APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF PREVENTING BATTERY RACK DAMAGE BY MEASURING VOLTAGE

• US 20150372517A1
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: LEE, Jongbum
• Granted Patent: US 9,954,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/18 of two or more battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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: H02H 7/18 for batteries; for accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0034 using reverse polarity correcting or protecting circuits mechanical means of polarity protection H02J7/0045
• 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

The present invention relates to an apparatus, a system, and a method of preventing a battery rack from being damaged by measuring a voltage, which, when a battery module is abnormally connected with a relay in some battery racks in installing the relay, which conducts or blocks a current flowing in the battery rack including a plurality of battery modules, so that a voltage smaller than a predetermined voltage limit value is applied to the battery rack, prevent a short-circuit phenomenon, by controlling an operation state of the relay before the battery rack and the relay form a short circuit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preventing a battery rack from being damaged by measuring a voltage, comprising:

a voltage measuring unit configured to measure a voltage value of a battery rack including a plurality of battery modules;

a comparing unit configured to compare whether the voltage value measured by the voltage measuring unit is greater or smaller than a predetermined voltage limit value; and

a relay controller configured to control operation states of a precharge relay and a main relay based on the comparison result value obtained by the comparing unit before the operation state of the main relay is changed from an off state to an on state after the operation state of the precharge relay is changed to the on state,

wherein the apparatus for preventing a battery rack from being damaged by measuring a voltage is provided in one or more battery racks each, and individually performs, on a corresponding battery rack, a process of measuring a voltage value of the corresponding battery rack, comparing the measured voltage value with a predetermined voltage limit value, and controlling operation states of a precharge relay and a main relay of the corresponding battery rack according to a result of the comparison.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the precharge relay is serially connected with a precharge resistor, of which a resistance value is determined according to a capacity of the battery rack, to decrease a current value of an overcurrent flowing in the battery rack.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the voltage measuring unit measures voltages applied to both ends of the battery rack, and transmits the measured voltage values to the comparing unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the voltage value received from the voltage measuring unit is smaller than the predetermined voltage limit value, the comparing unit transmits a voltage shortfall signal to the relay controller.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein when the relay controller receives the voltage shortfall signal from the comparing unit, the relay controller changes the operation state of the precharge relay from the on state to the off state, and maintains the operation state of the main relay in the off state.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is included in a battery management system (BMS) for controlling the one or more battery racks.

7. A system for preventing a battery rack from being damaged by measuring a voltage, comprising:

an apparatus for preventing a battery rack from being damaged by measuring a voltage in one or more battery racks each, the apparatus comprising;

a voltage measuring unit configured to measure a voltage value of a battery rack including a plurality of battery modules;

a comparing unit configured to compare whether the voltage value measured by the voltage measuring unit is greater or smaller than a predetermined voltage limit value; and

a relay controller configured to control operation states of a precharge relay and a main relay based on the comparison result value obtained by the comparing unit before the operation state of the main relay is changed from an off state to an on state after the operation state of the precharge relay is changed to the on state,

wherein the system for preventing a battery rack from being damaged by measuring a voltage individually performs, on a corresponding battery rack, a process of measuring a voltage value of the corresponding battery rack, comparing the measured voltage value with a predetermined voltage limit value, and controlling operation states of a precharge relay and a main relay of the corresponding battery rack according to a result of the comparison.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the precharge relay is serially connected with a precharge resistor, of which a resistance value is determined according to a capacity of the battery rack, to decrease a current value of an overcurrent flowing in the battery rack.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the voltage measuring unit measures voltages applied to both ends of the battery rack, and transmits the measured voltage values to the comparing unit.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein when the voltage value received from the voltage measuring unit is smaller than the predetermined voltage limit value, the comparing unit transmits a voltage shortfall signal to the relay controller.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein when the relay controller receives the voltage shortfall signal from the comparing unit, the relay controller changes the operation state of the precharge relay from the on state to the off state, and maintains the operation state of the main relay in the off state.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the system is included in a battery management system for controlling the one or more battery racks.

13. A method of preventing a battery rack from being damaged by measuring a voltage, comprising:

(a) providing an apparatus for preventing a battery rack from being damaged by measuring a voltage, which includes a voltage measuring unit, a comparing unit, and a relay controller, in one or more battery racks each; and

(b) individually performing, by the apparatus, on a corresponding battery rack, a process of measuring a voltage value of the corresponding battery rack, comparing the measured voltage value with a predetermined voltage limit value, and controlling operation states of a precharge relay and a main relay of the corresponding battery rack according to a result of the comparison,

wherein (b) includes;

(b1) measuring, by the voltage measuring unit, a voltage value of the battery rack including a plurality of battery modules;

(b2) comparing, by the comparing unit, whether the voltage value measured by the voltage measuring unit is greater or smaller than a predetermined voltage limit value; and

(b3) controlling, by the relay controller, the operation states of the precharge relay and the main relay based on the comparison result value obtained by the comparing unit before the operation state of the main relay is changed from an off state to an on state after the operation state of the precharge relay is changed to the on state.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein (b1) includes measuring, by the voltage measuring unit, voltages applied to both ends of the battery rack, and transmitting the measured voltage values to the comparing unit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein (b2) further includes transmitting, by the comparing unit, a voltage shortfall signal to the relay controller when the voltage value received from the voltage measuring unit is smaller than the predetermined voltage limit value.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein (b3) includes, when the relay controller receives the voltage shortfall signal from the comparing unit, changing, by the relay controller, the operation state of the precharge relay from the on state to the off state, and maintaining the operation state of the main relay in the off state.