ESS test method in communication abnormality situation and ESS therefor

Abstract

The present document relates to an ESS test method in a communication abnormality situation and an ESS therefor. The test method may comprise: charging a battery of an ESS to a rated capacity through a power conversion subsystem (PCS) of the ESS; cutting off power supplied to an arbitrary wireless battery management system (BMS) considering an object to be tested; and identifying an operation of a protection system during a discharge and idle period in a state in which power supply to the arbitrary wireless BMS is cut off.

Description

ESS testing method in communication abnormality situation and ESS for the same

[0001] The following description relates to a battery-based ESS (Energy Storage System), and more specifically, to a method for testing the operation of a protection system in the event of a communication failure in an ESS using a wireless BMS (Battery Management System), and to an ESS for implementing the same.

[0002] With the recent expansion of electric vehicle (EV) use, EV chargers are being installed in various locations. However, the use of EV chargers increases the grid's electricity consumption and can impact other electricity usage within the space. In particular, when electricity consumption surges, the use of EV chargers is restricted.

[0003] In addition, various electric-powered mobility devices are being proposed, including not only current electric vehicles but also UAVs (Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles) and personal mobility devices that require battery charging.

[0004] Accordingly, a power system including an ESS is proposed to stably charge the various electric-powered mobile devices described above in a space where a charger is installed, and to support this.

[0005] In general, ESS refers to a device that stores energy in various energy storage devices and then supplies the stored power back to the grid when needed. Among these ESS, those that utilize batteries as energy storage devices are specifically referred to as BESS (Battery Energy Storage System). However, unless otherwise specified, the following description assumes BESS.

[0006] Typically, an ESS consists of a battery, a battery management system (BMS), a power conversion system (PCS), and an energy management system (EMS). A battery contains one or more cells, multiple cells forming a module, and multiple modules forming a pack or rack. An ESS configured in this manner can receive power by connecting to a power grid, electricity grid, or other source of power.

[0007] Meanwhile, in the case of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which are currently the most popular, they can be used in a limited voltage range that takes battery safety into consideration when applied to ESS, and if a voltage imbalance occurs in a specific battery or group of batteries in the BMS, a protection system is activated to protect against fire risks, just like in emergency situations caused by other reasons such as high temperatures.

[0008] Methods for testing the proper operation of these protection systems are primarily defined assuming the BMS is connected via wired cables. However, with the recent introduction of ESSs utilizing wireless BMSs in the charging systems of EVs and other mobility devices, research is needed on testing methods that take these wireless BMSs into account.

[0009] In order to solve the above-described problem, one aspect of the present invention proposes a method for efficiently testing the operation of a protection system in the event of a communication abnormality in an ESS using a wireless BMS, and an ESS for implementing the same.

[0010] Specifically, in one embodiment of the present invention, after charging the battery of the ESS to the rated capacity, the operation of the protection system is checked while the power supplied to the wireless BMS corresponding to the test subject is cut off, thereby proposing a method for checking the normal operation of the protection system even in a communication abnormality situation of the test subject.

[0011] In addition, according to embodiments of the present invention, a power cut-off method for testing is specifically defined, taking into account various methods of supplying power to a wireless BMS.

[0012] In addition, in addition to the test through the power cut described above, we propose a method for testing the operation of the protection system in various communication abnormal situations.

[0013] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0014] In one aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problem, a method for testing the operation of a protection system in the event of a communication abnormality in a battery-based ESS (Energy Storage System) is proposed, comprising: charging a battery of the ESS to a rated capacity through a PCS (Power Conversion Subsystem) of the ESS; cutting off power supplied to an arbitrary wireless BMS (Battery Management System) considering a test subject; and checking the operation of the protection system during a discharge and idle period while the power supply to the arbitrary wireless BMS is cut off.

[0015] The above wireless BMS includes at least one of a module BMS, a pack BMS, and a rack BMS, and when any of the above wireless BMS corresponds to a specific module BMS, the operation of the protection system of the module corresponding to the module BMS can be confirmed.

