Apparatus and method for generating electrode profile

Abstract

An apparatus for generating an electrode profile, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a profile obtaining unit configured to obtain a battery differential profile in which a battery profile representing a corresponding relationship between a voltage and the capacity of a battery is differentiated; and a control unit configured to determine a plurality of active material differential profiles corresponding to a plurality of active materials included in a first electrode of the battery, determine a feature point in each of the plurality of active material differential profiles, adjust each of the plurality of active material differential profiles such that the determined feature point corresponds to the battery differential profile, and generate an electrode profile corresponding to the first electrode on the basis of the plurality of adjusted active material differential profiles.

Description

Electrode profile generation device and method

[0001] This application is a priority claim application for Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0131035 filed on September 26, 2024, and all contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of said application are incorporated into this application by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for generating an electrode profile, and more specifically, to an apparatus and method for generating an electrode profile for generating a positive electrode profile and / or a negative electrode profile of a battery.

[0003] Recently, as the demand for portable electronic products such as laptops, video cameras, and mobile phones has increased rapidly, and the development of electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, and satellites has accelerated, research on high-performance batteries capable of repeated charging and discharging is actively underway.

[0004] Currently commercialized batteries include nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, nickel-zinc, and lithium batteries. Among these, lithium batteries are gaining attention for their advantages, such as the ability to freely charge and discharge with almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries, a very low self-discharge rate, and high energy density.

[0005] While extensive research is being conducted on these batteries in terms of increasing capacity and density, improving lifespan and safety is also crucial. To enhance battery safety, technology capable of accurately diagnosing the battery's current state is required. In particular, the most accurate method for diagnosing the battery's condition is to analyze the positive electrode profile (hereinafter referred to as the positive electrode profile) and / or the negative electrode profile (hereinafter referred to as the negative electrode profile), which indicate the battery's state.

[0006] However, since batteries are assembled using methods such as high-temperature bonding, welding, or adhesive application, these joints can be damaged during the disassembly process. Furthermore, during the reassembly process following disassembly, deformation of the internal structure, seal failure, or damage to the joints can occur, leading to a significant degradation in battery performance. Moreover, because microscopic damage may occur in the reassembled battery, the risk of fire or explosion can also increase significantly. As such, disassembling and reassembling a battery is practically impossible.

[0007] In other words, considering the difficulty of disassembling batteries, it is practically impossible to directly obtain the battery's electrode profile (positive and / or negative profile) through actual measurements. Therefore, a technology is required to more accurately estimate the battery's electrode profile by taking into account the battery type, composition, and degradation state.

[0008] The present invention was devised to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide an electrode profile generating apparatus and method that generate a more accurate electrode profile based on the active material composition of a battery.

[0009] Other objects and advantages of the present invention may be understood from the following description and will become more clearly apparent from the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, it will be readily apparent that the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations thereof set forth in the claims.

[0010] An electrode profile generating device according to one aspect of the present invention may include: a profile acquiring unit configured to acquire a battery differential profile in which a battery profile representing a corresponding relationship between the voltage and capacity of a battery is differentiated; and a control unit configured to determine a plurality of active material differential profiles corresponding to a plurality of active materials included in a first electrode of the battery, determine a feature point in each of the plurality of active material differential profiles, adjust each of the plurality of active material differential profiles so that the determined feature point corresponds to the battery differential profile, and generate an electrode profile corresponding to the first electrode based on the adjusted plurality of active material differential profiles.

[0011] The control unit may be configured to determine a target active material differential profile from the plurality of active material differential profiles, determine a feature point in the determined target active material differential profile, determine a reference point corresponding to the feature point in the battery differential profile, and adjust the target active material differential profile so that the feature point corresponds to the reference point.

[0012] The control unit may be configured to adjust the target active material differential profile so that the state value of the feature point corresponds to the state value of the reference point.

[0013] The control unit above may be configured to determine the active material differential profile having the characteristic point among the plurality of active material differential profiles as the target active material differential profile.

[0014] The control unit may be configured to determine an active material profile from each of the adjusted plurality of active material differential profiles and to generate an electrode profile from the plurality of active material profiles based on the mixing ratio of the plurality of active materials.

[0015] The control unit may be configured to generate the electrode profile by linearly combining the plurality of active material profiles according to the mixing ratio.

[0016] The control unit may be configured to determine the characteristic point in each of the plurality of active material differential profiles according to a preset standard for each of the plurality of active materials.

[0017] The control unit may be configured to determine an active material differential profile corresponding to the degradation state of the battery among a plurality of active material differential profiles that are preset to correspond to each of the plurality of active materials.

[0018] A battery pack according to another aspect of the present invention may include an electrode profile generating device according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0019] An automobile according to another aspect of the present invention may include an electrode profile generating device according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0020] A server according to another aspect of the present invention may include an electrode profile generating device according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0021] A method for generating an electrode profile according to another aspect of the present invention may include: a profile acquisition step of acquiring a battery differential profile in which a battery profile representing a correspondence relationship between the voltage and capacity of a battery is differentiated; an active material differential profile determination step of determining a plurality of active material differential profiles corresponding to a plurality of active materials included in a first electrode of the battery; a feature point determination step of determining a feature point in each of the plurality of active material differential profiles; an active material differential profile adjustment step of adjusting each of the plurality of active material differential profiles so that the determined feature point corresponds to the battery differential profile; and an electrode profile generation step of generating an electrode profile corresponding to the first electrode based on the adjusted plurality of active material differential profiles.

