Apparatus and method for setting charging protocol

Abstract

An apparatus for setting a charging protocol, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a profile acquisition unit for acquiring a resistance profile indicating a corresponding relationship between resistance and SOC of a battery charged at a predetermined C-rate; and a control unit configured to determine a target SOC satisfying a predetermined condition in the resistance profile, and set a charging protocol including a corresponding relationship between the predetermined C-rate and the target SOC.

Description

Charging protocol setting device and method

[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0193652, filed on December 27, 2023, the entire contents of which are disclosed in the specification and drawings of the said application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a device and method for setting a charging protocol, and more particularly, to a device and method for setting a charging protocol for a battery.

[0003] 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.

[0004] 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.

[0005] With the commercialization of electric powertrains such as electric vehicles, electric motorcycles, and electric bicycles, the demand for high-capacity and high-performance batteries is increasing. However, as battery capacity increases, the time required to charge the battery also increases, highlighting the drawback. To address this issue, rapid charging technologies are being developed. However, there are concerns that rapid charging may accelerate battery degradation. Therefore, to prevent battery degradation due to rapid charging, a rapid charging protocol capable of efficiently charging batteries is required.

[0006] The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a charging protocol setting device and method for setting a charging protocol.

[0007] 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.

[0008] A charging protocol setting device according to one aspect of the present invention may include a profile acquisition unit configured to acquire a resistance profile indicating a correspondence between SOC and resistance for a battery charged at a predetermined C-rate; and a control unit configured to determine a target SOC satisfying a predetermined condition from the resistance profile and set a charging protocol including a correspondence between the predetermined C-rate and the target SOC.

[0009] The control unit may be configured to determine a target section from the resistance profile and determine the target SOC from among SOCs belonging to the target section.

[0010] The control unit may be configured to determine a first reference SOC and a second reference SOC that satisfy the predetermined condition in the resistance profile, and to determine an SOC section including the first reference SOC and the second reference SOC as the target section.

[0011] The above control unit may be configured to determine the second reference SOC in a SOC section exceeding the first reference SOC.

[0012] The control unit may be configured to determine a minimum point having the largest corresponding SOC in the resistance profile, and determine the SOC corresponding to the determined minimum point as the first reference SOC.

[0013] The control unit may be configured to determine a target point having the largest corresponding change rate in the resistance profile, and to determine an SOC corresponding to the determined target point as the second reference SOC.

[0014] The above control unit may be configured to set the target SOC to a charging upper limit SOC corresponding to the predetermined C-rate.

[0015] The above profile acquisition unit can be configured to acquire a plurality of resistance profiles having different corresponding C-rates.

[0016] The control unit may be configured to determine the target SOC from each of the plurality of resistance profiles and set the charging protocol so as to include a correspondence between the C-rate and the target SOC for the plurality of resistance profiles.

[0017] The above resistance profile may be set to represent a correspondence between the SOC in the resting state and the resistance according to the voltage drop in the resting state while the battery is charged at the predetermined C-rate while repeating the charging state and the resting state.

[0018] A charging control device according to another aspect of the present invention may be configured to control charging of a battery to be charged based on the charging protocol set by the charging protocol setting device according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0019] A battery pack according to another aspect of the present invention may include a charge control device according to another aspect of the present invention.

[0020] A vehicle according to another aspect of the present invention may include a charging control device according to another aspect of the present invention.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, a charging protocol setting device may include a profile acquisition step of acquiring a resistance profile indicating a correspondence between SOC and resistance for a battery charged at a predetermined C-rate; a target SOC determination step of determining a target SOC that satisfies a predetermined condition from the resistance profile; and a charging protocol setting step of setting a charging protocol including a correspondence between the predetermined C-rate and the target SOC.

[0022] According to one aspect of the present invention, battery degradation due to charging is prevented, so that the battery can be safely charged and the expected lifespan of the battery can be increased.

[0023] That is, the charging protocol setting device has the advantage of being able to set a charging protocol that can increase the expected life of the battery by preventing unnecessary degradation of the battery.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging protocol setting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a charging process according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a resistance profile according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a differential profile according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the negative electrode profiles of the reference battery and the first to third batteries.

