Power supply control apparatus and power supply control method

Abstract

Provided are a power supply control apparatus and a power supply control method. The power supply control apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a measurement unit that generates measurement data indicating a state of each of a plurality of power supply modules; a monitoring unit that generates monitoring information including at least one of aging degree information and load factor information on the basis of the measurement data; and a main control unit for controlling each of the plurality of power supply modules in a driving mode or a non-driving mode on the basis of the monitoring information.

Description

Power supply control device and power supply control method

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for controlling individual operation modes of a plurality of power supply modules.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0188796, filed December 21, 2023, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0170006, filed November 25, 2024, the entire contents of which are disclosed in the specification and drawings of the aforementioned applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] A power supply unit that supplies power to an electrical load (e.g., at least one battery charger / discharger) is often configured in a form of an assembly in which multiple power supply modules are connected in parallel to resolve issues such as heat generation and difficulty in organic response to fault diagnosis, as well as to supply power to the electrical load more stably.

[0004] Electric vehicles, ships, and large-capacity energy storage systems (ESS) have relatively high safety accident prevention and stable power supply issues, so this type of power supply module is mainly used.

[0005] In the case of a power supply device that includes multiple power supply modules, it has excellent expandability to accommodate increasing loads, has high space utilization compared to a single large-capacity power supply module, is robust to failures and errors, and can have various advantages, such as not having to cut off power supply to the electrical load during replacement of individual power supply modules.

[0006] Typically, the power supply modules that make up these power supply units are electrically connected in parallel to the electrical load and are configured to supply power to the electrical load through relay control, etc.

[0007] Conventional power supply units of this type typically operate by adjusting the number of individual power supply modules driven based on the scale or size of the power being supplied. In other words, as the load increases, the number of power supply modules operating in drive mode is sequentially increased. Consequently, in conventional power supplies, it is difficult to avoid situations where the lifespan of the power supply modules becomes excessive.

[0008] Therefore, in the case of short-term application of the conventional method, there may not be a major problem with the power supply device, but as the period of use is prolonged, the lifespan difference between some power supply modules that are operated in an uneven manner and other power supply modules gradually increases.

[0009] If the life span deviation becomes excessive, it will have a significant impact on the operating performance or life span of individual power supply modules, and as the characteristics and performance of power supply modules connected in parallel differ significantly, it may cause performance degradation such as a decrease in the overall available output of the power supply system.

[0010] The present invention was created to solve the above-described problems against the background described above, and aims to provide a power supply control device and method capable of suppressing lifespan deviations between power supply modules, improving the driving performance of the power supply device, and effectively extending the lifespan, based on the results of continuously and cyclically monitoring the aging of individual power supply modules constituting the power supply device.

[0011] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below.

[0012] A power supply control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a measuring unit which generates measurement data indicating the status of each of first to nth power supply modules provided for supplying direct current power to an electric device; a monitoring unit which generates monitoring information including at least one of aging degree information and load factor information based on the measurement data, wherein an i-th aging degree among the first to nth aging degrees of the aging degree information represents the aging degree of an i-th power supply module among the first to nth power supply modules, and an i-th load factor among the first to nth load factors of the load factor information represents the load factor of the i-th power supply module; and a main control unit which controls each of the first to nth power supply modules to a driving mode or a non-driving mode based on the monitoring information. n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2, and i is a natural number less than or equal to n.

[0013] The monitoring unit can determine the temperature change amount of the i-th power supply module per unit time based on the measurement data. The monitoring unit can determine the aging degree increase value of the i-th power supply module based on the temperature change amount. The monitoring unit can determine the i-th aging degree based on the aging degree increase value and the previous aging degree of the i-th power supply module.

[0014] The monitoring unit can determine an aging degree increase value of the i-th power supply module based on relationship data between the temperature increase and the aging degree when the temperature change amount indicates a temperature increase of the i-th power supply module.

[0015] The monitoring unit can determine an aging degree increase value of the i-th power supply module based on relationship data between the temperature decrease and the aging degree when the temperature change amount indicates a temperature decrease of the i-th power supply module.

[0016] The main control unit can classify each power supply module in drive mode among the first to nth power supply modules into a first group. The main control unit can classify each power supply module in non-drive mode among the first to nth power supply modules into a second group.

[0017] The main control unit may determine one power supply module of the first group as a first target module, determine one power supply module of the second group as a second target module, switch the second target module from the non-driving mode to the driving mode, and switch the first target module from the driving mode to the non-driving mode, if the maximum aging degree deviation of the first group is greater than or equal to the reference aging degree deviation.

[0018] The above main control unit may, when the first group includes two or more power supply modules, determine one of the two or more power supply modules with the greatest degree of aging as the first target module.

[0019] The main control unit may determine, when the second group includes two or more power supply modules, one of the two or more power supply modules in the second group with the maximum downtime as the second target module.

[0020] The main control unit can switch one of the power supply modules of the second group from the non-driving mode to the driving mode when the load rate of the first group exceeds the upper limit of the reference load rate range.

[0021] The main control unit can switch any power supply module having the maximum aging degree in the first group from the driving mode to the non-driving mode when the load rate of the first group is less than the lower limit of the reference load rate range.

[0022] A direct current power supply system according to another aspect of the present invention includes the power supply control device.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present invention, a power supply control method includes: generating measurement data indicating the status of each of first to nth power supply modules provided for supplying direct current power to an electric device; generating monitoring information including at least one of aging degree information and load factor information based on the measurement data, wherein an i-th aging degree among the first to nth aging degrees of the aging degree information represents the aging degree of an i-th power supply module among the first to nth power supply modules, and an i-th load factor among the first to nth load factors of the load factor information represents the load factor of the i-th power supply module; and controlling each of the first to nth power supply modules to a driving mode or a non-driving mode based on the monitoring information. n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2, and i is a natural number less than or equal to n.

[0024] The step of generating the monitoring information may include: a step of determining a temperature change amount of the i-th power supply module for a unit time based on the measurement data; a step of determining an aging degree increase value of the i-th power supply module based on the temperature change amount; and a step of determining the i-th aging degree based on the aging degree increase value and a previous aging degree of the i-th power supply module.

