Apparatus and method for managing battery

Abstract

An apparatus for managing a battery, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a profile acquisition unit configured to acquire a differential profile indicating a correspondence relationship between voltage of a battery and differential capacity thereof; and a control unit configured to determine a target peak among a plurality of peaks included in the differential profile, determine the rest of the peaks excluding the target peak among the plurality of peaks to be the reference peaks, compare the differential capacity of the target peak with the differential capacities of the reference peaks, determine a voltage of interest on the basis of the result of comparing differential capacities, and estimate the degree of degradation of the battery on the basis of the capacity of interest thereof corresponding to the voltage of interest.

Description

Battery management device and method

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery management device and method, and more particularly, to a battery management device and method for estimating the degree of degradation of a battery.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0149458, filed on November 1, 2023, and all contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of the said application are incorporated by reference into this application.

[0003]

[0004] Recently, as the demand for portable electronic products such as laptops, video cameras, and mobile phones has rapidly increased, and the development of electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, and satellites has been in full swing, research into high-performance batteries capable of repeated charging and discharging is actively being conducted.

[0005] Currently commercialized batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium batteries. Among these, lithium batteries are receiving attention for their advantages of being able to charge and discharge freely, having a very low self-discharge rate, and having a high energy density, as they have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries.

[0006] Because these batteries degrade over time, various studies are being conducted to more accurately estimate the condition and SOH (State of Health) of batteries in operation.

[0007] Typically, a battery's degradation can be estimated by comparing its reference capacity to its current capacity based on the point at which it was fully charged. However, estimating battery degradation based on the point at which it was fully charged presents a challenge: it takes time for the battery to fully charge, making rapid estimation difficult.

[0008] Meanwhile, the differential profile, which represents the relationship between the differential capacity (dQ / dV), which is the rate of change in the capacity (Q) of the battery with respect to the voltage (V), and the voltage (V), can be integrated with respect to the voltage to calculate the change in the capacity of the battery in the corresponding voltage range. If the shapes of the differential profiles of two batteries are similar in a specific voltage range, the change in the capacity of the two batteries in that voltage range can also be considered similar.

[0009] Therefore, when estimating the degree of degradation of a battery based on the capacity of the battery, development of a technology capable of differently determining the voltage of interest used for estimating the degree of degradation depending on the shape of the differential profile is required.

[0010]

[0011] The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a battery management device and method capable of estimating the degree of battery degradation based on the capacity of interest corresponding to each voltage of interest by differently determining the voltage of interest according to the shape of the differential profile.

[0012] Other objects and advantages of the present invention can be understood through the following description and will be more clearly understood through the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, it will be readily apparent that the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations thereof set forth in the claims.

[0013]

[0014] A battery management device according to one aspect of the present invention may include: a profile acquisition unit configured to acquire a differential profile indicating a correspondence between a voltage and a differential capacity of a battery; and a control unit configured to determine a target peak from among a plurality of peaks included in the differential profile, determine a remaining peak excluding the target peak from among the plurality of peaks as a reference peak, compare a differential capacity of the target peak with a differential capacity of the reference peak, determine a voltage of interest based on a result of the differential capacity comparison, and estimate a degree of degradation of the battery based on the capacity of interest of the battery corresponding to the voltage of interest.

[0015] The above control unit may be configured to determine a peak having the highest corresponding voltage among the plurality of peaks as the target peak.

[0016] The control unit may be configured to determine a preset reference voltage as the voltage of interest when the differential capacity of the target peak exceeds the differential capacity of the reference peak.

[0017] The above reference voltage may be preset as the voltage of the reference minimum point having the largest corresponding voltage among a plurality of minimum points included in a preset reference differential profile corresponding to the battery.

[0018] The above reference minimum point may be preset as the minimum point with the largest corresponding voltage on the low voltage side of the reference peak corresponding to the target peak.

[0019] The above reference voltage may be preset as the voltage of a reference peak corresponding to the target peak among a plurality of peaks included in the above reference differential profile.

[0020] The control unit may be configured to determine the charge termination voltage of the battery as the voltage of interest if the differential capacity of the target peak is less than or equal to the differential capacity of the reference peak.

[0021] The control unit may be configured to estimate the difference between a preset reference capacity and the capacity of interest as the degradation degree of the battery.

[0022] The above control unit may be configured to estimate the ratio of the capacity of interest to a preset reference capacity as the degradation degree of the battery.

[0023] The above reference capacity may be a capacity preset to correspond to the voltage of interest.

[0024] The control unit may be configured to set usage conditions for the battery based on the estimated degree of degradation of the battery.