[0031] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the capacity profiles of the reference battery and the first to third batteries.

[0032] FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating the resistance profiles of a battery, a positive electrode, and a negative electrode according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically illustrating a plurality of resistance profiles according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging control device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 10 is a schematic drawing of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 11 is a schematic drawing of a charging device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 12 is a schematic drawing of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating a charging protocol setting method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045]

[0046] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0047] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging protocol setting device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 1, the charging protocol setting device (100) may include a profile acquisition unit (110) and a control unit (120).

[0049] The profile acquisition unit (110) can be configured to acquire a resistance profile indicating a correspondence between SOC and resistance for a battery charged at a predetermined C-rate.

[0050] 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.

[0051] The resistance profile can be set to represent the correspondence between the SOC in the resting state and the resistance according to the voltage drop in the resting state while the battery is charged at a predetermined C-rate while repeating the charging state and the resting state.

[0052] Specifically, the battery can be charged starting from a preset charging start SOC or SOC 0%, and can be charged until it reaches a preset charging end SOC or SOC 100%. Furthermore, during the charging process, whenever the battery's SOC (State of Charge) increases by a preset unit of SOC, the battery can enter a resting state. Here, the resting state time can be a preset unit of time.

[0053] For example, a charging device can charge a battery while in a charging state. Furthermore, the charging device can remain in a dormant state for 1 second whenever the battery's SOC increases by 1%. Afterwards, the charging device's state can transition to a charging state, charging the battery until the battery's SOC increases by 1%.

[0054] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a charging process according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the charging device can charge the battery. The charging current is Ic. The battery is in a charged state before Ts and after Td, and in a resting state between Ts and Td. That is, the period before Ts and after Td is a charging period, and the period between Ts and Td is a resting period. During the resting period, the voltage of the battery can decrease from Vs to Vd.

[0056] And, the resistance of the battery can be calculated based on the charging current and the voltage drop during the idle period. For example, assuming that the battery switches to the idle state every time the SOC of the battery increases by 1%, the resistance corresponding to the SOC can be calculated every time the SOC of the battery increases by 1%. In the embodiment of Fig. 2, since the voltage drop is Vs-Vd and the charging current is Ic, the resistance corresponding to the corresponding SOC can be calculated according to the formula "(Vs-Vd)÷Ic".

[0057] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a resistance profile (RP) according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the resistance profile (RP) can be expressed as an XY graph in which the X-axis is set to SOC and the Y-axis is set to resistance. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the battery starts charging at SOC 0% and ends charging at SOC 100%.

[0058] FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a differential profile (DP) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the differential profile (DP) is a profile obtained by differentiating the resistance profile (RP) of FIG. 3 with respect to SOC. That is, the differential profile (DP) can represent a correspondence between SOC and differential resistance (dR / dSOC). Here, the differential resistance (dR / dSOC) is a rate of change of resistance with respect to SOC. Specifically, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the differential profile (DP) can be expressed as an XY graph in which the X-axis is set to SOC and the Y-axis is set to the differential resistance (dR / dSOC). The embodiment of FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating only a portion of a section from SOC 30% to SOC 100%.

[0059] For example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can receive the resistance profile of the battery from the outside. That is, the profile acquisition unit (110) can receive and acquire the resistance profile from the outside.

[0060] As another example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can receive information regarding the SOC and resistance of the battery from an external source. In addition, the profile acquisition unit (110) can generate and acquire a resistance profile by mapping corresponding SOCs and resistances.

[0061] As another example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can directly measure the current and voltage of the battery. Based on the measured current and voltage, the profile acquisition unit (110) can calculate the SOC and the resistance for each SOC. In addition, the profile acquisition unit (110) can generate a resistance profile based on the calculated SOC and the resistance for each SOC. In other words, the profile acquisition unit (110) can directly generate and acquire the resistance profile.

[0062] 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).

[0063] The control unit (120) can be configured to determine a target SOC that satisfies a predetermined condition in the resistance profile.

[0064] Specifically, the control unit (120) may be configured to determine a target section from the resistance profile. Here, the target section may be an SOC section belonging to the entire SOC section of the battery.