[0016] Additionally, verifying the operation of the above protection system may be performed using communication abnormality test equipment placed between the PMS (Power Management System) of the ESS and the rack BMS.

[0017] Additionally, when the wireless BMS is operated by an external power source, cutting off the power supplied to the arbitrary wireless BMS may correspond to cutting off the connection between the external power source and the arbitrary wireless BMS.

[0018] In contrast, if the wireless BMS operates on battery power of the ESS, cutting off power supplied to any of the wireless BMS may correspond to cutting off the connection between the battery and any of the wireless BMS.

[0019] In the above-described cases, cutting off the power supplied to any of the wireless BMS may correspond to cutting off the power of any of the wireless BMS.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in order to additionally test the operation of the protection system in case of a communication failure of the wireless BMS, it is proposed to additionally perform at least one of a test for the influence of noise, a test according to the placement location of the wireless BMS, or a test based on cyber security items.

[0021] Testing for the effects of the above noise may include testing for immunity within RF electromagnetic fields.

[0022] Meanwhile, in another aspect of the present invention, a battery-based ESS (Energy Storage System) is proposed, comprising: a battery; a Power Conversion Subsystem (PCS) configured to charge the battery to a rated capacity; one or more wireless Battery Management Systems (BMS) that manage voltage and temperature of the battery in response to one or more of a module, pack, or rack of the battery and perform wireless communication; and a processor that checks the operation of a protection system during a discharge and idle period while power supplied to an arbitrary wireless BMS considering a test subject among the one or more wireless BMSs is cut off.

[0023] The above ESS additionally includes a PMS (Power Management System), and the processor can operate using communication abnormality test equipment placed between the PMS and the rack BMS.

[0024] If the above arbitrary wireless BMS corresponds to a specific module BMS, the processor may be configured to verify the operation of the protection system of the module corresponding to the module BMS.

[0025] According to the embodiments of the present invention as described above, the operation of the protection system can be efficiently tested in the event of a communication abnormality in an ESS using a wireless BMS.

[0026] Specifically, after charging the ESS battery to the rated capacity, the power supplied to the wireless BMS corresponding to the test subject is cut off, and the operation of the protection system is checked, so that the normal operation of the protection system can be efficiently checked even in the case of a communication abnormality of the test subject.

[0027] Additionally, considering the various ways of supplying power to the wireless BMS, the power cut-off method for testing can be specifically defined.

[0028] In addition, it is possible to test the operation of the protection system in various communication abnormal situations to cope with various communication abnormal situations.

[0029] The effects that can be obtained from the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0030] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the subsystems of a battery-based ESS as specified in IEC TC 120.

[0031] Figure 2 is a drawing for explaining a test method in a communication abnormality situation as stipulated in IEC TC 120.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the concept of a wireless BMS according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining a method for testing the operation of a protection system in case of a communication abnormality in an ESS according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIGS. 5 and 6 are drawings for explaining methods for testing by cutting off power of a wireless BMS according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] FIGS. 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating a method for performing additional testing for communication abnormalities in an ESS using a wireless BMS according to preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description have been omitted to clearly explain the present invention, and similar parts have been designated with similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0037] 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.

[0038]

[0039] As described above, one aspect of the present invention proposes a method for testing the operation of a protection system in the event of a communication failure in an ESS utilizing a wireless BMS. A test method for ensuring safe operation in ESS is currently being standardized by Working Group 5 of IEC TC 120 as IEC 62933-5-4. The test method specified in this standard will be examined in detail.

[0040] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the subsystems of a battery-based ESS as specified in IEC TC 120.

[0041] The ESS specified in IEC TC 120 may include an accumulation subsystem (110), a PCS (Power Conversion Subsystem: 120), an auxiliary subsystem (130), and a control subsystem (140).