[0025] A battery pack according to another aspect of the present invention may include a battery management device according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0026] A vehicle according to another aspect of the present invention may include a battery management device according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present invention, a battery management method may include a profile acquisition step of acquiring a differential profile indicating a correspondence between a voltage and a differential capacity of a battery; a peak determination step of determining a target peak from among a plurality of peaks included in the differential profile, and determining a remaining peak excluding the target peak from among the plurality of peaks as a reference peak; a comparison step of comparing a differential capacity of the target peak with a differential capacity of the reference peak; a voltage determination step of determining a voltage of interest based on a result of the differential capacity comparison; and a degradation degree estimation step of estimating a degradation degree of the battery based on a capacity of interest of the battery corresponding to the voltage of interest.

[0028]

[0029] According to one aspect of the present invention, a battery management device can estimate the degree of degradation of a battery based on a capacity of interest corresponding to each voltage of interest by differently determining a voltage of interest used for estimating the degree of degradation of the battery according to a modification of a differential profile.

[0030] In addition, according to one aspect of the present invention, the battery management device can prevent degradation or accelerated degradation of the battery by setting usage conditions for the battery according to the degree of degradation of the battery.

[0031] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, a battery management device can quickly compare the relative degradation levels among multiple batteries within a battery module or battery pack. Furthermore, by setting usage conditions for multiple batteries based on the relative degradation levels, the level of variation in degradation levels among the multiple batteries can be reduced.

[0032] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

[0033]

[0034] The following drawings attached to this specification serve to further understand the technical idea of ​​the present invention together with the detailed description of the invention described below, and therefore the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the matters described in such drawings.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery management device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are schematic drawings illustrating a first differential profile according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second differential profile according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating a battery management method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0041]

[0042] Terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as limited to their usual or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as meanings and concepts that conform to the technical spirit of the present invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term to explain his or her own invention in the best possible manner.

[0043] Accordingly, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modified examples that can replace them at the time of filing this application.

[0044] In addition, when describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description is omitted.

[0045] Terms that include ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., are used to distinguish one of the various components from the rest, and are not used to limit the components by such terms.

[0046] Throughout the specification, whenever a part is said to "include" a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components, unless otherwise stated.

[0047] Additionally, throughout the specification, when we say that a part is "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where it is "directly connected" but also cases where it is "indirectly connected" with other elements in between.

[0048]

[0049] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0050] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery management device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 1, a battery management device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a profile acquisition unit (110) and a control unit (120).

[0052] Here, a battery refers to a physically separate, independent cell having a negative terminal and a positive terminal. For example, a lithium-ion battery or a lithium polymer battery may be considered a battery. Furthermore, the battery may be of a cylindrical type, a prismatic type, or a pouch type. Furthermore, a battery may also refer to a battery bank, a battery module, or a battery pack in which multiple cells are connected in series and / or parallel. For convenience of explanation, the term "battery" will be described herein below as referring to a single, independent cell.

[0053] The profile acquisition unit (110) can be configured to acquire a differential profile indicating a correspondence between the voltage and differential capacity of the battery.

[0054] Here, the differential capacitance represents the instantaneous rate of change of the capacitance with respect to the voltage. In other words, the differential capacitance can be expressed as 'dQ / dV' as the value obtained by differentiating the capacitance with respect to the voltage.

[0055] A battery profile is a profile that represents the relationship between voltage (V) and capacity (Q) as the battery's SOC is charged from 0% to 100%. Differentiating the battery profile with respect to voltage can generate a differential profile that represents the relationship between differential capacity (dQ / dV) and voltage (V). Conversely, a battery profile can also represent the relationship between voltage (V) and capacity (Q) as the battery's SOC is discharged from 100% to 0%.

[0056] For example, there are no specific restrictions on the C-rate for charging or discharging to generate a battery profile. However, to obtain more accurate battery profiles and differential profiles, it is desirable to charge or discharge the battery at a low rate. For example, a battery profile can be generated during the process of charging or discharging the battery at 0.05C.

[0057] Preferably, the profile acquisition unit (110) may be configured to acquire a differential profile indicating a correspondence between the differential capacity and voltage of the battery during the charging process. For example, a battery profile may be acquired during the battery charging process, and a differential profile may be acquired from this battery profile.

[0058] For example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can directly receive the differential profile of the battery from the outside. That is, the profile acquisition unit (110) can acquire the differential profile of the battery by receiving the differential profile through a wired and / or wireless connection to the outside.

[0059] As another example, the profile acquisition unit (110) may receive battery information regarding the voltage and capacity of the battery. Furthermore, the profile acquisition unit (110) may generate a battery profile based on the received battery information, and may generate a differential profile based on the generated battery profile. In other words, the profile acquisition unit (110) may directly generate a differential profile based on the battery information, thereby acquiring the differential profile.

