Energy storage device and method for decreasing rush current

• US 9,219,366 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2012
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Woocheol
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US13/661,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20140002003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 320/124, 320/117
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/50 Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/512 Connection only in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/20 The dispersed energy generation being of renewable origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/26 involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/40 wherein a plurality of decentralised, dispersed or local energy generation technologies are operated simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0019 using switched or multiplexed charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/50 Energy storage in industry with an added climate change mitigation effect

Abstract

An energy storage device and method for decreasing a rush current to protect battery cells and battery management systems (BMSs) from a rush current by sequentially coupling battery packs to each other in parallel to a grid. To this end, the BMS measures voltages of at least three battery packs and then sequentially in parallel couples battery packs in order from a smallest to a largest voltage to thereby reduce the rush current.

Claims

1. An energy storage device for reducing a rush current, the device comprising:

at least three battery packs configured to be coupled to a grid in parallel with each other;

switches configured to electrically couple or block the at least three battery packs to or from the grid; and

a battery management system (BMS) configured to control the at least three battery packs and the switches,

wherein the BMS is configured to control the switches to sequentially couple the at least three battery packs to the grid in a lowest to highest order according to a voltage of each of the battery packs,

wherein the BMS is configured to stabilize respective voltages and currents of the at least three battery packs during a first time holding operation when the at least three battery packs are blocked from the grid, and

wherein the BMS is configured to stabilize voltages and currents of at least two battery packs that are coupled to the grid from among the at least three battery packs during a second time holding operation before additionally coupling a blocked battery pack from among remaining ones of the at least three battery packs that are blocked from the grid.

2. The energy storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the at least three battery packs comprises a plurality of battery cells coupled to each other in series, a voltage sensor, and a current sensor.

3. The energy storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the BMS comprises at least three pack BMSs corresponding to the at least three battery packs, and a system BMS.

4. The energy storage device as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the at least three pack BMSs is configured to receive a voltage measurement and a current measurement of a respective one of the at least three battery packs, is configured to transfer the received voltage measurement and current measurement to the system BMS, is configured to receive a control signal from the system BMS for turning on or off a corresponding one of the switches, and is configured to turn on or off the corresponding one of the switches according to the control signal.

5. The energy storage device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the system BMS is configured to receive voltages and currents of the at least three battery packs from the at least three pack BMSs to control turning on or off of the switches.

6. The energy storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the BMS controls the switches to couple an arbitrary one of the at least three battery packs to be a first battery pack coupled to the grid in a coupling sequence.

7. The energy storage device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the BMS controls the switches to sequentially couple to the grid remaining ones of the at least three battery packs that are blocked from the grid, according to a respective voltage difference between a currently coupled battery pack and the remaining ones of the at least three battery packs that are blocked from the grid.

8. The energy storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the BMS controls the switches to sequentially couple to the grid the at least three battery packs in an order of a lowest to highest voltage as between remaining ones of the at least three battery packs that are blocked from the grid.

9. A method for reducing a rush current when coupling at least three battery packs in parallel to a grid, the method comprising:

blocking all connections of the at least three battery packs to the grid;

holding for a first time to stabilize respective voltages and currents of the blocked at least three battery packs;

measuring the respective voltages of the at least three battery packs after holding for the first time;

coupling an arbitrary first battery pack from among the at least three battery packs after performing the measuring of the respective voltages of the at least three battery packs;

coupling a second battery pack from among remaining ones of the at least three battery packs that are blocked from the grid, the second battery pack having a voltage difference with respect to the first battery pack that is the smallest of respective voltage differences of the remaining ones of the at least three battery packs that are blocked from the grid;

holding for a second time, when at least two battery packs are coupled to the grid, to stabilize voltages and currents of the at least two battery packs that are coupled to the grid before additionally coupling a blocked battery pack from among the remaining ones of the at least three battery packs that are blocked from the grid; and

coupling a third battery pack from among the remaining ones of the at least three battery packs that are blocked from the grid, which has a voltage difference that is the smallest of the respective voltage differences, with respect to the second battery pack, of the remaining ones of the at least three battery packs that are blocked from the grid after repeating the holding for the second time.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the voltage difference between the second and first battery packs is evaluated in terms of an absolute value.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second time is differently settable according to structures and wiring of the at least three battery packs.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second time is a period of time for currents of the coupled at least two battery packs to become smaller than about 10A.

13. A method for reducing a rush current between at least two battery packs when coupling the at least two battery packs to a grid in parallel, the method comprising:

blocking all connections of the at least two battery packs to the grid;

holding for a first time to stabilize respective voltages and currents of the blocked at least two battery packs;

measuring the respective voltages of the blocked at least two battery packs after performing the holding for the first time;

coupling to the grid a battery pack having the lowest voltage from among the blocked at least two battery packs after performing the measuring of the respective voltages of the at least two battery packs; and

determining whether or not all of the at least two battery packs are coupled to the grid,

wherein, where the number of the at least two battery packs is three or more, holding for a second time, when it is determined that all of the at least two battery packs are not coupled to the grid, to stabilize voltages and currents of already coupled battery packs before additionally coupling blocked battery packs.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second time is differently settable according to structures and wiring of the at least two battery packs.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, the second time is a period of time taken for currents of the already coupled battery packs to become smaller than about 10A.