Energy storage system, operating method thereof, and charging system including energy storage system

Abstract

An energy storage system according to an embodiment disclosed in the present document may comprise: an interface configured to receive charging information of a battery and a power supply request from a plurality of charging devices; and a controller configured to control power supply to a target battery connected to a target charging device among the plurality of charging devices, on the basis of the power supply request received from the target charging device, and perform processing for redistributing power supplied to the target battery to a battery connected to at least one charging device other than the target charging device among the plurality of charging devices, on the basis of charging information of the target battery connected to the target charging device.

Description

Energy storage system and its operating method, charging system including energy storage system

[0001] Cross-citation with related applications

[0002] This invention claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0039346, filed on March 21, 2024, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2025-0035752, filed on March 20, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Technology field

[0004] Embodiments disclosed in this document relate to an energy storage system and a method of operating the same, and a charging system including the energy storage system.

[0005] An Energy Storage System (ESS) improves the efficiency of power usage by storing generated electricity in a storage device, such as a battery, and then supplying it when needed. These ESSs can store electricity generated by renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, or transmitted from power plants, in batteries. They can store electricity at night when power consumption is low, and use the stored power during the day when power consumption is high.

[0006] Additionally, to charge the battery, it can be connected to an energy storage system or a slow or rapid charger. However, this presents a limitation: in environments equipped only with slow chargers, rapid charging demand cannot be met.

[0007] The embodiments disclosed in this document aim to provide an energy storage system capable of supporting rapid charging of a charging device and an operating method thereof, and a charging system including the energy storage system.

[0008] The embodiments disclosed in this document are directed to providing an energy storage system capable of supplying additional power to charging devices, a method of operating the same, and a charging system including the energy storage system.

[0009] The embodiments disclosed in this document aim to provide an energy storage system and a method of operating the same that can be integrated into a charging device to improve the charging efficiency of the charging device.

[0010] The embodiments disclosed in this document aim to provide a charging system capable of improving the charging efficiency of charging devices by integrating and managing a charging device and an energy storage system.

[0011] 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.

[0012] An energy storage system according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document may include an interface for receiving charging information and a power provision request of a battery from a plurality of charging devices, and a controller configured to control power supply to a target battery connected to the target charging device based on a power provision request received from a target charging device among the plurality of charging devices, and to perform processing for redistributing power supplied to the target battery to batteries respectively connected to at least one other charging device other than the target charging device among the plurality of charging devices based on charging information of the target battery connected to the target charging device.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the controller may perform processing to redistribute power to the batteries respectively connected to the at least one other charging device when the State of Charge (SOC) of the target battery reaches a preset reference SOC.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the controller can determine a redistribution priority based on the SOC of the batteries respectively connected to the at least one other charging device, and determine a power supply order to the batteries respectively connected to the at least one other charging device based on the redistribution priority.

[0015] In one embodiment, the controller may determine the redistribution priority to be inversely proportional to the magnitude order of the current SOC of the batteries respectively connected to the at least one other charging device.

[0016] In one embodiment, the controller can determine the amount of power supplied to the target battery connected to the target charging device or to the battery connected to the at least one other charging device based on the charging rate at the time the energy storage system was charged.

[0017] In one embodiment, the controller may determine the amount of power to be supplied to the target battery based on the charge level of the energy storage system at the time the power provision request is received.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the interface may further receive charging pattern information of each of the connected batteries from the plurality of charging devices.

[0019] In one embodiment, the controller can control power supply to the target battery or a battery connected to the at least one other charging device by taking into account the charging pattern information.

[0020] In one embodiment, the controller can determine the amount of power required to be supplied from the charging pattern information, and control the supply of power to the target battery or a battery connected to the at least one other charging device in response to the amount of power required to be supplied.

[0021] An operating method of an energy storage system according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document may include receiving charging information and a power provision request of a battery from a plurality of charging devices, controlling power supply to a target battery connected to the target charging device based on a power provision request received from a target charging device among the plurality of charging devices, and performing processing to redistribute power supplied to the target battery to batteries respectively connected to at least one other charging device other than the target charging device among the plurality of charging devices based on charging information of the target battery connected to the target charging device.

[0022] According to one embodiment, performing the processing may be performed when the SOC (State of Charge) of the target battery reaches a preset reference SOC.

[0023] According to one embodiment, performing the processing may include determining a redistribution priority based on the SOC of the batteries each connected to the at least one other charging device, and determining a power supply order to the batteries each connected to the at least one other charging device based on the redistribution priority.

[0024] In one embodiment, performing the processing may determine the redistribution priority to be inversely proportional to the magnitude order of the current SOC of the batteries each connected to the at least one other charging device.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the energy storage system may further include determining an amount of power supplied to the target battery or a battery respectively connected to the at least one other charging device based on a charging rate at the time the energy storage system was charged.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the method may further include determining the amount of power supplied to the target battery based on the charge level of the energy storage system at the time the power provision request is received.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the method may further include receiving charging pattern information for each of the target batteries from the plurality of charging devices, and controlling the supply of power to the target battery or the battery connected to the at least one other charging device in consideration of the charging pattern information.