[0060] As another example, the profile acquisition unit (110) may directly measure the voltage and current of the battery. For example, the profile acquisition unit (110) may be directly connected to the positive and negative terminals of the battery, thereby directly measuring the voltage of the battery. In addition, the profile acquisition unit (110) may measure the charge and discharge current of the battery and calculate the capacity of the battery based on the measured current. In addition, the profile acquisition unit (110) may generate a differential profile based on the voltage and capacity of the battery. In other words, the profile acquisition unit (110) may also acquire a differential profile based on the directly measured voltage and current of the battery.

[0061] The profile acquisition unit (110) may be connected to the control unit (120) so as to be able to communicate with it. For example, the profile acquisition unit (110) may be connected to the control unit (120) by wire and / or wirelessly. The profile acquisition unit may transmit the acquired differential profile to the control unit (120).

[0062] FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are schematic drawings illustrating a first differential profile (DP1) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] FIG. 2 is a drawing referenced to explain one embodiment of a battery management device (100) according to the present invention.

[0064] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the first differential profile (DP1) can be represented as a two-dimensional graph in which the X-axis is set to voltage (V) and the Y-axis is set to differential capacitance (dQ / dV).

[0065] The control unit (120) may be configured to determine a target peak from among a plurality of peaks included in the differential profile.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 2, the first differential profile (DP1) may include multiple peaks (P11, P212, P13).

[0067] Here, the peak can be defined as the point where the slope (instantaneous rate of change) of the profile changes from a positive (+) value to a negative (-) value. That is, the slope on the low-voltage side around the peak is positive, and the slope on the high-voltage side is negative. In other words, the maximum point of the differential profile can be determined as the peak.

[0068] Specifically, the target peak can be determined by considering its relative position with respect to other peaks in the differential profile. More specifically, the target peak can be determined based on the corresponding voltage.

[0069] For example, the control unit (120) may determine the peak with the highest corresponding voltage among multiple peaks as the target peak. If only one peak exists in the differential profile, that peak may be determined as the target peak.

[0070] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the control unit (120) can determine the peak (P13) having the highest corresponding voltage among a plurality of peaks (P11, P12, P13) as the target peak.

[0071] The control unit (120) may be configured to determine the remaining peaks, excluding the target peak, among the plurality of peaks included in the differential profile as reference peaks.

[0072] Specifically, the control unit (120) may determine the peak with the highest corresponding voltage among the plurality of peaks including the differential profile as the target peak, and determine the remaining peaks as reference peaks. In other words, the control unit (120) may determine the peak with a corresponding voltage lower than that of the target peak among the plurality of peaks as the reference peak.

[0073] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the control unit (120) can determine the remaining peaks (P11, P12) excluding the target peak (P13) among the plurality of peaks included in the first differential profile (DP1) as reference peaks.

[0074] The control unit (120) may be configured to compare the differential capacity of the target peak with the differential capacity of the reference peak.

[0075] Specifically, the control unit (120) can compare the magnitude of the differential capacity of the target peak with the differential capacity of the reference peak. For example, the control unit (120) can compare the magnitude of the differential capacity of the target peak with the differential capacity of the reference peak. If there are multiple reference peaks, the control unit (120) can compare the magnitude of the differential capacity of each of the multiple reference peaks with the differential capacity of the target peak.

[0076] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, since there are multiple reference peaks, the control unit (120) can compare the magnitude of the differential capacity of each of the multiple reference peaks (P11, P12) with the magnitude of the differential capacity of the target peak (P13). That is, the control unit (120) can compare the magnitude of the differential capacity of the reference peak (P11) with the magnitude of the differential capacity of the target peak (P13), and can compare the magnitude of the differential capacity of the reference peak (P12) with the magnitude of the differential capacity of the target peak (P13).

[0077] The control unit (120) may be configured to determine the voltage of interest based on the differential capacitance comparison result.

[0078] Specifically, if the differential capacity of the target peak exceeds the differential capacity of the reference peak, the control unit (120) may determine a preset reference voltage as the voltage of interest. Here, the reference voltage may be preset to a voltage lower than a charging termination voltage set for the battery.

[0079] More specifically, the reference voltage refers to the voltage of the reference battery. Here, the reference battery may be a reference battery corresponding to the battery or a battery in a BOL state. However, for convenience of explanation, the reference battery will be described below as a battery in a BOL state. The reference voltage may be preset based on the shape of a reference differential profile, which is a differential profile obtained from the reference battery. In other words, the reference voltage may be preset based on the relationship between the voltage and differential capacity of the reference battery.

