Battery pack and operation method thereof

Abstract

A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present document may comprise: a conversion unit for converting the total voltage outputted from a first battery unit and a second battery unit into an intermediate voltage; a switch circuit unit for switching electrical connections between the conversion unit, the first battery unit, and a load; and a controller which charges the first battery unit by using the intermediate voltage and controls the operation of the switch circuit unit to supply power to the load.

Description

Battery pack and method of operation thereof

[0001] Cross-citation with related applications

[0002] This invention claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0028246, filed February 27, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Technology field

[0004] The embodiments disclosed in this document relate to a battery pack and a method of operating the same.

[0005] Recently, research and development on secondary batteries has been actively underway. Here, secondary batteries are defined as rechargeable and dischargeable batteries, encompassing both conventional Ni / Cd and Ni / MH batteries, as well as more recent lithium-ion batteries. Recently, their use has expanded to include power sources for electric vehicles, attracting attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0006] Electric vehicles receive external electricity to charge battery cells and modules, which are then discharged to power the motor. During production and use, battery cells and modules undergo internal deformation and transformation through various charging and discharging cycles, altering their physical and chemical properties. This degradation and deterioration of batteries necessitates the development of technologies to manage the operation of battery cells and modules.

[0007] Conventional commercial electric vehicle battery packs lack an internal converter, making them incapable of powering loads with varying voltage ratings. Furthermore, modifying battery packs to power loads with varying voltage ratings can lead to overdischarge of specific battery units, shortening the pack's lifespan and increasing the risk of fire.

[0008] One object of the embodiments disclosed in this document is to provide a battery pack including a converter inside the battery pack so as to supply power to loads of various rated voltages, and a method of operating the same.

[0009] One purpose of the embodiments disclosed in this document is to provide a battery pack and an operating method thereof capable of managing charging and discharging of a plurality of battery units included in the battery pack.

[0010] The technical problems of the embodiments disclosed in this document are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the descriptions below.

[0011] A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present document may include a converter that converts a total voltage output from a first battery unit and a second battery unit into an intermediate voltage; a switch circuit that switches an electrical connection between the converter, the first battery unit, and a load; and a controller that controls the operation of the switch circuit to charge the first battery unit and supply power to the load using the intermediate voltage.

[0012] According to an embodiment, the switch circuit may include a first switch that switches an electrical connection between the converter and the first battery unit; and a second switch that switches an electrical connection between the converter and a load.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the controller may short-circuit the second switch when power supply to the load is required.

[0014] According to an embodiment, the controller further includes an acquisition unit that acquires voltages of the first battery unit and the second battery unit, and compares the voltage of the first battery unit with the voltage of the second battery unit, and short-circuits the first switch when a difference between the voltage of the second battery unit and the voltage of the first battery unit is greater than or equal to a threshold value.

[0015] According to an embodiment, the controller may short-circuit the first switch until the difference value becomes a value less than the threshold value.

[0016] According to an embodiment, the controller may receive a status signal from each of the first battery unit, the second battery unit, and the converter, and determine that the first battery unit, the second battery unit, or the converter is in a fault state if the status signal is not received for a predetermined time.

[0017] According to an embodiment, the controller may open the first switch when determining that the first battery unit is in a fault state, and may open the first switch and the second switch when determining that the converter or the second battery unit is in a fault state.

[0018] According to an embodiment, the converter, the switch circuit, and the controller may be configured as a single integrated circuit.

[0019] A method of operating a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present document may include the steps of converting a total voltage output from a first battery unit and a second battery unit into an intermediate voltage through a conversion unit; switching an electrical connection between the conversion unit and the first battery unit and a load through a switch circuit; and controlling the operation of the switch circuit to charge the first battery unit and supply power to the load using the intermediate voltage.

[0020] According to an embodiment, the switch circuit may include a first switch that switches an electrical connection between the converter and the first battery unit; and a second switch that switches an electrical connection between the converter and a load.

[0021] In an embodiment, the switching step may include a step of short-circuiting the second switch when power supply to the load is required.

[0022] According to an embodiment, the method may further include a step of acquiring voltages of the first battery unit and the second battery unit, and the switching step may include a step of comparing the voltage of the first battery unit with the voltage of the second battery unit; and a step of short-circuiting the first switch when a difference between the voltage of the second battery unit and the voltage of the first battery unit is greater than or equal to a threshold value.

