Circuit for measuring voltage of battery and power storage system using the same

• US 9,086,461 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Yang, Jong-Woon, Okada, Tetsuya, Hwang, Eui-Jeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Application Number:
  US13/540,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20130141106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 320/127, 320/134, 320/137, 320/149, 320/161
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• 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

Abstract

A circuit for measuring voltage of a battery and a power storage system using the same. According to one aspect, the circuit includes a switching element connected to the battery and configured to output a first signal at a first voltage level. The switching element is configured to be turned-on in response to a voltage measuring control signal. The circuit also includes a voltage conversion circuit connected to the switching element. The voltage conversion circuit is configured to output a second signal at a second voltage level that is proportional to the first voltage level. An analog-digital converter is configured to receive the second signal and convert the received second signal into a digital signal. A controller is configured to transfer the voltage measurement control signal to the switching element, and receive the digital signal from the analog-digital converter.

Claims

1. A circuit for measuring voltage of a battery, comprising:

a switching element connected to the battery and outputting a first signal at a first voltage level, the switching element being configured to be turned on or turned off based on a voltage measurement control signal;

a voltage conversion circuit connected to the switching element and configured to receive the first signal from the switching element and output a second signal at a second voltage level proportional to the first voltage level;

an analog-digital converter configured to receive the second signal and convert the received second signal into a digital signal; and

a controller configured to transfer the voltage measurement control signal to the switching element, and to receive the digital signal from the analog-digital converter;

wherein the switching element is configured to transfer the first signal to the voltage conversion circuit and isolate the controller from the first signal when the switching element is turned on, and wherein the switching element does not transfer the first signal to the voltage conversion circuit when the switching element is turned off.

2. The circuit for measuring voltage of a battery according to claim 1, wherein the switching element comprises an insulation switch to isolate the controller from the first signal when the switching element is turned on.

3. The circuit for measuring voltage of the battery according to claim 2, wherein the insulation switch comprises a photomos relay.

4. The circuit for measuring voltage of a battery according to claim 1, wherein the voltage conversion circuit comprises a voltage distribution circuit.

5. The circuit for measuring voltage of the battery according to claim 4, wherein the voltage distribution circuit includes a plurality of resistors connected in series, and a capacitor connected in parallel to at least one of the plurality of resistors.

6. The circuit for measuring voltage of the battery according to claim 5, wherein the second voltage is proportional to the first voltage based on a resistance of the resistors.

7. The circuit for measuring voltage of the battery according to claim 1, further comprising at least one photo coupler disposed between the analog-digital converter and the controller, the photo couplers configured to transferring the digital signals between the controller and the analog-digital converter.

8. A power storage system, comprising:

at least one battery;

at least one sub-battery management systems connected to each of the at least one battery and configured to perform management of a corresponding battery; and

a main battery management system configured to receive data corresponding to the at least one battery from the at least one sub-battery management system, the main battery management system including a detection circuit configured to measure voltage output of the at least one battery,

wherein the detection circuit comprises;

a switching element configured to receive a first signal at a first voltage level from the at least one battery, the switching element configured to be turned on or turned off in response to a voltage measurement control signal;

a voltage conversion circuit connected to the switching element and configured to receive the first signal from the switching element and output a second signal at a second voltage level that is proportional to the first voltage level;

an analog-digital converter configured to receive the second signal and convert the received second signal into a digital signal; and

a controller configured to transfer the voltage measurement control signal to the switching element, and to receive the digital signals from the analog-digital converter, and

wherein the switching element is configured to transfer the first signal to the voltage conversion circuit and isolate the controller when the switching element is turned on and wherein the switching element does not transfer the first signal to the voltage conversion circuit when the switching element is turned off.

9. The power storage system according to claim 8, wherein the switching element comprises an insulation switch to isolate the controller from the first signal when the switching element is turned on.

10. The power storage system according to claim 9, wherein the insulation switch comprises a photomos relay.

11. The power storage system according to claim 8, wherein the voltage conversion circuit comprises a voltage distribution circuit.

12. The power storage system according to claim 11, wherein the voltage distribution circuit includes a plurality of resistors connected in series, and a capacitor connected in parallel to at least one of the plurality of resistors.

13. The power storage system according to claim 12, wherein the second voltage level is proportional to the first voltage level based on a resistance of the resistors.

14. The power storage system according to claim 8, further comprising at least one photo coupler disposed between the analog-digital converter and the controller, the photo couplers configured to transfer digital signals between the analog-digital converter and the controller.

15. A method for measuring voltage of a battery, comprising:

transmitting, by a controller, a voltage measurement control signal to a switching element so that the switching element transfers

a first signal at a first voltage level that is output from the battery to a voltage conversion circuit in response to the voltage measurement control signal, the switching element being configured to isolate the battery from the controller when the switching element is turned on;

receiving a digital signal that is converted from a second signal, the second signal is output from the voltage conversion circuit at a second voltage level that is proportional to the first voltage level; and

determining at least one characteristic of the battery based on the received digital signal.

16. The method for measuring voltage of a battery according to claim 15, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises a parameter indicative of one or more of overcharge, overdischarge, overcurrent, and cell balancing state of the battery.

17. The method for measuring voltage of a battery according to claim 15, wherein the second voltage level is proportional to the first voltage level based on a resistance of a plurality of resistors.

18. The method for measuring voltage of a battery according to claim 15, further comprising receiving data corresponding to the battery from a battery management system, and determining the at least one characteristic based at least in part on the received data.

19. The method for measuring voltage of a battery according to claim 15, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises one of a state of charge and a state of health of the battery.