[0080] For example, the reference voltage may be preset as the voltage of the reference minimum point with the largest corresponding voltage among the plurality of minimum points included in the reference differentiation profile. Preferably, the reference minimum point may be preset as the minimum point with the largest corresponding voltage on the low-voltage side of the reference peak corresponding to the target peak. Here, the reference peak may mean the peak with the largest corresponding voltage among the plurality of peaks included in the reference differentiation profile. That is, the target peak is the peak with the largest corresponding voltage among the plurality of peaks included in the differentiation profile of the battery, and the reference peak is the peak with the largest corresponding voltage among the plurality of peaks included in the reference differentiation profile. Therefore, the reference peak and the target peak may correspond to each other.

[0081] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the differential capacitance of the target peak (P13) exceeds the differential capacitances of the plurality of reference peaks (P11, P12). That is, the differential capacitance of the target peak (P13) exceeds the differential capacitance of the reference peak (P11) and exceeds the differential capacitance of the reference peak (P12). Therefore, the control unit (120) can determine the preset reference voltage (RV1) as the voltage of interest.

[0082] Specifically, the voltage of the reference minimum point (M12), which is the minimum point with the largest corresponding voltage on the low-voltage side of the reference peak (R_pe) corresponding to the target peak (P13) among the plurality of minimum points (M11, M12, M13) included in the reference differentiation profile (R_DP), may be preset as the reference voltage (RV1). In other words, the voltage of the reference peak (R_pe) with the largest corresponding voltage among the plurality of peaks included in the reference differentiation profile (R_DP) may be determined, and the minimum point (M12) with the largest corresponding voltage among the plurality of minimum points (M11, M12) existing on the low-voltage side relative to the voltage of the reference peak (R_pe) on the first differentiation profile (DP1) may be determined as the reference minimum point. Accordingly, the voltage of the reference minimum point (M12) may be preset as the reference voltage (RV1).

[0083] As another example, the reference voltage may be preset to the voltage of a reference peak corresponding to a target peak among multiple peaks included in the reference differential profile.

[0084] FIG. 3 is a drawing referenced to explain another embodiment of a battery management device (100) according to the present invention.

[0085] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the first differential profile (DP1) can be represented as a two-dimensional graph in which the X-axis is set to voltage (V) and the Y-axis is set to differential capacitance (dQ / dV).

[0086] The reference differential profile (R_DP) and the first differential profile (DP1) of Fig. 3 are identical to the reference differential profile (R_DP) and the first differential profile (DP1) illustrated in Fig. 2. Therefore, the target peak (P13), the reference peaks (P11, P12), and the reference peak (R_pe) are determined in the same manner as in the embodiment of Fig. 2.

[0087] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the differential capacitance of the target peak (P13) exceeds the differential capacitances of the plurality of reference peaks (P11, P12). That is, the differential capacitance of the target peak (P13) exceeds the differential capacitance of the reference peak (P11) and exceeds the differential capacitance of the reference peak (P12). Accordingly, the control unit (120) can determine the preset reference voltage (RV2) as the voltage of interest.

[0088] Specifically, the reference voltage (RV2) may be preset as the voltage of a reference peak (R_pe) corresponding to a target peak (P13) among a plurality of peaks included in the reference differentiation profile (R_DP). In other words, the voltage of a peak with the largest corresponding voltage among a plurality of peaks included in the reference differentiation profile (R_DP) may be preset as the reference voltage (RV2).

[0089]

[0090] Conversely, if the differential capacity of the target peak is less than or equal to the differential capacity of the reference peak, the control unit (120) can determine the charging termination voltage set for the battery as the voltage of interest.

[0091] If there are multiple reference peaks, the differential capacity of the target peak being less than or equal to the differential capacity of the reference peaks means that the differential capacity of the target peak is less than or equal to the differential capacity of at least one reference peak among the multiple reference peaks. In other words, if the differential capacity of at least one reference peak is greater than or equal to the differential capacity of the target peak, it can be said that the differential capacity of the target peak is less than or equal to the differential capacity of the reference peak.

[0092] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second differential profile (DP2) according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] FIG. 4 is a drawing referenced to explain another embodiment of a battery management device (100) according to the present invention.

[0094] In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the second differential profile (DP2) can be represented as a two-dimensional graph in which the X-axis is set to voltage (V) and the Y-axis is set to differential capacitance (dQ / dV).

[0095] The control unit (120) can determine the peak (P23) with the highest corresponding voltage among the plurality of peaks (P21, P22, P23) included in the second differential profile (DP2) as the target peak. In addition, the control unit (120) can determine the remaining peaks (P21, P22) excluding the target peak (P23) among the plurality of peaks (P21, P22, P23) as reference peaks.