[0028] A charging system according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document may include a plurality of charging devices, and at least one energy storage system electrically connected to the plurality of charging devices, wherein each of the at least one energy storage system may include an interface for receiving charging information of a battery and a power provision request from the plurality of charging devices, and a controller configured to control power supply to a target battery connected to the target charging device based on a power provision request received from a target charging device among the plurality of charging devices, and to perform processing for redistributing power supplied to the target battery to a battery respectively connected to at least one other charging device other than the target charging device among the plurality of charging devices based on charging information of the target battery connected to the target charging device.

[0029] An energy storage system and an operating method thereof according to one embodiment disclosed in this document, and a charging system including the energy storage system can support rapid charging of a charging device.

[0030] An energy storage system and an operating method thereof according to one embodiment disclosed in this document, and a charging system including the energy storage system can shorten a charging time by supplying additional power to charging devices.

[0031] An energy storage system and its operating method according to one embodiment disclosed in this document can be integrated into a charging device to improve the charging efficiency of the charging device.

[0032] A charging system according to one embodiment disclosed in this document can improve the charging efficiency of charging devices by integrating and managing charging devices and energy storage systems.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a charging system according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an energy storage system according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0035] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a flow of power supply and redistribution by an energy storage system according to one embodiment.

[0036] FIGS. 4 and 5 are drawings for explaining the operation of an energy storage system according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0037] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation method of an energy storage system according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0038] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a charging device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0039] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a charging system according to another embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0040] FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a charging system according to another embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0041] Hereinafter, various embodiments disclosed in this document will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In this document, identical components in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions of identical components are omitted.

[0042] With respect to the various embodiments disclosed in this document, specific structural and functional descriptions are merely illustrative for the purpose of explaining the embodiments, and the various embodiments disclosed in this document may be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described in this document.

[0043] The expressions "first," "second," "first," or "second" used in various embodiments may describe various components, regardless of order and / or importance, and do not limit the components. For example, without departing from the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein, a first component may be renamed a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be renamed a first component.

[0044] The terms used in this document are intended solely to describe specific embodiments and may not be intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. Singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0045] All terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art of the embodiments disclosed herein. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries may be interpreted as having the same or similar meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and unless explicitly defined herein, they shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense. In some cases, even if a term is defined herein, it cannot be interpreted to exclude the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0046] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a charging system according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 1, a charging system (1000) may include an energy storage system (100) (ESS, Energy Storage System) and a plurality of charging devices (200). Here, the charging device (200) may include a charger for charging a battery included in a mobile device including an electric vehicle (EV), an electric scooter, an urban air mobility (UAM), etc., using power supplied from a system power grid (21), etc. In the following description, for the sake of understanding, it is assumed that the charging device (200) is a slow charger.

[0048] The energy storage system (100) can be electrically connected to a grid power grid (21) and / or a renewable energy generation module (22) to receive power. That is, the energy storage system (100) may refer to a system that stores power supplied from the outside in a battery and then supplies it to the outside when needed. According to various embodiments, the energy storage system (100) may refer to a configuration that can solve the power supply and demand problem by storing surplus power during late-night hours and supplying it during peak hours, and the cost required for charging may vary depending on the time when the energy storage system (100) is charged. Therefore, the power stored in the energy storage system (100) may have a lower usage fee compared to the power supplied to the charging device (200) from the grid power grid (21) depending on the time when it is charged.

[0049] The energy storage system (100) can supply stored power to a plurality of charging devices (200) and / or charging lines of the plurality of charging devices (200). For example, the energy storage system (100) can supply power to a target charging device (200a) among the plurality of charging devices (200) and / or a charging line of the target charging device (200a) in response to a power provision request from a plurality of charging devices (200) and / or a user using the plurality of charging devices (200). Here, the charging line can be understood to include a power transmission cable connected between the charging device (200) and the charging target device for supplying power to the charging target device (e.g., EV) when charging the charging target device. Accordingly, the power stored in the energy storage system (100) can be supplied directly or indirectly to a target battery connected to the target charging device (200a).

[0050] To this end, the energy storage system (100) may be equipped with a power supply interface (i.e., a charging interface), and the charging interface of the energy storage system (100) and the charging interface of the target charging device (200a) may be electrically coupled (e.g., coupled through an electrical socket) so that power is supplied to the target charging device through a single charging line.

[0051] The energy storage system (100) may be electrically connected to a plurality of charging devices (200) via communication lines and / or power transmission lines. According to various embodiments, the plurality of charging devices (200) may transmit a power supply request to the energy storage system (100) when a request is input from a user (e.g., a rapid charging request). Through this, the target charging device (200a) may enable the battery of the charging target device (e.g., EV) to be rapidly charged using the power stored in the energy storage system (100).

[0052] According to one embodiment, the energy storage system (100) may receive battery charging information from a plurality of charging devices (200). Here, the battery may refer to a battery that is electrically connected to and charged by each of the plurality of charging devices (200). In addition, the battery charging information may include, but is not limited to, the battery's SOC (State of Charge), the battery's degradation level, the size of the charging current, and the C-rate related to the charging speed.

