Faulty cell detection device and faulty cell detection method

• US 10,554,056 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jeon, Jin Yong, Song, Tae Won, Kim, Jin Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trischler, John T
• Application Number:
  US15/402,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20170201103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 320126
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/202 using Hall-effect devices Hall elements in arrangements for measuring electrical power G01R21/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• 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: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A faulty cell detection device and a faulty cell detection method are provided for detecting a faulty cell of a battery pack using a current sensor. The device may include a current sensor including a first current sensor configured to measure a current of a battery pack including the battery module, and a second current sensor configured to measure a current of a battery cell among battery cells in the battery module. The device may also include a faulty cell detector configured to detect occurrence of the faulty cell based on the measured current of the battery pack and the measured current of the battery cell.

Claims

1. A device to detect one or more faulty cells in a battery module, the device comprising:

a current sensor comprising

a first current sensor configured to measure an input current of a battery pack comprising the battery module, and

a second current sensor configured to measure a current of a battery cell among battery cells in the battery module;

a faulty cell detector configured to detect an occurrence of the one or more faulty cells using a ratio of the measured current of the first current sensor to the measured current of the second current sensor corresponding to the one or more faulty cells; and

a battery controller configured to control charging and discharging of the battery module using a number of the detected one or more faulty cells,

wherein the one or more faulty cells is detected when the ratio of the measured current of the first sensor to the measured current of the second sensor is outside of a predetermined ratio range.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein in response to the occurrence of the one or more faulty cells, the battery controller is configured to determine a number of normal battery cells and controls a state of charge between the normal battery cells to be equal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the second current sensor is connected to one of the battery cells to measure a current of the connected battery cell.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the faulty cell detector detects (i) the occurrence of one or more faulty cells or (ii) a number of the one or more faulty cells based on both a number of the battery cells and a ratio of the measured current of the battery pack to the measured current of the battery cell.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the second current sensor is connected to a battery cell unit of the battery module, wherein the battery cell unit comprises the battery cell and one or more additional battery cells among the battery cells, and is configured to measure a current of the battery cell unit.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the faulty cell detector detects the occurrence of the one or more faulty cells, or detects a number of the one or more faulty cells, or detects a location of battery cell units comprising the one or more faulty cells based on a ratio of the measured current of the battery pack to the measured current of the battery cell unit.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the second current sensor is connected to each of the battery cells to measure a current of each of the battery cells.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein (a) the faulty cell detector detects either one or both of (i) the occurrence of the one or more faulty cells and (ii) respective locations of the one or more faulty cells based on the measured current of each of the battery cells, or (b) the faulty cell detector detects a number of the one or more faulty cells based on the measured current of each of the battery cells.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

a battery guide configured to identify any one or any combination of any two or more of the occurrence of the one or more faulty cells, the respective locations of the one or more faulty cells, or a number of the one or more faulty cells, based on a location of the second current sensor.

10. A method to detect a faulty cell in a battery module comprising battery cells, the method comprising:

measuring, with a first sensor, an input current of a battery pack comprising the battery module;

measuring, with a second sensor, a current of a battery cell among the battery cells of the module;

detecting one or more faulty cells using a ratio of the measured current of the first sensor and the measured current of the second current sensor corresponding to the one or more faulty cells; and

controlling charging and discharging of the battery module using a number of the detected one or more faulty cells,

wherein the one or more faulty cells is detected when the ratio of the measured current of the first sensor and the measured current of the second sensor is outside of a predetermined ratio range.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the measuring of the current of the battery pack and the measuring of the current of the battery cell comprises measuring a current of the battery cell using a current sensor connected to any one of the battery cells; and

the detecting of the one or more faulty cells comprises detecting at least one of an occurrence of the one or more faulty cells and the number of the one or more faulty cells based on a number of battery cells and a ratio of the current of the battery pack to the current of the battery cell.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the measuring of the current of the battery cell comprises measuring a current of a battery cell unit of the battery module using a current sensor connected to the battery cell unit, wherein the battery cell unit comprises the battery cell and one or more additional battery cells from among the battery cells; and

the detecting of the one or more faulty cells comprises detecting a location of the battery cell unit based on a ratio of the measured current of the battery pack to the measured current of the battery cell unit.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the measuring of the current of the battery cell comprises measuring a current of each of the battery cells of the battery module using a current sensor connected to each of the battery cells; and

the detecting of the one or more faulty cells comprises (a) detecting either one or both of (i) an occurrence of the one or more faulty cells and (ii) respective locations of the one or more faulty cells based on the measured current of each of the battery cells, or (b) detecting a number of the one or more faulty cells based on the measured current of each of the battery cells.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

identifying (a) either one or both of (i) the occurrence of the one or more faulty cells and (ii) the respective locations of the one or more faulty cells based on a location of the current sensor, or (b) the number of the one or more faulty cells based on a location of the current sensor.

15. A device to detect a faulty cell in a battery module comprising battery cells, the device comprising:

a current sensor comprising

a first current sensor configured to measure an input current of a battery pack comprising the battery module, and

a second current sensor configured to measure a current of a resistor connected in parallel with the battery cells; and

a faulty cell detector configured to detect occurrence of one or more faulty cells based on the measured current of the battery pack and the measured current of the resistor,

wherein the one or more faulty cells is detected when a ratio of the measured current of the first sensor to the measured current of the second sensor is outside of a predetermined ratio range.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the faulty cell detector detects at least one of (i) the occurrence of the one or more faulty cells and (ii) a number of the one or more faulty cells based on a number of the battery cells, the measured current of the battery pack, the measured current of the resistor, and a resistance value of the resistor.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising a battery controller configured to control charging and discharging of the battery cells based on (i) the occurrence of the detected one or more faulty cells, or (ii) the number of the detected one or more faulty cells.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the battery module further comprises a diode configured to block the current of the resistor as the battery pack is charged.