Apparatus and method of controlling switch units, and battery pack and battery management apparatus comprising said apparatus

• US 8,564,156 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2010
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kang, Ju-Hyun, Kim, Jee-Ho, Kwon, Dong-Keun
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz M
• Application Number:
  US12/699,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20100133914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 361 3- 8, 361/166, 361/167, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/41, 307/81, 307/98, 307/134, 307/10.7, 307/113, 307/115, 307/140, 307/150
• US Class Current: 307/98
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/001 Means for preventing or breaking contact-welding
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 33/59 Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the switch and not otherwise provided for, e.g. for ensuring operation of the switch at a predetermined point in the ac cycle
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 33/596 for interrupting dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/001 limiting speed of change of electric quantities, e.g. soft switching on or off progressive control of electronic switches for eliminating interferences H03K17/16
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

Disclosed are an apparatus and method of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load, and a battery pack and a battery management system comprising the same. The apparatus comprises a memory for storing the turn-off number and order of first and second switch units connecting the battery pack with the load according to current ranges; and a control unit for equalizing the turn-off order of the first switch unit and the second switch unit with reference to the turn-off number and order in a current range corresponding to a magnitude level of discharge current of a battery. Accordingly, the present invention reduces the frequency of breakdown or malfunction of the switch units and increases the using period of the switch units.

Claims

1. An apparatus of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load, comprising:

a memory for storing the turn-off number and order of a first switch unit and a second switch unit connecting the battery pack with the load according to current ranges; and

a control unit for equalizing the turn-off order of the first switch unit and the second switch unit with reference to the turn-off number and order in a current range corresponding to a magnitude level of discharge current of a battery.

2. The apparatus of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load according to claim 1,

wherein the first switch unit is installed on a high potential line connecting a cathode of the battery pack with the load, and

wherein the second switch unit is installed on a low potential line connecting an anode of the battery pack with the load.

3. The apparatus of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load according to claim 1,

wherein, when releasing the connection between the battery pack and the load, the control unit detects a magnitude level of discharge current, reads, from the memory, the turn-off number and order of the switch units in a current range corresponding to the magnitude level of discharge current among current ranges stored in the memory, and equalizes the turn-off order of the first switch unit and the second switch unit using the read turn-off number and order of the switch units.

4. The apparatus of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit first turns off a switch unit having a smaller turn-off number among the first switch unit and the second switch unit.

5. The apparatus of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load according to claim 1,

wherein, in the case that the first switch unit and the second switch unit have the same turn-off number, the control unit first turns off a switch unit that was not turned off most recently.

6. The apparatus of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load according to claim 2, further comprising:

a free charge switch unit installed on a bypass line of the high potential line; and

a current limiting resistor connected in series with the free charge switch unit.

7. The apparatus of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load according to claim 6,

wherein, when connecting the battery pack with the load, the control unit turns on the second switch unit, the free charge switch unit and the first switch unit in sequence, and after the first switch unit is turned on and a predetermined time passes, turns off the free charge switch unit.

8. The apparatus of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit updates the turn-off number and order of the first switch unit and the second switch unit in a current range corresponding to a magnitude level of discharge current at the point of time when the connection between the battery pack and the load is released, and stores the updated turn-off number and order in the memory.

9. A battery pack comprising the apparatus of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load, according to claim 1.

10. A battery management system comprising the apparatus of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load, according to claim 1.

11. A method of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load, comprising:

(a) storing the turn-off number and order of a first switch unit and a second switch unit connecting the battery pack with the load in a memory according to current ranges;

(b) detecting a magnitude level of discharge current of a battery at the point of time when a connection between the battery pack and the load is released; and

(c) releasing the connection between the battery pack and the load on condition that the turn-off order of the first switch unit and the second switch unit is equalized with reference to the turn-off number and order of the first switch unit and the second switch unit in a current range stored in the memory, the current range being corresponding to the detected magnitude level of discharge current.

12. The method of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load according to claim 11,

wherein, in the step (c), the connection between the battery pack and the load is released by first turning off a switch unit having a smaller turn-off number among the first switch unit and the second switch unit.

13. The method of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load according to claim 11,

wherein, in the step (c), in the case that the first switch unit and the second switch unit have the same turn-off number, the connection between the battery pack and the load is released by first turning off a switch unit that was not turned off most recently.

14. The method of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load according to claim 11,

wherein the step (c) comprises:

determining a current range corresponding to the detected magnitude level of discharge current, among current ranges stored in the memory;

reading the turn-off number and order of the first switch unit and the second switch unit in the determined current range from the memory; and

releasing the connection between the battery pack and the load on condition that the turn-off order of the first switch unit and the second switch unit is equalized with reference to the read turn-off number and order of the first switch unit and the second switch unit.

15. The method of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining a current range corresponding to a magnitude level of discharge current in the memory; and

updating the turn-off number and order of the first switch unit and the second switch unit in the determined current range, and storing the updated turn-off number and order in the memory.

16. The method of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load according to claim 11,

wherein the first switch unit is installed on a high potential line connecting a cathode of the battery pack with the load, and the second switch unit is installed on a low potential line connecting an anode of the battery pack with the load.

17. The method of controlling switch units between a battery pack and a load according to claim 16, further comprising:

providing a free charge switch unit on a bypass line of the high potential line,

wherein, before the step (b), the second switch unit, the free charge switch unit and the first switch unit are turned on in sequence, and after the first switch unit is turned on and a predetermined time passes, the free charge switch unit is turned off.