Cell module controller and battery device including same

Abstract

A printed circuit board of this cell module controller for monitoring a battery module is coated with a coating solution except for an exposed area including a first point and a second point. A leakage sensing circuit is formed on the printed circuit board and includes at least one resistor connected via a line to the first point and the second point. A battery monitoring integrated circuit is formed on the printed circuit board, and receives, at a predetermined pin, a sensing voltage determined on the basis of a resistance value between the first point and the second point, which is determined on the basis of whether a battery pack leaks, and the at least one resistor.

Description

Cell module controller and battery device including the same

[0001] Cross-citation with related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority from Republic of Korea Patent Application No. 10-2024-0070198, dated May 29, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The disclosure relates to a cell module controller and a battery device including the same.

[0004] Electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles are primarily powered by batteries, which power the motors. Research is actively underway on these vehicles as an alternative to addressing the pollution and energy issues associated with internal combustion engines. Furthermore, rechargeable batteries are being used in a variety of external devices beyond electric vehicles.

[0005] If liquids such as coolant leak within the battery, insulation resistance may decrease or the battery may catch fire. Therefore, battery management systems use separate leak detection sensors to detect leaks. However, using a separate leak detection sensor can increase costs. Furthermore, using an external leak detection sensor means the battery monitoring integrated circuit cannot detect leaks.

[0006] Some embodiments may provide a cell module controller capable of detecting leakage and a battery device including the same.

[0007] According to some embodiments, a cell module controller for monitoring a battery module included in a battery pack may be provided. The cell module controller may include a printed circuit board coated with a coating solution except for an exposed area including a first point and a second point, a leakage detection circuit formed on the printed circuit board and including at least one resistor connected to the first point and the second point via a line, and a battery monitoring integrated circuit formed on the printed circuit board and receiving, at a predetermined pin, a resistance value between the first point and the second point, the resistance value being determined based on whether the battery pack is leaking, and a detection voltage determined based on the at least one resistor.

[0008] A battery device according to some embodiments may include a battery module, a cell module controller that monitors the battery module, and a master battery management system that controls the cell module controller and receives information monitored by the cell module controller. The cell module controller may include a printed circuit board coated with a coating solution except for an exposed area including a first point and a second point, a first resistor and a second resistor formed on the printed circuit board and connected in series between a terminal that supplies a predetermined voltage and a terminal having a potential lower than the predetermined voltage, the first resistor and the second resistor having both terminals of the second resistor connected to the first point and the second point, and a battery monitoring integrated circuit formed on the printed circuit board and receiving a voltage at a contact point of the first resistor and the second resistor as a detection voltage for detecting a leakage.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a battery device according to some embodiments.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a printed circuit board assembly of a cell module controller according to some embodiments.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a leakage detection circuit of a cell module controller according to some embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating leakage detection in a battery device according to some embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating leakage detection in sleep mode in a battery device according to some embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a printed circuit board assembly of a cell module controller according to some embodiments.

[0015] Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted for clarity of description, and similar parts are designated with similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0016] When a component is said to be "connected" to another component, it should be understood that while it may be directly connected to that other component, there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is said to be "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0017] In the description below, expressions written in the singular may be interpreted as singular or plural, unless explicit expressions such as “one” or “single” are used.

[0018] In the flowchart described with reference to the drawing, the order of operations may be changed, several operations may be merged, some operations may be split, and certain operations may not be performed.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a battery device according to some embodiments.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 1, a battery device (100) may include a battery module (111), a cell module controller (CMC) (130), a master battery management system (MBMS) (150), and switches (161, 162).

[0021] The battery device (100) can be connected to an external device via a positive link terminal (P+) and a negative link terminal (P-). In some embodiments, when the external device is a load, the battery device (100) can operate as a power source that supplies power to the load and be discharged. When the external device is a charger, the battery device (100) can be charged by receiving external power through the charger. In some embodiments, the external device operating as a load can be, for example, an electronic device, a means of transportation, or an energy storage system (ESS), and the means of transportation can be, for example, a vehicle such as an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a smart mobility device. The battery device (100) can be referred to as a battery pack.