[0096] The differential capacity of the target peak (P23) exceeds the differential capacity of the reference peak (P21), but is less than or equal to the differential capacity of the reference peak (P22). That is, the differential capacity of the target peak (P23) is less than or equal to the differential capacity of the reference peak. Therefore, the control unit (120) can determine the end-of-charge voltage (EoC, e.g., 4.2 [V]) set for the battery as the voltage of interest.

[0097]

[0098] The control unit (120) may be configured to estimate the degree of degradation of the battery based on the capacity of interest of the battery corresponding to the voltage of interest.

[0099] Specifically, the control unit (120) can calculate the capacity of interest of the battery corresponding to the voltage of interest.

[0100] For example, when the voltage of interest is set to a preset reference voltage, the control unit (120) can calculate the capacity of the battery corresponding to the reference voltage as the capacity of interest. As another example, when the voltage of interest is set to a charge termination voltage, the control unit (120) can calculate the capacity of the battery corresponding to the charge termination voltage as the capacity of interest. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the control unit (120) can calculate the capacity of interest of the battery by integrating the first differential profile (DP1) with respect to the voltage up to the reference voltage (RV1). As another example, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the control unit (120) can calculate the capacity of interest of the battery by integrating the first differential profile (DP1) with respect to the voltage up to the reference voltage (RV2). As another example, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the control unit (120) can calculate the capacity of interest of the battery by integrating the second differential profile (DP2) with respect to the voltage up to the charge termination voltage (EoC).

[0101] In addition, the control unit (120) can estimate the degree of degradation of the battery through a comparison between the capacity of interest and the reference capacity.

[0102] Here, the degradation degree of the battery may refer to the difference between the reference capacity of the battery and the capacity of interest. Alternatively, the degradation degree of the battery may refer to the ratio of the capacity of interest to the reference capacity of the battery. Here, the reference capacity of the battery is the capacity of the reference battery corresponding to the voltage of interest. For example, if the voltage of interest is a charge termination voltage, the reference capacity may be the full-charge capacity (e.g., the total capacity) of the battery in the BOL state. As another example, if the voltage of interest is a preset reference voltage, the reference capacity may be a portion of the capacity of the battery in the BOL state corresponding to the reference voltage. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the reference capacity is a value integrated over the voltage from the reference differential profile (R_DP) to the reference voltage (RV1). As another example, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the reference capacity is a value integrated over the voltage from the reference differential profile (R_DP) to the reference voltage (RV2). As another example, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the reference capacity is a value integrated over the voltage from the reference differential profile (R_DP) to the end-of-charge voltage (EoC).

[0103] For example, the control unit (120) can estimate the degree of degradation of the battery by calculating the ratio of the capacity of interest to the reference capacity. Specifically, the control unit (120) can estimate the degree of degradation of the battery by calculating the formula “capacity of interest ÷ reference capacity × 100.” In this formula, the multiplication by 100 is a constant for including the degree of degradation of the battery in the range of 0(%) to 100(%), and thus can be omitted.

[0104] A battery management device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention can estimate the degree of degradation of a battery based on a capacity of interest corresponding to each voltage of interest by differently determining a voltage of interest used for estimating the degree of degradation of a battery according to the shape of a differential profile.

[0105] In general, the degradation of a battery can be estimated by comparing the reference capacity and the current capacity based on the point in time when the battery is fully charged. However, if the shape of the differential profile is a specific shape, even if the degradation of the battery is estimated based on the point in time before the battery is fully charged, the error in the estimated degradation may be minimal. For example, as in the embodiment of FIG. 2, if the voltage of the target peak (P13) among a plurality of peaks (P11, P12, P13) is the largest, the capacity difference between the capacity after the reference voltage (RV1) of the reference differential profile (R_DP) and the capacity after the reference voltage (RV1) of the first differential profile (DP1) may be negligible. Therefore, even if the battery is charged only to the reference voltage (RV1), the degradation of the battery can be quickly estimated simply by comparing the reference capacity and the capacity of interest.

[0106]

[0107] Meanwhile, the control unit (120) provided in the battery management device (100) may optionally include a processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), another chipset, a logic circuit, a register, a communication modem, a data processing device, etc. known in the art to execute various control logics performed in the present invention. In addition, when the control logic is implemented in software, the control unit (120) may be implemented as a set of program modules. At this time, the program modules may be stored in a memory and executed by the control unit (120). The memory may be located inside or outside the control unit (120) and may be connected to the control unit (120) by various well-known means.

[0108] In addition, the battery management device (100) may further include a storage unit (130). The storage unit (130) may store data or programs required for each component of the battery management device (100) to perform operations and functions, or data generated in the process of performing operations and functions. The storage unit (130) is not particularly limited in type as long as it is a known information storage means known to be capable of recording, erasing, updating, and deriving data. As an example, the information storage means may include RAM, flash memory, ROM, EEPROM, registers, etc. In addition, the storage unit (130) may store program codes defining processes executable by the control unit (120).