[0065] More specifically, the control unit (120) may be configured to determine a first reference SOC and a second reference SOC that satisfy predetermined conditions in the resistance profile, and to determine an SOC section including the first reference SOC and the second reference SOC as a target section.

[0066] Here, the first reference SOC may be 0% or more and the second reference SOC or less. The second reference SOC may be 100% or more and the first reference SOC or less. If the first reference SOC and the second reference SOC are the same, the target section (the first reference SOC to the second reference SOC section) may only include the first reference SOC (or the second reference SOC), but for the sake of convenience of explanation, it is described as a target section. However, preferably, the control unit (120) may be configured to determine the second reference SOC in the SOC section exceeding the first reference SOC.

[0067] And, the control unit (120) can be configured to determine a target SOC among the SOCs belonging to the target section.

[0068] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, it is assumed that the target section is set to the first SOC (S1) to the fourth SOC (S4). The control unit (120) can determine any one SOC belonging to the SOC section greater than or equal to the first SOC (S1) and less than or equal to the fourth SOC (S4) as the target SOC.

[0069] The control unit (120) may be configured to set a charging protocol including a correspondence between a predetermined C-rate and a target SOC.

[0070] The control unit (120) can be configured to set the target SOC to a charging upper limit SOC corresponding to a predetermined C-rate.

[0071] Here, the charge upper limit SOC is the SOC value set to terminate charging of the battery corresponding to a given C-rate, and can also be referred to as the charge termination SOC.

[0072] In general, during the rapid charging process, a lithium plating phenomenon may occur, in which lithium metal is precipitated due to an uneven reaction within the battery. In particular, the decrease in the battery resistance that appears around 100% of the SOC of the resistance profile is due to the precipitation of lithium metal. In other words, the point where the battery resistance decreases can be regarded as the point where lithium plating begins. Therefore, in order to terminate the charging of the battery before lithium plating begins, the control unit (120) may set the target SOC to the upper charge limit SOC corresponding to the corresponding C-rate charge.

[0073] Specifically, the control unit (120) may be configured to set a charging protocol including a correspondence between the C-rate and the upper limit SOC of the charge.

[0074] For example, the control unit (120) can set a charging protocol by mapping a C-rate and a charge upper limit SOC. That is, the charging protocol can include mapping information between the C-rate and the charge upper limit SOC. If the battery is charged at a first C-rate according to the charging protocol, charging of the battery can be terminated when the SOC of the battery reaches the charge upper limit SOC corresponding to the first C-rate.

[0075] A charging protocol setting device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention can effectively prevent lithium plating from occurring during the charging process by determining a charging upper limit SOC for each C-rate. Therefore, by preventing battery degradation due to charging, the battery can be safely charged, and its expected lifespan can be increased.

[0076]

[0077] Below, examples are described for reference batteries and first to third batteries to which different charging protocols are applied.

[0078] Here, the reference battery is a battery charged according to a conventional charging protocol without applying the charging protocol of the present invention.

[0079] The first battery is a battery charged according to a first charging protocol including a charge upper limit SOC for each C-rate corresponding to the first SOC (S1) of FIG. 3.

[0080] The second battery is a battery charged according to a second charging protocol including a charge upper limit SOC for each C-rate corresponding to the third SOC (S3) of FIG. 3.

[0081] The third battery is a battery charged according to the third charging protocol including the upper limit SOC for each C-rate corresponding to the fourth SOC (S4) of FIG. 3.

[0082] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the negative electrode profiles (Rn, Rn1, Rn2, Rn3) of a reference battery and the first to third batteries. Specifically, the negative electrode profiles of Fig. 5 are profiles showing the correspondence between SOC and negative electrode voltage. That is, Fig. 5 includes a reference negative electrode profile (Rn) corresponding to the reference battery, a first negative electrode profile (Rn1) corresponding to the first battery, a second negative electrode profile (Rn2) corresponding to the second battery, and a third negative electrode profile (Rn3) corresponding to the third battery.

[0083] In general, it is known that lithium electrodeposition occurs when the cathode voltage is below a predetermined voltage. That is, when the cathode voltage is reduced below a predetermined voltage, lithium plating may occur. In the following description, the predetermined voltage is assumed to be -0.1 [V].