[0053] The energy storage system (100) may perform processing to redistribute power supplied to target batteries connected to the target charging device (200a) based on battery charging information received from each of the plurality of charging devices (200). For example, the energy storage system (100) may redistribute power supplied to the target battery connected to the target charging device (200a) to be supplied to batteries connected to each of at least one other charging device (200b to 200c). Here, redistributing power may mean controlling all or part of the power supplied from the energy storage system (100) to the target battery connected to the target charging device (200a) to be supplied to batteries connected to each of at least one other charging device (200b to 200c).

[0054] According to various embodiments, the energy storage system (100) may stop supplying power to the target battery connected to the target charging device (200a) when the SOC of the target battery included in the battery charging information reaches a reference SOC, and supply power to the battery connected to each of at least one other charging device (200b to 200c). Here, the reference SOC may be set in consideration of an upper limit of the SOC at which battery degradation is not accelerated during rapid charging, and may be set to, for example, an SOC 80% value, but is not limited thereto.

[0055] Accordingly, the energy storage system (100) can efficiently supply stored power to batteries connected to each of the plurality of charging devices (200), and the batteries connected to each of the plurality of charging devices (200) can be rapidly charged by additionally using power supplied from the energy storage system (100) in addition to the power supplied from the charging device (200), thereby further improving user convenience. This will be described in more detail below.

[0056] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an energy storage system according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 2, an energy storage system (100) according to one embodiment may include a controller (110) including at least one processor (111) and memory (112) and an interface (120).

[0058] The processor (111) can output a control signal to control the overall operation of the energy storage system (100). The processor (111) may include one or more central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs). In this case, the processor (111) may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor (111) and a memory (112) storing a program that can be executed in the microprocessor (111).

[0059] The memory (112) can store various information required for the operation of the energy storage system (100). Specifically, the memory (112) can store an operating system and programs required for the operation of the energy storage system (100), or store data required for the operation of the energy storage system (100). For example, the memory (112) can store various programs related to the power generation amount of the renewable energy generation module (22). In addition, the memory (112) can also store various battery data, such as voltage, current, temperature, and characteristic value data of each battery cell.

[0060] According to various embodiments, the memory (112) may include volatile memory such as Static Random Access Memory (S-RAM) and Dynamic Random Access Memory (D-RAM) for temporarily storing data. In addition, the memory (112) may include nonvolatile memory such as Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), and Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM) for long-term storage of data.

[0061] The processor (111) and memory (112) may be included in the controller (110), and the controller (110) may control the operation of the energy storage system (100) by controlling the aforementioned components.

[0062] According to an embodiment, the controller (110) may receive charging information and power supply requests of a battery from a plurality of charging devices (200, see FIG. 1). Here, the charging device (200) may include a slow charging device, and the battery may refer to a battery that is connected to and charged by the slow charging device. According to an embodiment, a slow charging device may be compared with a fast charging device, and may be distinguished according to the amount of power supplied to the battery and / or the speed at which the power is supplied, and may be defined differently according to a country or region, the technology used, the manufacturer, etc. In addition, the charging information of the battery may include, but is not limited to, the SOC (State of Charge) of the battery, the degree of degradation of the battery, the size of the charging current, the C-rate related to the charging speed, etc.

[0063] The controller (110) can control the power supply to the target battery connected to the target charging device (200a) in response to a power supply request received from a target charging device (200a, see FIG. 1) among a plurality of charging devices (200). To this end, the energy storage system (100) can be equipped with a power supply interface, and the charging interface of the energy storage system (100) and the charging interface of the target charging device (200a) can be electrically coupled to implement a form in which power is supplied to the target battery through a single charging line. The target battery can be rapidly charged additionally using the supplied power. For example, the target charging device (200a) may refer to a charging device for which a rapid charging request has been input by a user, but is not limited thereto. This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4 below.

[0064] The controller (110) can control the power supply to the target battery based on the charging information of the target battery received from the target charging device (200a). According to an embodiment, the controller (110) can reduce the amount of power supplied to the target battery or the power supply speed when the degradation level of the target battery connected to the target charging device (200a) is below a critical degradation level. This is to prevent the degradation of the target battery from accelerating as it is rapidly charged. Here, the critical degradation level can be set in consideration of the general degradation level according to the battery's usage period.

[0065] The controller (110) may perform processing to redistribute power supplied to a target battery connected to a target charging device (200a) to batteries connected to at least one other charging device (200b to 200c) based on battery charging information received from a plurality of charging devices (200). For ease of understanding, it is assumed that the energy storage system (100) also receives a power provision request from at least one other charging device (200b to 200c).

[0066] According to an embodiment, the controller (110) may redistribute the power supplied to the target battery to each of the batteries connected to at least one other charging device (200b to 200c) other than the target charging device (200a) based on the SOC of the target battery connected to the target charging device (200a) reaching a preset reference SOC. Here, the reference SOC may be set in consideration of an upper limit of the SOC at which battery degradation is not accelerated during rapid charging, and may be set to, for example, an SOC 80% value, but is not limited thereto.