[0022] The battery module (111) may include a plurality of battery cells. In some embodiments, the plurality of battery cells in the battery module (111) may be connected in series. In some embodiments, the battery device (100) may include a plurality of battery modules (111, 112, 121, 122) as illustrated in FIG. 1 . For convenience of explanation, four battery modules (111, 112, 121, 122) are illustrated in FIG. 1 , but the number of battery modules (111, 112, 121, 122) is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the battery modules (111, 112, 121, 122) may be connected in series or in parallel. In FIG. 1 , for convenience of explanation, the battery modules (111, 112, 121, 122) are illustrated as being connected in series.

[0023] The cell module controller (130) can monitor information of the battery modules (111, 112). The cell module controller (130) may be called a cell monitoring unit (CMU), a cell voltage and temperature node (CVTN), a slave battery management system (SBMS), cell supervising electronics (CSE), a cell supervision circuit (CSC), or a cell sensor circuit (CSC). In some embodiments, the battery device (100) may include a plurality of cell module controllers (130, 140) as illustrated in FIG. 1. For convenience of explanation, two cell module controllers (130, 140) are illustrated in FIG. 1, but the number of cell module controllers (130, 140) is not limited thereto. In this case, the cell module controller (130) can monitor information of the corresponding battery module (111, 112), and the cell module controller (140) can monitor information of the corresponding battery module (121, 122).

[0024] Each of the cell module controllers (130, 140) may be formed on a printed circuit board (PCB). The cell module controller (130) may include one or more battery monitoring integrated circuits (BMICs) (131, 132), and the cell module controller (140) may also include one or more BMICs (141, 142). In some embodiments, the BMICs (131, 132) may each correspond to a battery module (111, 112), and the BMICs (141, 142) may each correspond to a battery module (121, 122). In some embodiments, one BMIC (e.g., 131) may correspond to two or more battery modules (e.g., 111, 112), or two or more BMICs (e.g., 131, 132) may correspond to one battery module (e.g., 111). In some embodiments, each of the BMICs (131, 132, 141, 142) may detect the voltage of a battery cell included in a corresponding battery module (111, 112, 121, 122), detect the temperature of the corresponding battery module (111, 112, 121, 122), balance the battery cells, etc.

[0025] In some embodiments, the cell module controllers (130, 140) may further include connection circuits (135, 145), respectively. The connection circuits (135, 145) may transmit information on the monitored battery modules to the master battery management system (150) and receive control signals from the master battery management system (150). In some embodiments, the connection circuits (135, 145) may connect the cell module controllers (130, 140) and the master battery management system (150) via wired communication. In some embodiments, the connection circuits (135, 145) may connect the cell module controllers (130, 140) and the master battery management system (150) via wireless communication.

[0026] The master battery management system (150) can measure information of the battery modules (111, 112, 121, 122) or control the cell module controller (130, 140) based on information received from the cell module controller (130, 140). The master battery management system (150) can output a control signal for controlling the switch (161, 162).

[0027] The switch (161) may be connected between the positive terminal and the positive link terminal (P+) of the battery module (111), and the switch (162) may be connected between the negative terminal and the negative link terminal (P-) of the battery module (122). The switches (161, 162) may be controlled by the master battery management system (150) to control the connection between the battery device (100) and an external device. In some embodiments, the switches (161, 162) may each include a contactor including a relay. In some embodiments, the switches (161, 162) may each include an electrical switch such as a transistor. In some embodiments, the battery device (100) may further include a driving circuit (not shown) that drives the switches (161, 162) in response to a control signal from the master battery management system (150).

[0028] The cell module controllers (130, 140) may further include a leakage detection circuit (133, 134, 143, 144) for detecting leakage of the battery device (100), respectively. The leakage detection circuit (e.g., 133) may provide a voltage determined based on the leakage of the battery device (100) to a BMIC (e.g., 131) formed in the corresponding cell module controller (e.g., 130). Although FIG. 1 illustrates that one leakage detection circuit (133, 134, 143, 144) is connected to each of the BMICs (131, 132, 141, 142), the connection relationship is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the leakage detection circuit may be formed only in some of the cell module controllers among the plurality of cell module controllers (130, 140). In some embodiments, the leak detection circuit may be connected to only some of the plurality of BMICs (131, 132, 141, 142). In some embodiments, multiple leak detection circuits may be connected to a single BMIC.