[0025] The step of controlling each of the first to nth power supply modules to a driving mode or a non-driving mode may include a step of classifying each power supply module among the first to nth power supply modules in the driving mode into a first group; and a step of classifying each power supply module among the first to nth power supply modules in the non-driving mode into a second group.

[0026] The step of controlling each of the first to nth power supply modules to a driving mode or a non-driving mode may further include a step of switching any one of the power supply modules of the second group from the non-driving mode to the driving mode when the load rate of the first group exceeds the upper limit of the reference load rate range.

[0027] The step of controlling each of the first to nth power supply modules to a driving mode or a non-driving mode may further include a step of switching any power supply module having the maximum aging degree in the first group from the driving mode to the non-driving mode when the load ratio of the first group is less than the lower limit of the reference load ratio range.

[0028] According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, by controlling the driving mode for each of the power supply modules based on the temporal change in the aging degree of the individual power supply modules included in the power supply device, an excessive increase in the aging degree deviation between a plurality of power supply modules can be prevented.

[0029] In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, power loss due to excessively high or low load ratio can be minimized by stopping at least one power supply module that is being driven or activating at least one power supply module that is not being driven so that the load ratio of the power supply module operating in the driving mode falls within a reference load ratio range.

[0030] In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, when it is necessary to reverse the operation modes of two power supply modules that are being controlled in different operation modes, by switching one of the power supply modules in the non-driving mode to the driving mode and then switching the other power supply module in the driving mode to the non-driving mode, it is possible to prevent a situation in which both power supply modules are in the non-driving mode and the DC power supplied to the electric device is temporarily insufficient.

[0031] Furthermore, at least one embodiment of the present invention has the advantage of suppressing aging deviations among multiple power supply modules, thereby reducing the failure frequency of individual power supply modules during the life of the DC power supply system. In other words, it is possible to not only extend the Mean Time To Failure (MTTF), but also bring the Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) closer to the MTTF.

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

[0034] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a power supply system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the power supply control device illustrated in Figure 1.

[0036] Fig. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the detailed configuration of the power supply control device illustrated in Fig. 1.

[0037] Figure 4 is a flowchart explaining a power supply control method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the main control unit illustrated in Fig. 3.

[0039] FIG. 6 is a flowchart exemplifying subroutines that can be executed in step S430 of FIG. 4.

[0040] FIG. 7 is a flowchart exemplifying subroutines that can be executed in step S650 of FIG. 6.

[0041] FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are flowcharts explaining a power supply control method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 10 is a drawing for reference to exemplarily explain changes over time in the operating modes of multiple power supply modules.

[0043] FIG. 11 is a flowchart exemplifying subroutines that can be executed in step S420 of FIG. 4.

[0044] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Prior to this, it should be noted that the terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their conventional or dictionary meanings. Based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concepts of terms to best explain his or her invention, they should be interpreted in a way that aligns with the technical spirit of the present invention.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] Throughout the specification, when a part is said to "include" a component, this does not exclude other components, unless otherwise stated, but rather implies that other components may be included. Furthermore, terms such as "unit" used throughout the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0048] 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.

[0049] FIG. 1 is a drawing schematically illustrating the configuration of a power supply system according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a drawing schematically illustrating the configuration of a power supply control device (100) illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0050] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the power supply system (10) includes an electric load device (50), a power supply control device (100), and a power supply device (200).

[0051] The electrical load device (50) is a load that uses electricity as a driving source and receives power from a power supply device (200). The electrical load device (50) may include, for example, at least one battery charger / discharger installed in a battery manufacturing plant. Of course, the electrical load device (50) may be a general term for various electrical devices, electrical equipment, or electrical facilities.

[0052] The power supply control device (100) manages and controls the operation of the power supply device (200) that supplies direct current power to the electric load device (50).

[0053] The power supply device (200) may include first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n). Here, n represents a natural number greater than or equal to 2. When i represents a natural number less than or equal to n, the symbol '210-i' designates the ith power supply module. In the following description, it is to be noted in advance that the symbol 210 may be assigned to common contents of the power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n).

[0054] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a wiring relationship between the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) and an electric load device (50), which is required to supply direct current power from the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) to the electric load device (50).

[0055] As illustrated in Fig. 2, each of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) can be connected to a power supply control device (100) via a control line. The control line connected between the ith power supply module (210-i) and the power supply control device (100) corresponds to a signal channel for transmitting a control signal from the power supply control device (100) to the ith power supply module (210-i).

[0056] Additionally, each of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) can be connected to an electric load device (50) via a pair of power lines.

[0057] The power supply control device (100) may further include at least one of a first switching circuit (S1) and a second switching circuit (S2). The first switching circuit (S1) may include a plurality of switches installed on a power line to connect a first power terminal (e.g., a plus terminal) of the first to n-th power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) and a first power terminal of the electric load device (50). The second switching circuit (S2) may include a plurality of switches installed on a power line to connect a second power terminal (e.g., a minus terminal) of the first to n-th power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) and a second power terminal of the electric load device (50). In FIGS. 1 and 2, the symbol + indicates the first power terminal, and the symbol - indicates the second power terminal.

[0058] As the switches of the first switching circuit (S1) installed in the first power line and the switches of the second switching circuit (S2) installed in the second power line are selectively and individually turned on and off by the power supply control device (100), at least one of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) can supply power to the power supply device (200).

[0059] The wiring relationship between the configurations illustrated in Fig. 2 is only an example. Therefore, if the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) connected in parallel with each other can supply direct current power to the electric load device (50), various designs and configurations different from those illustrated in Fig. 2 are of course possible.

[0060] The power supply module (210) may be implemented through one or a combination of two or more of known power conversion devices that convert AC power input thereto into DC power or adjust the voltage level of DC power input thereto, such as an AC / DC converter, a DC / DC converter, a transformer, a smoothing circuit, etc.

[0061] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, etc., the detailed configurations of the power supply control device (100) and the operations performed by each configuration will be described in detail.

[0062] FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a detailed configuration of a power supply control device (100) illustrated in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart explaining a power supply control method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the power supply control device (100) may include a measuring unit (110), a monitoring unit (120), and a main control unit (130). The power supply control device (100) may further include at least one of a switching unit (140), an information sharing unit (150), and a history information storage unit (160).