[0067] That is, when the SOC of the target battery connected to the target charging device (200a) is charged above a certain level, the controller (110) can redistribute the power supply to increase the charging speed of the batteries connected to other charging devices (200b to 200c). Accordingly, the limitation of the power supplied from the energy storage system (100) being concentrated on some users and limiting the battery charging speed of other users can be resolved. This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5 below.

[0068] In addition, the controller (110) can determine a redistribution priority for power redistribution based on the charging information of each of the batteries connected to the plurality of charging devices (200), and redistribute the power based on the redistribution priority. Here, the redistribution priority can be determined to be inversely proportional to the current SOC size of the batteries connected to each of the plurality of charging devices (200). For example, the controller (110) can set a higher redistribution priority as the current SOC of the batteries connected to each of the plurality of charging devices (200) is lower. This is to prevent over-discharging of the batteries and to maximize the efficiency of rapid charging. Accordingly, the controller (110) can redistribute and supply power preferentially to the battery with the lowest current SOC among the connected batteries among the plurality of charging devices (200).

[0069] The controller (110) can control the power supply to the batteries connected to each of the plurality of charging devices (200) by considering the charging pattern in which the energy storage system (100) is charged. To this end, the controller (110) can cumulatively manage time intervals corresponding to the charging, discharging, and resting states of the energy storage system (100), and information related to such charging patterns can be stored in the memory (112). According to an embodiment, when a power supply request is received from a target charging device (200a), the controller (110) can increase the amount and / or supply speed of power supplied to the target charging device (200a) when the charging start time is imminent according to the charging pattern of the energy storage system (100).

[0070] The controller (110) can determine the amount of power supplied to the batteries connected to each of the plurality of charging devices (200) based on the charging rate at the time the energy storage system (100) is charged. Here, the amount of power can be defined based on various physical quantities such as the amount of charge, the amount of power, and the amount of charge.

[0071] The controller (110) may determine the amount of power supplied to the target battery connected to the target charging device (200a) by considering at least one of the charge amount of the energy storage system (100) at the time when a power supply request is transmitted from the plurality of charging devices (200) and the charging pattern for charging the battery. For example, if the current charge amount of the energy storage system (100) is greater than or equal to a reference charge amount, the controller (110) may supply an amount of power corresponding to the difference between the current charge amount and the reference charge amount to the target battery. In addition, for example, if the current charge amount of the energy storage system (100) is less than the reference charge amount, the controller (110) may reduce the amount of power supplied to the target battery. Furthermore, the controller (110) may additionally consider the charging pattern of the energy storage system (100) and increase the amount and / or supply speed of power supplied to the target charging device (200a) again when the charging start time of the energy storage system (100) is imminent.

[0072] Here, the reference charge amount may be set by considering the deterioration degree of the energy storage system (100), the charging cycle, etc. For example, the shorter the charging cycle in which the energy storage system (100) is charged, the lower the reference charge amount may be set, and the lower the deterioration degree of the energy storage system (100), the lower the reference charge amount may be set. This is to prevent over-discharging of the energy storage system (100) and to enable stable operation of the energy storage system (100).

[0073] The controller (110) can control the power supply to a target battery connected to a target charging device (200a) or a battery connected to each of at least one other charging device (200b to 200c) based on the charging pattern information of the battery received from each of the plurality of charging devices (200). Here, the charging pattern information can include rapid charging section information (e.g., a section from SOC 20% to 80%), charging cycle, etc.

[0074] For example, if the current SOC of the target battery according to the charging information of the target battery received from the target charging device (200a) is not included in the rapid charging section according to the charging pattern information of the target battery, the controller (110) may block the power supply to the target battery. In this case, the controller (110) may transmit a power supply unavailable message (e.g., a recommendation for slow charging) to the target charging device (200).

[0075] Additionally, for example, when considering the charging cycle of the battery received from each of the plurality of charging devices (200), the controller (110) can redistribute and supply power preferentially to the battery with the smallest difference in charging time.

[0076] According to an embodiment, the controller (110) can determine the amount of power required to be supplied from the charging pattern information of the battery received from each of the plurality of charging devices (200). For example, if the current SOC (e.g., SOC 60%) of the target battery received from the target charging device (200a) is included in the rapid charging section information (e.g., the section from SOC 20% to 80%) of the charging pattern information of the target battery, the controller (110) can determine the difference between the upper end of the rapid charging section (e.g., 80%) and the current SOC (e.g., SOC 20%) as the amount of power required to be supplied.

[0077] The interface (120) can communicate with a plurality of charging devices (200). The interface (120) can receive battery charging information, power supply requests, and / or battery charging pattern information from the plurality of charging devices (200). The interface (120) can include a wireless communication unit (121) and a wired communication unit (122) for communicating with the charging devices (200).

[0078] The wireless communication unit (121) may include at least one of a short-range communication module and a long-range communication module.