[0042] The accumulation subsystem (110) is a system that can store / release energy by controlling the operation of the PCS (120), and can generally be configured to satisfy operating requirements throughout their service life.

[0043] The accumulation subsystem (110) may include various types of batteries (111), such as lead-acid, lead-carbon, NAS, lithium-ion, and flow batteries, as illustrated in FIG. 1. However, these battery types are exemplary, and it is expected that new types of batteries, such as VRFB (Vanadium Radox Flow Batteries) and VIB (Vanadium Ion Batteries), will be additionally specified as standardization progresses in the future.

[0044] The PCS (Power Conversion Subsystem: 120) is configured to convert the power of the accumulation subsystem (110) into AC output power in the discharge section and provide it to the grid through the POC, and to convert the AC input power into a power type suitable for charging the accumulation subsystem (110) in the charging section.

[0045] In general, the PCS (120) may be arranged to be connected to the accumulation subsystem (110) and the main connection terminal (121) as illustrated in FIG. 1. In addition, the PCS (120) may include an AC / DC converter, an inverter, a controller, a sine filter, a switching element, etc., for power conversion between the accumulation subsystem (110) and the main connection terminal (121).

[0046] In addition, PCS (120) can correspond to an inverter used in a home ESS, and in this specification, PCS (120) is described as a concept including such an inverter.

[0047] The auxiliary subsystem (130) can correspond to a configuration including auxiliary functions of the ESS, such as HVAC (Heating Ventilating Air Conditioning), fire suppression subsystem, water supply / drainage subsystem, etc.

[0048] The control subsystem (140) may include a communication subsystem (141), a protection subsystem (142), and a management subsystem (143) as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0049] The communication subsystem (141) may be configured to exchange information between the battery-based ESS system and the grid. The ESS system may be configured to receive control and regulation-related instructions from the grid operator, thereby ensuring stable operation of the ESS and the grid.

[0050] The protection subsystem (142) can be configured to check the operating parameters of the accumulation subsystem (110) and the PCS (120) to respond to fault and abnormal operation states. To this end, the protection subsystem (142) is preferably configured to perform measurements necessary to respond to fault states, thereby ensuring normal operation of the ESS.

[0051] The management subsystem (143) may provide management functions for the accumulation subsystem (110) and the PCS (120). To this end, the management subsystem (143) may provide measurement, recording, monitoring, and display functions.

[0052]

[0053] Figure 2 is a drawing for explaining a test method in a communication abnormality situation as stipulated in IEC TC 120.

[0054] IEC TC 120, which is currently undergoing standardization, specifies a test method for the normal operation of the protection subsystem (or simply protection system) described above in relation to Figure 1 in an abnormal communication situation.

[0055] Specifically, according to the IEC 62933-5-4 standard draft document, the test method for communication abnormality is divided into (1) a test method in case of terminal opening and (2) a test method in case of connection failure, and Fig. 2 is a drawing of the IEC 62933-5-4 standard draft document related to the test method in case of connection failure.

[0056] However, the test methods in the above-mentioned IEC 62933-5-4 standard draft document are all stipulated assuming that the BMS is connected by cables. For example, the test method illustrated in Fig. 2 is stipulated to verify the operation of the protection system in the event of a connection failure of the cable when both the rack BMS (210) and the module BMSs (220) are connected by cables (230).

[0057] However, as described above, wireless BMS is being utilized for charging of recent EVs and subsequent transportation vehicles, and research is needed on a test method to verify the operation of the protection system when considering the characteristics of such wireless BMS.

[0058]

[0059] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the concept of a wireless BMS according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] As illustrated in Figure 3, in a wireless BMS, each module can be interconnected wirelessly, rather than via wired cables such as CAN bus cables. Such wireless BMSs have recently been introduced as vehicle-related BMSs, such as EVs, to reduce the complexity associated with BMS connection cables.