[0084] Referring to the reference cathode profile, it can be confirmed that the cathode voltage of the reference battery is lower than -0.1 [V]. That is, if the upper charge limit SOC is not set for each C-rate, the cathode voltage may fall below -0.1 [V], causing lithium metal to be deposited on the cathode surface.

[0085] On the other hand, referring to the first negative electrode profile (Rn1), the second negative electrode profile (Rn2), and the third negative electrode profile (Rn3), the negative electrode voltages of the first battery, the second battery, and the third battery can be maintained at a voltage greater than -0.1 [V]. That is, the lithium plating phenomenon may not occur in the first battery, the second battery, and the third battery due to charging.

[0086] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating capacity profiles (Rr, Rr1, Rr2, Rr3) of a reference battery and first to third batteries. Specifically, the capacity profiles of Fig. 6 are profiles that indicate a correspondence between cycles and capacity retention rates. That is, Fig. 6 includes a reference capacity profile (Rr) corresponding to a reference battery, a first capacity profile (Rr1) corresponding to a first battery, a second capacity profile (Rr2) corresponding to a second battery, and a third capacity profile (Rr3) corresponding to a third battery.

[0087] Here, the capacity profile is a diagram illustrating the capacity retention of the battery according to the charge / discharge cycle. Here, the capacity of the battery can be the fully charged capacity or the fully discharged capacity. In addition, the capacity retention refers to the capacity in the target cycle compared to the capacity in the BOL (Beginning of Life) state. For example, it is assumed that the capacity in the first cycle is Qi and the capacity in the target cycle is Qt. The capacity retention in the target cycle can be calculated according to the formula "Qt÷Qi×100".

[0088] Referring to Figure 6, it can be seen that as the cycle progresses, the capacity retention rate of the reference battery is lower than that of the first to third batteries. As the cycle progresses, the capacity retention rates may increase in the order of the reference battery, the third battery, the second battery, and the first battery. In other words, as the cycle progresses, the reference battery charged according to the reference charging protocol may degrade more than the first to third batteries charged according to the first to third charging protocols.

[0089] When a battery is charged according to a charging protocol set by a charging protocol setting device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention, lithium plating phenomenon can be effectively prevented from occurring in the battery due to charging.

[0090] The charging protocol setting device (100) has the advantage of being able to set a charging protocol that can increase the expected life of a battery by preventing unnecessary degradation of the battery. That is, by preventing battery degradation due to charging, the battery can be safely charged, and the expected life of the battery can be increased.

[0091]

[0092] Meanwhile, the control unit (120) provided in the charging protocol setting 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.

[0093] In addition, the charging protocol setting device (100) may further include a storage unit (130). The storage unit (130) may store data or programs required for each component of the charging protocol setting 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 reading 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).

[0094] For example, the resistance profile and charging protocol of the battery can be stored in the storage unit (130).

[0095]

[0096] Below, specific examples for the first reference SOC and the second reference SOC are described.

[0097] The control unit (120) may be configured to determine a minimum point having the largest corresponding SOC in the resistance profile, and to determine the SOC corresponding to the determined minimum point as the first reference SOC.

[0098] Specifically, the resistance profile of the battery may include at least one local minimum. The control unit (120) may determine the local minimum with the largest corresponding SOC among the at least one local minimum included in the resistance profile as the first reference SOC. Here, if the resistance profile includes one local minimum, the control unit (120) may determine the SOC of the corresponding local minimum as the first reference SOC.

[0099] Referring to the definition of a local minimum, it can be seen that the battery resistance increases in the SOC range above the local minimum SOC. In other words, the SOC range above the first reference SOC includes the SOC at which the lithium electrodeposition reaction begins. Accordingly, the control unit (120) can set the first reference SOC, where the lithium electrodeposition reaction is strongly assumed not to occur, as the starting point of the target range.

[0100] For example, in the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4, the minimum point with the largest corresponding SOC in the resistance profile (RP) may be a point corresponding to the first SOC (S1). Accordingly, the control unit (120) may set the first SOC (S1) as the first reference SOC.