[0029] In some embodiments, when the PCB on which the cell module controller (130, 140) is formed is conformally coated, some areas (exposed areas) of the PCB may not be conformally coated and a conductive material (e.g., copper) may be exposed. A leakage detection circuit (133, 134, 143, 144) may be formed in the area where the conductive material is exposed. When leakage occurs in the battery device (100), the leakage contacts the exposed conductive material, and the resistance value of the resistor formed in the conductive material changes due to the contact of the leakage, and the leakage detection circuit (e.g., 133) may provide a voltage that changes according to the change in the resistance value to a corresponding BMIC (e.g., 131). In some embodiments, the BMIC (131) may determine whether there is a leakage based on the magnitude of the voltage. In some embodiments, the BMIC (131) transmits information indicating a voltage value to the master battery management system (150), and the master battery management system (150) can determine whether there is a leak based on the magnitude of the voltage.

[0030] As described above, implementing the leak detection circuit using conductive materials on the PCB, rather than a separate sensor, can reduce the unit cost of the leak detection circuit. Furthermore, by integrating the leak detection circuit within the cell module controller, rather than the master battery management system, leak detection can be achieved by simply waking up the BMIC when the battery device is in sleep mode.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a printed circuit board assembly of a cell module controller according to some embodiments, FIG. 3 is a drawing showing a leakage detection circuit of a cell module controller according to some embodiments, FIG. 4 is a drawing explaining leakage detection in a battery device according to some embodiments, and FIG. 5 is a drawing explaining leakage detection in a sleep mode in a battery device according to some embodiments.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 2, the surface of the PCB (210) can be conformally coated. That is, the surface of the PCB (210) on which a circuit plated with a conductive material (e.g., copper foil) is formed can be coated with a coating solution (e.g., PSR (photo solder resist) coating solution) (240). In addition, a BMIC (221, 222) can be formed on the PCB (210). In some embodiments, a connection circuit (230) for communication with a master battery management system can be formed on the PCB (210). In this way, the BMIC (221, 222) and the connection circuit (230) are formed on the PCB (210), and a PCB assembly (200) corresponding to a cell module controller can be implemented.

[0033] In this case, some areas (one or more areas) (250, 260) of the surface of the PCB (210) may not be coated with the coating solution (240) and may expose the conductive material. In some embodiments, some areas (250, 260) may be areas where leakage is likely to occur. Although FIG. 2 illustrates areas (250, 260) exposing two conductive materials, the number of areas (250, 260) is not limited thereto. Two or more points (P11, P12) may be set in the area (250), and two or more points (P21, P22) may be set in the area (260). In some embodiments, test points used for testing the PCB assembly (200) may be set as points (P11, P12, P21, P22).

[0034] When a leak occurs in the region (250), the resistance value between points (P11, P12) may increase. In some cases, the resistance value between points (P11, P12) may increase, resulting in an open circuit between points (P11, P12). Similarly, when a leak occurs in the region (260), the resistance value between points (P21, P22) may increase, or the point (P21, P22) may become an open circuit. Accordingly, the BMIC (221) corresponding to the region (250) may receive a voltage determined based on the resistance value between points (P11, P12), and the BMIC (222) corresponding to the region (260) may receive a voltage determined based on the resistance value between points (P21, P22). A leakage detection circuit may be connected to points (P11, P12) to determine a voltage based on the resistance value between points (P11, P12), and a leakage detection circuit may be connected to points (P21, P22) to determine a voltage based on the resistance value between points (P21, P22). In some embodiments, the BMIC (221, 222) may determine whether there is a leakage based on the received voltage. In some embodiments, the BMIC (221, 222) may transmit information indicating the received voltage to the master battery management system, and the master battery management system may determine whether there is a leakage based on the received voltage.