[0064] The measuring unit (110) can measure at least one type of state parameter (e.g., direct current power, voltage, current, temperature) indicating the state of each of the first to nth power supply modules (210). To this end, the measuring unit (110) can include n power measurement circuits (e.g., watt-meters) and n temperature measurement circuits (e.g., thermistors) for individually measuring the power and temperature of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n).

[0065] At least one of the components of the power supply control device (100) can be implemented through various combinational applications of electronic devices, parts, etc. (ASIC, chipset, logic circuit, register, communication modem, MCU, etc.) such as storage means, operation processing means, input / output means, etc. Accordingly, each component of the power supply control device (100) illustrated in FIG. 3 should be understood as being physically, functionally, and / or logically distinguishable from other components. Each component of the main control unit (130) illustrated in FIG. 5 is also the same.

[0066] That is, since each component illustrated in the drawing corresponds to a logical configuration for effectively explaining the technical idea of ​​the present invention, even if each component is configured integrated or separated, if the function performed by the logical configuration of the present invention can be realized, it should be interpreted as being within the scope of the present invention, and of course, if it is a component that performs the same or similar function, it should be interpreted as being within the scope of the present invention regardless of whether or not there is consistency in the name.

[0067] In addition, the power supply control method according to the present invention can be implemented as a set or algorithm of processes for data processing, handling, control, operation, input / output, etc., and thus can be implemented by a combination of logical configurations shown in FIG. 3, etc., as well as in the form of software installed and operated in a system, device, computer (or a device equivalent thereto), BMS, module, or sub-component thereof.

[0068] The switching unit (140) may include at least one of the first switching circuit (S1) and the second switching circuit (S2) described above with reference to FIG. 2.

[0069] In step S410, the measuring unit (110) can generate measurement data indicating the status of each of the first to nth power supply modules (210). The measuring unit (110) can measure at least one type of status parameter (e.g., DC power, voltage, current, temperature) of each of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n), and the measurement data can include measurement values ​​for each status parameter. The measurement data can be collected by the monitoring unit (120).

[0070] The temperature measurement circuit provided in the power supply module (210) includes at least one temperature sensor. In this regard, the power supply module (210) includes various electrical components such as an input terminal, an output terminal, a field effect transistor (FET), a capacitor, a transformer, an electrical line, etc. When the power supply module (210) is operating in a driving mode, heat is generated in each electrical component, which causes the electrical components to deteriorate. In addition, the thermal conductivity and degree of thermal expansion of the electrical components may be different from each other, which may cause problems such as cracks in a portion where mechanical stress is concentrated inside the power supply module (210).

[0071] When multiple temperature sensors are included in the temperature measurement circuit, each temperature sensor can measure the temperature of a specific electrical element or a specific area of ​​the power supply module (210). The temperature (or temperature measurement value) of the power supply module (210) indicated by the measurement data can represent an average of the temperature values ​​measured by the multiple temperature sensors.

[0072] In step S420, the monitoring unit (120) may generate monitoring information including at least one of aging degree information and load factor information based on the measurement data collected from the measuring unit (110). The aging degree information includes first to nth aging degrees. The i-th aging degree represents the aging degree of the i-th power supply module (210-i). The load factor information includes first to n-th load factors. The i-th load factor represents the load factor of the i-th power supply module (210-i).

[0073] Assuming that the sum of the aging degree and the remaining life of the power supply module (210) is a constant value, determining the aging degree can be understood as meaning determining the remaining life. The monitoring unit (120) can transmit data notifying the aging degree of each power supply module (210) to the main control unit (130).

[0074] In this specification, the operating time of the power supply module (210) may refer to the sum (cumulative value) of the times that the power supply module (210) has operated in operating mode during a period from a specific point in time in the past to the present. The specific point in time in the past may be, for example, the first time that the power supply module (210) was mounted in a DC power supply system (10) and used to supply DC power to an electric load device (50).

[0075] The monitoring unit (120) can use measurement data collected from the measuring unit (110) to generate and record parameter history information indicating temporal changes in the status parameters of the power supply module (210).

[0076] Additionally, the monitoring unit (120) can identify whether the power supply module (210) is operating. The monitoring unit (120) can be configured to generate (update) operating time information of the power supply module (210) that is operating.

[0077] The monitoring unit (120) can determine the aging degree of the power supply module (210) based on the parameter history information and operating time information of the power supply module (210). The process for determining the aging degree can be repeated at predetermined intervals using clock settings, etc., or can be repeated whenever an event is generated that switches the operating mode of the power supply module (210). The method for determining the aging degree will be described in detail separately below.

[0078] In step S430, the main control unit (130) controls each of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) to a driving mode or a non-driving mode based on the monitoring information. At least one of the technical advantages of suppressing the aging deviation between the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) and the technical advantage of improving the efficiency of power supply to the electric load device (50) is provided by step S430.

[0079] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the main control unit shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing subroutines that can be executed in step S430 of FIG. 4, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing subroutines that can be executed in step S650 of FIG. 6.

[0080] Referring to FIG. 5, the main control unit (130) may include a reference information storage unit (131), a deviation calculation unit (133), a selection unit (135), and a driving control unit (137).

[0081] The reference information storage unit (131) can store a reference aging deviation. The reference aging deviation can represent the maximum aging deviation allowed for the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n).

[0082] The reference aging deviation may be a predetermined fixed value. Alternatively, the reference aging deviation may be variably set by taking into account attribute information such as power consumption of an electrical load device (50) connected to a power supply device (200), and specification information such as discharge rate and discharge capacity of a power supply module (210).

[0083] In step S610, the deviation calculation unit (133) can determine a reference aging degree based on the aging degree information input from the monitoring unit (120). The deviation calculation unit (133) can perform a statistical calculation (e.g., see Equations 1 and 2 below) on the aging degree information indicating the first to nth aging degrees input from the monitoring unit (120) to determine a reference aging degree based on the first to nth aging degrees. The reference aging degree can mean, for example, an arithmetic mean, a weighted mean, or a harmonic mean of the first to nth aging degrees.

