Battery management apparatus and battery management method

• US 10,109,900 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jin Ho, Lim, Ju Wan, Song, Tae Won, Yeo, Tae Jung
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baillargeon, Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/403,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20170200994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/44 Testing lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/633 characterised by algorithms, flow charts, software details or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery management apparatus for a battery including battery units, the apparatus including a voltage sensor configured to sense a voltage of each of the battery units; a phase difference calculator configured to calculate a phase difference between the voltage of each of the battery units and a reference voltage; and a temperature controller configured to control a temperature of each of the battery units based on the calculated phase difference.

Claims

1. A battery management apparatus for a battery comprising battery units, the apparatus comprising:

a voltage sensor configured to sense a voltage of each of the battery units;

a phase difference calculator configured to calculate a phase difference between the voltage of each of the battery units and a reference voltage; and

a temperature controller configured to control a temperature of each of the battery units based on the calculated phase difference.

2. The battery management apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the battery comprises a battery pack; and

the battery unit comprises a battery module.

3. The battery management apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the battery comprises a battery module; and

the battery unit comprises a battery cell.

4. The battery management apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a reference voltage setter configured to set either one or both of a battery voltage or the voltage of a battery unit of the battery units as the reference voltage.

5. The battery management apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a reference voltage converter configured to change the set reference voltage.

6. The battery management apparatus of claim 5, wherein the reference voltage converter is further configured to determine whether a reference voltage phase substantially corresponds to a median among voltage phases of the battery units, and in response to the determined result not substantially corresponding to the median, the reference voltage converter being further configured to change the reference voltage to the voltage of a battery unit with a voltage phase sensed as the median.

7. The battery management apparatus of claim 5, wherein the reference voltage converter is further configured to determine whether a reference voltage phase is closest to a mean of voltage phases of the battery units, and in response to the determined result not being closest to the mean, the reference voltage converter being further configured to change the reference voltage to the voltage of a battery unit with a voltage phase is sensed as being closest to the mean.

8. The battery management apparatus of claim 1, wherein the temperature controller is further configured to decrease the temperature of the battery unit with a voltage sensed as having an earlier phase than the reference voltage, and increase the temperature of the battery unit with a voltage sensed as having a later phase than the reference voltage.

9. The battery management apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature estimator configured to either one or both of sense and estimate a reference temperature of a battery unit;

a state of charge (SOC) estimator configured to estimate a reference SOC of a battery unit; and

a temperature distribution estimator configured to estimate a temperature distribution for each of the battery units based on the calculated phase difference, either one or both of the sensed and estimated reference temperature, and the estimated reference SOC,

wherein the reference temperature and the reference SOC are a temperature and an SOC of a battery unit corresponding to the reference voltage.

10. The battery management apparatus of claim 9, wherein the temperature distribution estimator is further configured to estimate the temperature distribution for each of the battery units using a temperature graph based on an SOC and a phase difference between a current and a voltage.

11. A battery management method for a battery comprising battery units, the method comprising:

sensing a voltage of each of the battery units;

calculating a phase difference between the voltage of each of the battery units and a reference voltage; and

controlling a temperature of each of the battery units based on the calculated phase difference.

12. The battery management method of claim 11, wherein:

the battery comprises a battery pack; and

the battery unit comprises a battery module.

13. The battery management method of claim 11, wherein:

the battery comprises a battery module; and

the battery unit comprises a battery cell.

14. The battery management method of claim 11, further comprising:

setting either one or both of a battery voltage or the voltage of a battery unit among the battery units as the reference voltage.

15. The battery management method of claim 14, further comprising:

changing the set reference voltage.

16. The battery management method of claim 15, wherein the changing of the reference voltage comprises:

determining whether a reference voltage phase substantially corresponds to a median among voltage phases of the battery units, and in response to the determined result not substantially corresponding to the median, changing the reference voltage to a voltage of a battery unit with a voltage phase sensed as the median.

17. The battery management method of claim 15, wherein the changing of the reference voltage comprises:

determining whether a reference voltage phase is closest to a mean of voltage phases of the battery units and in response to the determined result not being closest to the mean changing the reference voltage to a voltage of a battery unit with a voltage phase sensed as being closest to the mean.

18. The battery management method of claim 11, wherein the controlling of the temperature of each of the battery units comprises decreasing the temperature of the battery unit with a voltage sensed as having an earlier phase than the reference voltage, and increasing the temperature of the battery unit with a voltage sensed as having a later phase than the reference voltage.

19. The battery management method of claim 11, further comprising:

either one or both of sensing and estimating a reference temperature of a battery unit;

estimating a reference state of charge (SOC) of a battery unit; and

estimating a temperature distribution for each of the battery units based on the calculated phase difference, either one or both of the sensed and estimated reference temperature, and the estimated reference SOC.

20. The battery management method of claim 19, wherein the estimating of the temperature distribution for each of the battery units comprises estimating a temperature distribution for each of the battery units using a temperature graph based on an SOC and a phase difference between a current and a voltage.