[0022] A computer-readable recording medium according to another aspect of the present invention may store a computer program for executing an electrode profile generation method comprising: a profile acquisition step of acquiring a battery differential profile in which a battery profile representing a correspondence relationship between the voltage and capacity of a battery is differentiated; an active material differential profile determination step of determining a plurality of active material differential profiles corresponding to a plurality of active materials included in a first electrode of the battery; a feature point determination step of determining a feature point in each of the plurality of active material differential profiles; an active material differential profile adjustment step of adjusting each of the plurality of active material differential profiles so that the determined feature point corresponds to the battery differential profile; and an electrode profile generation step of generating an electrode profile corresponding to the first electrode based on the adjusted plurality of active material differential profiles.

[0023] According to one aspect of the present invention, the electrode profile generating device has the advantage of being able to non-destructively generate an electrode profile corresponding to the current state of a battery by adjusting the active material differential profile so that feature points included in the active material differential profile correspond to reference points included in the battery differential profile.

[0024] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description in the claims.

[0025] The following drawings attached to this specification serve to further enhance understanding of the technical concept of the invention in conjunction with the detailed description of the invention set forth below; therefore, the invention should not be interpreted as being limited only to the matters described in such drawings.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electrode profile generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery differential profile according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the fine profile of an active material according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery differential profile, an active material differential profile, and an adjusted active material differential profile according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electrode profile according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery differential profile and an electrode differential profile according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example and a comparative example of a battery differential profile.

[0033] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing illustrating an automobile according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for generating an electrode profile according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention.

[0037] Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention; thus, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications that can replace them may exist at the time of filing this application.

[0038] In addition, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known components or functions may obscure the essence of the invention, such detailed description is omitted.

[0039] Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., are used for the purpose of distinguishing one of the various components from the rest, and are not used to limit the components by such terms.

[0040] Throughout the specification, when a part is described as "including" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0041] Additionally, throughout the specification, when it is said that a part is "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where they are "directly connected," but also cases where they are "indirectly connected" with other components in between.

[0042]

[0043] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0044] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electrode profile generating device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 1, the electrode profile generating device (100) may include a profile acquisition unit (110) and a control unit (120).

[0046] Here, a battery refers to a single, independent cell that is physically separable and equipped with a negative terminal and a positive terminal. For example, a lithium-ion battery or a lithium-polymer battery may be considered a battery. Additionally, the battery may be of the cylindrical, prismatic, or pouch type. Furthermore, a battery may refer to a battery bank, battery module, or battery pack in which multiple cells are connected in series and / or parallel. For the sake of convenience of explanation, the term "battery" below is described as referring to a single, independent cell.

[0047] The profile acquisition unit (110) may be configured to acquire a battery differential profile that is a battery profile representing the corresponding relationship between the voltage and capacity of the battery.

[0048] For example, a battery profile is a profile that represents the correspondence between voltage (V) and capacity (Q) when the battery's SOC is charged from a preset starting charge SOC or 0% to a preset ending charge SOC or 100%. As another example, the battery profile may also represent the correspondence between voltage (V) and capacity (Q) when the battery's SOC is discharged from a preset starting discharge SOC or 100% to a preset ending discharge SOC or 0%.

[0049] Furthermore, differentiating the battery profile with respect to capacity can generate a battery differential profile that represents the corresponding relationship between the differential voltage (dV / dQ) and the capacity (Q). In other words, the differential voltage (dV / dQ) refers to the value obtained by differentiating the voltage (V) with respect to the capacity (Q). Thus, the battery differential profile can be described as a profile obtained by differentiating the battery profile with respect to the capacity (Q).

[0050] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery differential profile (BD) according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the battery differential profile (BD) can be represented as an XY graph in which the X-axis is set as capacity (Q) and the Y-axis is set as differential voltage (dV / dQ). It should be noted that, similar to the battery profile, there are no restrictions on the format in which the battery differential profile (BD) is represented as long as a corresponding relationship between the battery's differential voltage (dV / dQ) and capacity (Q) is shown.

[0051] Meanwhile, in the above embodiments, the battery differential profile (BD) was described as a profile representing the correspondence relationship between capacity (Q) and differential voltage (dV / dQ); however, depending on the embodiment, the battery differential profile (BD) may be a profile representing the correspondence relationship between voltage (V) and differential capacity (dQ / dV).

[0052] For example, there is no specific limit on the C-rate during charging or discharging for generating a battery profile. However, preferably, to obtain a more accurate battery profile and a battery differential profile (BD), the battery must be charged or discharged at a low rate. For example, a battery profile can be generated during the process of charging or discharging the battery at 0.05C.

[0053] For example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can directly receive a battery differential profile (BD) from an external source connected via wired and / or wireless connection.

[0054] As another example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can directly receive a battery profile from an external source connected via wired and / or wireless connection. Additionally, the profile acquisition unit (110) can generate a battery differential profile (BD) by differentiating the battery profile with respect to capacity.

[0055] As another example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can receive battery information regarding the voltage and capacity of the battery. Then, the profile acquisition unit (110) can generate a battery profile based on the received battery information and generate a battery differential profile (BD) based on the generated battery profile. That is, the profile acquisition unit (110) can acquire the battery differential profile (BD) by directly generating the battery differential profile (BD) based on the battery information.