[0023] According to an embodiment, the first switch may be short-circuited until the difference value becomes a value smaller than the threshold value.

[0024] According to an embodiment, the method may further include: receiving a status signal from each of the first battery unit, the second battery unit, and the converter; and determining that the first battery unit, the second battery unit, or the converter is in a fault state if the status signal is not received for a predetermined period of time.

[0025] According to an embodiment, the method may further include a step of opening the first switch when the first battery unit is determined to be in a fault state; and a step of opening the first switch and the second switch when the converter or the second battery unit is determined to be in a fault state.

[0026] According to an embodiment, each step of the method of operating the battery pack can be performed in one integrated circuit.

[0027] The battery pack and its operating method disclosed in this document can supply power to loads of various rated voltages by using a converter included inside the battery pack.

[0028] The battery pack and its operating method disclosed in this document can manage charging and discharging of a plurality of battery units included in the battery pack.

[0029] In addition, various effects may be provided, either directly or indirectly, through this document.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a battery pack according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0031] FIG. 2A is a graph showing the voltages of a first battery unit and a second battery unit according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document.

[0032] FIG. 2b is a graph showing the voltages of a first battery unit and a second battery unit according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a battery pack according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of a battery pack according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing system for performing an operating method of a battery pack according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0036] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that the present invention encompasses various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments.

[0037] The various embodiments and terminology used in this document are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to encompass various modifications, equivalents, or alternatives of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0038] In this document, the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can each include any one of the items listed together in that phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", "first", "second", "A", "B", "(a)", or "(b)" may be used merely to distinguish the corresponding element from other corresponding elements, and do not limit the corresponding elements in any other respect (e.g., importance or order) unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0039] In this document, whenever a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being “connected,” “coupled,” or “connected,” with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicatively,” or “coupled” or “connected,” it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or via a third component.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided as a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a commodity between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through an application store or directly between two user devices. In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0041] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0042] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a battery pack according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a battery control system including a battery pack (1) and an upper controller (2) included in the upper system. FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b are graphs showing the voltages of a first battery unit and a second battery unit according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document.

[0043] First, referring to FIG. 1, a battery pack (1) may include a plurality of battery units (10), an acquisition unit (20), a conversion unit (30), a switch circuit unit (40), and a controller (50). At this time, the battery pack (1) may be equipped with a plurality of battery units (10), an acquisition unit (20), a conversion unit (30), and a switch circuit unit (40).

[0044] According to an embodiment, a plurality of battery units (10) can supply power to a target device (not shown). To this end, the plurality of battery units (10) can be electrically connected to the target device. Here, the target device can include an electrical, electronic, or mechanical device that operates by receiving power from the battery pack (1). For example, the target device can be, but is not limited to, an electric vehicle (EV) or an energy storage system (ESS).

[0045] According to an embodiment, the plurality of battery units (10) may include a first battery unit (11) and a second battery unit (12). According to an embodiment, the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) may be connected in series. In this case, the first battery unit (11) may refer to a battery unit connected to a ground terminal or a battery unit located at the bottom.

[0046] According to an embodiment, the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) may include at least one rechargeable battery cell, and the battery cell may be a basic unit of a battery cell that can charge and discharge electric energy. For example, the battery cell may be a lithium ion (Li-ion) battery, a lithium ion polymer (Li-ion polymer) battery, a nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery, a nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery, etc., but is not limited thereto. For example, each of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) may be a battery module, a battery bank, or a collection of battery cells. According to an embodiment, each of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) may include four battery cells.

[0047] In an embodiment, a plurality of battery units (10) may supply power to one or more loads. Here, the load may refer to electrical components within the vehicle when the target device is an electric vehicle. In an embodiment, the rated voltage of each of the plurality of loads included within the vehicle may vary depending on the load. For example, the rated voltage of a first load may be 12 V, and the rated voltage of a second load may be 24 V.

[0048] According to various embodiments, conventional battery packs for commercial electric vehicles may not include a converter (30) within the battery pack. Therefore, when multiple loads exist, conventional battery packs can only supply power to loads with the same rated voltage. Consequently, users have installed separate power converters to use electrical components with different rated voltages, which increases the installation cost of the power converters and reduces the safety of the battery pack.

