently usable capacity of the battery by the total capacity of the battery. As an example, the remaining capacity percentage can be calculated as a percentage. According to another embodiment, the battery management device 200 may not receive SOC information from the battery management system (BMS) of the battery, but may directly obtain SOC information by calculating the remaining capacity percentage of the battery.

[0036] The charger 300 can charge each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 according to the control of the battery management device 200. The charger 300 can receive power from an external commercial power source, convert it into a form of power that the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 can receive, and supply power to the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. According to one embodiment, the charger 300 can supply power to the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 until their State of Charge (SOC) reaches 100%, thereby fully charging the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50.

[0037] The configuration and operation of the battery management device 200 will be explained in more detail below with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this application.

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

[0039] The battery management device 200 can discharge the igniting battery or the adjacent battery to remove the fuel that is the energy source of the igniting battery or the adjacent battery in order to prevent heat from spreading to the adjacent battery or the entire battery system if any of the batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 ignite. The battery management device 200 can connect multiple resistors (R) to the outside of each of the batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 and discharge the batteries by applying a discharge current to each resistor.

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

[0041] Multiple resistors (R) can be connected in series to multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, respectively. Furthermore, multiple resistors (R) can be connected in series to multiple first switches 210, respectively. Specifically, when multiple first switches 210 are turned on, the multiple resistors (R) are connected in series to each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 connected in series to the first switches 210, thereby discharging the batteries.

[0042] Furthermore, multiple resistors (R) can be connected in parallel to each other, and can be selectively connected in parallel to each other based on the on / off state of multiple first switches 210 connected in series with each of them. Specifically, by selectively turning on one of the multiple first switches 210 connected in series with each of the multiple resistors (R), only the resistors (R) connected to the ON first switches 210 can be connected in parallel to each other.

[0043] In other words, some of the resistors (R) can be selectively connected in parallel based on whether the multiple first switches 210 are on or off. Therefore, the resistance values ​​of the multiple resistors (R) can be changed, thereby changing the discharge rates of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50.

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

[0045] Multiple second switches 220 can be connected in parallel to multiple resistors (R). Multiple second switches 220 can be connected in series to one another. Each of the multiple second switches 220 can be turned on or off by receiving a control signal from the controller 230.

[0046] The communication unit 240 can communicate with the battery management systems (BMS) of each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 via wired and / or wireless means. For example, the communication unit 240 can communicate with each of the multiple battery management systems (BMS) of each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 using a differential input communication protocol. Here, CAN (Controller Area Network) can be given as an example of a differential input communication protocol. In addition, the communication unit 240 can communicate with each of the multiple battery management systems (BMS) of each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 using wireless communication protocols such as Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth®.

[0047] According to the embodiment, the communication unit 240 can periodically communicate with the battery management systems (BMS) of each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. If the battery management system (BMS) of any of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 does not transmit a communication signal after a certain period has passed, the communication unit 240 can transmit a communication signal again to the battery management system (BMS) of any of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50.

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

[0049] The controller 230 can determine whether each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 is abnormal. According to the embodiment, the controller 230 can determine that one of the batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 is an abnormal battery if the communication unit 240 fails to receive a communication signal from the battery management system (BMS) of any of the batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 for a certain period of time, and fails to receive a communication signal even after the communication unit 240 repeatedly transmits (Retry) the communication signal to the battery management system (BMS) of any of the batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50.

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

[0051] According to the embodiment, the controller 230 receives temperature information from multiple temperature measuring sensors attached to the battery slot section 100 for multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. Based on the temperature information, if the temperature of any of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 exceeds the critical temperature, the controller 230 can determine that any of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 is an abnormal battery.

[0052] For example, the controller 230 can determine that the first battery 10, from among the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, is an abnormal battery if an abnormal temperature or abnormal signal has been detected. The controller 230 can also determine at least one second battery 20 associated with the first battery 10 that has been determined to be an abnormal battery. For example, the controller 230 can determine at least one second battery 20 adjacent to the first battery 10 based on the arrangement order of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 that have already been stored.

[0053] The controller 230 can control the operation of multiple first switches 210 and multiple second switches 220 based on whether or not each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 is abnormal.

[0054] Figure 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating the operation of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this application. The operation of the battery management device will be explained in detail below with reference to Figure 4.

[0055] Figure 4 illustrates an example where five batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 for receiving battery replacement services are connected to the battery replacement station 1000. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and the battery replacement station 1000 can be connected to n batteries (where n is a natural number of 2 or more) for receiving battery replacement services.

[0056] Referring to Figure 4, the battery slot section 100 can include multiple battery slots 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150. Each of the multiple battery slots 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 can accommodate one of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50.

[0057] Multiple battery slots 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 can each contain temperature sensors T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5, respectively. Multiple temperature sensors T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 can measure the temperature of multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. For example, multiple temperature sensors T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 can contain multiple thermistors. A thermistor is a resistor whose resistance changes sensitively in response to temperature changes, and a thermistor can measure temperature using the change in resistance of a ceramic material in response to temperature. When current is applied to a thermistor, a self-heating phenomenon occurs, causing the temperature of the thermistor itself to rise.