[0056] The profile acquisition unit (110) can be connected to communicate with the control unit (120). For example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can be connected to the control unit (120) via wired and / or wireless connections. The profile acquisition unit can transmit the acquired battery differential profile (BD) to the control unit (120).

[0057] The control unit (120) may be configured to determine a plurality of active material differential profiles corresponding to a plurality of active materials included in the first electrode of the battery.

[0058] Specifically, the positive and / or negative electrodes of the battery may comprise a plurality of active materials. Here, the first electrode may be the positive and / or negative electrode of the battery. Specifically, the positive and / or negative electrodes of the battery may comprise a plurality of active materials of different types. For example, the positive electrode of the battery may comprise NCM811 (Ni:Co:Mn=8:1:1) active material and NCM523 (Ni:Co:Mn=5:2:3) active material. As another example, the negative electrode of the battery may comprise graphite and silicon (SiOx). Although limited embodiments have been described for convenience of explanation, the types of the plurality of active materials included in the first electrode of the battery are not particularly limited by the described embodiments.

[0059] Additionally, the control unit (120) can determine a differential profile of active material that serves as a reference for each of the plurality of active materials included in the first electrode. Preferably, a differential profile of active material corresponding to a plurality of active materials that can be used in the positive and / or negative electrode may be stored in advance. Additionally, the control unit (120) can determine a differential profile of active material corresponding to a plurality of active materials included in the first electrode from among the plurality of differential profiles stored in advance.

[0060] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an active material differential profile according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the first electrode of the battery is a positive electrode, and the positive electrode of the battery includes a first positive electrode active material and a second positive electrode active material. For example, the first positive electrode active material is an NCM811 active material, and the second positive electrode active material is an NCM523 active material. That is, the first active material differential profile (AD1) is a differential profile for the NCM811 active material, and the second active material differential profile (AD2) is a differential profile for the NCM523 active material.

[0061] The control unit (120) can be configured to determine a feature point (f) in each of the plurality of active material differential profiles.

[0062] Specifically, a feature point (f) for each of the multiple active material differential profiles can be pre-set. Here, the feature point (f) is set independently for the multiple active material differential profiles and can be determined as a point representing the corresponding active material differential profile. Preferably, the feature point (f) can be pre-set as a minimum or maximum point included in the active material differential profile. Additionally, depending on the active material differential profile, the feature point (f) may not be set.

[0063] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the preset feature point for the first active material differential profile (AD1) is f, and there is no preset feature point for the second active material differential profile (AD2). Therefore, the control unit (120) may determine the feature point of the first active material differential profile (AD1) as f and not determine the feature point of the second active material differential profile (AD2).

[0064] The control unit (120) may be configured to adjust each of the plurality of active material differential profiles so that the determined feature point corresponds to the battery differential profile (BD).

[0065] Specifically, the control unit (120) can independently adjust each of the plurality of active material differential profiles to correspond to the battery differential profile (BD). Preferably, the battery differential profile (BD) is a profile that reflects the voltage-capacity characteristics of all of the plurality of active materials, and the active material differential profile is a profile that reflects the voltage-capacity characteristics of the corresponding active material. Therefore, in order to generate a more accurate electrode profile, the active material differential profile must be adjusted to correspond to the battery differential profile (BD). Accordingly, the control unit (120) can adjust the active material differential profile to correspond to the battery differential profile (BD) based on the determined feature points.

[0066] The control unit (120) can move the offset of the active material differential profile or adjust the scale so that the feature point corresponds to a reference point included in the battery differential profile (BD). For example, the control unit (120) can adjust the active material differential profile by shrinking the active material differential profile.

[0067] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery differential profile (BD), an active material differential profile (AD1 and AD2), and an adjusted active material differential profile (AD1') according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] In the embodiment of FIG. 4, AD1 is a first active material differential profile, AD1' is an adjusted first active material differential profile, AD2 is a second active material differential profile, and BD is a battery differential profile. The control unit (120) can adjust the first active material differential profile (AD1) so that a feature point (f) of the first active material differential profile (AD1) corresponds to a sixth reference point (r6) of the battery differential profile (BD). Accordingly, a feature point (f') of the adjusted first active material differential profile (AD1') can correspond to a sixth reference point (r6) of the battery differential profile (BD). For example, the capacity of the feature point (f) of the first active material differential profile (AD1) is adjusted from qt (Ah) to q6 (Ah), which is the capacity of the sixth reference point (r6) of the battery differential profile (BD). Since there are no feature points in the second active material differential profile (AD2), the control unit (120) can maintain the offset and scale of the second active material differential profile (AD2) as they are. That is, the second active material differential profile (AD2) is not substantially changed, but is described as being adjusted to a scale of 1x.

[0069] The control unit (120) may be configured to generate an electrode profile corresponding to the first electrode based on a plurality of adjusted active material differential profiles.

[0070] Specifically, the control unit (120) may be configured to determine an active material profile from each of the adjusted multiple active material differential profiles.

[0071] Here, the active material profile is the indefinite integral of the active material differential profile. In other words, the active material profile is a profile representing the correspondence between capacitance (Q) and voltage (V). To put it another way, the active material differential profile is the derivative of the active material profile.