[0079] The short-range communication module can communicate with a charging device (200) adjacent to the energy storage system (100) using a short-range communication method. Here, the short-range communication module can utilize one of the following communication methods: Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy, infrared data association (IrDA), Zigbee, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, Ultra Wideband (UWB), or near field communication (NFC).

[0080] The remote communication module may include a communication module that performs various types of remote communication and may include a mobile communication module. The mobile communication module may transmit and receive wireless signals with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a charging device (200) on a mobile communication network. In addition, the remote communication module may communicate with a charging device (200) or a charging device (200) such as another electronic device through a nearby access point (AP). The access point (AP) may connect a local area network (LAN) to which the energy storage system (100) is connected to a wide area network (WAN) to which a communication server is connected. Accordingly, the energy storage system (100) may be connected to the communication server through the charging device (200) and the wide area network (WAN) to communicate with each other.

[0081] The wired communication unit (122) can connect to a wired communication network and communicate with the charging device (200) through the wired communication network. For example, the wired communication unit (122) can connect to the wired communication network through Ethernet (IEEE 802.3 technology standard) or connect to the wired communication network through CAN communication, and transmit and receive data with the charging devices (200) through the wired communication network.

[0082] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a flow of power supply and redistribution by an energy storage system according to one embodiment.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 3, the controller (110) may receive a power supply request from a charging device (200). At this time, the charging device (200) may mean a slow charging device or a fast charging device, and may also include a user terminal through which a user can directly input a power supply request to increase the charging speed.

[0084] According to an embodiment, when the charging device (200) includes a user terminal, the user can connect to the user terminal and directly transmit a power supply request to the energy storage system (100), and the user can set a desired charging speed (e.g., power supply amount, supply speed, etc.) or charging end time by utilizing an interface provided in the user terminal.

[0085] The connection determination unit (101) of the controller (110) can determine whether the target charging device (200a) and the energy storage system (100) are connected, and a method for determining whether the controller (110) is connected may include determining whether the charging interface of the energy storage system (100) and the charging interface of the target charging device (200a) are connected to a separately provided connection member.

[0086] If it is determined that the target charging device (200a) and the energy storage system (100) are connected, the power additional supply unit (102) of the controller (110) can control power to be supplied from the energy storage system (100) to the target battery connected to the target charging device (200a) in response to the charging speed (e.g., power supply amount, supply speed, etc.) and charging end time requested by the user.

[0087] The battery SOC judgment unit (103) of the controller (110) can judge the current SOC of the target battery that is connected to the target charging device (200a) and being charged, and can judge whether the current SOC has reached a preset reference SOC.

[0088] The controller (110) can determine the priority for redistributing power supplied to the target battery connected to the target charging device (200a) when it is determined that the current SOC of the battery has reached a preset reference SOC.

[0089] At this time, when the SOC of the target battery being charged in the target charging device (200a) is charged to a certain level or higher, the redistribution priority determination unit (104) of the controller (110) can determine which battery among the batteries connected to each of at least one other charging device (200b to 200c) other than the target charging device (200a) to redistribute and supply power to.

[0090] According to an embodiment, the controller (110) can determine the redistribution priority in the order of low current SOC of the batteries connected to each of the charging devices (200b to 200c) other than the target charging device (200a), and the power redistribution execution unit (105) of the controller (110) can redistribute and supply power to the batteries connected to each of the charging devices (200b to 200c) according to the determined redistribution priority.

[0091] FIGS. 4 and 5 are drawings for explaining the operation of an energy storage system according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0092] First, referring to FIG. 4, a plurality of electric vehicles (23, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3) can be connected to a plurality of charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3) respectively to perform charging. Here, the plurality of charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3) may include the charging device (200) described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. Each of the plurality of charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3) can receive charging information of a battery connected to each of the plurality of electric vehicles (23, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3).

[0093] To this end, multiple vehicles (23, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3) can communicate with multiple charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3), and multiple vehicles (23, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3) and multiple charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3) can each communicate with a user terminal.

[0094] At this time, a power supply request (or a command to increase the charging speed, a request to shorten the charging time) may be received from some or all of the plurality of charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3).

[0095] When a power supply request is received from at least one of a plurality of vehicles (23, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3), a plurality of charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3), or a user terminal, the controller (110) can supply power to the battery of the target vehicle (23) connected to the target charging device (ex. 25) through the target charging device (25) and / or the charging line of the target charging device (25).

[0096] For example, when a power supply request is received from a target charging device (25) connected to a target vehicle (23) as in FIG. 4, the controller (110) can control power stored in the energy storage system (100) to be supplied to the battery of the target vehicle (23). In this case, the battery of the target vehicle (23) can be charged by additionally using power supplied from the energy storage system (100) in addition to power supplied from the target charging device (25) (e.g., power supplied from the system power grid (21)), and thus rapid charging can be possible.

[0097] For example, assuming that multiple charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3) can each supply 50 kW of power to each of multiple vehicles (23, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3), the controller (110) can additionally supply 50 kW based on the power stored in the energy storage system (100), and accordingly, the battery of the target vehicle (23) can be charged at a rate doubled using 100 kW of power.

