Battery control apparatus and method

• US 9,108,521 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2013
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Chang-Gi, Ahn, Hyung-Ju
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US14/017,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20140002026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery control apparatus includes an emergency charging unit including an external charging terminal for applying power to a main battery pack, a first voltage measurement unit for measuring the voltage of the external charging terminal, and an emergency charging switch for switching the connection between the external charging terminal and the main battery pack; an auxiliary battery connection unit including an auxiliary battery connection terminal for applying power to the vehicle through a contactor, a second voltage measurement unit for measuring the voltage of the auxiliary battery connection terminal, and an auxiliary battery switch for switching the connection between the auxiliary battery connection terminal and the contactor; and an emergency control unit for switching to an emergency charging mode or an auxiliary connection mode by turning on the emergency charging switch or the auxiliary battery switch during the voltage measurement of the first or second voltage measurement unit.

Claims

1. A battery control apparatus provided in a vehicle battery pack for controlling the battery pack, which can be charged in an emergency, the battery control apparatus comprising:

an emergency charging unit including an external charging terminal to which an external charging power is connected from outside, thereby directly applying power to a main battery pack from the outside, a first voltage measurement unit configured to measure the voltage of the external charging terminal, and an emergency charging switch configured to switch the connection between the external charging terminal and the main battery pack; and

an emergency control unit configured to switch to an emergency charging mode by turning on the emergency charging switch based on the voltage measurement of the first voltage measurement unit.

2. The battery control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emergency control unit turns off a charge/discharge control switch connected to the main battery pack when switching to the emergency charging mode.

3. The battery control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emergency control unit detects the voltage of the main battery pack in the emergency charging mode and turns off the emergency charging switch, if the charging voltage reaches a predetermined reference value.

4. The battery control apparatus of claim 3, wherein when the emergency charging switch is turned off, the emergency control unit transmits a notification signal indicating the completion of the emergency charging to a vehicle computing system.

5. The battery control apparatus of claim 1, wherein when switching to the emergency charging mode, the emergency control unit transmits mode switching information to a vehicle computing system.

6. A battery control apparatus provided in a vehicle battery pack for controlling the battery pack, which can be equipped with an auxiliary battery, the battery control apparatus comprising:

an auxiliary battery connection unit including an auxiliary battery connection terminal to which an auxiliary battery is mounted externally from outside, thereby directly applying power to a vehicle power input terminal through a contactor, a second voltage measurement unit for measuring the voltage of the auxiliary battery connection terminal, and an auxiliary battery switch for switching the connection between the auxiliary battery connection terminal and the contactor; and

an emergency control unit configured to switch to an auxiliary connection mode by turning on the auxiliary battery switch based on the voltage measurement of the second voltage measurement unit.

7. The battery control apparatus of claim 6, wherein the emergency control unit turns off a charge/discharge control switch connected to the main battery pack when switching to the auxiliary connection mode.

8. The battery control apparatus of claim 6, wherein when switching to the auxiliary connection mode, the emergency control unit measures the voltage of the auxiliary battery through the second voltage measurement unit, calculates state-of-charge information of the auxiliary battery, and transmits the information to a vehicle computing system.

9. The battery control apparatus of claim 6, wherein when switching to the auxiliary connection mode, the emergency control unit receives state-of-charge information from the auxiliary battery and transmits the information to a vehicle computing system.

10. The battery control apparatus of claim 6, wherein when switching to the auxiliary connection mode, the emergency control unit transmits mode switching information to a vehicle computing system.

11. A battery control method controlling a battery in an emergency and implemented in a battery control apparatus provided in a vehicle battery pack, which can be charged in an emergency, the battery control method comprising the steps of:

(a) connecting an external charging power to an external charging terminal from outside, wherein the external charging terminal is electrically connected to or disconnected from the main battery pack through an emergency charging switch;

(b) detecting whether or not a voltage is applied to the external charging terminal; and

(c) switching to an emergency charging mode, when detecting the voltage is applied to the external charging terminal, turning on the emergency charging switch and charging the main battery pack with the external charging power supplied through the external charging terminal.

12. The battery control method of claim 11, wherein in step (c), mode switching information is transmitted to a vehicle computing system when switching to the emergency charging mode.

13. The battery control method of claim 11, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

(1) turning off a charge/discharge control switch connected to the main battery pack;

(2) turning on the emergency charging switch connected to the external charging terminal and supplying the external charging power to the main battery pack;

(3) measuring the charging voltage of the main battery pack and maintaining the charging operation until the charging voltage reaches a predetermined reference value; and

(4) turning off the emergency charging switch, if the charging voltage of the main battery pack reaches the predetermined reference value, and completing the emergency charging.

14. The battery control method of claim 13, wherein after step (4), emergency charging completion information is transmitted to a vehicle computing system.

15. A battery control method controlling a battery in an emergency and implemented in a battery control apparatus provided in a vehicle battery pack, which can be equipped with an auxiliary battery, the battery control method comprising the steps of:

(a) externally mounting the auxiliary battery to an auxiliary battery connection terminal from outside, wherein the auxiliary battery connection terminal is electrically connected to a vehicle power input terminal through a contactor by using an auxiliary battery switch;

(b) detecting whether a voltage is applied to an auxiliary battery connection terminal; and

(c) switching to an auxiliary connection mode, when detecting the voltage is applied to the auxiliary battery connection terminal, and supplying power from the auxiliary battery to the vehicle power input terminal through the contactor.

16. The battery control method of claim 15, wherein in step (c), mode switching information is transmitted to a vehicle computing system when switching to the auxiliary connection mode.

17. The battery control method of claim 15, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

(5) turning off the charge/discharge control switch connected to the main battery pack; and

(6) turning on the auxiliary battery switch connected to the auxiliary battery connection terminal and supplying the power from the auxiliary battery to the vehicle power input terminal through the contactor.

18. The battery control method of claim 17, further comprising, after step (6), the steps of:

(7) measuring the voltage of the auxiliary battery and calculating a state-of-charge of the auxiliary battery; and

(8) transmitting the calculated state-of-charge of the auxiliary battery to a vehicle computing system.

19. The battery control method of claim 17, further comprising, after step (6), the steps of:

(9) receiving state-of-charge information from the auxiliary battery; and

(10) transmitting the received state-of-charge information of the auxiliary battery to a vehicle computing system.