[0072] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electrode profile (P) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] In the embodiment of FIG. 5, A1 is a first active material profile, A2 is a second active material profile, and P is an electrode profile (specifically, a positive electrode profile). That is, the first active material profile (A1) is a profile corresponding to the adjusted first active material differential profile (AD1'), and the second active material profile (A2) is a profile corresponding to the second active material differential profile (AD2).

[0074] The control unit (120) may be configured to generate an electrode profile (P) from a plurality of active material profiles based on the mixing ratio of a plurality of active materials. That is, the control unit (120) may combine a plurality of active material profiles based on the mixing ratio of a plurality of active materials.

[0075] Specifically, the control unit (120) may be configured to generate an electrode profile (P) by linearly combining a plurality of active material profiles according to a mixing ratio.

[0076] For example, assuming that a first active material and a second active material are included in a plurality of active materials in a ratio of 7:3, the control unit (120) can combine the first active material profile and the second active material profile in a ratio of 7:3. Assuming that the voltage of the first active material profile for k capacity is v1 and the voltage of the second active material profile is v2, the control unit (120) can calculate the voltage value for k capacity by calculating the formula "(v1×0.7)+(v2×0.3)".

[0077] In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the control unit (120) can combine the first active material profile (A1) and the second active material profile (A2) based on the mixing ratio of the first active material and the second active material. For example, assuming the mixing ratio of the first active material and the second active material is 6:4, the control unit (120) can generate an electrode profile (P) by combining the first active material profile (A1) and the second active material profile (A2) in a 6:4 ratio. Specifically, the voltage of the first active material profile (A1) corresponding to a capacity of 40 (Ah) is V1, and the voltage of the second active material profile (A2) is V2. The control unit (120) can calculate the voltage of the electrode profile (P) corresponding to a capacity of 40 (Ah) as VP by calculating the formula "(V1×0.6)+(V2×0.4)". In this way, the control unit (120) can generate an electrode profile (P) by calculating the synthesis voltage for the first active material profile (A1) and the second active material profile (A2) for all capacities.

[0078] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery differential profile (BD) and an electrode differential profile (PD) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the electrode differential profile (PD) is a profile obtained by differentiating the electrode profile (P) with respect to capacity. Since the electrode profile (P) is generated based on the first active material profile (A1) and the second active material profile (A2), the electrode differential profile (PD) corresponds to the battery differential profile (BD). In particular, near the sixth reference point (r6) of the battery differential profile (BD), which serves as a reference for adjusting the first active material differential profile (AD1), the battery differential profile (BD) and the electrode differential profile (PD) have very similar shapes. This is because in the high-capacity range (H) (e.g., a capacity range of 30 (Ah) or more), the influence of the negative electrode is minimal and the positive electrode exerts the dominant influence. That is, since the high-capacity region (H) is a region where the positive electrode primarily influences the voltage change according to the battery capacity, the shape of the electrode differential profile (PD) and the battery differential profile (BD) may be similar. Therefore, the electrode profile (P) generated based on the adjusted active material differential profile can be determined as the positive electrode profile representing the positive electrode state of the battery.

[0079] An electrode profile generating device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention has the advantage of non-destructively generating an electrode profile (P) corresponding to the current state of a battery by adjusting the active material differential profile so that a feature point (f) included in the active material differential profile corresponds to a reference point (r) included in the battery differential profile (BD).

[0080] Furthermore, since the electrode profile (P) generated according to one embodiment of the present invention reflects the current electrode state of the battery, it can be usefully used to independently diagnose only the state of the electrode. Therefore, the present invention can help to specifically diagnose not only the state of the battery but also the state of the battery's electrode.

[0081]

[0082] Meanwhile, the profile acquisition unit (110) and / or control unit (120) provided in the electrode profile generation device (100) may optionally include a processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), another chipset, a logic circuit, a register, a communication modem, a data processing device, etc., known in the art to execute various control logics performed in the present invention. Additionally, when the control logic is implemented in software, the profile acquisition unit (110) and / or control unit (120) may be implemented as a set of program modules. In this case, the program modules may be stored in memory and executed by the profile acquisition unit (110) and / or control unit (120). The memory may be located inside or outside the profile acquisition unit (110) and / or control unit (120) and may be connected to the profile acquisition unit (110) and / or control unit (120) by various well-known means.

[0083] Additionally, the electrode profile generating device (100) may further include a storage unit (130). The storage unit (130) may store data or programs necessary for each component of the electrode profile generating device (100) to perform operations and functions, or data generated during the process of performing operations and functions. The storage unit (130) is not subject to any special restrictions on its type as long as it is a known information storage means known to be capable of recording, erasing, updating, and reading data. As an example, the information storage means may include RAM, flash memory, ROM, EEPROM, registers, etc. Additionally, the storage unit (130) may store program codes that define processes executable by each component of the electrode profile generating device (100).

[0084]

[0085] The control unit (120) can be configured to determine a target active material differential profile from a plurality of active material differential profiles.

[0086] Specifically, the control unit (120) may be configured to determine the active material differential profile having a feature point (f) among a plurality of active material differential profiles as the target active material differential profile.

[0087] The active material differential profile may not include a characteristic point (f) depending on the type and composition of the active material. Since there is no characteristic point that serves as an adjustment criterion for the active material differential profile for such active materials, the control unit (120) can determine only the active material differential profile that has a characteristic point (f) as the target active material differential profile.