[0101] The control unit (120) may be configured to determine a target point with the largest corresponding change rate in the resistance profile, and to determine an SOC corresponding to the determined target point as a second reference SOC.

[0102] Preferably, the control unit (120) can determine the second reference SOC in a SOC section greater than or equal to the first reference SOC. That is, the control unit (120) can determine the target point with the largest rate of change in a SOC section greater than or equal to the first reference SOC.

[0103] In the SOC section after the target point, the rate of change in resistance for SOC may gradually decrease. That is, since the negative voltage decreases in this section, the rate of change in the resistance profile of the battery may appear to decrease. Accordingly, the control unit (120) may determine a target point that is strongly estimated to be the starting point of the decrease in negative voltage, and set the SOC corresponding to the target point as the second reference SOC.

[0104] For example, in the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4, the rate of change (differential resistance) at the point corresponding to the fourth SOC (S4) in the resistance profile (RP) may be the largest. Accordingly, the control unit (120) may set the second reference SOC to the fourth SOC (S4).

[0105] The target interval set based on the minimum point and rate of change of the resistance profile may be the SOC interval before the cathode voltage decreases below a predetermined voltage. Accordingly, according to the charging protocol set based on the target SOC (charge upper limit SOC) within the target interval, unnecessary battery degradation due to charging can be prevented. Accordingly, the charging protocol setting device (100) has the advantage of being able to set a charging protocol that does not cause lithium plating.

[0106]

[0107] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating resistance profiles of a battery (FC), a positive electrode (PE), and a negative electrode (NE) according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 includes resistance profiles for the battery (FC), the positive electrode (PE), and the negative electrode (NE). At the end of charge (approximately 60% SOC), the resistance of the negative electrode (NE) decreases, but the resistance of the positive electrode (PE) may increase. In the case of a battery with a large ratio of positive electrode resistance, the increase in the resistance of the positive electrode (PE) is more dominant than the decrease in the resistance of the negative electrode (NE), and thus the resistance of the battery (FC) may also increase.

[0108] For example, a battery that includes lithium-excessive perlithium manganese oxide as a cathode active material is a representative battery in which the increase in the resistance of the cathode (PE) is more dominant than the decrease in the resistance of the anode (NE). Here, the lithium-excessive perlithium manganese oxide has a crystal structure in which a layered phase (LiMO2) and a rock salt phase (Li2MnO3) are mixed. When the rock salt phase is activated during the charge / discharge process, the capacity is additionally developed through the oxygen redox reaction, which can realize a high capacity. Specifically, since the oxygen redox reaction causes the manganese redox reaction, the capacity of the battery can be additionally developed.

[0109] As previously explained, when the cathode voltage drops below a predetermined voltage, lithium metal can be deposited on the cathode surface via a lithium deposition reaction. However, in batteries where the increase in cathode resistance is predominant, the decrease in cathode resistance may not be clearly reflected in the battery's resistance profile. In this case, the battery can be charged until the cathode voltage drops below the predetermined voltage, which can lead to lithium plating.

[0110] Accordingly, the charging protocol setting device (100) can determine an appropriate upper charge limit SOC for each C-rate by considering the decrease in negative electrode resistance, regardless of the type of battery. Accordingly, the charging protocol set by the charging protocol setting device (100) has the advantage of preventing lithium plating from occurring in the battery during the charging process.

[0111]

[0112] The profile acquisition unit (110) can be configured to acquire a plurality of resistance profiles having different corresponding C-rates.

[0113] For example, the profile acquisition unit (110) may acquire multiple resistance profiles generated when a single reference battery is charged at each of multiple C-rates. As another example, the profile acquisition unit (110) may also acquire multiple resistance profiles generated when each of multiple batteries of the same type is charged at a corresponding C-rate.

[0114] FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically illustrating a plurality of resistance profiles according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0115] Specifically, FIG. 8 includes a first resistance profile corresponding to 0.33 C, a second resistance profile corresponding to 0.5 C, a third resistance profile corresponding to 1.0 C, a fourth resistance profile corresponding to 1.5 C, a fifth resistance profile corresponding to 2.0 C, a sixth resistance profile corresponding to 2.5 C, a seventh resistance profile corresponding to 3.0 C, and an eighth resistance profile corresponding to 3.5 C.

