APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING POWER FOR SECONDARY BATTERY

• US 20160329612A1
• Filed: 07/22/2015
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: JUNG, Seung-Hun
• Granted Patent: US 9,496,586 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• 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: 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 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A power control apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a sensing unit configured to measure a temperature of a battery cell, an outside air temperature around the battery cell and a load current, an adjusting unit configured to adjust power supplied from the battery cell to a load, and a control unit configured to estimate a future temperature change of the battery cell based on the temperature of the battery cell, the outside air temperature around the cell and the load current measured by the sensing unit, analyze the estimated future temperature change of the cell, and control the adjusting unit to reduce the power supplied from the battery cell to the load when the temperature of the battery cell is estimated to increase above a limit temperature for a preset reference time.

Claims

1. A power control apparatus comprising:

a sensing unit configured to measure a temperature of a battery cell, an outside air temperature around the battery cell and a load current;

an adjusting unit configured to adjust power supplied from the battery cell to a load; and

a control unit configured to estimate a future temperature change of the battery cell based on the temperature of the battery cell, the outside air temperature around the cell and the load current measured by the sensing unit, analyze the estimated future temperature change of the cell, and control the adjusting unit to reduce the power supplied from the battery cell to the load when the temperature of the battery cell is estimated to increase above a limit temperature for a preset reference time.

2. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit estimates a future temperature change of the battery cell by using the following equation:

3. The power control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit analyzes the estimated future temperature change of the battery cell, when the future temperature of the battery cell is determined to converge, calculates a convergence time required for the temperature of the battery cell to converge by using the equation, and when the convergence temperature of the battery cell is higher than or equal to the limit temperature and the convergence time is less than or equal to the reference time, controls the adjusting unit to reduce the power supplied from the battery cell to the load.

4. The power control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit fails to proceed with power derating of the battery cell when the convergence temperature of the battery cell is less than the limit temperature or the convergence time exceeds the reference time.

5. The power control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit analyzes the estimated future temperature change of the battery cell, when the future temperature of the battery cell is determined to diverge, calculates a reach time required for the battery cell to reach the limit temperature by using the equation, and when the calculated reach time is less than or equal to the reference time, controls the adjusting unit to reduce the power supplied from the battery cell to the load.

6. The power control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit fails to proceed with power derating of the battery cell when the reach time exceeds the reference time.

7. The power control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit calculates a derating factor allowing the temperature of the battery cell to reach a predetermined level of the limit temperature for the reference time by using the equation, determines a power amount to reduce based on the derating factor, and controls the adjusting unit.

8. A power control method comprising:

measuring a temperature of a battery cell, an outside air temperature around the battery cell and a load current;

estimating a future temperature change of the battery cell based on the measured temperature of the battery cell, outside air temperature around the cell and load current;

determining whether the temperature of the battery cell increases above a limit temperature for a preset reference time, by analyzing the estimated future temperature change of the battery cell; and

reducing output power of the battery cell when the temperature of the battery cell is determined to increase above the limit temperature for the reference time as a result of the determination.

9. The power control method according to claim 8, wherein the estimating comprises estimating a future temperature change of the battery cell by using the following equation:

10. The power control method according to claim 9, wherein the determining comprises:

determining whether a future temperature of the battery cell converges or diverges based on the estimated future temperature change of the battery cell; and

calculating a convergence time required for the temperature of the battery cell to converge by using the equation when the future temperature of the battery cell is determined to converge, and

the reducing of output power comprises reducing the output power of the battery cell when the convergence temperature of the battery cell is higher than or equal to the limit temperature and the convergence time is less than or equal to the reference time.

11. The power control method according to claim 10, wherein the reducing of output power comprises failing to proceed with output power derating of the battery cell when the convergence temperature of the battery cell is less than the limit temperature or the convergence time exceeds the reference time.

12. The power control method according to claim 9, wherein the determining comprises:

determining whether a future temperature of the battery cell converges or diverges based on the estimated future temperature change of the battery cell; and

calculating a reach time required for the battery cell to reach the limit temperature by using the equation when the future temperature of the battery cell is determined to diverge, and

the reducing of output power comprises reducing the output power of the battery cell when the reach time is less than or equal to the reference time.

13. The power control method according to claim 12, wherein the reducing of output power comprises failing to proceed with output power derating of the battery cell when the reach time exceeds the reference time.

14. The power control method according to claim 9, wherein the reducing of output power comprises:

calculating a derating factor allowing the temperature of the battery cell to reach a predetermined level of the limit temperature for the reference time by using the equation; and

determining a power amount to reduce based on the calculated derating factor, and reducing the output power of the battery cell based on the determined power amount to reduce.