[0049] However, the battery pack (1) according to the embodiment includes a conversion unit (30) inside the battery pack (1), so that it can supply a voltage corresponding to the rated voltage of each of a plurality of loads having different rated voltages by using the voltage converted by the conversion unit (30) without a separate power conversion device. For example, the battery pack (1) may include a switch circuit unit (40) that switches the electrical connection between the conversion unit (30) and each of the plurality of loads. Through this, the battery pack (1) can maintain the safety of the battery pack (1) by cutting off the power supply to the load when the conversion unit (30) is in a fault state.

[0050] In addition, the battery pack (1) according to the embodiment includes a conversion unit (30) inside the battery pack (1), so that the first battery unit (11) can be charged using the voltage converted in the conversion unit (30). In this regard, referring to FIGS. 2(a) and 2b, FIG. 2a shows the voltage behavior of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) in a general battery pack, and FIG. 2b shows the voltage behavior of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) in a battery pack (1) including the conversion unit (30).

[0051] Referring to Fig. 2a, in the case of a typical commercial electric vehicle battery pack, power can be supplied to a load having a rated voltage of 12 V using the voltage output from the first battery unit (11). Therefore, as illustrated in Fig. 2a, in a discharged state of the battery pack, the voltage (V_11) of the first battery unit (11) may be lower than the voltage (V_12) of the second battery unit (12), and as the discharge time of the battery pack (1) increases, the difference between the voltage (V_11) of the first battery unit (11) and the voltage (V_12) of the second battery unit (12) may become larger. As a result, there was a problem in which the voltage of the first battery unit (11) located at the bottom decreased more than the voltage of the second battery unit (12) located at the top.

[0052] In contrast, referring to FIG. 2b, in a discharged state of a battery pack (1) including a conversion unit (30) according to an embodiment, the battery pack (1) can charge the first battery unit (11) using the voltage converted by the conversion unit (30). Accordingly, the voltage (V_11) of the first battery unit (11) can be managed to have a value corresponding to the voltage (V_12) of the second battery unit (12).

[0053] In addition, according to an embodiment, the battery pack (1) may include a switch circuit unit (40) that switches the electrical connection between the converter unit (30) and each of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12). Through this, the battery pack (1) can connect the converter unit (30) and the first battery unit (11) to charge the first battery unit (11) when charging of the first battery unit (11) is required, and can disconnect the connection when charging is not required. In addition, the battery pack (1) can control the switch circuit unit (40) to maintain the safety of the battery pack (1) even when the converter unit (30) or the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) are in a fault state.

[0054] According to an embodiment, the acquisition unit (20) can acquire information related to a plurality of battery units (10). According to an embodiment, the acquisition unit (20) can acquire values ​​(or information) related to the status of each of the plurality of battery units (10). In one embodiment, the values ​​related to the status may include one or more values ​​for voltage, current, resistance, state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), or temperature of a battery cell included in the plurality of battery units (10), or a combination thereof. For example, the acquisition unit (20) can acquire voltages of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12).

[0055] According to an embodiment, the acquisition unit (20) can acquire the voltage of each of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) per unit time. According to one embodiment, the acquisition unit (20) can continuously acquire voltage data in a charging period, a post-charge rest period, a discharging period, and / or a post-discharging rest period of a plurality of battery cells over time. According to an embodiment, the acquisition unit (20) can include a voltage monitoring circuit or sensor.

[0056] According to an embodiment, the conversion unit (30) can convert the voltage output from a plurality of battery units (10). For example, the conversion unit (30) can include a DCDC converter. According to an embodiment, the conversion unit (30) can convert the total voltage output from the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) into an intermediate voltage. Here, when the conversion unit (30) operates as a step-up converter, the intermediate voltage can be greater than the total voltage. In addition, when the conversion unit (30) operates as a step-down converter, the intermediate voltage can be less than the total voltage.

[0057] According to an embodiment, the converter (30) can convert the voltage output from a generator (not shown) included in the electric vehicle into an intermediate voltage. For example, when a plurality of battery units (10) are discharged, the converter (30) can convert the power of the generator. Through this, the converter (30) can charge the first battery unit (11) or supply power to a load even when the battery units are discharged.