[0061] FIG. 3 illustrates a concept of connecting a wireless BMS through a wireless mesh network called SmartMesh® as an example of such a wireless BMS, and the wireless BMS can be configured to replace one or more of a module BMS, a pack BMS, and a rack BMS.

[0062] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining a method for testing the operation of a protection system in case of a communication abnormality in an ESS according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] First, in one embodiment of the present invention, it is assumed that the communication abnormality includes not only the communication abnormality situation in the above-described IEC 62933-5-4 standard draft, but also a case where data loss exceeds a predetermined threshold or a communication delay exceeds a predetermined threshold due to the use of a wireless BMS.

[0064] For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, by utilizing the timeout concept, it may be stipulated that when a specified time (e.g., 3 seconds) elapses when communication is delayed, the attempt is stopped and exception handling according to the communication abnormality is performed.

[0065] In another embodiment of the present invention, the concept of automatic reconnection can be utilized. Specifically, when a communication disconnection is detected, automatic reconnection can be attempted a specified number of times (e.g., three times), and if all reconnection attempts fail, an exception handling procedure can be implemented.

[0066] In another embodiment of the present invention, communication anomalies can be defined by considering the concept of sequential message IDs. Specifically, when there is continuous message transmission, if transmission slows down at a certain point, the message order at the receiver may be out of order. Therefore, when transmitting, sequential message IDs can be included in data frames, and the receiver can be configured to check whether the message IDs are received sequentially. If a change in the order of received message IDs is detected, communication anomaly exception handling can be performed. Furthermore, if a missing message ID is detected, the receiver can request the sender to retransmit the message.

[0067]

[0068] In one embodiment of the present invention, a "communication failure generation device" that intentionally generates an extended communication failure situation can be used to test the operation of a protection system in a communication failure situation. That is, as described above, the "communication failure generation device" can be configured to intentionally generate one or more communication failure situations of a defined meaning, such as data loss or delay, for a specific wireless BMS by utilizing the wireless BMS, and to verify the operation of the protection system accordingly.

[0069] By operating a communication failure generating device like this, the operation of the protection system can be tested in the case of a communication failure of a specific BMS, and such test data can be transmitted to the management system to confirm the normal operation of the protection system.

[0070]

[0071] However, the embodiment of FIG. 4 proposes a method of verifying the operation of the protection system by cutting off power to a specific wireless BMS without using a separate communication failure generating device.

[0072] Specifically, the test method according to the present embodiment charges the battery of a battery-based ESS (BESS) to its rated capacity through a PCS (S410). While this charging is being performed, it is desirable to confirm whether data from the BMS and the Power Management System (PMS), such as voltage, current, and SoC (State of Charge), are exchanged normally.

[0073] Thereafter, the test method according to the present embodiment proposes to cut off the power supplied to any wireless BMS considering the test subject (S420). In this manner, with the power supply cut off to any wireless BMS, the operation of the protection system is proposed to be verified during the discharge and idle periods (S430).

[0074] In other words, an efficient way to test the operation of a protection system in a wireless BMS communication abnormality situation is to artificially create a communication abnormality by cutting off the power supply to the wireless BMS in question, and then verify the normal operation of the protection system in this situation. Furthermore, rather than cutting off power to all wireless BMSs, power can be cut off to the wireless BMS under test, taking into account the subject of the test. This allows for efficient verification of the normal operation of the protection system for a specific subject.

[0075] Specifically, the wireless BMS includes at least one of a module BMS, a pack BMS, and a rack BMS, and when any of the wireless BMSs corresponds to a specific module BMS, normal operation of the protection system of the module corresponding to the module BMS can be confirmed.

[0076] At this time, checking the operation of the protection system (S430) may be performed using communication abnormality test equipment placed between the ESS PMS and the rack BMS.

[0077] Meanwhile, the wireless BMS described above can be supplied with power in various ways, and specific methods for each case are described below.