[0116] The control unit (120) may be configured to determine a target SOC for each of a plurality of resistance profiles.

[0117] Specifically, the C-rate corresponding to each of the plurality of resistance profiles may be different from each other. Therefore, the control unit (120) can determine the target SOC corresponding to each C-rate by determining the target SOC for each of the plurality of resistance profiles.

[0118] The control unit (120) may be configured to set a charging protocol to include a correspondence between the C-rate and the target SOC for multiple resistance profiles.

[0119] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 8, the charging protocol set by the control unit (120) may include a first charging upper limit SOC corresponding to 0.33 C, a second charging upper limit SOC corresponding to 0.5 C, a third charging upper limit SOC corresponding to 1.0 C, a fourth charging upper limit SOC corresponding to 1.5 C, a fifth charging upper limit SOC corresponding to 2.0 C, a sixth charging upper limit SOC corresponding to 2.5 C, a seventh charging upper limit SOC corresponding to 3.0 C, and an eighth charging upper limit SOC corresponding to 3.5 C.

[0120] That is, the charging protocol setting device (100) has the advantage of being able to provide an optimal charging protocol that can prevent lithium plating from occurring in the battery due to charging by setting a charging protocol that includes a correspondence between the C-rate and the charging upper limit SOC.

[0121]

[0122] FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing of a charging control device (200) according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0123] Referring to FIG. 9, the charging control device (200) may include a memory (210) and a processor (220).

[0124] Specifically, the charging protocol set by the charging protocol setting device (100) may be stored in the memory (210). Then, when the processor (220) needs to control the charging of the battery to be charged, it may access the memory (210) and obtain the stored charging protocol. Then, the processor (220) may be configured to control the charging of the battery to be charged based on the charging protocol.

[0125] Meanwhile, the processor (220) provided in the charging control device (200) 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 as software, the processor (220) 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 processor (220). The memory may be located inside or outside the processor (220) and may be connected to the processor (220) by various well-known means.

[0126] In addition, the memory (210) provided in the charging control device (200) can store data or programs required for each component of the charging control device (200) to perform operations and functions, or data generated in the process of performing operations and functions. The memory (210) 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 reading data. As an example, the information storage means may include RAM, flash memory, ROM, EEPROM, registers, etc. In addition, the memory (210) can store program codes defining processes executable by the processor (220).

[0127]

[0128] In addition, the charging control device (200) according to the present invention may be provided in a battery pack (1). That is, the battery pack (1) according to the present invention may include the charging control device (200) described above and one or more battery cells. In addition, the battery pack (1) may further include electrical components (relays, fuses, etc.) and a case, etc.

[0129] FIG. 10 is a schematic drawing of a battery pack (1) according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0130] The positive terminal of the battery (10) can be connected to the positive terminal (P+) of the battery pack (1), and the negative terminal of the battery (10) can be connected to the negative terminal (P-) of the battery pack (1).

[0131] 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 (10) through the first sensing line (SL1), and can be connected to a negative terminal of the battery (10) through the second sensing line (SL2). The measuring unit (20) can measure the voltage of the battery (10) based on the voltage measured at each of the first sensing line (SL1) and the second sensing line (SL2).

[0132] In addition, the measuring unit (20) can be connected to the current measuring unit (A) via 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 (10). The measuring unit (20) can measure the charging and discharging current of the battery (10) via the third sensing line (SL3).

[0133] Battery information measured by the measuring unit (20) may be transmitted to the charging control device (200). For example, the measuring unit (20) and the charging control device (200) may be connected to enable communication via a cable and / or wirelessly. Battery information received from the measuring unit (20) may be stored in the memory (210) and input to the processor (220). In addition, the processor (220) may access the memory (210) to obtain the stored battery information.

[0134] A charging device (2) can be connected to the positive terminal (P+) and negative terminal (P-) of the battery pack (1). Here, the charging device (2) is a device for charging the battery (10).