[0035] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the leakage detection circuit (270) may include resistors (R1, R2) connected in series. The resistors (R1, R2) may be formed in an area of ​​the PCB (210) coated with a coating liquid (240). The resistors (R1, R2) may be connected in series between a terminal supplying a predetermined voltage (Vs) and a terminal having a potential lower than the predetermined voltage (Vs). In some embodiments, the terminal having a potential lower than the predetermined voltage (Vs) may be a ground terminal. The leakage detection circuit (270) may transmit a voltage corresponding to a contact (or node) (N1) of the resistors (R1, R2) to the BMIC (221) as a detection voltage (V1). One terminal (or first terminal) (N1) of the resistor (R2) can be connected to one point (P11) of the points (P11, P12) via a line (or first line), and the other terminal (or second terminal) of the resistor (R2) can be connected to another point (P12) via a line (or second line). That is, the resistor (R2) can be connected between the first line and the second line. The resistor (R1) can be connected between a terminal supplying a predetermined voltage (Vs) and the first line (the first terminal (N1) of the resistor (R2)). Since the resistance value of the area between the two points (P11, P12) changes due to leakage, it can be expressed as a variable resistor.

[0036] In this case, if no leakage occurs in the area where points (P11, P12) are set, the resistance value between points (P11, P12) is very small due to the conductive material, so the voltage (V1) at the contact point (N1) of the two resistors (R1, R2) can be a voltage close to the Vs voltage. For example, if the Vs voltage is 5 V, the voltage (V1) at the contact point (N1) of resistors (R1, R2) can be 4 to 4.5 V. If leakage occurs in the area where points (P11, P12) are set, the resistance value between points (P11, P12) is very large due to the leakage, so the voltage (V1) at the contact point (N1) of the two resistors (R1, R2) can be a voltage obtained by dividing the Vs voltage by the resistors (R1, R2). For example, when the Vs voltage is 5 V, the voltage (V1) at the contact point (N1) of the resistors (R1, R2) can be 1 to 3.5 V.

[0037] Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the BMIC (221) or the master battery management system can determine whether there is a leakage based on the detection voltage (V1) of the leakage detection circuit (270). In some embodiments, if the detection voltage (V1) is greater than the first voltage, the BMIC (221) or the master battery management system can determine that there is no leakage and that the battery is in a normal state. If the detection voltage (V1) is less than the second voltage, the BMIC (221) or the master battery management system can determine that a leakage has occurred. In this case, the second voltage may be less than or equal to the first voltage.

[0038] In some embodiments, the detection voltage (V1) of the leak detection circuit (270) may be input to a predetermined pin (e.g., an analog-to-digital (ADC) pin) of the BMIC (221). The BMIC (221) may convert the voltage (V1) received by the ADC pin into a digital signal.

[0039] In some embodiments, the leak detection circuit (270) may further include a resistor (R3) connected between the contact point (N1) of the resistors (R1, R2) and the ADC pin of the BMIC (221). The resistor (R3) may limit the current input to the BMIC (221). In some embodiments, the leak detection circuit (270) may further include a capacitor (C1) connected between the ADC pin and the ground terminal. The capacitor (C1) may perform noise filtering. The resistor (R3) and the capacitor (C1) may be formed in an area of ​​the PCB (210) coated with the coating solution (240).

[0040] In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 5, when the battery device enters sleep mode, the BMIC (221) may wake up periodically (at predetermined intervals) to detect whether there is a leakage. That is, the BMIC (221) may wake up at predetermined intervals and receive a detection voltage (V1) through a predetermined pin. If a leakage is detected, the BMIC (221) may wake up the master battery management system. In some embodiments, the master battery management system may transmit a warning signal to an external device (e.g., a vehicle) to which the battery device is connected, or enter a safe state that prevents the closing of a switch (e.g., 161, 162 of FIG. 1).

[0041] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a PCB assembly of a cell module controller according to some embodiments.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 6, the PCB assembly (600) may include BMICs (621, 622) and a connection circuit (630) formed on the PCB (610) as described with reference to FIG. 2. The surface of the PCB (610) may be coated with a coating solution (e.g., PSR coating solution) (640). In this case, some areas on the surface of the PCB (610) where points for leakage detection are set may not be coated with the coating solution (640) and may expose a conductive material.

