A system detecting the cell where thermal propagation begins

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system (1) which enables the starting of heat propagation and the cell at the starting position to be detected by continuously measuring the voltage values on the battery (2) pack when predetermined conditions are met.

Description

[0001] A SYSTEM DETECTING THE CELL WHERE THERMAL PROPAGATION STARTS

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a system which enables the starting of heat propagation and the cell at the starting position to be detected by continuously measuring the voltage values on the battery when predetermined conditions are met.

[0004] Background of the Invention

[0005] Electric vehicles have an important role in sustainable transportation solutions. However, during the use of the batteries of the said electric vehicles, temperature increases that start suddenly and progress uncontrollably occur in the battery cells. Temperature increase that starts suddenly in the cell and progresses uncontrollably is referred to as thermal runaway. Thermal runaway that occurs on the battery causes damage to the battery cells and fire occurrence on the cell. Damage to the cell and / or fire occurrence will cause serious loss of life and property on the vehicle, battery and / or people around the vehicle, as well as causes environmental pollution due to the chemical contained in the cell. In today's applications, by using the data obtained through various sensors in the form of temperature, pressure, and optical sensors in order to enable the thermal runaway to be detected, the start of the thermal runaway on the battery is determined and the growth of the thermal runaway can be prevented by cutting the current delivered to the battery. However, in the said solution applications, it cannot be determined that the thermal runaway has occurred on the battery and a general protection cannot be provided on the battery. For this reason, in the state of art, there is a need for a system which enables the thermal runaway and the cell where the thermal runaway has started to be determined depending on the predetermined parameters by continuously monitoring the voltage data of the battery.

[0006] The United States patent document no. US2020313152, an application included in the state of the art, discloses a battery management system. The invention subject to the said United States patent document consists of an electrical device and a battery cell; there is a battery management system comprising a pressure sensor for measuring swelling forces of the battery cell, optionally with voltage, temperature and current sensors, and a controller. The controller executes a program to: determine a reference swelling force corresponding to a reference electrical signal received from the pressure sensor at an earlier reference time, determine a second swelling force corresponding to a second electrical signal received from the pressure sensor at a later second time, and determine whether a risk of internal short circuit of the battery cell exists by comparing a reference level of the reference electrical signal and a signal representative of the second electrical signal. When the signal representative of the second electrical signal exceeds the reference level of the reference electrical signal by a threshold amount, a risk of internal short circuit of the cell exists.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] An object of the present invention is to realize a system which enables the starting of heat propagation and the cell at the starting position to be detected by continuously measuring the voltage values on the battery when predetermined conditions are met.

[0009] Detailed Description of the Invention “A System Detecting the Cell Where Thermal Propagation Starts” realized to fulfil the objective of the present invention is shown in the figure attached, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic view of an inventive system detecting the cell where thermal propagation starts.

[0011] The components illustrated in the figure are individually numbered, where the numbers refer to the following:

[0012] 1. System

[0013] 2. Battery

[0014] 3. Sensor

[0015] 4. Control unit

[0016] An inventive system (1) which enables the start of heat propagation and the position of the cell that started the heat propagation to be detected comprises at least one battery (2) which comprises at least one cell that enables the electrical energy to be stored and / or the stored energy to be used; at least one sensor (3) which enables voltage measurement to be performed at different points on the battery (2); and at least one control unit (4) which is in communication with the sensor (3) and enables the position of the cell where heat propagation occurs on the battery (2) to be determined by processing the voltage measurement received from the sensor on a predetermined equation.

[0017] The battery (2) included in the inventive system (1) comprises one and / or a plurality of cells that enable the electrical energy required for the operation of the electric vehicle to be stored and / or the stored energy to be used.

[0018] The sensor (3) included in the inventive system (1) is any sensor in the form of a voltage, current sensor that allows the voltage generated by the current passing through the battery (2) to be measured. The sensor (3) is in communication with the control unit (4) and is configured to transmit the voltage values measured on the battery (2) to the control unit (4) through the established communication. The sensor (3) is configured to enable three different voltages between the positivenegative pole, the chassis-positive pole and the chassis-negative pole on the battery (2) to be continuously measured. The sensor (3) is configured to transmit the three measured voltage values to the control unit (4).

[0019] The control unit (4) included in the inventive system (1) is configured to determine the start of a heat propagation on the battery (2) and to detect in which cell of the battery (2) the heat propagation has started. The control unit (4) is configured to detect the cell in which the heat propagation has started by introducing three different voltage values received from the sensor (3) into a predetermined sequence of actions. The control unit (4) decides that heat propagation has not started when the voltage on the battery (2) is equal to the voltage difference between the negative and positive pole received from the sensor (3) and continues to monitor the data received from the sensor (3). The sequence of equations of the control unit (4) expressing the normal conditions under which heat propagation does not occur on the battery (2) is as follows:

[0020] VBat: Battery pack voltage

[0021] Vceii: Instantaneous average cell voltage

[0022] TRceii: Cell number where heat propagation has started

[0023] Vi: Voltage between negative and positive pole

[0024] V2: Voltage between chassis and negative pole

[0025] V3: Voltage between chassis and positive pole

[0026] Seen: Total number of cell groups connected in series

[0027] Under normal conditions: V2= 0 y3= o

[0028] The control unit (4) decides that heat propagation has started on battery (2) when the voltage on battery (2) is not equal to the voltage difference between the negative and positive pole received from the sensor (3) and when the voltage difference between chassis and negative pole and chassis and positive pole is greater than zero. The sequence of equations of the control unit (4) expressing the conditions that indicate the occurrence of heat propagation on battery (2) is as follows:

[0029] V2> 0 y3> o

[0030] ^Bat ^ 1 yBat« y2+ y3

[0031] The control unit (4) enables the cell number indicating in which cell the heat propagation has started to be determined by dividing the voltage value (V2) between chassis and negative pole by the instantaneous average cell voltage value via sensor (3) when it decides that the heat propagation has started. The equation showing the cell number of the control unit (4) where the heat propagation on the battery (2) has started is as follows:

[0032] The control unit (4) obtains the total number of cell groups connected in series located on the battery (2) by summing the voltage between chassis and negative pole divided by the instantaneous average cell voltage and the voltage between chassis and positive pole divided by the instantaneous average cell voltage. The equation of the control unit (4) that enables the total number of cell groups connected in series on the battery (2) to be determined is as follows:

[0033] The control unit (4) enables the cell where the heat propagation has started to be detected by using the cell number where the heat propagation has started within the determined number of cell groups connected in series.

[0034] Industrial Application of the Invention

[0035] In the inventive system (1), the battery (2) comprises battery cells connected to each other in series and / or in parallel, which enable the electrical energy required for the operation of the electric vehicle to be stored and / or the stored energy to be used. The sensor (3) transmits the voltage values generated by the current flowing through the cells of the battery (2) to the control unit (4) with which it is in communication, by measuring them. The control unit (4) determines whether heat propagation is occurring or not by processing the positive-negative pole, chassispositive pole and chassis-negative pole voltage data generated in the battery (2) cell via the sensor (3) in line with predetermined equations. When the control unit (4) detects a heat propagation, it enables to determine in which cell the heat propagation has started by dividing the voltage value between chassis and negative pole by the instantaneous average cell voltage value.

[0036] Within these basic concepts; it is possible to develop various embodiments of the inventive “A System (1) Detecting the Cell Where Thermal Propagation Starts”; the invention cannot be limited to examples disclosed herein and it is essentially according to claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A system (1) which enables the start of heat propagation and the position of the cell that started the heat propagation to be detected; comprising at least one battery (2) which comprises at least one cell that enables the electrical energy to be stored and / or the stored energy to be used; and characterized by at least one sensor (3) which enables voltage measurement to be performed at different points on the battery (2); at least one control unit (4) which is in communication with the sensor (3) and enables the position of the cell where heat propagation occurs on the battery (2) to be determined by processing the voltage measurement received from the sensor on a predetermined equation.

2. A system (1) according to Claim 1; characterized by the battery (2) which comprises one and / or a plurality of cells that enable the electrical energy required for the operation of the electric vehicle to be stored and / or the stored energy to be used.

3. A system (1) according to Claim 1 or 2; characterized by the sensor (3) which is any sensor in the form of a voltage, current sensor that allows the voltage generated by the current passing through the battery (2) to be measured.

4. A system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; characterized by the sensor (3) which is in communication with the control unit (4) and is configured to transmit the voltage values measured on the battery (2) to the control unit (4) through the established communication.

5. A system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; characterized by the sensor (3) which is configured to enable three different voltages between thepositive-negative pole, the chassis-positive pole and the chassis-negative pole on the battery (2) to be continuously measured.

6. A system (1) according to Claim 5; characterized by the sensor (3) which is configured to transmit the three measured voltage values to the control unit (4).

7. A system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; characterized by the control unit (4) which is configured to determine the start of a heat propagation on the battery (2) and to detect in which cell of the battery (2) the heat propagation has started.

8. A system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; characterized by the control unit (4) which is configured to detect the cell in which the heat propagation has started by introducing three different voltage values received from the sensor (3) into a predetermined sequence of actions.

9. A system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; characterized by the control unit (4) which decides that heat propagation has not started when the voltage on the battery (2) is equal to the voltage difference between the negative and positive pole received from the sensor (3) and continues to monitor the data received from the sensor (3).

10. A system (1) according to any one of the Claims 1 to 8; characterized by the control unit (4) which decides that heat propagation has started on battery (2) when the voltage on battery (2) is not equal to the voltage difference between the negative and positive pole received from the sensor (3) and when the voltage difference between chassis and negative pole and chassis and positive pole is greater than zero.

11. A system (1) according to Claim 10; characterized by the control unit (4) which enables the cell number indicating in which cell the heat propagation hasstarted to be determined by dividing the voltage value between chassis and negative pole by the instantaneous average cell voltage value via sensor (3) when it decides that the heat propagation has started.

12. A system (1) according to Claim 10 or 11 ; characterized by the control unit(4) which obtains the total number of cell groups connected in series located on the battery (2) by summing the voltage between chassis and negative pole divided by the instantaneous average cell voltage and the voltage between chassis and positive pole divided by the instantaneous average cell voltage.

13. A system (1) according to any one of the Claims 10 to 12; characterized by the control unit (4) which enables the cell where the heat propagation has started to be detected by using the cell number where the heat propagation has started within the determined number of cell groups connected in series.

Images