[0135] The processor (220) may be connected to the charging device (2) via a communication line (CL) to enable wired and / or wireless communication. For example, the processor (220) may perform power-line communication (PLC) with the charging device (2). The processor (220) may determine, based on a charging protocol stored in the memory (210), whether the SOC of the battery (10) has reached the upper charge limit SOC corresponding to the current C-rate. If the SOC of the battery (10) has reached the upper charge limit SOC, the processor (220) may command the charging device (2) to decrease the C-rate. Preferably, the processor (220) may select a C-rate lower than the current C-rate in the charging protocol and command the charging device (2) to charge at the selected C-rate.

[0136]

[0137] Fig. 11 is a schematic drawing of a charging device (2) according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0138] A battery pack (1) may include a battery (10), a measuring unit (20), and a BMS (Battery Management System) (30). Here, the BMS (30) is a battery management system that diagnoses the status of the battery and controls the charging and discharging of the battery. For example, the BMS (30) may be a configuration widely used in the past.

[0139] The charging device (2) may include a charging control device (200). For example, the charging device (2) may output a charging current at a C-rate set by the charging control device (200).

[0140] The BMS (30) can be connected to the charging device (2) via a communication line (CL) to enable wired and / or wireless communication. Preferably, the charging device (2) can receive battery information from the BMS (30). The battery information can be stored in the memory (210) and input to the processor (220). In addition, the processor (220) can access the memory (210) to obtain the stored battery information.

[0141] The processor (220) can determine whether the SOC of the battery (10) has reached the upper limit SOC of the charge corresponding to the current C-rate based on the charging protocol stored in the memory (210). If the SOC of the battery (10) has reached the upper limit SOC of the charge, the processor (220) can reduce the charging C-rate. That is, the processor (220) can reduce the charging current output from the charging device (2). Preferably, the processor (220) can select a C-rate lower than the current C-rate in the charging protocol and change the C-rate of the charging current output from the charging device (2) to the selected C-rate. Therefore, the charging device (2) can output a charging current corresponding to the lowered C-rate toward the battery (10).

[0142]

[0143] FIG. 12 is a schematic drawing of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0144] Referring to FIG. 12, a battery pack (1210) according to an embodiment of the present invention may be included in a vehicle (1200), such as an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid vehicle (HV). Furthermore, the battery pack (1210) may drive the vehicle (1200) by supplying power to a motor via an inverter provided in the vehicle (1200). Here, the battery pack (1210) may include a charge control device. That is, the vehicle (1200) may include a charge control device (200).

[0145]

[0146] FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating a charging protocol setting method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0147] Referring to FIG. 13, the charging protocol setting method may include a profile acquisition step (S100), a target SOC determination step (S200), and a charging protocol setting step (S300).

[0148] Preferably, each step of the charging protocol setting method can be performed by the charging protocol setting device (100). In the following, for convenience of explanation, any content that overlaps with the previously described content will be omitted or briefly described.

[0149] The profile acquisition step (S100) is a step of acquiring a resistance profile indicating a correspondence between SOC and resistance for a battery charged at a predetermined C-rate, and can be performed by a profile acquisition unit (110).

[0150] For example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can receive the resistance profile of the battery from the outside. That is, the profile acquisition unit (110) can receive and acquire the resistance profile from the outside.

[0151] As another example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can receive information regarding the SOC and resistance of the battery from an external source. In addition, the profile acquisition unit (110) can generate and acquire a resistance profile by mapping corresponding SOCs and resistances.

[0152] As another example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can directly measure the current and voltage of the battery. Based on the measured current and voltage, the profile acquisition unit (110) can calculate the SOC and the resistance for each SOC. In addition, the profile acquisition unit (110) can generate a resistance profile based on the calculated SOC and the resistance for each SOC. In other words, the profile acquisition unit (110) can directly generate and acquire the resistance profile.

[0153] The target SOC determination step (S200) is a step of determining a target SOC that satisfies a predetermined condition in a resistance profile, and can be performed by the control unit (120).

[0154] Specifically, the control unit (120) may be configured to determine a first reference SOC and a second reference SOC that satisfy predetermined conditions in the resistance profile, and to determine an SOC section including the first reference SOC and the second reference SOC as a target section.