[0109] Specifically, the storage unit (130) can store information necessary for the control unit (120) to estimate the degree of degradation of the battery. For example, the storage unit (130) can store a reference voltage, a differential profile of the battery, a voltage of interest, a capacity of interest, etc. In addition, the control unit (120) can access the storage unit (130) to obtain information necessary for estimating the degree of degradation of the battery.

[0110]

[0111] The control unit (120) may be configured to set usage conditions for the battery based on the estimated degree of degradation of the battery.

[0112] When the battery's charge termination voltage is determined as the voltage of interest, the control unit (120) can estimate the battery's degradation level based on the buffer capacity. The control unit (120) can set usage conditions for the battery according to the degradation level estimated based on the buffer capacity.

[0113] Specifically, the control unit (120) can adjust the upper limit of the charge / discharge rate (C-rate) range for the battery. For example, the control unit (120) can decrease the upper limit of the charge / discharge rate range for the battery. As another example, the control unit (120) can increase the lower limit of the charge / discharge rate range for the battery. As yet another example, the control unit (120) can decrease the upper limit of the charge / discharge rate range for the battery and increase the lower limit of the charge / discharge rate range.

[0114] Alternatively, the control unit (120) may adjust the available SOC range for the battery. For example, the control unit (120) may decrease the upper limit of the available SOC range for the battery. As another example, the control unit (120) may increase the lower limit of the available SOC range for the battery. As yet another example, the control unit (120) may decrease the upper limit of the available SOC range for the battery and increase the lower limit of the available SOC range.

[0115] That is, the battery management device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention can prevent battery degradation or accelerated degradation by adjusting the charge / discharge rate range or the available SOC range according to the degree of battery degradation.

[0116] In addition, when the reference voltage is determined as the voltage of interest, the control unit (120) can estimate the degree of degradation of the battery based on the capacity of interest. In this case, the degree of degradation of the battery can be quickly estimated even if the battery is charged only up to the reference voltage. The degree of degradation estimated based on the reference voltage is an approximation of the degree of degradation estimated based on the charge termination voltage, and can be usefully used to compare the relative degrees of degradation between multiple batteries in a battery module or battery pack. The control unit (120) can set the usage conditions for the multiple batteries based on the relative degrees of degradation between the multiple batteries. For example, the control unit (120) can decrease the upper limit of the charge / discharge rate range of a battery with a large relative degree of degradation among the multiple batteries, increase the lower limit of the charge / discharge rate range, or both. As another example, the control unit (120) can increase the upper limit of the charge / discharge rate range of a battery with a small relative degree of degradation among the multiple batteries, increase the lower limit of the charge / discharge rate range, or both.

[0117] That is, the battery management device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention can quickly compare the relative degradation levels among multiple batteries within a battery module or battery pack. Furthermore, by setting usage conditions for multiple batteries based on the relative degradation levels, the level of variation in the degradation levels among the multiple batteries can be reduced.

[0118]

[0119] The battery management device (100) according to the present invention can be applied to a BMS (Battery Management System). That is, the BMS according to the present invention can include the battery management device (100) described above. In this configuration, at least some of the components of the battery management device (100) can be implemented by supplementing or adding to the functions of the components included in a conventional BMS. For example, the profile acquisition unit (110), the control unit (120), and the storage unit (130) of the battery management device (100) can be implemented as components of the BMS.

[0120] Additionally, the battery management device (100) according to the present invention may be provided in a battery pack. That is, the battery pack according to the present invention may include the battery management device (100) described above and one or more battery cells. Additionally, the battery pack may further include electrical components (relays, fuses, etc.) and a case.

[0121] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing an exemplary configuration of a battery pack (10) according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0122] The positive terminal of the battery (11) can be connected to the positive terminal (P+) of the battery pack (10), and the negative terminal of the battery (11) can be connected to the negative terminal (P-) of the battery pack (10).

[0123] The measuring unit (20) can be connected to a first sensing line (SL1), a second sensing line (SL2), and a third sensing line (SL3). Specifically, the measuring unit (20) can be connected to a positive terminal of the battery (11) through the first sensing line (SL1), and can be connected to a negative terminal of the battery (11) through the second sensing line (SL2). The measuring unit (20) can measure the voltage of the battery (11) based on the voltage measured at each of the first sensing line (SL1) and the second sensing line (SL2).