[0084] In step S620, the deviation calculation unit (133) can determine the first to nth aging degree deviations representing the differences between the first to nth aging degrees and the reference aging degree, respectively. The i-th aging degree deviation can represent the difference between the i-th aging degree and the reference aging degree.

[0085] The process of determining the aging deviation may be performed repeatedly, periodically or aperiodically, while at least one of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) is controlled in the driving mode. A specific embodiment thereof will be described later.

[0086] The deviation calculation unit (133) can generate an aging degree deviation of each of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) by calculating the difference between each of the first to nth aging degrees with respect to the reference aging degree.

[0087] <Formula 1>

[0088]

[0089] <Formula 2>

[0090]

[0091] In formulas 1 and 2, T k is the kth aging degree, A is the reference aging degree, σ k represents the kth aging degree deviation individually. The kth aging degree deviation (σ k ) is the k-th aging degree (T k ) and the standard aging degree (A).

[0092] The selection unit (135) can identify whether the operation mode of each of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) is a driving mode or a non-driving mode. The driving mode refers to a mode in which direct current power is supplied to the electric load device (50). The non-driving mode refers to a mode in which the supply of direct current power to the electric load device (50) is stopped.

[0093] In step S630, the selection unit (135) can classify the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) into a first group and a second group according to the operation mode of each of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n). That is, each of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) can be classified into the first group or the second group. The first group includes the power supply modules (210) operating in the driving mode. The second group includes the power supply modules (210) operating in the non-driving mode.

[0094] Step S430, etc., to be described later, may be executed on the condition that at least one power supply module (210) is included in the first group and at least one power supply module (210) is also included in the second group. That is, if all of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) are classified into only one of the first group and the second group, the method according to FIG. 4 may not be executed.

[0095] In step S640, the selection unit (135) can determine whether the maximum aging deviation of the first group is greater than or equal to the reference aging deviation. The maximum aging deviation of the first group may represent the maximum value among the aging deviations of the power supply modules belonging to the first group. If the value of step S640 is "Yes," the process can proceed to step S650.

[0096] In step S650, the selection unit (135) determines a first target module from the first group and a second target module from the second group. The first target module may be any power supply module (210) with the maximum aging degree from the first group. The second target module may be any power supply module (210) from the second group.

[0097] In step S660, the drive control unit (137) can switch the first target module to a non-driving mode and switch the second target module to a driving mode. The drive control unit (137) can transmit a control signal to the second target module for switching from the non-driving mode to the driving mode. In addition, the drive control unit (137) can transmit a control signal to the first target module for switching from the driving mode to the non-driving mode. As the second target module switches to the driving mode, the second target module replaces the first target module that is switched to the non-driving mode and takes charge of supplying DC power to the electric load device (50).

[0098] Each of the remaining power supply modules (210) other than the first target module and the second target module can maintain the operation at the time of execution of the method of FIG. 6.

[0099] If the value of step S640 is "No", the method according to FIG. 6 may be terminated. The fact that there is no power supply module (210) in the first group whose aging degree deviation is greater than the reference aging degree deviation may mean that an excessive imbalance in aging degree does not occur at least among the power supply modules belonging to the first group.

[0100] Since the driving mode and driving time of the power supply module (210) change over time, the status and aging of each of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) also change over time.

[0101] The present invention can repeat the determination of the first target module and the second target module and the control thereof during the operation of the DC voltage supply system (10). Accordingly, even if the overall use of the DC voltage supply system (10) increases over time, it is possible to maintain the maximum aging deviation of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) included in the power supply device (200) from exceeding the reference aging deviation.

[0102] Meanwhile, with respect to step S660, the drive control unit (137) can output a control signal for switching the first target module from the drive mode to the non-drive mode after a deadband time has elapsed from the time at which a control signal for switching the second target module from the non-drive mode to the drive mode is output.

[0103] When generating and outputting a digital signal system using an analog signal, the signal value can have a value between 0 and 1 over a short period of time. For example, during the deadband time, the signal level of the control signal transmitted to the second target module increases from 0 to 1, and the second target module can be switched from the non-driving mode to the driving mode under the condition that the signal level input to it is higher than a threshold value. If the first target module switches to the non-driving mode before the second target module switches to the driving mode, there will be a short period of time during which both the first target module and the second target module will be in the non-driving mode, which may cause a problem in which the power supplied to the electric load (50) suddenly decreases.

[0104] Accordingly, the present invention can effectively reduce ambiguity due to changes in signal levels by allowing a control signal for inducing the first target module to operate in a non-operating mode to be output after a deadband time has elapsed from the time at which a control signal for inducing the second target module to operate in a driving mode is output, and can prevent a situation in which power supply to an electric load device (50) from both the first target module and the second target module is unintentionally stopped.

[0105] The method according to FIG. 7 can be executed when each of the first group and the second group includes two or more power supply modules (210).

[0106] Referring to FIG. 7, in step S710, the selection unit (135) determines whether two or more power supply modules (210) in the first group have the same maximum aging degree. If the value of step S710 is "Yes", it may mean that the aging degrees of two or more power supply modules (210) included in the first group are the same and their aging degrees are the maximum in the first group. If the value of step S710 is "Yes", the process may proceed to step S720. If the value of step S710 is "No", it may mean that there is only one power supply module (210) in the first group that has the maximum aging degree. If the value of step S710 is "No", the process may proceed to step S730.

[0107] In step S720, the selection unit (135) determines, among two or more power supply modules (210) having the same maximum aging degree, one having the longest operating time, the highest temperature, or the smallest module identification number as the first target module.

[0108] In step S730, the selection unit (135) determines one power supply module (210) with the maximum aging degree as the first target module.

[0109] In step S740, the selection unit (135) determines whether two or more power supply modules (210) in the second group have the same minimum aging degree. If the value of step S740 is "Yes", it may mean that the aging degrees of two or more power supply modules (210) included in the second group are the same and their aging degrees are minimum in the second group. If the value of step S740 is "Yes", the process may proceed to step S750. If the value of step S740 is "No", it may mean that there is only one power supply module (210) in the second group that has the minimum aging degree. If the value of step S740 is "No", the process may proceed to step S750.