[0098] At this time, there is no limitation on the method by which the controller (110) supplies the power stored in the energy storage system (100) to the battery of the target vehicle (23), and for example, a method of connecting the charging interface of the target charging device (25) and the charging interface of the energy storage system (100) to the input of a connecting member (e.g., an electric socket) and connecting the battery of the target vehicle (23) to the output of the connecting member can be utilized.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 5, a plurality of electric vehicles (23, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3) may be connected to a plurality of charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3) to perform charging. Here, the plurality of charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3) may include the charging device (200) described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. Each of the plurality of charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3) may receive charging information of a battery connected to each of the plurality of electric vehicles (23, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3).

[0100] To this end, multiple vehicles (23, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3) can communicate with multiple charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3), and multiple vehicles (23, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3) and multiple charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3) can each communicate with a user terminal.

[0101] When a power supply request is received from the target charging device (25), the controller (110) can supply power stored in the energy storage system (100) to the target charging device (25) and / or the battery of the first target vehicle (23) connected to the target charging device (25) through the charging line of the target charging device (25), as indicated by arrow (a).

[0102] Thereafter, if the controller (110) determines that the battery of the first target vehicle (23) has reached a preset reference SOC, the controller can redistribute the power of the energy storage system (100) to the battery of the second target vehicle (23-1) connected to another charging device (25-1).

[0103] That is, if the controller (110) determines that the battery of the first target vehicle (23) has reached the reference SOC, the controller (110) may redistribute the power of the energy storage system (100) to the battery of the second target vehicle (23-1) connected to another charging device (25-1) according to the redistribution priority, as indicated by arrow (b). Here, the redistribution priority may increase inversely proportional to the current SOC of the batteries of the target vehicles (23-1, 23-2, 23-3) connected to each of the other charging devices (25-1, 25-2, 25-3) from which the power provision request has been received. For example, an increase in the priority may mean that power is supplied preferentially from the energy storage system (100).

[0104] For example, if the battery SOC of a second target vehicle (23-1) connected to a charging device (25-1) requesting power supply is 20%, and the battery SOC of a third target vehicle (23-2) connected to a charging device (25-2) is 50%, the controller (110) can control the power supply so that the power of the energy storage system (100) is preferentially supplied to the second target vehicle (23-1).

[0105] FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a method of operating an energy storage system according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0106] Referring to FIG. 6, the controller (110) can receive charging information from multiple charging devices (200) via the interface (120) (600). At this time, the controller (110) can receive charging information directly from the multiple charging devices (200) or can receive charging information via a user terminal.

[0107] The controller (110) can determine whether a power supply request has been received from a target charging device (200a) among a plurality of charging devices (200) (610), and when the controller (110) receives a power supply request from a target charging device (200a) among a plurality of charging devices (200) (“Yes” of 610), it can determine whether the energy storage system (100) and the target charging device (200a) are physically connected (620).

[0108] Afterwards, if the controller (110) determines that the energy storage system (100) and the target charging device (200a) are physically connected by a connecting member (e.g., an electric socket), the controller can supply power from the energy storage system (100) to the target charging device (200a) (630).

[0109] The controller (110) can communicate with the target charging device (200a) to determine whether the SOC of the target battery connected to the target charging device (200a) has reached the reference SOC (640), and if it is determined that the SOC of the target battery has reached the reference SOC (“Yes” of 640), the controller can redistribute the power supply to the batteries connected to each of at least one other charging device (200b to 200c) other than the target charging device (200a) based on the redistribution priority (650).

[0110] In this way, the energy storage system (100) according to one embodiment disclosed in this document can increase the charging speed of the battery and shorten the charging completion time according to the user's request, thereby enabling efficient and user-friendly charging schedule management.

[0111] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a charging device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0112] Referring to FIG. 7, the charging device (200) may include a power supply (210), an interface (220), and a controller (230).

[0113] The power supply unit (210) can receive power from the grid power grid (21, see FIG. 1). According to various embodiments, the power supply unit (210) can include a converter for converting AC power supplied from the grid power grid (21) into DC power.

[0114] The interface (220) can obtain battery charging information and / or charging pattern level from a battery connected for charging.

[0115] The interface (220) can communicate with the energy storage system (100, see FIG. 1). For example, the interface (220) can transmit charging information and / or charging pattern information of a battery connected for charging to the energy storage system (100). In addition, the interface (220) can transmit a power supply request (e.g., a rapid charging request) input from a user to the energy storage system (100).

[0116] In addition, the interface (220) may include a user interface. For example, the interface (220) may include an input unit and an output unit. According to various embodiments, the input unit may be implemented as at least one input means such as a touch screen, a push button, a membrane button, a dial, a slider switch, and the like, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the output unit may be implemented as a display means such as a plasma display panel (PDP), a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel, an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) panel, and a curved display panel, but is not limited thereto.

[0117] The controller (230) can control the overall operation of the charging device (200). For example, the controller (230) can supply power to the connected battery in response to a slow charging request input from a user. For example, the controller (230) can supply power stored in the power supply (210) to the battery.