[0124] And, the measuring unit (20) can be connected to the current measuring unit (A) through the third sensing line (SL3). For example, the current measuring unit (A) can be an ammeter or a shunt resistor capable of measuring the charging current and discharging current of the battery (11). The measuring unit (20) can measure the charging current of the battery (11) through the third sensing line (SL3) to calculate the charging amount. In addition, the measuring unit (20) can measure the discharging current of the battery (11) through the third sensing line (SL3) to calculate the discharging amount.

[0125] An external device (not shown) may have one end connected to the positive terminal (P+) of the battery pack (10) and the other end connected to the negative terminal (P-) of the battery pack (10). Accordingly, the positive terminal of the battery (11), the positive terminal (P+) of the battery pack (10), the external device, the negative terminal (P-) of the battery pack (10), and the negative terminal of the battery (11) may be electrically connected.

[0126] For example, the external device may be a charger or a load such as a motor of an electric vehicle that is powered by a battery (11).

[0127]

[0128] Figure 6 is a schematic drawing of a vehicle (1) according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0129] Referring to FIG. 6, a battery pack (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention may be included in a vehicle (1), such as an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid vehicle (HV). Here, the battery pack (10) described above may be applied. In addition, the battery pack (10) may drive the vehicle (1) by supplying power to a motor through an inverter provided in the vehicle (1). Here, the battery pack (10) may include a battery management device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. That is, the vehicle (1) may include a battery management device (100).

[0130]

[0131] FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating a battery management method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0132] Referring to FIG. 7, the battery management method may include a profile acquisition step (S100), a peak determination step (S200), a comparison step (S300), a voltage determination step (S400), and a degradation estimation step (S500).

[0133] Preferably, each step of the battery management method can be performed by a battery management device (100). In the following, for convenience of explanation, any content that overlaps with the previously described content will be omitted or briefly described.

[0134] The profile acquisition step (S100) is a step of acquiring a differential profile indicating a correspondence between the voltage and differential capacity of the battery, and can be performed by the profile acquisition unit (110).

[0135] The peak determination step (S200) is a step of determining a target peak from among a plurality of peaks included in a differential profile, and determining the remaining peaks excluding the target peak from among the plurality of peaks as reference peaks, and can be performed by the control unit (120).

[0136] For example, the control unit (120) can determine the peak with the largest corresponding voltage among the plurality of peaks included in the differential profile as the target peak.

[0137] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the control unit (120) may determine the peak (P13) with the largest corresponding voltage among the plurality of peaks (P11, P12, P13) included in the first differential profile (DP1) as the target peak, and determine the remaining peaks (P11, P12) as reference peaks.

[0138] The comparison step (S300) is a step of comparing the differential capacity of the target peak and the differential capacity of the reference peak, and can be performed by the control unit (120).

[0139] Specifically, the control unit (120) can compare the magnitude of the differential capacity of the target peak and the differential capacity of the reference peak.

[0140] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the control unit (120) can compare the magnitude of the differential capacity of the target peak (P13) with the differential capacity of the plurality of reference peaks (P11, P12).

[0141] The voltage determination step (S400) is a step of determining the voltage of interest based on the differential capacity comparison result, and can be performed by the control unit (120).

[0142] Specifically, the control unit (120) may determine the reference voltage as the voltage of interest if the differential capacity of the target peak exceeds the differential capacity of the reference peak. Conversely, the control unit (120) may determine the charging termination voltage set for the battery as the voltage of interest if the differential capacity of the target peak is lower than or equal to the differential capacity of the reference peak. Here, the reference voltage may be preset to a voltage lower than the charging termination voltage set for the battery.

[0143] More specifically, the reference voltage refers to the voltage of the reference battery. Here, the reference battery may be a reference battery corresponding to the battery or a battery in a BOL state. The reference differential profile is a differential profile obtained from the reference battery.

[0144] For example, the reference voltage may be preset as the voltage of the reference minimum point with the largest corresponding voltage among the multiple minimum points included in the reference differentiation profile. Preferably, the reference minimum point may be preset as the minimum point with the largest corresponding voltage on the low voltage side of the reference peak corresponding to the target peak. Here, the reference peak may mean the peak with the largest corresponding voltage among the multiple peaks included in the reference differentiation profile.

[0145] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the differential capacity of the target peak (P13) exceeds the differential capacity of each of the plurality of reference peaks (P11, P12). Therefore, the control unit (120) may determine a preset reference voltage (RV1) as the voltage of interest. Here, the reference voltage (RV1) may be preset as the voltage of the reference minimum point (M12) having the largest corresponding voltage on the low voltage side of the reference peak (R_pe) corresponding to the target peak (P13) among the plurality of minimum points (M11, M12, M13) included in the reference differential profile (R_DP).

[0146] The degradation degree estimation step (S500) is a step of estimating the degradation degree of the battery based on the battery capacity of interest corresponding to the voltage of interest, and can be performed by the control unit (120).