[0155] For example, the control unit (120) may be configured to determine a minimum point in the resistance profile having the largest corresponding SOC, and to determine the SOC corresponding to the determined minimum point as the first reference SOC.

[0156] For example, the control unit (120) may be configured to determine a target point with the largest corresponding change rate in the resistance profile, and determine an SOC corresponding to the determined target point as a second reference SOC.

[0157] The charging protocol setting step (S300) is a step of setting a charging protocol including a correspondence relationship between a predetermined C-rate and a target SOC, and can be performed by the control unit (120).

[0158] The control unit (120) can be configured to set the target SOC to a charging upper limit SOC corresponding to a predetermined C-rate.

[0159] That is, the charging protocol may include mapping information between the C-rate and the charge upper limit SOC. For example, when a battery is charged at a first C-rate according to the charging protocol, charging of the battery may be terminated when the battery's SOC reaches the charge upper limit SOC corresponding to the first C-rate.

[0160]

[0161] 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.

[0162] 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.

[0163] 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.

[0164] (Explanation of symbols)

[0165] 1: Battery pack

[0166] 2: Charging device

[0167] 10: Battery

[0168] 20: Measurement section

[0169] 30: BMS

[0170] 100: Charging protocol setting device

[0171] 110: Profile acquisition section

[0172] 120: Control unit

[0173] 130: Storage

[0174] 200: Charging control device

[0175] 210: Memory

[0176] 220: Processor

[0177] 1200: Car

[0178] 1210: Battery Pack

Claims

1. A profile acquisition unit configured to acquire a resistance profile representing the correspondence between SOC and resistance for a battery charged at a predetermined C-rate; and A charging protocol setting device characterized by including a control unit configured to determine a target SOC satisfying a predetermined condition in the above resistance profile and set a charging protocol including a correspondence relationship between the predetermined C-rate and the target SOC.

2. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, A charging protocol setting device characterized in that it is configured to determine a target section from the above resistance profile and determine the target SOC from among the SOCs belonging to the target section.

3. In paragraph 2, The above control unit, A charging protocol setting device characterized in that it is configured to determine a first reference SOC and a second reference SOC that satisfy the predetermined condition in the above resistance profile, and to determine a SOC section including the first reference SOC and the second reference SOC as the target section.

4. In paragraph 3, The above control unit, A charging protocol setting device characterized in that it is configured to determine the second reference SOC in a SOC section exceeding the first reference SOC.

5. In paragraph 3, The above control unit, A charging protocol setting device characterized in that it is configured to determine a minimum point having the largest corresponding SOC in the above resistance profile, and determine the SOC corresponding to the determined minimum point as the first reference SOC.

6. In paragraph 3, The above control unit, A charging protocol setting device characterized in that it is configured to determine a target point having the largest corresponding change rate in the above resistance profile, and to determine the SOC corresponding to the determined target point as the second reference SOC.

7. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, A charging protocol setting device characterized in that it is configured to set the target SOC to a charging upper limit SOC corresponding to the predetermined C-rate.

8. In paragraph 1, The above profile acquisition part, It is configured to obtain multiple resistance profiles with different corresponding C-rates, The above control unit, A charging protocol setting device characterized in that it is configured to determine the target SOC from each of the plurality of resistance profiles and set the charging protocol so as to include a correspondence between the C-rate and the target SOC for the plurality of resistance profiles.

9. In paragraph 1, The above resistance profile is, A charging protocol setting device characterized in that the battery is set to exhibit a correspondence relationship between the SOC in the idle state and the resistance according to the voltage drop in the idle state while repeating the charging state and the idle state and being charged at the predetermined C-rate.

10. A charging control device configured to control charging of a battery to be charged based on the charging protocol set by the charging protocol setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A battery pack comprising a charge control device according to Article 10.

12. A vehicle comprising a charging control device according to Article 10.

13. A profile acquisition step for acquiring a resistance profile representing the correspondence between SOC and resistance for a battery charged at a predetermined C-rate; A target SOC determination step for determining a target SOC that satisfies a predetermined condition in the above resistance profile; and A charging protocol setting method, characterized by including a charging protocol setting step for setting a charging protocol including a correspondence relationship between the above-mentioned predetermined C-rate and the above-mentioned target SOC.

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