[0078]

[0079] FIGS. 5 and 6 are drawings for explaining methods for testing by cutting off power of a wireless BMS according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0080] First, Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a case where a wireless BMS operates by an external power source (510). In this case, when a wireless BMS operates by an external power source (510), cutting off the power supplied to any wireless BMS that is a test subject in the test method described above with respect to Fig. 4 may correspond to cutting off the connection between the external power source (510) and any wireless BMS.

[0081] Figure 5 illustrates a case where power supply is cut off in front of a specific module BMS, in which case the normal operation of the protection system of the corresponding module BMS and the corresponding configuration of the subsequent module BMS can be specifically tested.

[0082] Meanwhile, unlike the method illustrated in FIG. 5, it is also possible to test the normal operation of the protection system for the corresponding configuration by turning off the power of a specific module BMS. In this case, unlike the method illustrated in FIG. 5, where not only the wireless BMS whose power is cut off but also the corresponding configuration of the subsequent wireless BMS must be tested together, there is an advantage in that testing can be performed only on the configuration corresponding to the specific BMS itself.

[0083] Next, Fig. 6 illustrates a case where the wireless BMS operates by battery power (610) of the ESS. In this case, when the wireless BMS operates by battery power (610) of the ESS, cutting off the power supplied to any wireless BMS that is a test subject in the test method described above with respect to Fig. 4 may correspond to cutting off the connection between the battery and any wireless BMS (620).

[0084] The method illustrated in Fig. 6, compared to the method illustrated in Fig. 5, has the advantage of enabling the test subject to be specified by cutting off the power supplied to a specific module BMS. However, the provision of a configuration that cuts off the power supply between a specific module BMS and the battery may actually increase the complexity of the system. In such cases, the system may be operated by turning off the power to a specific wireless BMS.

[0085]

[0086] FIGS. 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating a method for performing additional testing for communication abnormalities in an ESS using a wireless BMS according to preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0087] The aforementioned IEC 62933-5-4 standard draft document describes test methods for communication abnormalities by distinguishing between (1) a test method for when the terminal is open and (2) a test method for when a connection fails. However, this distinction based on cable conditions is meaningless in ESSs that utilize wireless BMSs. However, as wireless BMSs are utilized, various additional communication abnormalities may occur, and the embodiments described below propose performing tests that take these additional various communication abnormalities into account.

[0088] First, in order to additionally test the operation of the protection system in case of a communication failure of the wireless BMS, it is proposed to additionally perform at least one of (A) a test for the effect of noise, (B) a test according to the placement location of the wireless BMS, or (C) a test based on cybersecurity items.

[0089] Specifically, FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a method for testing the effects of noise when utilizing a wireless BMS. Testing for the effects of noise may include testing resistance within an RF electromagnetic field. This may involve artificially generating an RF electromagnetic field, as illustrated in FIG. 7, and testing whether communication abnormalities occur in the wireless BMS under such a noisy environment, and whether the protection system operates normally even under such a communication abnormality.

[0090] In addition, Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a test method according to the deployment location of a wireless BMS. That is, depending on the deployment location of the wireless BMS, a Line of Sight (LOS) environment may not be established, and as shown in Fig. 8, it is possible to test whether communication failures occur in a situation where an obstacle that interferes with LOS exists, and whether the protection system operates normally even when a communication failure occurs.

[0091]

[0092] An ESS configured to perform a test as described above may be configured to include: a battery; a PCS configured to charge the battery to a rated capacity; one or more wireless BMSs that manage voltage and temperature of the battery in response to one or more of a module, pack, or rack of the battery and perform wireless communication; and a processor that checks the operation of a protection system during a discharge and idle period while power supplied to any wireless BMS considering a test subject among the one or more wireless BMSs is cut off.

[0093] At this time, the processor may be provided separately or may be configured as a sub-component of other components within the ESS, such as PCS and PMS.