[0147] Specifically, the control unit (120) can calculate the capacity of interest of the battery corresponding to the voltage of interest. In addition, the control unit (120) can estimate the degree of degradation of the battery by comparing the capacity of interest with the reference capacity. Here, the degree of degradation of the battery can refer to the difference between the reference capacity of the battery and the capacity of interest. Alternatively, the degree of degradation of the battery can refer to the ratio of the capacity of interest to the reference capacity of the battery. Here, the reference capacity of the battery is the capacity of the reference battery corresponding to the voltage of interest.

[0148] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the control unit (120) can calculate the capacity of interest of the battery by integrating the voltage up to the reference voltage (RV1) based on the first differential profile (DP1). The reference capacity is a value integrated over the voltage from the reference differential profile (R_DP) to the reference voltage (RV1). The control unit (120) can estimate the degree of degradation of the battery by comparing the capacity of interest and the reference capacity, which are obtained by integrating the first differential profile (DP1) and the reference differential profile (D_DP) up to the reference voltage (RV1).

[0149]

[0150] The embodiments of the present invention described above are not implemented only through devices and methods, but may also be implemented through a program that realizes a function corresponding to the configuration of the embodiments of the present invention or a recording medium on which the program is recorded, and such implementation can be easily implemented by an expert in the technical field to which the present invention belongs based on the description of the embodiments described above.

[0151] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is obvious that various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention and the equivalent scope of the patent claims to be described below by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[0152] In addition, the present invention described above is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the attached drawings, and all or part of each embodiment may be selectively combined and configured so that various modifications can be made, as those skilled in the art can make various substitutions, modifications, and changes within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention.

[0153]

[0154] [Explanation of symbols]

[0155] 1: Car

[0156] 10: Battery pack

[0157] 100: Battery management device

[0158] 110: Profile acquisition section

[0159] 120: Control unit

[0160] 130: Storage

Claims

1. A profile acquisition unit configured to acquire a differential profile indicating a correspondence between the voltage and differential capacity of the battery; and A battery management device characterized by comprising a control unit configured to determine a target peak from among a plurality of peaks included in the differential profile, determine peaks remaining from among the plurality of peaks excluding the target peak as reference peaks, compare the differential capacity of the target peak with the differential capacity of the reference peak, determine a voltage of interest based on the result of the differential capacity comparison, and estimate a degree of degradation of the battery based on the capacity of interest of the battery corresponding to the voltage of interest.

2. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, A battery management device characterized in that it is configured to determine the peak with the highest corresponding voltage among the plurality of peaks as the target peak.

3. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, A battery management device characterized in that it is configured to determine a preset reference voltage as the voltage of interest when the differential capacity of the target peak exceeds the differential capacity of the reference peak.

4. In paragraph 3, A battery management device characterized in that the above reference voltage is preset as the voltage of the reference minimum point having the largest corresponding voltage among a plurality of minimum points included in a preset reference differential profile corresponding to the battery.

5. In paragraph 4, A battery management device characterized in that the above reference minimum point is preset as a minimum point having the largest corresponding voltage on the low voltage side of the reference peak corresponding to the target peak.

6. In paragraph 4, A battery management device characterized in that the reference voltage is preset as the voltage of a reference peak corresponding to the target peak among a plurality of peaks included in the reference differential profile.

7. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, A battery management device characterized in that it is configured to determine the charge termination voltage of the battery as the voltage of interest when the differential capacity of the target peak is less than or equal to the differential capacity of the reference peak.

8. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, configured to estimate the difference between the preset reference capacity and the capacity of interest as the degree of degradation of the battery; A battery management device characterized in that the above reference capacity is a capacity preset to correspond to the voltage of interest.

9. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, configured to estimate the degradation of the battery by the ratio of the capacity of interest to the preset reference capacity, A battery management device characterized in that the above reference capacity is a capacity preset to correspond to the voltage of interest.

10. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, A battery management device characterized in that it is configured to set usage conditions for the battery based on the estimated degree of degradation of the battery.

11. A battery pack comprising a battery management device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A vehicle characterized by including a battery management device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. A profile acquisition step for acquiring a differential profile representing the correspondence between the voltage and differential capacity of the battery; A peak determination step of determining a target peak from among a plurality of peaks included in the above differential profile, and determining the remaining peaks excluding the target peak from among the plurality of peaks as reference peaks; A comparison step of comparing the differential capacity of the target peak with the differential capacity of the reference peak; A voltage determination step for determining the voltage of interest based on the differential capacitance comparison result; and A battery management method, characterized by including a degradation degree estimation step for estimating the degradation degree of the battery based on the capacity of interest of the battery corresponding to the voltage of interest.

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