[0110] In step S740, the selection unit (135) determines, among two or more power supply modules (210) having the same minimum aging degree, one having the shortest operating time, the lowest temperature, the highest ranked module identification number, or the longest idle time, as the second target module. The idle time of the power supply module (210) may refer to the elapsed time since the most recent time point at which the power supply module (210) was switched from operating mode to non-operating mode.

[0111] In step S750, the selection unit (135) determines one power supply module (210) with the minimum aging degree as the second target module.

[0112] In the case of the above procedures, in addition to the aging degree of each power supply module (210) belonging to the first group, at least one of the operating time and temperature may be additionally taken into consideration, and a power supply module (210) having the lowest performance in the first group may be selected as the first target module. In addition, in addition to the aging degree of each power supply module (210) belonging to the second group, at least one of the operating time, temperature, and idle time may be additionally taken into consideration, and a power supply module (210) having the highest performance in the second group may be selected as the second target module. Accordingly, the first target module having a relatively low power supply performance is switched to a non-operating mode, and the second target module having a relatively high power supply performance is switched to a non-operating mode, thereby improving the overall operating stability of the DC power supply system (10) and achieving a longer lifespan.

[0113] The first to nth aging degrees, reference aging degrees, and first to nth aging degree deviations of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) change over time. Therefore, in order to suppress the aging degree deviation between the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n), there is a need to update related data so that the aforementioned changes can be cyclically reflected in the control of the power supply module (210). History information indicating temporal changes in the status, aging degree, aging degree deviation, operating time, operating mode (i.e., operating mode or non-operating mode), etc. of the power supply module (210) can be stored in the history information storage unit (160). The history information stored in the history information storage unit (160) can be utilized in subsequent processes.

[0114] The newly generated aging information each time the method of FIG. 4 is executed can be recorded in the history information storage unit (160). Depending on the embodiment, the aging information stored at a previous timing can be replaced with the newly generated aging information at the current timing. Alternatively, to increase the efficiency of statistical operations or application processes, the aging information can be accumulated in a manner in which the previous aging information and the current aging information are mutually linked.

[0115] Hereinafter, a process for ensuring that the load ratio of a power supply module (210) belonging to the first group among the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n), i.e., a power supply module (210) being controlled in a driving mode, is maintained within a reference load ratio range will be described.

[0116] FIGS. 8 and 9 are flowcharts illustrating a power supply control method according to another embodiment of the present invention. The method according to FIGS. 8 and 9 may be a set of subroutines that can be included in step S430 of FIG. 4.

[0117] The method according to FIGS. 8 and 9 can be executed under the condition that the size of the second group is 1 or more, that is, at least one of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) is classified into the second group.

[0118] In step S810, the selection unit (135) can determine whether the load rate of the first group exceeds the upper limit of the reference load rate range.

[0119] The reference information storage unit (131) can store reference load ratio data. The reference load ratio data can indicate a reference load ratio range that is predetermined to be above a certain level of input / output efficiency of the power supply module (210).

[0120] The reference load ratio range can be utilized to maintain the DC power output by the power supply module (210) within an appropriate range. The reference load ratio can be common to the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n). The maximum outputtable power (which may also be referred to as 'rated power') can be common to the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n).

[0121] The upper limit of the reference load ratio range refers to the ratio of the maximum allowable power to the maximum output power. The lower limit of the reference load ratio range refers to the ratio of the minimum allowable power to the maximum output power. That is, while the power supply module (210) is controlled in the driving mode, the DC power supplied from the power supply module (210) to the electric load device (50) can be adjusted between the maximum allowable power and the minimum allowable power.

[0122] The load factor of the power supply module (210) refers to the ratio of the DC power currently output from the power supply module (210) to the maximum output possible output. For example, if the maximum output possible power is 20 kW and the upper limit of the standard load factor range is set to 70%, the DC power output from the power supply module (210) needs to be controlled so as not to exceed 14 kW.

[0123] If the load ratio of the power supply module (210) in the driving mode is lower than the lower limit or higher than the upper limit of the reference load ratio range, the input / output efficiency of the power supply module (210) may not reach a certain level. Therefore, a process for controlling the DC power output from the power supply module (210) is required so that the load ratio of the power supply module (210) in the driving mode is within the reference load ratio range.

[0124] If the value of step S810 is "Yes", the process can proceed to step S820. If the value of step S810 is "No", the process can proceed to step S910.

[0125] In step S820, the selection unit (135) determines a module of interest in the second group. The module of interest determined in the second group may be any power supply module (210) having the minimum aging degree or the maximum downtime in the second group.

[0126] In step S830, the driving control unit (137) switches the module of interest determined in the second group to the driving mode. For example, the driving control unit (137) may transmit a control signal that induces a switch from the non-driving mode to the driving mode to the module of interest determined in the second group.

[0127] For example, let's say that the upper limit of the standard load ratio is 70%, the maximum output power is 20kW, and currently four power supply modules (210-1 to 210-4) are operating in drive mode. If the power consumption of the electric load device (50) is 50kW, the power supply modules (210) will each supply 50kW / 4 = 12.5kW of power to the electric load device (50). In this example, the load ratio of each of the power supply modules (210-1 to 210-4) is 12.5kW / 20kW = 62.5%. Since 62.5% does not exceed the upper limit of the standard load ratio range, it can be said that there is no need to determine the power supply module (210) to be switched to drive mode in the second group.

[0128] In this case, if the aging deviation of at least one of the four power supply modules (210-1 to 210-4) in the driving mode is greater than or equal to the reference aging deviation, a procedure for stopping the driving of the first target module and a procedure for starting the driving of the second target module can be executed.

[0129] On the other hand, when the power consumption of the electric load device (50) increases from 50 kW to 72 kW when the first group includes four power supply modules (210-1 to 210-4), each of the four power supply modules (210-1 to 210-4) will evenly supply 16.0 kW of DC power. Accordingly, the load factor of the four power supply modules (210-1 to 210-4) increases from 62.5% to 80% and exceeds the standard load factor. In this case, the selection unit (135) can determine the module of interest from the second group, and accordingly, the drive control unit (137) can control the module of interest in the drive mode.

