Battery pack, method of measuring voltage of the battery pack, and energy storage system including the battery pack

• US 9,065,296 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Shim, Kyung-Sub
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Brian
• Application Number:
  US13/568,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20130257383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 320/434, 320/133, 320/116, 320/134, 320/107, 320/127, 320/118
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]

Abstract

A battery system including: a battery, which includes at least one battery cell; a division circuit configured to receive a first voltage of the battery, generate a second voltage from the first voltage, and output the second voltage; an isolation circuit coupled between the battery and the division circuit, the isolation circuit being configured to electrically isolate the battery from the division circuit according to a control signal; and a battery management system coupled to the division circuit. The battery management system includes an isolation circuit control unit configured to generate the control signal; and a measuring unit configured to measure the second voltage.

Claims

1. A battery system comprising:

a battery comprising at least one battery cell;

a division circuit configured to receive a first voltage of the battery, generate a second voltage from the first voltage, and output the second voltage;

an isolation circuit coupled between the battery and the division circuit, the isolation circuit being configured to electrically isolate the battery from the division circuit according to a control signal; and

a battery management system coupled to the division circuit, the battery management system comprising;

an isolation circuit control unit configured to generate the control signal;

a measuring unit configured to measure the second voltage;

a monitoring unit configured to monitor a state of the battery and to generate battery state information; and

a control unit configured to receive the battery state information, and control the isolation circuit control unit to selectively provide the control signal according to the battery state information, wherein

the isolation circuit is configured to electrically isolate the battery from the division circuit when the control signal is not provided,

the battery state information comprises a charging/discharging rate of the battery or a noise signal from the battery,

the monitoring unit is configured to monitor the charging/discharging rate of the battery or the noise signal from the battery, and

the control unit is configured to compare the charging/discharging rate or the noise signal to a corresponding reference value, and to control the isolation circuit control unit to provide the control signal for a time substantially less than a time when the control signal is not provided when the charging/discharging rate or the noise signal is greater than the corresponding reference value.

2. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the battery management system further comprises a voltage calculating unit configured to calculate the first voltage from the second voltage.

3. The battery system of claim 1, further comprising a capacitor coupled to the division circuit and the battery management system, the capacitor being configured to be charged with the second voltage.

4. The battery system of claim 1, wherein:

the battery further comprises a first battery terminal and a second battery terminal;

the division circuit comprises a first input terminal and a second input terminal;

the isolation circuit comprises a first switch and a second switch;

the first switch is configured to couple the first battery terminal to the first input terminal according to the control signal;

the second switch is configured to couple the second battery terminal to the second input terminal according to the control signal;

the at least one battery cell is coupled between the first battery terminal and the second battery terminal; and

the division circuit comprises a plurality of division elements coupled between the first input terminal and the second input terminal for dividing the first voltage into the second voltage.

5. The battery system of claim 4, wherein

the plurality of division elements includes a first division element, and

the measuring unit is coupled to the first division element and configured to measure the second voltage by measuring a voltage across the first division element.

6. The battery system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of division elements comprises resistors.

7. The battery system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of division elements comprises transistors.

8. The battery system of claim 4, wherein the first switch and the second switch comprise optocouplers.

9. The battery system of claim 1, wherein

the first voltage is a total voltage of the battery;

and

the second voltage is proportional to the total voltage by a factor of N, where N is a positive real number.

10. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the second voltage is an instantaneous voltage.

11. An energy storage system comprising:

a power control system; and

a battery system coupled to the power control system and comprising;

a battery comprising at least one battery cell;

a division circuit configured to receive a voltage of the battery, to generate a divided voltage from the voltage of the battery; and

to output the divided voltage;

an isolation circuit coupled between the battery and the division circuit, the isolation circuit being configured to electrically isolate the battery from the division circuit according to a control signal; and

a battery management system coupled to the division circuit, the battery management system being configured to monitor a state of the battery, to generate the control signal according to the state of the battery, to receive the divided voltage, and to calculate a total voltage of the battery from the divided voltage, wherein

the energy storage system is configured to store a power generated by a power generation system or a grid in the battery, and supply the power stored in the battery to a load or the grid,

the power control system is configured to convert power of at least one of the power generation system, the grid, or the battery, and

the battery management system is configured to monitor a charging/discharging rate of the battery or a noise signal from the battery, to compare the charging/discharging rate or the noise signal to a corresponding reference value, and to provide the control signal to electrically couple the battery to the division circuit for a time substantially less than a time when the control signal is not provided when the charging/discharging rate or the noise signal is greater than the corresponding reference value.

12. The energy storage system of claim 11, wherein the divided voltage is an instantaneous voltage.