[0058] According to an embodiment, the switch circuit (40) can switch the connection between the battery pack (1) and one or more loads. In addition, the switch circuit (40) can switch the electrical connection between other components included in the battery pack (1), such as a plurality of battery units (10), a first battery unit (11) and a second battery unit (12), an acquisition unit (20), a conversion unit (30), and a controller (50)).

[0059] According to an embodiment, the switch circuit (40) may include a device for controlling current flow for charging or discharging a plurality of battery units (10). For example, the switch circuit (40) may include at least one relay and / or magnetic contactor, etc., depending on the specifications of the battery pack (1). According to an embodiment, the switch circuit (40) may include an electronic switch, such as a field effect transistor (FET).

[0060] According to an embodiment, the controller (50) can control or manage the battery pack (1) to prevent overcharging, overdischarging, etc. by monitoring the voltage, current, temperature, etc. of the battery pack (1). Here, the controller (50) can perform the function of a battery management system (BMS).

[0061] According to an embodiment, the controller (50) may include a plurality of terminals that receive the various types of information described above from the acquisition unit (20), and a circuit that is connected to these terminals and processes the input values. In addition, the controller (50) may control the acquisition unit (20), the conversion unit (30), and / or the switch circuit unit (40). For example, the controller (50) may be connected to a plurality of battery units (10) to monitor the status of each of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12), and control the operation of a switch such as a relay or FET.

[0062] According to an embodiment, the controller (50) can control ON / OFF of the electrical connection between the conversion unit (30) and at least one battery unit or the electrical connection between the conversion unit (30) and at least one load through the switch circuit (40). For example, the controller (50) can control the operation of the switch circuit (40) to charge the first battery unit (11) using the intermediate voltage and supply power to the load. Through this, the controller (50) can operate the load based on the converted intermediate voltage and simultaneously charge the first battery unit (11).

[0063] According to an embodiment, the operation of the controller (50) may be performed by a BMS (Battery Management System) in the vehicle, as well as by various devices such as a server, cloud, charger, or charger / discharger.

[0064] According to an embodiment, the upper controller (2) can transmit control signals for a plurality of battery units (10) to the controller (50). Accordingly, the controller (50) can be controlled to operate based on the signals received from the upper controller (2).

[0065] FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a battery pack according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 3, the conversion unit (30) can convert the voltage input to the conversion unit (30) into a voltage having a value corresponding to half the magnitude of the input voltage. In another aspect, the intermediate voltage can have a value corresponding to half the voltage input to the conversion unit (30). For example, when the voltage of the first battery unit (11) is 12 V and the voltage of the second battery unit (12) is 12 V, the conversion unit (30) can convert the voltage of 24 V output from the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) into an intermediate voltage of 12 V. In addition, when the output voltage of the generator is 28 V, the conversion unit (30) can convert the voltage of 28 V into an intermediate voltage of 14 V.

[0067] According to an embodiment, the controller (50) can apply an intermediate voltage of 12 V or 14 V to a load having a rated voltage of 12 V and a first battery unit (11) having a rated voltage of 12 V. In addition, the controller (50) can apply a voltage of 24 V output from the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) to a load having a rated voltage of 24 V without conversion. In addition, by converting a voltage of 28 V into an intermediate voltage of 24 V in the converter (30), the controller (50) can apply a voltage of 24 V to a load having a rated voltage of 24 V. Through this, the battery pack (1) can supply power to various loads or charge the first battery unit (11) based on the voltage output from the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) or the voltage output from the generator.

[0068] According to an embodiment, the switch circuit unit (40) may include at least one switch that turns ON / OFF the connection between the converter unit (30) and each of the plurality of battery units (10), or turns ON / OFF the connection between the converter unit (30) and each of the plurality of loads. According to an embodiment, the controller (50) may control the ON / OFF operation of the switch included in the switch circuit unit (40).

[0069] According to an embodiment, the switch circuit unit (40) may include a first switch (S1) that switches an electrical connection between the converter unit (30) and the first battery unit (11). In addition, the switch circuit unit (40) may include a second switch (S2) that switches an electrical connection between the converter unit (30) and a load. Here, when there are multiple loads, the second switch (S2) may include a plurality of second switches (S2) that connect the converter unit (30) and each load. For example, the second switch (S2 (A)) may switch a connection between the converter unit (30) and the load (A), and the second switch (S2 (B)) may switch a connection between the converter unit (30) and the load (B). Here, the rated voltages of the load (A) and the load (B) may be different.