[0088] The control unit (120) can be configured to determine a feature point (f) in the determined target active material differential profile.

[0089] Specifically, the control unit (120) may be configured to determine a feature point (f) in each of the multiple active material differential profiles according to a preset standard for each of the multiple active materials. More specifically, the feature point (f) for each of the active material differential profiles may be preset based on the type and composition of the active material. For example, a corresponding feature point (f) may be preset based on the content of nickel (Ni) or manganese (Mn) in the positive active material or the content of silicon (SiOx) in the negative active material. That is, the preset feature point (f) may be preset to reflect the characteristics of the corresponding active material.

[0090] The control unit (120) can be configured to determine a reference point corresponding to a feature point (f) in the battery differential profile (BD).

[0091] Specifically, the battery differential profile (BD) may include one or more maximums and one or more minimums. Since the feature point (f) of the active material differential profile is determined as a maximum or minimum, any one of the one or more maximums and one or more minimums included in the battery differential profile (BD) may be determined as a reference point.

[0092] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the battery differential profile (BD) may include first to seventh reference points (r1, r2, r3, r4, r5, r6, and r7). Here, the first reference point (r1), the third reference point (r3), the fifth reference point (r5), and the seventh reference point (r7) are minimum points, and the second reference point (r2), the fourth reference point (r4), and the sixth reference point (r6) are maximum points. That is, the control unit (120) may determine any one of the first to seventh reference points (r1, r2, r3, r4, r5, r6, and r7) as a reference point corresponding to the feature point (f) of the first active material differential profile (AD1).

[0093] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, since the feature point (f) of the first active material differential profile (AD1) is a maximum point included between a capacity of 40 (Ah) and 50 (Ah), the control unit (120) can determine the sixth reference point (r6) of the battery differential profile (BD) as a reference point. That is, both the feature point (f) and the reference point are maximum points, the capacity of the feature point (f) is qt (Ah), and the capacity of the reference point (r6) is q6 (Ah).

[0094] The control unit (120) can be configured to adjust the target active material differential profile so that the feature point (f) corresponds to the reference point.

[0095] Specifically, the control unit (120) may be configured to adjust the target active material differentiation profile so that the state value of the feature point (f) corresponds to the state value of the reference point (r6). Here, the state value refers to the value of an indicator that serves as a reference for differentiating the battery profile and the active material profile. For example, if the battery differentiation profile (BD) and the active material differentiation profile are profiles differentiated with respect to capacity, the state value refers to the capacity value. As another example, if the battery differentiation profile (BD) and the active material differentiation profile are profiles differentiated with respect to voltage, the state value refers to the voltage value.

[0096] In the embodiment of FIG. 4, since the battery differential profile (BD) and the first active material differential profile (AD1) are profiles differentiated with respect to capacity, the state value is the capacity value. Accordingly, the control unit (120) can increase the scale of the first active material differential profile (AD1) until the capacity value of the feature point (f) corresponds from qt (Ah) to q6 (Ah). That is, the capacity scale of the first active material differential profile (AD1) can be increased by the capacity of "q6-qt".

[0097] An electrode profile generating device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention has the advantage of being able to generate an electrode profile (P) that reflects the current state of the battery because it adjusts the active material differential profile based on a feature point (f). Specifically, whether or not the active material differential profile can be adjusted is first determined based on the presence or absence of the feature point (f), and the active material differential profile is adjusted restrictively based on a reference point (r6) corresponding to the feature point (f). Therefore, since the electrode profile generating device (100) does not indiscriminately adjust the active material differential profile, it can generate an electrode profile (P) that better reflects the state of the battery.

[0098]

[0099] Meanwhile, the control unit (120) may be configured to determine an active material differential profile corresponding to the degradation state of the battery among a plurality of active material differential profiles that are preset to correspond to each of the plurality of active materials.

[0100] Specifically, an active material differential profile can be pre-set according to the degradation state of the battery. Preferably, an active material differential profile can be pre-set according to various detailed degradation patterns of the battery.

[0101] For example, an active material differential profile may be pre-set based on at least one of the type of degradation of the battery (available lithium loss degradation, positive capacity loss, negative capacity loss, and battery capacity loss, etc.) and the degree of degradation (SOH, amount of degradation, or degradation ratio, etc.). Here, the type of degradation indicates what type of degradation has occurred in the battery, and the degree of degradation indicates how much degradation has occurred in the battery.

[0102] The control unit (120) can first determine the degradation state of the battery. For example, the control unit (120) can determine the type of degradation of the battery in a commonly used manner. As another example, the control unit (120) can determine the degree of degradation in a commonly used manner. As yet another example, the control unit (120) can determine both the type of degradation and the degree of degradation of the battery.

[0103] Additionally, the control unit (120) can select one or more active material differential profiles corresponding to the determined degradation state of the battery from among a plurality of preset active material differential profiles. Here, the control unit (120) can select one or more active material differential profiles corresponding to the degradation state of the battery while corresponding to the active material included in the battery.

[0104] Although limited embodiments in which the active material differential profile is pre-set have been described above, it should be noted that the present invention can be applied as long as the active material differential profile can be generated to correspond to the finer state of the battery.

[0105] An electrode profile generating device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention first determines an active material differential profile corresponding to the degradation state of the battery, and secondarily determines a preset feature point (f) in the determined active material differential profile by considering the characteristics of the active material. Finally, since the active material differential profile is adjusted so that the feature point (f) determined in this manner corresponds to a reference point, the electrode profile (P) generated by the electrode profile generating device (100) can more accurately reflect the current state of the battery.

