BATTERY PACK, APPARATUS INCLUDING BATTERY PACK, AND METHOD OF MANAGING BATTERY PACK

• US 20150132615A1
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: YUN, Han-Seok
• Granted Patent: US 9,627,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 15/007 Testing
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/22 the element being a non-linear resistance, e.g. thermistor G01K7/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• 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 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack includes a battery module, a plurality of temperature sensors, a temperature data generating unit, and a control unit. The battery module has a plurality of battery cells. The temperature data generating unit detects battery temperatures from the temperature sensors and generates battery temperature data including temperature values corresponding to the battery temperatures. The control unit determines whether or not the temperature sensors are defective based on the battery temperature data, and controls the battery module based on temperature values corresponding to temperature sensors determined not to be defective.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a battery module including a plurality of battery cells;

a plurality of temperature sensors adjacent to the battery cells;

a temperature data generating unit configured to detect battery temperatures from the temperature sensors and to generate battery temperature data including temperature values corresponding to the battery temperatures; and

a control unit configured to determine whether each of the temperature sensors is defective or not based on the battery temperature data, and to control the battery module based on temperature values corresponding to temperature sensors determined not to be defective.

2. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine a temperature sensor corresponding to a lowest temperature value to be defective, when a difference between a highest temperature value and the lowest temperature value of the temperature values is greater than a predetermined first threshold value.

3. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine a defective temperature sensor to correspond to a temperature value lower than a median value of the temperature values by more than a predetermined second threshold value.

4. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine a temperature sensor to be defective when the temperature sensor has a temperature change rate is greater than a predetermined threshold change rate.

5. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to block charge and discharge of the battery module, when a highest temperature value of the temperature values is greater than a predetermined high temperature threshold value.

6. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to ignore temperature values corresponding to temperature sensors determined to be defective and to block charge and discharge of the battery module, when a lowest temperature value of the temperature values corresponding to the temperature sensors determined not to be defective is less than a predetermined low temperature threshold value.

7. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to output a warning indicating that at least one of the temperature sensors is defective.

8. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to substitute a temperature value corresponding to defective temperature sensor with an average of temperature values from temperature sensors determined not to be defective.

9. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to substitute a temperature value corresponding to defective temperature sensor with a temperature value corresponding to an adjacent temperature sensor, or with an average of temperature values of adjacent temperature sensors.

10. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the temperature sensors includes:

a thermistor having a negative temperature coefficient having a resistance value which decreases as ambient temperature increases, wherein the temperature data generating unit is configured to generate the temperature values based on changes of the resistance values of the temperature sensors.

11. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the temperature data generating unit is configured to output a temperature value corresponding to at least one temperature sensor having a lowest temperature value within a measurement range of the temperature sensors, when a defect occurs in the at least temperature sensor.

12. The battery pack as claimed in claim 11, wherein the defect is a contact defect which reduces electrical conductivity between the at least one temperature sensor and the temperature data generating unit.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a battery pack which includes;

a battery module including a plurality of battery cells;

a plurality of temperature sensors adjacent to the battery cells;

a temperature data generating unit configured to detect battery temperatures from the temperature sensors and to generate battery temperature data including temperature values corresponding to the battery temperatures; and

a control unit configured to determine whether each of the temperature sensors is defective or not based on the battery temperature data, and to control the battery module based on temperature values corresponding to temperature sensors determined not to be defective.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the apparatus is an energy storage apparatus which includes a power conversion apparatus connected between at least one of a power generation system, a load, or a grid and the battery pack, the power conversion apparatus to convert electric energy between the at least one of the power generation system, the load, or the grid and the battery pack, and

the control unit is configured to open an electrical connection between the battery module and the power conversion apparatus, when a highest temperature value of the temperature values is greater than a predetermined high temperature threshold value, or when a lowest temperature value of the temperature values determined not to be defective is less than a predetermined low temperature threshold value.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

the apparatus is an electric vehicle which includes a motor driven using electric energy stored in the battery pack, and

the control unit is configured to open an electrical connection between the battery module and the motor, when a highest temperature value of the temperature values is greater than the predetermined high temperature threshold value, or when the lowest temperature value of the temperature values corresponding to the temperature sensors determined not to be defective is less than the predetermined low temperature threshold value.

16. A method of managing a battery pack which includes a plurality of battery cells, the method comprising:

detecting battery temperatures from a plurality of temperature sensors adjacent to the battery cells;

generating battery temperature data including information indicative of the temperature values corresponding to the battery temperatures;

determining whether each of the temperature sensors is defective or not based on the battery temperature data; and

controlling the battery module based on temperature values corresponding to temperature sensors determined not to be defective.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the determining whether each of the temperature sensors is defective or not includes:

determining a temperature sensor corresponding to a lowest temperature value to be defective, when a difference between a highest temperature value and the lowest temperature value of the temperature values is greater than a predetermined first threshold value.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the determining whether each of the temperature sensors is defective or not includes:

determining a temperature sensor corresponding to the at least one of the temperature values to be defective, when a temperature change rate of at least one of the temperature values is greater than a predetermined threshold change range.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein controlling the battery module includes:

ignoring temperature values corresponding to temperature sensors determined to be defectives, and

blocking change and discharge of the battery module when a lowest temperature value of the temperature values corresponding to the temperature sensors determined not to be defective is less than a predetermined low temperature threshold value.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

blocking charge and discharge of the battery module, when a highest temperature value of the plurality of temperature values is greater than a predetermined high temperature threshold value.