[0130] When an interest module determined in the second group switches from a non-driven mode to a driven mode, the interest module may withdraw from the second group and join the first group. That is, each of the first group and the second group may be updated.

[0131] When the power consumption of the electric load device (50) is 72 kW, if the module of interest determined in the second group starts supplying power to the electric load device (50) together with four power supply modules (210-1 to 210-4), the size of the first group can increase by 1 from 4 to 5. For reference, the size of a group can mean the total number of members (i.e., power supply modules) belonging to the group. As a result, each of the five power supply modules belonging to the first group supplies 72 kW / 5 = 14.4 kW of power to the electric load device (50). In this case, the load factor of each power supply module (210) of the first group is reduced to 14.4 kW / 20 kW = 72%, but still exceeds the reference load factor of 70%.

[0132] It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the method according to FIGS. 8 and 9 can be repeatedly executed periodically or aperiodically, and that the load ratio of each power supply module (210) belonging to the first group will be adjusted to be less than 70% of the reference load ratio.

[0133] For example, if the size of the first group increases by 1 from 5 to 6, each of the six power supply modules will supply 72 kW / 6 = 12.0 kW of power to the electric load device (50). Accordingly, the load factor of each of the six power supply modules will be lowered to 12.0 kW / 20 kW = 60%, which can be converted to a stable load state that is below the upper limit of 70% of the standard load factor range.

[0134] Meanwhile, if the maximum output power is 20 kW and the lower limit of the standard load ratio range is set to 40%, the DC power output from each power supply module (210) belonging to the first group needs to be controlled to exceed 8 kW.

[0135] For reference, the method according to FIG. 9 can be executed under the condition that the size of the first group is 2 or more. If the load rate of the first group is lower than the upper limit of the reference load rate range, step S910 can be executed. In step S910, the selection unit (135) can determine whether the load rate of each power supply module (210) belonging to the first group is lower than the lower limit of the reference load rate range. If the value of step S910 is "Yes," the process can proceed to step S920. If the value of step S910 is "No," the method according to FIG. 9 can be terminated.

[0136] For example, let's assume that the lower limit of the reference load ratio range is 40%, the maximum output power is 20 kW, and four power supply modules (210-1 to 210-4) are classified into Group 1.

[0137] If the power consumption of the electric load device (50) is 50 kW, each power supply module of the first group equally supplies 12.5 kW of power to the electric load device (50). Since the load ratio of each power supply module (210) is 12.5 kW / 20 kW = 62.5%, which exceeds the lower limit of 40% of the standard load ratio range, it can be said that there is no need to determine which of the four power supply modules (210-1 to 210-4) to switch to the non-driving mode. In this case, the value of step S910 becomes "No".

[0138] On the other hand, when the power consumption of the electric load device (50) drops from 50 kW to 30 kW, each of the four power supply modules (210-1 to 210-4) equally supplies 7.5 kW of power to the electric load device (50), and the load factor of each switching supply module (210) of the first group drops to 37.5%, which is less than the standard load factor. In this case, the value of step S910 becomes "Yes."

[0139] In step S920, the selection unit (135) may determine a module of interest in the first group. The module of interest determined in the first group may be any power supply module (210) with the maximum aging degree in the first group.

[0140] In step S930, the driving control unit (137) can switch the module of interest determined in the first group to a non-driving mode. That is, the second interest module can be switched from a driving mode to a non-driving mode in response to a control signal transmitted from the driving control unit (137).

[0141] When step S930 is executed, the size of the first group decreases by 1, while the size of the second group increases by 1. In addition, with respect to the example described above, each of the three power supply modules maintained in the first group evenly supplies 30 kW / 3 = 10 kW of power to the electric load device (50). In this case, the load ratio of each power supply module in the first group increases from 37.5% to 50%, and is adjusted to fall between the lower limit of 40% and the upper limit of 70% of the reference load ratio range.

[0142] If the load ratio of the first group is lower than the lower limit of the reference load ratio range even though the size of the first group is reduced from 4 to 3, the method according to FIG. 9 may be performed again.

[0143] As described above, in the case of the present invention, based on at least one of the driving time and load factor of each of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n), a first target module, a second target module, and / or a module of interest are determined among the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n), and through cyclic application of a process for controlling the switching of each power supply module between a driving mode and a non-driving mode, the aging deviation between the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) can be prevented from being excessively high. As a result, the service life of the DC power supply system (10) can be extended, and the advantage of reducing the replacement frequency of the power supply module (210) is also provided.

[0144] Even in a situation where all of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) are classified into the first group (i.e., the size of the second group = 0), there may be a situation where the load rate of the power supply module (210) exceeds the reference load rate. In this case, the information sharing unit (150) may generate alarm information and transmit the generated alarm information to a pre-registered device, such as a user terminal, a vehicle info system, a control server, etc. The alarm information may be for notifying a user, etc. that an overload risk has occurred. This may guide a user, etc. to take follow-up measures for a dangerous situation in a timely manner.

[0145] The method according to FIG. 6 can be executed under the condition that the values ​​of both steps S810 and S910 of the methods according to FIGS. 8 and 9 are “No.” The values ​​of both steps S810 and S910 being “No” means that the load rate of the first group is within the reference load rate range.

[0146] Alternatively, the method according to FIGS. 8 and 9 may be executed on the condition that the value of step S640 of the method according to FIG. 6 is “No”.

[0147] Figure 10 is a drawing for reference to exemplarily explain changes over time in the operating modes of multiple power supply modules.

[0148] In Fig. 10, it is assumed that the power supply device (200) includes a total of six power supply modules (210-1 to 210-6). An exemplary transition of each of the six power supply modules (210-1 to 210-6) between the driving mode and the non-driving mode over time during operation of the DC power supply system (10) is schematically illustrated in Fig. 10. For reference, in Fig. 10, the symbol A denotes the driving mode, and the symbol R denotes the non-driving mode (idle state).

[0149] The first to sixth time intervals (P1 to P6) may be distinguished based on the time at which a switching event between the driving mode and the non-driving mode occurs in at least one of the power supply modules (210-1 to 210-6).