[0106]

[0107] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example and a comparative example of a battery differential profile (BD).

[0108] BD is the battery differential profile.

[0109] BD1 is an example of a first battery differential profile. The first battery differential profile (BD1) is a profile in which the first battery profile is differentiated with respect to capacity. Here, the positive profile constituting the first battery profile is generated by an electrode profile generating device (100), and the negative profile is preset. Specifically, the positive profile of the first battery profile is the electrode profile (P) of FIG. 5.

[0110] BD1 is an example of a first battery differential profile. The first battery differential profile (BD1) is a profile in which the first battery profile is differentiated with respect to capacity. Here, the positive profile constituting the first battery profile is generated by an electrode profile generating device (100), and the negative profile is preset. Specifically, the positive profile of the first battery profile is the electrode profile (P) of FIG. 5.

[0111] BD2 is a comparative example for the second battery differential profile. The second battery differential profile (BD2) is a profile in which the second battery profile is differentiated with respect to capacity. Here, the positive profile constituting the second battery profile is generated by combining the first active material profile corresponding to the first active material differential profile (AD1) of FIG. 3 and the second active material profile corresponding to the second active material differential profile (AD2). And, the negative profile constituting the second battery profile is pre-set. Specifically, the positive profile of the second battery profile is generated based on a plurality of unadjusted active material differential profiles.

[0112] Here, the difference between the first battery differential profile (BD1) and the second battery differential profile (BD2) is whether the active material differential profile is adjusted.

[0113] In particular, in the high-capacity range (H), the first battery derivative profile (BD1) is more similar to the battery derivative profile (BD) than the second battery derivative profile (BD2). Specifically, in the high-capacity range (H), the first error (e.g., mean squared error) between the battery derivative profile (BD) and the first battery derivative profile (BD1) is less than the second error between the battery derivative profile (BD) and the second battery derivative profile (BD2).

[0114] In other words, the first battery profile according to the first battery differential profile (BD1) can reflect the state of the battery more accurately than the second battery profile according to the second battery differential profile (BD2). To put it another way, the accuracy of estimating the state of the battery can show a significant difference depending on whether the active material differential profile is adjusted.

[0115] An electrode profile generating device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention has the advantage of being able to generate an electrode profile that more accurately reflects the state of the battery by adjusting the active material differential profile to correspond to the battery differential profile (BD).

[0116]

[0117] The electrode profile generation device (100) according to the present invention can be applied to a Battery Management System (BMS). That is, the BMS according to the present invention may include the electrode profile generation device (100) described above. In this configuration, at least some of the components of the electrode profile generation device (100) may be implemented by supplementing or adding the functions of the components included in a conventional BMS. For example, the profile acquisition unit (110), control unit (120), and storage unit (130) of the electrode profile generation device (100) may be implemented as components of the BMS.

[0118] In addition, the electrode profile generating device (100) according to the present invention may be provided in a battery pack. That is, the battery pack according to the present invention may include the electrode profile generating device (100) described above and one or more battery cells. In addition, the battery pack may further include electrical components (relays, fuses, etc.) and a case, etc.

[0119] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery pack (10) according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0120] The positive terminal of the battery (11) can be connected to the positive terminal (P+) of the battery pack (10), and the negative terminal of the battery (11) can be connected to the negative terminal (P-) of the battery pack (10).

[0121] The measuring unit (12) can be connected to the first sensing line (SL1), the second sensing line (SL2), and the third sensing line (SL3). Specifically, the measuring unit (12) can be connected to the positive terminal of the battery (11) through the first sensing line (SL1) and to the negative terminal of the battery (11) through the second sensing line (SL2). The measuring unit (12) can measure the voltage of the battery (11) based on the voltage measured at each of the first sensing line (SL1) and the second sensing line (SL2).

[0122] Additionally, the measuring unit (12) can be connected to a current measuring unit (A) through a third sensing line (SL3). For example, the current measuring unit (A) may be an ammeter or a shunt resistor capable of measuring the charging current and discharging current of the battery (11). The measuring unit (12) can calculate the charging amount by measuring the charging current of the battery (11) through the third sensing line (SL3). Furthermore, the measuring unit (12) can calculate the discharging amount by measuring the discharging current of the battery (11) through the third sensing line (SL3).

[0123] For example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can receive battery information regarding the voltage and current of the battery from the measurement unit (12). Then, the profile acquisition unit (110) can generate a battery differential profile (BD) based on the battery information.

[0124] As another example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can receive a battery profile from the measurement unit (12). Then, the profile acquisition unit (110) can generate a battery differential profile (BD) based on the battery profile.

[0125] As another example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can receive a battery differential profile (BD) from the measurement unit (12).

[0126] An external device may be connected to the positive terminal (P+) and the negative terminal (P-) of the battery pack (10). For example, the external device may be a charging device or a load. Also, the positive terminal of the battery (11), the positive terminal (P+) of the battery pack (10), the external device, the negative terminal (P-) of the battery pack (10), and the negative terminal of the battery (11) may be electrically connected.