[0058] According to the embodiment, the controller 230 can acquire temperature information of multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 from multiple temperature measuring sensors T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 that measure the temperatures of multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. For example, the controller 230 can determine that the first battery 10, from among the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, is an abnormal battery if an abnormal temperature is detected.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0073] The controller 230 can turn on one of the multiple first switches 210, specifically the first switch 211 which connects the first battery 10 to the first resistor (R1) connected to the first battery 10, the first switch 212 which connects the second battery 20 to the second resistor (R2) connected to the second battery 20, and turn off the remaining multiple first switches 213, 214, and 215. The controller 230 can also turn on at least one of the multiple second switches 220 to adjust the distribution ratio of the discharge currents applied to the multiple resistors (R) of the first battery 10 and the second battery 20.

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

[0075] Furthermore, the battery management device prevents chain reactions in adjacent batteries by forcibly discharging the abnormal battery and adjacent batteries when a dangerous situation or abnormal phenomenon occurs in some batteries, thereby enabling stable operation of the battery exchange station.

[0076] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation method of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this application. Referring to Figure 5, the operation method of the battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include the steps of: determining whether each of the multiple batteries is abnormal (S101); controlling the operation of multiple first switches that connect each of the multiple batteries to the battery current output terminals of the multiple batteries, based on whether each of the multiple batteries is abnormal (S102); and controlling the operation of multiple second switches that connect the multiple resistors in parallel (S103).

[0077] The steps S101 to S103 will be explained in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Since the battery management device 200 is substantially the same as the battery management device 200 described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, a brief explanation will be given below to avoid repetition.

[0078] In step S101, the controller 230 can determine whether each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 is abnormal. In step S101, the controller 230 can determine that one of the batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 is an abnormal battery if the communication unit 240 has failed to receive a communication signal from the battery management system (BMS) of any of the batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 for a certain period of time, and has failed to receive a communication signal even after the communication unit 240 has repeatedly transmitted (retried) the communication signal to the battery management system (BMS) of any of the batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50.

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

[0080] In step S101, the controller 230 receives temperature information from multiple temperature measuring sensors attached to the battery slot section 100 for multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. Based on the temperature information, if the temperature of any of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 exceeds the critical temperature, the controller 230 can determine that any of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 is an abnormal battery.

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

[0082] In step S102, the controller 230 can control the operation of multiple first switches 210 based on whether or not each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 is abnormal.

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

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

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

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

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

[0088] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the operation method of a battery management device according to another embodiment disclosed in this application. Referring to Figure 6, the operation method of the battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this application may include the steps of: determining whether there is an abnormality in each of the multiple batteries (S201); stopping the charging of all of the multiple batteries (S202); determining the capacity of the first battery and the second battery (S203); comparing the capacity of the first battery and the second battery (S204); discharging the first battery until its capacity is the same as that of the second battery (S205); discharging the second battery until its capacity is the same as that of the first battery (S206); and starting the simultaneous discharge of the first battery and the second battery (S207).

[0089] The steps S201 to S207 will be explained in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Since the battery management device 200 is substantially the same as the battery management device 200 described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, a brief explanation will be given below to avoid repetition.

[0090] In step S201, the controller 230 can determine whether each of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 is abnormal. In step S201, for example, the controller 230 can determine that the first battery 10, from among the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, is an abnormal battery because an abnormal temperature or abnormal signal has been detected. In step S201, the controller 230 can determine that there is at least one second battery 20 associated with the first battery 10 which has been determined to be an abnormal battery. In step S201, for example, the controller 230 can determine that there is at least one second battery 20 adjacent to the first battery 10 based on the arrangement order of the multiple batteries 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 which have already been stored.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0098] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing system that implements the operation method of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this application.

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

[0100] The MCU2100 may be a processor that executes various programs stored in the memory 2200 (for example, a battery capacity calculation program), processes various data including SOC and SOH of multiple battery cells through such programs, and performs the functions of the battery management device 200 as described with reference to Figure 1 above, or a processor that executes the operation method of the battery management device as described with reference to Figure 4.

[0101] Memory 2200 can store various programs related to calculating the State of Health (SOH) of battery cells and determining which cells are to be executed. Memory 2200 can also store various data such as the State of Charge (SOC) and SOH data for each battery cell.

[0102] Multiple such memory 2200s may be provided as needed. Memory 2200 may be volatile memory or non-volatile memory. As volatile memory, memory 2200 can be random access memory (RAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), etc. As non-volatile memory, memory 2200 can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electricalally replaceable ROM (EAROM), electricalally replaceable PROM (EPROM), electrically replaceable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, etc. The examples of memory 2200 listed above are merely illustrative and are not limiting.

[0103] The I / O I / F 2300 can provide an interface that connects input devices (not shown), such as keyboards, mice, and touch panels, with output devices (not shown), such as displays, and the MCU 2100, enabling data transmission and reception.