[0118] The controller (230) can control the power supply to the battery based on the charge information and / or charge pattern level of the battery.

[0119] The controller (230) can control power supplied from the energy storage system (100) to be additionally supplied to the battery in response to a power supply request (e.g., a rapid charging request) input from a user. For example, the controller (230) can charge the battery connected to the charging device (200) using both the power of the power supply unit (210) and the power supplied from the energy storage system (100).

[0120] According to various embodiments, the charging device (200) may include the energy storage system (100) described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In this case, the controller (230) may provide a normal charging (e.g., slow charging) or rapid charging function according to an input user request. For example, when a rapid charging request is input from a user, the controller (230) may charge a battery connected to the charging device (200) using both the power of the power supply (210) and the power of the energy storage system (100).

[0121] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a charging system according to another embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0122] Referring to FIG. 8, a charging system (2000) according to another embodiment disclosed in the present document may further include a control device (300) compared to the charging system (1000) described with reference to FIG. 1. To avoid duplication of description, a detailed description of the energy storage system (100), multiple charging devices (200), system power grid (21), and renewable energy generation module (22) having the same configuration as described with reference to FIG. 1 may be omitted.

[0123] The control device (300) can manage the operation of the energy storage system (100) and the plurality of charging devices (200). For example, the control device (300) can manage the power supply (or power transmission and reception) between the energy storage system (100) and the plurality of charging devices (200). According to various embodiments, the control device (300) can be implemented in the form of a server or a cloud.

[0124] According to an embodiment, the control device (300) may receive a power supply request from at least one target charging device (200a) among a plurality of charging devices (200). In this case, the control device (300) may transmit the power supply request to the energy storage system (100), thereby controlling power stored in the energy storage system (100) to be supplied to a battery connected to the target charging device (200a).

[0125] In addition, when a power provision request is received from at least one target charging device (200a), the control device (300) can transmit the power provision request to other charging devices (e.g., 200b to 200c). The other charging devices (e.g., 200b to 200c) that have received the power provision request can control power to be supplied to the target battery connected to the target charging device (200a) by supplying power to the target charging device (200a) and / or the charging line of the target charging device (200a). To this end, the charging interfaces of the other charging devices (e.g., 200b to 200c) and the charging interface of the target charging device (200a) may be electrically coupled (e.g., coupled via an electrical socket) so that power is supplied to the target battery via a single charging line.

[0126] According to various embodiments, the control device (300) may perform processing to redistribute power supplied to target batteries connected to the target charging device (200a) based on battery charging information received from each of the plurality of charging devices (200). For example, the control device (300) may redistribute power supplied to the target batteries connected to the target charging device (200a) to be supplied to batteries connected to each of at least one other charging device (200b to 200c).

[0127] According to various embodiments, the control device (300) may stop supplying power to the target battery when the SOC of the target battery connected to the target charging device (200a) reaches a reference SOC based on the SOC of the battery included in the battery charging information, and supply power to the battery connected to each of at least one other charging device (200b to 200c).

[0128] FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a charging system according to another embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0129] Referring to FIG. 9, a plurality of electric vehicles (23, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3) may be connected to a plurality of charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3) respectively to perform charging. Here, the plurality of charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3) may include the charging device (200) described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. Each of the plurality of charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3) may receive charging information of a battery connected to each of the plurality of electric vehicles (23, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3).

[0130] To this end, multiple vehicles (23, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3) can communicate with multiple charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3), and multiple vehicles (23, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3) and multiple charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3) can each communicate with a user terminal.

[0131] When a power supply request is received from a target charging device (25), the control device (300) can communicate with another charging device (25-1) and transmit a charging start command to the other charging device (25-1) to supply additional power to the battery of the target vehicle (23).

[0132] At this time, there is no limitation on the method by which the control device (300) supplies power from another charging device (25-1) to the battery of the target vehicle (23), and for example, a method of connecting the charging interface of the target charging device (25) and the charging interface of another charging device (25-1) to an input of a connecting member (e.g., an electric socket) and connecting the battery of the target vehicle (23) to an output of the connecting member can be utilized.

[0133] Accordingly, the target vehicle (23) that requested an increase in charging speed can have its charging speed increased and the charging completion time shortened by adding power supplied from another slow charging device (25-1), which is another slow charging device, to the power supplied from the target charging device (25), which is a slow charging device.

[0134] Specifically, assuming that multiple charging devices (25, 25-1, 25-2, 25-3) can each supply 50 kW of power, the control device (300) can supply an additional 50 kW from another charging device (25-1), and accordingly, the battery of the target vehicle (23) can be charged at a rate doubled by 100 kW of power.

[0135] Meanwhile, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in the form of a recording medium storing computer-executable instructions. The instructions may be stored in the form of program code, and when executed by a processor, may generate program modules to perform the operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium may be implemented as a computer-readable recording medium.

[0136] Computer-readable storage media include all types of storage media that store instructions that can be deciphered by a computer. Examples include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic tape, magnetic disks, flash memory, and optical data storage devices.