[0043] If a point is exposed, contamination may occur at the point. In this case, leakage from the point may not be detected normally due to contamination. In some embodiments, elements (651, 652, 661, 662) may be mounted on the point to prevent contamination at the point.

[0044] In some embodiments, the elements (651, 652, 661, 662) may include surface mount technology (SMT) contact pads that connect to the points.

[0045] In some embodiments, the elements (651, 652, 661, 662) may include pogo pins that connect to points.

[0046] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. As a cell module controller that monitors the battery modules included in the battery pack, A printed circuit board coated with a coating solution, excluding the exposed area including the first point and the second point, A leakage detection circuit formed on the printed circuit board and including at least one resistor connected to the first point and the second point via a line, and A battery monitoring integrated circuit formed on the printed circuit board and receiving a resistance value between the first point and the second point, which is determined based on whether a leakage occurs in the battery pack, and a detection voltage determined based on the at least one resistance, at a predetermined pin. Cell module controller including.

2. In paragraph 1, The above line includes a first line connected to the first point and a second line connected to the second point, At least one of the above resistors A first resistor connected between a terminal transmitting a predetermined voltage and the first line, and A second resistor connected between the first line and the second line is included, The above leakage detection circuit outputs the voltage at the contact point of the first resistor and the second resistor as the detection voltage. Cell module controller.

3. In paragraph 2, A cell module controller, wherein the above leakage detection circuit further includes a third resistor connected between the contact and the predetermined pin.

4. In paragraph 2, A cell module controller, wherein the above leakage detection circuit further includes a capacitor connected between the predetermined pin and the ground terminal.

5. In paragraph 2, The above battery monitoring integrated circuit, If there is no leakage in the above battery pack, the detection voltage higher than the first voltage is received, If a leak occurs in the above battery pack, the detection voltage lower than the second voltage is received. Cell module controller.

6. In paragraph 5, A cell module controller wherein the second voltage is lower than or equal to the first voltage.

7. In paragraph 1, A cell module controller further comprising a device mounted on the first point and the second point.

8. In paragraph 7, The above device is a cell module controller including SMT (surface mount technology) contact pads.

9. In paragraph 7, The above device is a cell module controller including a pogo pin.

10. In paragraph 1, A cell module controller, wherein when the battery device enters sleep mode, the battery monitoring integrated circuit periodically wakes up to receive the detection voltage.

11. Battery module, A cell module controller that monitors the above battery modules, and A master battery management system that controls the cell module controller and receives information monitored by the cell module controller, The above cell module controller, A printed circuit board coated with a coating solution, excluding the exposed area including the first point and the second point, A first resistor and a second resistor formed on the printed circuit board and connected in series between a terminal supplying a predetermined voltage and a terminal having a potential lower than the predetermined voltage, wherein both terminals of the second resistor are connected to the first point and the second point, respectively, and A battery monitoring integrated circuit formed on the printed circuit board and receiving the voltage at the contact point of the first resistor and the second resistor as a detection voltage for leakage detection. A battery device comprising:

12. In paragraph 11, The above battery monitoring integrated circuit If the above detection voltage is higher than the first voltage, it is determined that no leakage occurs in the battery device, If the above detection voltage is lower than the second voltage, it is determined that a leak has occurred in the battery device. Battery device.

13. In paragraph 11, The above battery monitoring integrated circuit transmits information indicating the detection voltage to the master battery management system, The above master battery management system, If the above detection voltage is higher than the first voltage, it is determined that no leakage occurs in the battery device, If the above detection voltage is lower than the second voltage, it is determined that a leak has occurred in the battery device. Battery device.

14. In paragraph 11, A battery device, wherein when a leakage occurs in the battery device, the master battery management system transmits a warning signal to an external device to which the battery device is connected.

15. In paragraph 11, Further comprising a switch for controlling the electrical connection between the battery module and the external device, If a leak occurs in the above battery device, the master battery management system prevents the switch from closing. Battery device.

16. In paragraph 11, A battery device, wherein when the battery device enters sleep mode, the battery monitoring integrated circuit periodically wakes up to receive the detection voltage.

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