FAULTY CELL DETECTION DEVICE AND FAULTY CELL DETECTION METHOD

• US 20170201103A1
• Filed: 01/10/2017
• Published: 07/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: SONG, Tae Won, KIM, Jin Ho, JEON, Jin Yong
• Granted Patent: US 10,554,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 a faulty cell in a battery module, comprising:

a current sensor comprising

a first current sensor configured to measure a 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; and

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.

2. 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.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the faulty cell detector detects the occurrence or a number of faulty cells based on 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.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising:

a battery controller configured to control charging and discharging of the battery module or the battery cells based on the number of the detected faulty cells.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein in response to the occurrence of the faulty cell, the battery controller determines a number of normal battery cells and controls a state of charge between the normal battery cells to be equal.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the second current sensor is connected to a battery cell unit comprising two or more battery cells among the battery cells and is configured to measure a current of the battery cell unit.

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

8. 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.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the faulty cell detector detects any one or any combination of any two or more of the occurrence and location of the faulty cell, and a number of faulty cells based on the measured current of each of the battery cells.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising:

a battery guide configured to provide any one or any combination of any two or more of the occurrence and the location of the faulty cell, and the number of the faulty cells.

11. A method to detect a faulty cell in a battery module, comprising:

measuring a current of a battery pack comprising the battery module and a current of a battery cell among battery cells; and

detecting faulty cells based on the measured current of the battery pack and the measured current of the battery cell.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

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

the detecting of the faulty cells comprises detecting the faulty cell or a number of faulty cells based on a number of battery cells and a ratio of the current of the battery pack to the measured current of the battery cell of the battery cells.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

controlling a battery by controlling charging and discharging of the battery module or the battery cells based on the number of the detected faulty cells.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the measuring of the currents comprises measuring a current of each battery cell units using a current sensor, which is connected to each of the battery cell units, wherein each of the batter cell units comprises two or more battery cells; and

the detecting of the faulty cells comprises detecting the occurrence of the faulty cells or the number or locations of the battery cell units based on a ratio of the measured current of the battery pack to the measured current of each of the battery cell units.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein:

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

the detecting of the faulty cells comprises detecting any one or any combination of any two or more of the occurrence and the location of the faulty cell, and the number of the faulty cells based on the measured current of each of the battery cells.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing the faulty cells by providing any one or any combination of any two or more of the occurrence and the location of the faulty cell, and the number of the faulty cells.

17. A device to detect a faulty cell in a battery module, comprising:

a current sensor comprising

a first current sensor configured to measure a 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 the measured current of the battery pack and occurrence of faulty cells based on the measured current of the resistor.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the faulty cell detector detects the occurrence or a number of the 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.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising a battery controller configured to control charging and discharging of the battery cells based on the occurrence or the number of the detected faulty cells upon the faulty cells being detected.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the battery module further comprises a diode configured to block the current of the resistor as energy is charged in the battery pack or the battery cells.