[0070] According to an embodiment, the controller (50) may control the second switch (S2) based on whether the load requires power supply. For example, the controller (50) may close the second switch (S2) if the load requires power supply. Additionally, the controller (50) may open the second switch (S2) if the load does not require power supply.

[0071] According to an embodiment, the controller (50) can control the first switch (S1) based on whether the first battery unit (11) requires charging. For example, the controller (50) can short-circuit the first switch (S1) when the first battery unit (11) requires charging. Additionally, the controller (50) can open the first switch (S1) when the first battery unit (11) does not require charging.

[0072] According to an embodiment, the controller (50) can determine whether charging of the first battery unit (11) is required based on the voltage difference between the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12). For example, the controller (50) can determine that charging of the first battery unit (11) is required when the voltage of the first battery unit (11) is lower than the voltage of the second battery unit (12). In addition, the controller (50) can charge the first battery unit (11) using the intermediate voltage so that the voltage of the first battery unit (11) has a value corresponding to the voltage of the second battery unit (12). Through this, the controller (50) can maintain the voltage levels of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) to be the same.

[0073] Conversely, according to an embodiment, the controller (50) may determine that charging of the first battery unit (11) is not necessary when the voltage of the first battery unit (11) is equal to the voltage of the second battery unit (12).

[0074] According to an embodiment, the controller (50) can compare the voltage of the first battery unit (11) with the voltage of the second battery unit (12). Then, the controller (50) can short-circuit the first switch (S1) when the difference between the voltage of the second battery unit (12) and the voltage of the first battery unit (11) is greater than or equal to a threshold value. Here, the threshold value may mean a margin of error within which the voltage of the first battery unit (11) can be considered to be the same as the voltage of the second battery unit (12). For example, the threshold value may be 0.1 V, but is not limited thereto, and may vary depending on the voltages of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12).

[0075] According to an embodiment, the controller (50) can short-circuit the first switch (S1) until the difference between the voltage of the second battery unit (12) and the voltage of the first battery unit (11) becomes smaller than a threshold value. Through this, the controller (50) can charge the first battery unit (11) using the intermediate voltage until the voltage of the first battery unit (11) becomes a value corresponding to the voltage of the second battery unit (12).

[0076] According to an embodiment, the controller (50) may receive status signals from each of the first battery unit (11), the second battery unit (12), and the converter (30). Here, the status signals may be signals indicating that each component included in the battery pack (1) is operating normally. For example, the status signals may indicate a health signal. According to an embodiment, the controller (50) may determine that a specific component is in a normal state when it receives status signals from a specific component (e.g., the converter (30)) at regular time intervals.

[0077] According to an embodiment, the controller (50) may determine that a specific component is in a fault state if a status signal is not received from the specific component for a predetermined period of time. Here, the component may refer to the first battery unit (11), the second battery unit (12), or the converter (30). Through this, the controller (50) may check whether the first battery unit (11), the second battery unit (12), or the converter (30) included in the battery pack (1) is operating normally.

[0078] According to an embodiment, if the controller (50) determines that a specific component is in a fault state, it can control the switch circuit (40) to cut off the electrical connection between the specific component and other components. For example, if the controller (50) determines that the first battery unit (11) is in a fault state, the controller (50) can open the first switch (S1). Through this, the controller (50) can cut off the power supplied from the converter (30) to the first battery unit (11), thereby protecting the converter (30) and the first battery unit (11).

[0079] In addition, for example, if the controller (50) determines that the conversion unit (30) or the second battery unit (12) is in a fault state, the controller (50) can open the first switch (S1) and the second switch (S2). Through this, the controller (50) can protect the conversion unit (30) and the first battery unit (11) by cutting off the power supplied from the conversion unit (30) to the first battery unit (11). In addition, the controller (50) can protect the load by cutting off the power supplied from the conversion unit (30) to the load.

[0080] According to an embodiment, if a fault is identified in the first battery unit (11), the second battery unit (12), or the converter (30), the controller (50) can provide information about the faulty part to the user. For example, the controller (50) can provide information about the abnormal component to the user terminal via a communication circuit (not shown), and can also provide information about the abnormal component via a display provided in a vehicle or charger, etc.