[0094]

[0095] The detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention disclosed above has been provided to enable those skilled in the art to implement and practice the present invention. While the above description has been made with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, those skilled in the art can utilize the individual components described in the above-described embodiments in combination with each other.

[0096] Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0097] The ESS test method in a communication abnormality situation according to the embodiments of the present invention as described above and the ESS therefor can be utilized in ESSs that utilize various types of batteries as well as LIB-based ESSs.

Claims

1. In a battery-based ESS (Energy Storage System), a method for testing the operation of a protection system in the event of a communication failure, Charge the battery of the ESS to the rated capacity through the PCS (Power Conversion Subsystem) of the ESS; Cuts off power to any wireless BMS (Battery Management System) considering the test subject; An ESS test method comprising verifying the operation of the protection system during a discharge and idle period while power supply to the above arbitrary wireless BMS is cut off.

2. In paragraph 1, The above wireless BMS includes at least one of a module BMS, a pack BMS, and a rack BMS, An ESS test method for verifying the operation of the protection system of a module corresponding to the module BMS when the above arbitrary wireless BMS corresponds to a specific module BMS.

3. In paragraph 1, To verify the operation of the above protection system, An ESS test method performed using communication abnormality test equipment placed between the PMS (Power Management System) of the above ESS and the rack BMS.

4. In paragraph 1, The above wireless BMS operates on external power, An ESS test method in which cutting off power supplied to the above arbitrary wireless BMS corresponds to cutting off the connection between the external power source and the above arbitrary wireless BMS.

5. In paragraph 1, The above wireless BMS operates on battery power of the ESS, An ESS test method in which cutting off power supplied to the above arbitrary wireless BMS corresponds to cutting off the connection between the battery and the above arbitrary wireless BMS.

6. In paragraph 1, An ESS test method in which cutting off power supplied to any of the above wireless BMS corresponds to cutting off power to any of the above wireless BMS.

7. In paragraph 1, In order to additionally test the operation of the protection system in case of communication failure of the above wireless BMS, Testing the effects of noise, Test according to the placement location of the above wireless BMS, or Testing based on cybersecurity items, An ESS test method that additionally performs one or more of the following.

8. In paragraph 7, Tests on the effects of the above noise are: An ESS test method, including a test for immunity within an RF electromagnetic field.

9. In battery-based ESS (Energy Storage System), battery; A Power Conversion Subsystem (PCS) configured to charge the above battery to its rated capacity; One or more wireless BMS (Battery Management Systems) that manage the voltage and temperature of the battery corresponding to one or more of the modules, packs or racks of the battery and perform communication via wireless; and An ESS comprising a processor for checking the operation of a protection system during a discharge and idle period while power supplied to any wireless BMS considering a test subject among the one or more wireless BMSs is cut off.

10. In paragraph 9, The above ESS additionally includes a PMS (Power Management System), The above processor operates using communication abnormality test equipment placed between the PMS and the rack BMS.

11. In paragraph 9, An ESS, wherein the processor is configured to check the operation of the protection system of the module corresponding to the module BMS, if the above arbitrary wireless BMS corresponds to a specific module BMS.

12. In paragraph 9, The above wireless BMS operates on external power, The ESS is configured to cut off the power supplied to the arbitrary wireless BMS by cutting off the connection between the external power source and the arbitrary wireless BMS.

13. In paragraph 9, The above wireless BMS operates on the power of the battery, The ESS is configured to cut off the connection between the battery and the arbitrary wireless BMS, thereby cutting off the power supplied to the arbitrary wireless BMS.

14. In paragraph 9, The ESS is configured to cut off power to the arbitrary wireless BMS by cutting off power supplied to the arbitrary wireless BMS.

15. In paragraph 9, The above processor, in order to additionally test the operation of the protection system in case of a communication failure of the wireless BMS, Testing the effects of noise, Test according to the placement location of the above wireless BMS, or Testing based on cybersecurity items, ESS, which additionally performs one or more of the following:

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