[0137] Additionally, a computer-readable recording medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the term "non-transitory storage medium" simply means a tangible device that does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves). This term does not distinguish between cases where data is permanently stored in the storage medium and cases where data is temporarily stored. For example, a "non-transitory storage medium" may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

[0138] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable recording medium (e.g., compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., downloadable app) may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable recording medium, such as a memory (102) of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0139] 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.

[0140] Furthermore, terms such as "include," "comprise," or "have" described above, unless specifically stated otherwise, imply that the corresponding component may be present, 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 pertain, unless otherwise defined. Commonly used terms, such as terms defined in dictionaries, 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.

[0141] The above description is merely an illustrative description of the technical idea disclosed in this document, and those skilled in the art to which the embodiments disclosed in this document pertain may make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential characteristics of the embodiments disclosed in this document. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this document are not intended to limit the technical idea of ​​the embodiments disclosed in this document, but to explain it, and the scope of the technical idea disclosed in this document is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the technical idea disclosed in this document should be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of this document.

Claims

1. An interface for receiving battery charging information and power supply requests from multiple charging devices; and Controlling the power supply to the target battery connected to the target charging device based on a power supply request received from the target charging device among the plurality of charging devices, An energy storage system comprising a controller configured to perform processing for redistributing power supplied to the target battery to batteries respectively connected to at least one other charging device other than the target charging device among the plurality of charging devices based on charging information of the target battery connected to the target charging device.

2. In claim 1, An energy storage system in which the controller performs processing to redistribute energy to batteries respectively connected to at least one other charging device when the SOC (State of Charge) of the target battery reaches a preset reference SOC.

3. In claim 1, An energy storage system in which the controller determines a redistribution priority based on the SOC of the batteries respectively connected to the at least one other charging device, and determines a power supply order to the batteries respectively connected to the at least one other charging device based on the redistribution priority.

4. In claim 3, An energy storage system in which the controller determines the redistribution priority in inverse proportion to the order of magnitude of the current SOC of the batteries respectively connected to the at least one other charging device.

5. In claim 1, An energy storage system wherein the controller determines the amount of power supplied to the target battery connected to the target charging device or the battery connected to the at least one other charging device based on the charging rate at the time the energy storage system is charged.

6. In claim 1, An energy storage system in which the controller determines the amount of power supplied to the target battery based on the charge level of the energy storage system at the time the power supply request is received.

7. In claim 1, The above interface is an energy storage system that further receives charging pattern information of each battery connected from the plurality of charging devices.

8. In claim 7, An energy storage system in which the controller controls power supply to the target battery or a battery connected to the at least one other charging device by taking into account the charging pattern information.

9. In claim 8, An energy storage system in which the controller determines the amount of power required to be supplied from the charging pattern information and controls the supply of power to the target battery or a battery connected to the at least one other charging device in response to the amount of power required to be supplied.

10. Receive battery charging information and power supply requests from multiple charging devices; Controlling power supply to a target battery connected to the target charging device based on a power supply request received from a target charging device among the plurality of charging devices; and An operating method of an energy storage system, comprising: performing processing to redistribute power supplied to the target battery to batteries respectively connected to at least one other charging device other than the target charging device among the plurality of charging devices based on charging information of the target battery connected to the target charging device; 11. In claim 10, Performing the above processing is as follows: An operating method of an energy storage system performed when the SOC (State of Charge) of the target battery reaches a preset reference SOC.

12. In claim 10, Performing the above processing is as follows: An operating method of an energy storage system, comprising determining a redistribution priority based on the SOC of each battery connected to at least one other charging device, and determining a power supply order to each battery connected to at least one other charging device based on the redistribution priority.

13. In claim 12, Performing the above processing is as follows: An operating method of an energy storage system, wherein the redistribution priority is determined in inverse proportion to the order of magnitude of the current SOC of the batteries respectively connected to the at least one other charging device.

14. In claim 10, An operating method of an energy storage system, further comprising: determining an amount of power supplied to the target battery or a battery respectively connected to the at least one other charging device based on a charging rate at the time the energy storage system is charged; 15. In claim 10, An operating method of an energy storage system, further comprising: determining the amount of power supplied to the target battery based on the charge level of the energy storage system at the time the power supply request is received.

16. In claim 10, Further receiving charging pattern information of each battery to be charged from the plurality of charging devices; and An operating method of an energy storage system further comprising controlling the supply of power to the target battery or the battery respectively connected to the at least one other charging device by taking into account the charging pattern information.

17. Multiple charging devices; and At least one energy storage system electrically connected to the plurality of charging devices, Each of the above at least one energy storage system, An interface for receiving charging information and power supply requests for batteries from multiple charging devices; and Controlling the power supply to the target battery connected to the target charging device based on a power supply request received from the target charging device among the plurality of charging devices, A charging system including a controller configured to perform processing for redistributing power supplied to the target battery to batteries respectively connected to at least one other charging device other than the target charging device among the plurality of charging devices based on charging information of the target battery connected to the target charging device.

Images