[0081] According to an embodiment, the controller (50) can provide the user with information about the voltage of each of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12). In addition, the controller (50) can provide the user with information about the intermediate voltage converted by the conversion unit (30) and the ratio at which the intermediate voltage is supplied to the load and the first battery unit (11). For example, the controller (50) can provide information about the voltage to a user terminal through a communication circuit (not shown), and can also provide information about the voltage through a display provided in a vehicle or a charger, etc.

[0082] According to an embodiment, the conversion unit (30), the switching circuit unit (40), and the controller (50) may be configured as a single integrated circuit. Here, a single integrated circuit may mean an MCU (Micro Control Unit) having multiple cores. Therefore, a single integrated circuit may perform the functions of the controller (50), the conversion unit (30), and the switching circuit unit (40). This integrated circuit design may reduce the complexity of the system by reducing the wiring between components (e.g., the BMS, the conversion unit (30), and the switching circuit unit (40)). In addition, the integrated circuit design may reduce the size of the battery pack (1) and suppress the temperature rise of the battery pack (1) by reducing the heat emitted from each component.

[0083] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a battery pack according to one embodiment disclosed in this document. The operational steps of FIG. 4 can be understood with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 4, the battery pack converts the total voltage output from the first battery unit and the second battery unit into an intermediate voltage through a conversion unit (S101), switches an electrical connection between the conversion unit and the first battery unit and a load through a switch circuit unit (S102), and controls the operation of the switch circuit unit to charge the first battery unit and supply power to the load using the intermediate voltage (S103).

[0085] In step S101, the battery pack (1) can convert the total voltage output from the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) into an intermediate voltage through the conversion unit (30) (S101).

[0086] In step S102, the battery pack (1) can switch the electrical connection between the conversion unit and the first battery unit (11) and the load through the switch circuit (40) (S102). According to an embodiment, the switch circuit (40) can include a first switch (S1) that switches the electrical connection between the conversion unit (30) and the first battery unit (11) and a second switch (S2) that switches the electrical connection between the conversion unit (30) and the load.

[0087] At step S103, the battery pack (1) can control the operation of the switch circuit (40) to charge the first battery unit (11) using the intermediate voltage and supply power to the load (S103).

[0088] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing system for performing an operating method of a battery pack according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0089] Referring to FIG. 5, a computing system (200) according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may include an MCU (210), a memory (220), an input / output I / F (230), and a communication I / F (240).

[0090] The MCU (210) may be a processor that executes various programs stored in the memory (220) (e.g., a battery cell data collection program, a graph generation program, a data analysis program, a data decomposition algorithm, a normalization program, a battery cell diagnosis program, etc.), processes various information including battery cell characteristic data and latent variables through these programs, and performs the functions of the battery pack (1) shown in the aforementioned FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0091] The memory (220) can store various programs such as a battery cell data collection program, a graph generation program, a data analysis program, a data decomposition algorithm, a normalization program, and a battery cell diagnosis program.

[0092] Such memories (220) may be provided in multiple numbers as needed. The memories (220) may be volatile memories or non-volatile memories. As volatile memories (220), RAM, DRAM, SRAM, etc. may be used. As non-volatile memories (220), ROM, PROM, EAROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memories, etc. may be used. The examples of the memories (220) listed above are merely examples and are not limited to these examples.

[0093] The input / output I / F (230) can provide an interface that enables data transmission and reception between an input device (not shown) such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel, and an output device (not shown) such as a display and the MCU (210).

[0094] The communication I / F (240) is a component capable of transmitting and receiving various data with the server, and may be any device capable of supporting wired or wireless communication. For example, the battery management device (100) can transmit and receive various types of information, including battery cell shape models, from a separately provided external server via the communication I / F (240).

[0095] In this way, a computer program according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may be implemented as a module that performs each function illustrated in FIG. 4, for example, by being recorded in a memory (220) and processed by an MCU (210).

[0096] Although all components constituting the embodiments disclosed in this document have been described as being combined or operating in combination as one, the embodiments disclosed in this document are not necessarily limited to such embodiments. That is, within the scope of the purpose of the embodiments disclosed in this document, all of the components may be selectively combined and operated one or more times.

