Battery pack management method for HEV and EV

• US 7,688,023 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kang, Ju Hyun, Yoon, Yeo Won
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Berhanu; Samuel
• Application Number:
  US11/409,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20060255766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 320/132, 320/104, 324426-436
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/448 End of discharge regulating measures
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Disclosed is a battery pack management method for HEV and EV. Power for a control signal is applied to a relay of a battery pack connection circuit through a battery management system (BMS) or vehicle control device. Then, current or voltage from a pre-charge resistor of the battery pack connection circuit is detected. Thereafter, the detected current or voltage is compared with standard correspondence information pre-stored in a memory unit of the BMS to determine whether the detected value is within a normal range of the battery pack. A connection between the battery pack and the power conversion circuit is carried out when the detected value is within the normal range as a result of the determination, otherwise a pre-charge relay of the battery pack connection circuit is turned off and then a driver is provided with a warning signal.

Claims

1. A battery pack management method for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) or an electric vehicle (EV), the method comprising steps of:

applying power for a control signal to a relay of a battery pack connection circuit disposed between a battery pack and a power conversion circuit of a vehicle motor unit through a battery management system (BMS) or vehicle control device;

detecting current or voltage from a pre-charge resistor of the battery pack connection circuit when starting the vehicle;

comparing the detected current or voltage with standard correspondence information pre-stored in a memory unit of the BMS to determine whether the detected value is within a normal range of a battery pack; and

carrying out connecting the battery pack and the power conversion circuit when the detected value is within the normal range as a result of the determination, otherwise turning off a pre-charge relay of the battery pack connection circuit and then providing a driver with a warning signal through warning means electrically connected to the BMS.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a comparison result of the measured value resulting from the determination step and the standard correspondence information is stored in the memory unit.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of turning off the pre-charge relay is carried out under state that a relay detection signal detected from the pre-charge relay stands by.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of turning off the pre-charge relay, when the pre-charge relay is turned off, over-current or over-voltage applied to a motor unit of a vehicle from the pre-charge relay is interrupted, so that damage to a smoothing capacitor in the motor unit is prevented.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the warning means is a display lamp or speaker.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the display lamp is provided to a dashboard of the vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of accumulating the number of cases where the pre-charge relay is turned off in the memory unit between the step of turning off the pre-charge relay and the step of providing the warning signal.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising determining whether the accumulated off number of times is within the number of cases where the pre-charge relay is allowed to be turned off, which is preset in the memory unit, after the accumulating step.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein when the accumulated off number of times is within the allowed off number of times as a result of the determination, the warning signal is provided to the driver through the warning means.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of interrupting an operation of the battery pack when the accumulated off number of times exceeds the allowed off number of times as a result of the determination.