[0127]

[0128] FIG. 9 schematically illustrates an automobile (1000) according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0129] Referring to FIG. 9, a battery pack (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention may be included in a vehicle (1000), such as an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid vehicle (HV). The battery pack (10) can drive the vehicle (1000) by supplying power to a motor through an inverter provided in the vehicle (1000). Here, the battery pack (10) may include an electrode profile generating device (100). That is, the vehicle (1000) may include an electrode profile generating device (100). In this case, the electrode profile generating device (100) may be an on-board device included in the vehicle (1000).

[0130]

[0131] A server (not shown) according to another embodiment of the present invention may include an electrode profile generating device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0132] The server may be connected to communicate with the outside via wired and / or wireless connections. Additionally, the server may receive at least one of battery information, a battery profile, and a battery differential profile (BD) from the outside.

[0133] For example, the server can receive battery information from an external source and generate a battery profile based on the received battery information. Then, the server can generate a battery differential profile (BD) based on the battery profile.

[0134] As another example, the server can directly receive a battery profile from an external source and generate a battery differential profile (BD) based on the received battery profile.

[0135] As another example, the server can directly receive the battery differential profile (BD) from an external source.

[0136] The server can adjust the active material differential profile to correspond to the battery differential profile (BD) and generate an electrode profile (P) based on the adjusted active material differential profile. Additionally, upon an external request or the occurrence of a specific event, the server can provide the generated electrode profile (P).

[0137] For example, since the process of generating an electrode profile (P) includes a process of adjusting the profile, significant system resources are required. Although an electrode profile can be generated even with a low-spec BMS (e.g., vehicle BMS, diagnostic kit, etc.) that is generally configured with low specifications, a low-spec BMS may not be suitable for generating the electrode profile (P). Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, a high-spec server can generate an electrode profile (P) corresponding to a battery differential profile (BD) and transmit the generated electrode profile (P) to an external device (e.g., BMS, diagnostic kit, user terminal, etc.).

[0138]

[0139] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for generating an electrode profile according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0140] Referring to FIG. 10, the electrode profile generation method may include a profile acquisition step (S100), an active material differential profile determination step (S200), a feature point determination step (S300), an active material differential profile adjustment step (S400), and an electrode profile generation step (S500).

[0141] Preferably, each step of the electrode profile generation method can be performed by an electrode profile generation device (100). Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, content that overlaps with previously described content is omitted or briefly explained.

[0142] The profile acquisition step (S100) is a step of acquiring a battery differential profile (BD) in which a battery profile representing the corresponding relationship between the voltage and capacity of the battery is differentiated, and can be performed by the profile acquisition unit (110).

[0143] For example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can directly receive a battery differential profile (BD) from an external source connected via wired and / or wireless connection.

[0144] As another example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can directly receive a battery profile from an external source connected via wired and / or wireless connection. Additionally, the profile acquisition unit (110) can generate a battery differential profile (BD) by differentiating the battery profile with respect to capacity.

[0145] As another example, the profile acquisition unit (110) can receive battery information regarding the voltage and capacity of the battery. Then, the profile acquisition unit (110) can generate a battery profile based on the received battery information and generate a battery differential profile (BD) based on the generated battery profile. That is, the profile acquisition unit (110) can acquire the battery differential profile (BD) by directly generating the battery differential profile (BD) based on the battery information.

[0146] The step of determining the active material differential profile (S200) is a step of determining a plurality of active material differential profiles corresponding to a plurality of active materials included in the first electrode of the battery, and can be performed by the control unit (120).

[0147] For example, when the first electrode contains a first active material and a second active material, the control unit (120) can determine a first active material differential profile (AD1) corresponding to the first active material and a second active material differential profile (AD2) corresponding to the second active material.

[0148] The feature point determination step (S300) is a step of determining a feature point (f) in each of a plurality of active material differential profiles, and can be performed by the control unit (120).

[0149] For example, the control unit (120) can determine a first feature point in the first active material differential profile (AD1) and determine a second feature point in the second active material differential profile (AD2). Here, the first feature point and the second feature point are independent of each other. That is, the first feature point and the second feature point may correspond to each other or may not correspond to each other.

[0150] The active material differential profile adjustment step (S400) is a step of adjusting each of a plurality of active material differential profiles so that a determined feature point (f) corresponds to a battery differential profile (BD), and can be performed by a control unit (120).

[0151] For example, the control unit (120) can first determine a reference point corresponding to a feature point (f) in the battery differential profile (BD). Then, the control unit (120) can adjust the offset and scale of the active material differential profile so that the determined feature point (f) corresponds to the corresponding reference point.

[0152] The electrode profile generation step (S500) is a step of generating an electrode profile (P) corresponding to the first electrode based on a plurality of adjusted active material differential profiles, and can be performed by the control unit (120).

[0153] For example, the control unit (120) can generate an active material profile from each of the adjusted active material differential profiles. Then, the control unit (120) can generate an electrode profile (P) by combining the generated multiple active material profiles.

[0154]

[0155] The embodiments of the present invention described above are not limited to implementation through devices and methods, but may also be implemented through a program that realizes a function corresponding to the configuration of the embodiments of the present invention or a recording medium on which such a program is recorded. Such implementation can be easily achieved by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, based on the description of the embodiments described above.

[0156] Another embodiment of the present invention may provide a computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon for executing the various embodiments described above on a computer.

[0157] A program may be implemented as hardware components, software components, and / or a combination of hardware and software components. A program may be executed by any system capable of executing computer-readable instructions.