[0097] In addition, terms such as "include," "comprise," or "have" described above, unless specifically stated otherwise, mean that the corresponding component can be included, and therefore should be interpreted to include other components rather than excluding other components. All terms, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed in this document belong, unless otherwise defined. Commonly used terms, such as terms defined in a dictionary, should be interpreted to be consistent with the contextual meaning of the relevant technology, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless explicitly defined in this document.

[0098] The foregoing disclosure outlines features of several embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present disclosure can be readily used as a basis for designing or modifying other structures to achieve the same purposes or advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that such equivalent structures do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure, and that various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0099] [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1: Battery pack

[0101] 2: Upper controller

[0102] 10: Multiple battery cells

[0103] 11: 1st battery unit

[0104] 12: Second battery unit

[0105] 20: Acquisition Department

[0106] 30: Conversion section

[0107] 40: Switch circuit

[0108] 50: Controller

[0109] 200: Computing Systems

[0110] 210: MCU

[0111] 220: Memory

[0112] 230: Input / Output I / F

[0113] 240: Communication I / F

Claims

1. A conversion unit that converts the total voltage output from the first battery unit and the second battery unit into an intermediate voltage; A switch circuit for switching the electrical connection between the converter and the first battery unit and the load; and A battery pack comprising a controller that controls the operation of the switch circuit to charge the first battery unit and supply power to the load using the intermediate voltage.

2. In claim 1, The above switch circuit part, a first switch for switching the electrical connection between the converter and the first battery unit; and A battery pack comprising a second switch for switching an electrical connection between the converter and the load.

3. In claim 2, The above controller, A battery pack that short-circuits the second switch when power supply to the above load is required.

4. In claim 2, Further comprising an acquisition unit for acquiring the voltage of the first battery unit and the second battery unit, The above controller, Comparing the voltage of the first battery unit and the voltage of the second battery unit, A battery pack that short-circuits the first switch when the difference between the voltage of the second battery unit and the voltage of the first battery unit is greater than or equal to a threshold value.

5. In claim 4, The above controller, A battery pack that short-circuits the first switch until the difference value becomes a value smaller than the threshold value.

6. In claim 2, The above controller, Receive status signals from each of the first battery unit, the second battery unit, and the converter, A battery pack that determines that the first battery unit, the second battery unit, or the converter is in a fault state if the above status signal is not received for a predetermined period of time.

7. In claim 6, The above controller, If the first battery unit is judged to be in a faulty state, the first switch is opened, A battery pack that opens the first switch and the second switch when the converter unit or the second battery unit is determined to be in a fault state.

8. In claim 1, A battery pack in which the above-mentioned conversion unit, the above-mentioned switching circuit unit, and the above-mentioned controller are configured as a single integrated circuit.

9. A step of converting the total voltage output from the first battery unit and the second battery unit into an intermediate voltage through a converter; A step of switching an electrical connection between the converter and the first battery unit and the load through a switch circuit; and A method of operating a battery pack, comprising the step of controlling the operation of the switch circuit to charge the first battery unit using the intermediate voltage and supply power to the load.

10. In claim 9, The above switch circuit part, a first switch for switching the electrical connection between the converter and the first battery unit; and A method of operating a battery pack comprising a second switch for switching an electrical connection between the converter and the load.

11. In claim 10, The above switching step is, A method of operating a battery pack, comprising the step of short-circuiting the second switch when power supply to the load is required.

12. In claim 10, Further comprising a step of obtaining the voltage of the first battery unit and the second battery unit, The above switching step is, A step of comparing the voltage of the first battery unit and the voltage of the second battery unit; and A method of operating a battery pack, comprising the step of short-circuiting the first switch when the difference between the voltage of the second battery unit and the voltage of the first battery unit is greater than or equal to a threshold value.

13. In claim 12, A method of operating a battery pack that short-circuits the first switch until the difference value becomes a value smaller than the threshold value.

14. In claim 10, A step of receiving a status signal from each of the first battery unit, the second battery unit, and the converter; and A method of operating a battery pack, further comprising a step of determining that the first battery unit, the second battery unit, or the converter is in a fault state if the status signal is not received for a predetermined period of time.

15. In claim 14, When the first battery unit is judged to be in a faulty state, a step of opening the first switch; and A method of operating a battery pack, further comprising the step of opening the first switch and the second switch when the conversion unit or the second battery unit is determined to be in a fault state.

16. In claim 9, Each step of the above method of operating the battery pack is performed in a single integrated circuit.

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