[0150] In explaining Fig. 10, it will be assumed that the aging, operating time, and idle time of the power supply modules (210-1 to 210-6) are all the same at the start of the first time interval (P1).

[0151] In the first time period (P1), only the first power supply module (210-1) among the power supply modules (210-1 to 210-6) is shown to be operating in the driving mode, and the remaining power supply modules (210-2 to 210-6) are shown to be operating in the non-driving mode.

[0152] If the load rate of the first power supply module (210-1) becomes greater than the upper limit of the reference load rate range in the first time period (P1), any one of the remaining power supply modules (210-2 to 210-6) belonging to the second group may be determined as the module of interest.

[0153] As the second power supply module (210-2) in the non-driving mode switches to the driving mode, the first time period (P1) ends and the second time period (P2) begins.

[0154] In the second time period (P2), the second power supply module (210-2) supplies direct current power to the electric load device (50) together with the first power supply module (210-1) in the second time period (P2). Accordingly, throughout the second time period (P2), the two power supply modules (210-1, 210-2) belong to the first group, while the remaining power supply modules (210-3, 210-4, 210-5, 210-6) belong to the second group.

[0155] In the second time interval (P2), let us assume that the aging deviations of both the first and second power supply modules (210-1, 210-2) have reached the reference aging deviation. Then, among the remaining power supply modules (210-3, 210-4, 210-5, 210-6), it is necessary to select at least one power supply module to operate in the driving mode instead of the two power supply modules (210-1, 210-2). FIG. 10 illustrates a situation in which each of the three power supply modules (210-3, 210-4, 210-5) is selected as a second target module, and each of the two power supply modules (210-1, 210-2) is selected as a first target module. While the three power supply modules (210-3, 210-4, 210-5) are switched from non-driven mode to driven mode, the first and second power supply modules (210-1, 210-2) are switched from driven mode to non-driven mode, thereby starting the third time period (P3).

[0156] In the third time period (P3), the load ratios of the power supply modules (210-3, 210-4, 210-5) may exceed the upper limit of the reference load ratio range. Then, a module of interest may be selected from the remaining power supply modules (210-1, 210-2, 210-6). Since the downtime of the sixth power supply module (210-6), which has been continuously controlled in the non-driving mode throughout the first to third time periods (P1 to P3), may be the longest, the sixth power supply module (210-6) may be determined as the module of interest. Accordingly, in the fourth time period (P4), the four power supply modules (210-3 to 210-6) operate in the driving mode, while the two power supply modules (210-1, 210-2) remain in the non-driving mode.

[0157] In the fourth time period (P4), if the load ratio of the four power supply modules (210-3 to 210-6) exceeds the reference load ratio, at least one of the two power supply modules (210-1, 210-2) in the non-driving mode is switched to the driving mode. In Fig. 10, the second power supply module (210-2) having a lower aging rate than the first power supply module (210-1) is exemplified as being selected as the module of interest. Accordingly, in the fifth time period (P5), the second to sixth power supply modules (210-2 to 210-6) may operate together in the driving mode, and the first power supply module (210-1) may operate in the non-driving mode.

[0158] In the fifth time interval (P5), the load ratios of the second to sixth power supply modules (210-2 to 210-6) may again exceed the upper limit of the reference load ratio range. In this case, in order to reduce the load ratio, it is necessary to switch at least one power supply module of the second group to the driving mode. In Fig. 10, in the fifth time interval (P5), only the sixth power supply module (210-6) is in the non-driving mode. Therefore, the sixth power supply module (210-6) is determined as the module of interest, and the sixth time interval (P6) begins as the sixth power supply module (210-6) operates in the driving mode.

[0159] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating subroutines that can be executed in step S420 of Figure 4. The method of Figure 11 can be used to generate aging information. For convenience of explanation, it will be assumed that the measurement data and operating time information are repeatedly generated (or updated) at predetermined unit times.

[0160] In step S1110, the monitoring unit (120) can determine the aging degree increase value of the i-th power supply module (210-i) by applying an aging degree estimation model to the measurement data. If the i-th power supply module (210-i) is operating in a non-operating mode, the method of FIG. 11 may not be executed for the i-th power supply module (210-i).

[0161] The aging rate estimation model used to determine the aging rate increase value may be a predetermined function based on the Arrhenius equation, which describes the temperature dependence of the aging rate. Equation 3 below is an example of an aging rate estimation model.

[0162] <Formula 3>

[0163]

[0164] In Equation 3, ΔP i(t) is the aging rate increase value, A1, B, and n are each predetermined constants. dt is the unit time (i.e., the predetermined time length value). T av_i (t) represents the average temperature of the i-th power supply module (210-i) over a period from the initial operation time of the i-th power supply module (210-i) to time t. For reference, time t may be the present, and the unit of temperature may be Kelvin (K).

[0165] Equations 4 and 5 below are other examples of aging estimation models.

[0166] <Formula 4>

[0167]

[0168] <Formula 5>

[0169]

[0170] In Equations 4 and 5, ΔT i is the temperature change amount (which may be an absolute value) of the i power supply module (210-i) per unit time, A2, A3, C and D are each predetermined constants, and the remaining variables are common to the variables in Equation 3.

[0171] Equation 4 is an example of relationship data between temperature rise and aging, and can be used when the temperature of the i-th power supply module (210-i) rises over a unit time. Note that the greater the temperature rise of the power supply module (210), the higher the expansion level of at least a portion of the power supply module (210), which may accelerate aging.

[0172] Conversely, Equation 5 is an example of relationship data between temperature decrease and aging, and can be used when the temperature of the i-th power supply module (210-i) decreases over a unit time. For reference, the greater the temperature decrease of the power supply module (210), the higher the shrinkage level of at least a portion of the power supply module (210), which may accelerate aging.

[0173] The variables required in Equations 3 to 5 can be calculated by the monitoring unit (120). Equations 3 to 5 should be understood as only a few examples for explaining the aging degree estimation model, and the aging degree estimation model is not limited to Equations 3 to 5. That is, other functions that mathematically express the positive correspondence between temperature-related variable(s) and the aging degree increase value can be used as the aging degree estimation model.