[0104] The communication interface 2400 is configured to send and receive various data with a server, and may be various devices that support wired or wireless communication. For example, via the communication interface 2400, programs for calculating the State of Health (SOH) of battery cells and determining target values, as well as various other data, can be sent and received from a separately provided external server.

[0105] Thus, the operation method of the battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein can be recorded in the memory 2200 and executed by the MCU 2100.

[0106] The above description is merely illustrative of the technical concept disclosed herein, and any person with ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein belong can make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential characteristics of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0107] Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this application are for illustrative purposes only, not to limit, the technical concept disclosed in this application, and the scope of the technical concept disclosed in this application is not limited by such embodiments. The scope of protection of the technical concept disclosed in this application must be interpreted according to the claims described below, and all technical concepts within an equivalent scope should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of this application. [Explanation of symbols]

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

Claims

1. Multiple resistors connected to multiple batteries, A plurality of first switches that connect the plurality of resistors and the output terminals of the plurality of batteries, Multiple second switches connecting the aforementioned multiple resistors in parallel, A controller that determines whether each of the plurality of batteries is abnormal and controls the operation of the plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches based on whether each of the plurality of batteries is abnormal, Each of the plurality of first switches is connected to a corresponding resistor among the plurality of resistors at the first node. A battery management device in which the plurality of second switches are connected between two first nodes, each corresponding to two adjacent first switches among the plurality of first switches.

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

3. The system further includes a communication unit that receives abnormal signals from each of the aforementioned batteries' battery management systems (BMS), The battery management device according to claim 2, wherein the controller determines, based on the abnormal signal, the first battery from which the abnormal signal was detected and at least one second battery associated with the first battery among the plurality of batteries.

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

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

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

7. If the capacity of the first battery exceeds the capacity of at least one of the second batteries, the controller, Of the plurality of first switches, turn on the first switch that connects the first battery and the resistor connected to the first battery. The battery management device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of second switches is turned on.

8. If the capacity of the first battery is less than the capacity of at least one of the second batteries, the controller, Of the plurality of first switches, turn on the first switch that connects the second battery and the resistor connected to the second battery. The battery management device according to claim 6, characterized in that at least one of the plurality of second switches is turned on.

9. Steps to determine whether each of the multiple batteries is abnormal, A step of controlling the operation of a plurality of first switches that connect a plurality of resistors connected to each of the plurality of batteries and the battery current output terminals of the plurality of batteries, based on whether or not each of the plurality of batteries is abnormal, The step includes controlling the operation of a plurality of second switches that connect the plurality of resistors in parallel, Each of the plurality of first switches is connected to a corresponding resistor among the plurality of resistors at the first node. A method of operating a battery management device, wherein the plurality of second switches are connected between two first nodes corresponding to two adjacent first switches among the plurality of first switches.

10. The step of determining whether each of the aforementioned multiple batteries is abnormal is: The battery management system (BMS) for each of the aforementioned multiple batteries receives abnormal signals from the multiple batteries. The method for operating a battery management device according to claim 9, characterized in that, based on the abnormal signal, the first battery from which the abnormal signal was detected and at least one second battery associated with the first battery are determined from among the plurality of batteries.

11. The step of determining whether each of the aforementioned multiple batteries is abnormal is: Temperature information of the multiple batteries is obtained from multiple temperature measuring sensors that measure the temperature of the multiple batteries, A method for operating a battery management device according to claim 10, characterized in that, based on the temperature information, it is determined that among the plurality of batteries, the first battery in which an abnormal temperature has been detected and at least one second battery associated with the first battery are being determined.

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

13. The step of determining whether each of the aforementioned multiple batteries is abnormal is: A method for operating a battery management device according to claim 12, characterized by calculating the capacity of the first battery and the at least one second battery, comparing the capacity of the first battery with the capacity of the second battery, and controlling the operation of the plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches.

14. The step of controlling the operation of multiple first switches that connect multiple resistors connected to each of the multiple batteries and the battery current output terminals of the multiple batteries, based on whether or not each of the multiple batteries is abnormal, If the capacity of the first battery exceeds the capacity of at least one of the second batteries, the first switch connecting the first battery and the resistor connected to the first battery is turned on. The step of controlling the operation of multiple second switches that connect the multiple resistors in parallel is: The method for operating the battery management device according to claim 13, characterized in that at least one of the plurality of second switches is turned on.

15. The step of controlling the operation of multiple first switches that connect multiple resistors connected to each of the multiple batteries and the battery current output terminals of the multiple batteries, based on whether or not each of the multiple batteries is abnormal, If the capacity of the first battery is less than the capacity of at least one of the second batteries, turn on the first switch among the plurality of first switches that connects the second battery and the resistor connected to the second battery. The step of controlling the operation of multiple second switches that connect the multiple resistors in parallel is: The method for operating the battery management device according to claim 13, characterized in that at least one of the plurality of second switches is turned on.

Images