[0158] Software may include computer programs, code, instructions, or a combination thereof, and may configure a processing unit to operate as desired or command the processing unit independently or collectively.

[0159] Software can be implemented as a computer program containing instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. Examples of computer-readable storage media include magnetic storage media (e.g., ROM (read-only memory), RAM (random-access memory), floppy disks, hard disks, etc.) and optical reading media (e.g., CD-ROMs, DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs)). Computer-readable storage media can be distributed across networked computer systems, allowing computer-readable code to be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The storage medium is readable by a computer, stored in memory, and can be executed by a processor.

[0160] Computer-readable recording media may be provided in the form of non-transitory recording media. Here, 'non-transitory storage media' simply means that it is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily. For example, 'non-transitory storage media' may include a buffer in which data is stored temporarily.

[0161] In addition, the program may be provided as part of a computer program product. Computer program products may be traded between a seller and a buyer as goods.

[0162] A computer program product may include a software program or a computer-readable recording medium on which the software program is stored. For example, a computer program product may include a product in the form of a software program that is distributed electronically through a manufacturer of an electronic device or an electronic market (e.g., a downloadable application). For electronic distribution, at least a portion of the software program may be stored on a recording medium or temporarily created. In this case, the recording medium may be a server of the manufacturer of the electronic device, a server of the electronic market, or a recording medium of a relay server that temporarily stores the software program.

[0163] Although the present invention has been described above by limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is obvious that various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims described below by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[0164] Furthermore, since the present invention described above allows for various substitutions, modifications, and changes within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention to those skilled in the art without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention, it is not limited by the aforementioned embodiments and attached drawings, but rather all or part of each embodiment may be selectively combined to allow for various modifications.

[0165] (Explanation of symbols)

[0166] 10: Battery pack

[0167] 11: Battery

[0168] 12: Measurement section

[0169] 100: Electrode profile generating device

[0170] 110: Profile Acquisition Section

[0171] 120: Control unit

[0172] 130: Storage section

[0173] 1000: Car

Claims

1. A profile acquisition unit configured to acquire a battery differential profile, wherein the battery profile representing the correspondence relationship between the voltage and capacity of the battery is differentiated; and An electrode profile generating device comprising a control unit configured to determine a plurality of active material differential profiles corresponding to a plurality of active materials included in a first electrode of the battery, determine a feature point in each of the plurality of active material differential profiles, adjust each of the plurality of active material differential profiles so that the determined feature point corresponds to the battery differential profile, and generate an electrode profile corresponding to the first electrode based on the adjusted plurality of active material differential profiles.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above control unit is, An electrode profile generating device configured to determine a target active material differential profile from a plurality of active material differential profiles, determine a feature point in the determined target active material differential profile, determine a reference point corresponding to the feature point in the battery differential profile, and adjust the target active material differential profile so that the feature point corresponds to the reference point.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above control unit is, An electrode profile generating device configured to adjust the target active material differential profile so that the state value of the above feature point corresponds to the state value of the above reference point.

4. In Paragraph 2, The above control unit is, An electrode profile generating device configured to determine the active material differential profile having the characteristic point among the plurality of active material differential profiles as the target active material differential profile.

5. In Paragraph 1, The above control unit is, An electrode profile generating device configured to determine an active material profile from each of the above-mentioned adjusted multiple active material differential profiles, and to generate an electrode profile from the multiple active material profiles based on the mixing ratio of the multiple active materials.

6. In Paragraph 5, The above control unit is, An electrode profile generating device configured to generate the electrode profile by linearly combining the plurality of active material profiles according to the above mixing ratio.

7. In Paragraph 1, The above control unit is, An electrode profile generating device configured to determine the characteristic points in each of the plurality of active material differential profiles according to a preset standard for each of the plurality of active materials.

8. In Paragraph 1, The above control unit is, An electrode profile generating device configured to determine an active material differential profile corresponding to the degradation state of the battery among a plurality of active material differential profiles preset to correspond to each of the plurality of active materials.

9. A battery pack comprising an electrode profile generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. An automobile comprising an electrode profile generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A server comprising an electrode profile generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

12. A profile acquisition step for acquiring a differentiated battery profile that represents the correspondence relationship between the voltage and capacity of the battery; A step for determining an active material differential profile that determines a plurality of active material differential profiles corresponding to a plurality of active materials included in the first electrode of the battery; A feature point determination step for determining a feature point in each of the above plurality of active material differential profiles; An active material differential profile adjustment step for adjusting each of the plurality of active material differential profiles so that the above-determined feature point corresponds to the battery differential profile; and A method for generating an electrode profile comprising an electrode profile generation step of generating an electrode profile corresponding to the first electrode based on a plurality of adjusted active material differential profiles.

13. A profile acquisition step for acquiring a differentiated battery profile that represents the correspondence relationship between the voltage and capacity of the battery; A step for determining an active material differential profile that determines a plurality of active material differential profiles corresponding to a plurality of active materials included in the first electrode of the battery; A feature point determination step for determining a feature point in each of the above plurality of active material differential profiles; An active material differential profile adjustment step for adjusting each of the plurality of active material differential profiles so that the above-determined feature point corresponds to the battery differential profile; and A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for executing an electrode profile generation step of generating an electrode profile corresponding to the first electrode based on a plurality of adjusted active material differential profiles.

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