[0174] The constants in Equations 3 to 5 can be determined in advance through data fitting, etc., taking into account the results of simulation or pre-testing, and can be tunable values.

[0175] In step S1120, the monitoring unit (120) determines the i-th aging degree (current aging degree) of the i-th power supply module (210-i) based on the aging degree increase value and the previous aging degree of the i-th power supply module (210-i).

[0176] To determine the i aging degree of the i power supply module (210-i), the following equation 6 or equation 7 can be used.

[0177] <Formula 6>

[0178]

[0179] <Formula 7>

[0180]

[0181] In Equations 6 and 7, P i (t) is the aging degree of the i power supply module (210-i), P i (t-dt) is the previous aging degree of the i-th power supply module (210-i). j is a count index corresponding to time point t, and may be a value obtained by dividing the period from the initial operation time of the i-th power supply module (210-i) to time point t by dt.

[0182] The aging degree increase value indicates how much the aging degree has increased per unit time. Therefore, the current aging degree of the i power supply module (210-i) can be determined by repeatedly adding the aging degree increase values ​​newly determined for each unit time or by adding the aging degree increase value determined in step S1110 to the previous aging degree.

[0183] By individually performing the above-described procedures with reference to FIG. 11 for the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n), the aging degree of each of the first to nth power supply modules (210-1 to 210-n) can be determined.

[0184] 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.

[0185] 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.

[0186] 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.

Claims

1. A measuring unit that generates measurement data indicating the status of each of the first to nth power supply modules provided for supplying direct current power to an electrical load device; A monitoring unit that generates monitoring information including at least one of aging degree information and load rate information based on the measurement data, wherein the i-th aging degree among the first to n-th aging degrees of the aging degree information represents the aging degree of the i-th power supply module among the first to n-th power supply modules, and the i-th load rate among the first to n-th load rates of the load rate information represents the load rate of the i-th power supply module; and A main control unit that controls each of the first to nth power supply modules to a driving mode or a non-driving mode based on the above monitoring information; A power supply control device, wherein n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2 and i is a natural number less than or equal to n.

2. In paragraph 1, The above monitoring unit, Based on the above measurement data, the temperature change amount of the i power supply module per unit time is determined, Based on the above temperature change amount, the aging increase value of the i power supply module is determined, A power supply control device that determines the i-th aging degree based on the above aging degree increase value and the previous aging degree of the i-th power supply module.

3. In paragraph 2, The above monitoring unit, If the above temperature change amount indicates a temperature rise of the i-th power supply module, the aging degree increase value of the i-th power supply module is determined based on the relationship data between the temperature rise and the aging degree, A power supply control device that determines an aging degree increase value of the i power supply module based on relationship data between the temperature decrease and the aging degree when the above temperature change amount indicates a temperature decrease of the i power supply module.

4. In paragraph 1, The above main control unit, Classify each power supply module in the driving mode among the first to nth power supply modules into the first group, A power supply control device that classifies each power supply module in a non-operating mode among the first to nth power supply modules into a second group.

5. In paragraph 4, The above main control unit, If the maximum aging degree deviation of the above first group is greater than or equal to the standard aging degree deviation, Determine one power supply module of the first group as the first target module, and determine one power supply module of the second group as the second target module, Switching the second target module from the non-driven mode to the driven mode, A power supply control device that switches the first target module from the driving mode to the non-driving mode.

6. In paragraph 5, The above main control unit, A power supply control device that determines, when the first group includes two or more power supply modules, one of the two or more power supply modules having the greatest aging degree as the first target module.

7. In paragraph 5, The above main control unit, A power supply control device that determines, when the second group includes two or more power supply modules, one of the two or more power supply modules of the second group with the maximum downtime as the second target module.

8. In paragraph 4, The above main control unit, A power supply control device that switches one power supply module of the second group from the non-driven mode to the driven mode when the load ratio of the first group exceeds the upper limit of the reference load ratio range.

9. In paragraph 4, The above main control unit, A power supply control device that switches one power supply module having the maximum aging degree in the first group from the driving mode to the non-driving mode when the load ratio of the first group is less than the lower limit of the reference load ratio range.

10. A direct current power supply system including a power supply control device according to any one of clauses 1 to 9.

11. A step of generating measurement data indicating the status of each of the first to nth power supply modules provided for supplying direct current power to an electrical device; A step of generating monitoring information including at least one of aging degree information and load rate information based on the measurement data, wherein the i-th aging degree among the first to n-th aging degrees of the aging degree information represents the aging degree of the i-th power supply module among the first to n-th power supply modules, and the i-th load rate among the first to n-th load rates of the load rate information represents the load rate of the i-th power supply module; and A step of controlling each of the first to nth power supply modules to a driving mode or a non-driving mode based on the monitoring information; A power supply control method, wherein n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2, and i is a natural number less than or equal to n.

12. In paragraph 11, The steps for generating the above monitoring information are: A step of determining the temperature change amount of the i power supply module per unit time based on the above measurement data; A step of determining an aging degree increase value of the i power supply module based on the above temperature change amount; and A power supply control method, comprising: a step of determining the i-th aging degree based on the above aging degree increase value and the previous aging degree of the i-th power supply module.

13. In paragraph 11, The step of controlling each of the first to nth power supply modules in a driving mode or a non-driving mode is as follows: A step of classifying each power supply module in the driving mode among the first to nth power supply modules into a first group; and A step of classifying each power supply module in a non-driven mode among the first to nth power supply modules into a second group; A power supply control method comprising:

14. In paragraph 13, The step of controlling each of the first to nth power supply modules in a driving mode or a non-driving mode is as follows: A step of switching one power supply module of the second group from the non-driven mode to the driven mode when the load ratio of the first group exceeds the upper limit of the reference load ratio range; A power supply control method further comprising:

15. In paragraph 13, The step of controlling each of the first to nth power supply modules in a driving mode or a non-driving mode is as follows: A step of switching one power supply module having the maximum aging degree in the first group from the driving mode to the non-driving mode when the load ratio of the first group is less than the lower limit of the reference load ratio range; A power supply control method further comprising:

Images