Battery managing apparatus, battery pack, and energy storage system

• US 9,277,298 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Yang, Jong-Woon, Okada, Tetsuya, Hwang, Eui-Jeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pacheco, Rafael
• Application Number:
  US13/562,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20130069429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 307/82, 307/23, 307/24, 307/80
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/886 using energy harvesting, e.g. solar, wind or mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/20 using renewable energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/50 Energy storage in industry with an added climate change mitigation effect

Abstract

An energy storage system having a number of trays with each tray having a number of battery cells in which power is controllably stored and discharged. A first Battery Management System (BMS) is electrically coupled to a tray contained in a rack of trays. A second BMS is electrically coupled to and controls the first BMS. The first BMS includes a control unit electrically coupled to and controlling the battery cells. It further includes a switch unit electrically coupled to the control unit and selectively applying driving power according to a control signal from the second BMS.

Claims

1. An Energy Storage System, comprising:

a plurality of trays with each tray having a plurality of battery cells;

a plurality of first BMSs (Battery Management System) with each first BMS being electrically coupled to a corresponding tray of the plurality of trays;

a rack comprising the plurality of trays; and

a second BMS (Battery Management System) electrically coupled to and controlling the plurality of first BMSs;

wherein each of the plurality of first BMSs comprises;

a controller electrically coupled to and controlling the plurality of battery cells of the corresponding tray; and

a switch unit electrically coupled to the controller and selectively applying a driving power to the controller according to a control signal from the second BMS, and

wherein in a power saving mode, while the second BMS remains activated, the plurality of first BMSs are deactivated in response to the control signal from the second BMS.

2. The Energy Storage System recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first BMSs, further comprises:

a first converter converting the driving power and outputting a first converting signal;

a second converter converting a battery power and outputting a second converting signal; and

a controller ON/OFF unit electrically coupled to the first converter and the second converter and sending a driving signal to the controller when both the first converting signal and the second converting signal are more than a predetermined signal level.

3. The Energy Storage System recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first BMSs, further comprises:

a synchronization signal delivering unit receiving a synchronization signal from a neighboring one of the plurality of first BMSs and delivering the synchronization signal to a neighboring another of the plurality of first BMSs, wherein the synchronization signal is transmitted from the second BMS as the control signal to one of the plurality of first BMSs, and transmitted from said one of the first BMSs of the plurality of first BMSs to another first BMS of the plurality of first BMSs in a cascade manner;

a tray ON/OFF unit connected to the synchronization signal delivering unit and selectively delivering the driving power according to the synchronization signal;

a first DC/DC converter connected to the tray ON/OFF unit and converting the driving power to a first converting signal;

a second DC/DC converter connected to an analog front end (AFE) and converting a battery power to a second converting signal;

a microcontroller (MCU) ON/OFF unit connected to the first and second DC/DC converter and outputting a driving signal when both the first converting signal and the second converting signal are more than a predetermined signal level;

a third DC/DC converter connected to the microcontroller (MCU) ON/OFF unit and converting the driving signal from the MCU ON/OFF unit to a MCU driving power and outputting the MCU driving power;

a MCU connected to the synchronization signal delivering unit and the third DC/DC converter and receiving the MCU driving power from the third DC/DC converter; and

a communication unit connected to the MCU and the second BMS.

4. The Energy Storage System recited in claim 3, wherein the microcontroller (MCU) ON/OFF unit comprises an AND gate electrically coupled to the first DC/DC converter and the second DC/DC converter and sending the driving signal to the third DC/DC converter when both the first converting signal and the second converting signal have a predetermined signal logic level.

5. The Energy Storage System recited in claim 4, the plurality of battery cells receive power from a power generating system or supply power to a grid or to a load.

6. The Energy Storage System recited in claim 5, further comprising:

a power conversion system connected to the plurality of battery cells and the power generating system to convert power from the power generating system, the grid or the plurality of battery cells and supply the power to the load;

a first switch connected to the power conversion system and connected to the load; and

a second switch serially connected to the first switch and connected to the power conversion system, the grid and the load,

wherein the first switch is turned on when power from the power generating system and/or the plurality of battery cells is supplied to the load, or when power from the grid is supplied to the battery pack,

wherein the second switch is turn on when power from the power generating system and/or the plurality of battery cells is supplied to the grid, or when power from the grid is supplied to the load and/or the plurality of battery cells, and

wherein the second switch is turned off and the first switch is turned on when a power failure occurs in the grid.

7. The Energy Storage System recited in claim 3, wherein when the synchronization signal is set to a first level, the tray ON/OFF unit delivers the driving power to the first DC/DC converter, and when the synchronization signal is set to a second level that is different from the first level, the tray ON/OFF unit does not deliver the driving power to the first DC/DC converter.

8. The Energy Storage System recited in claim 7, wherein the second BMS determines whether to activate the plurality of first BMSs based on an operating mode.

9. The Energy Storage System recited in claim 8, wherein the first DC/DC converter receives the driving power delivered via the tray ON/OFF unit and adjusts a voltage level of the driving power and inputs the driving power to the MCU ON/OFF unit.

10. The Energy Storage System recited in claim 9, wherein the AFE monitors voltage, current, and temperature of the at least one tray of the plurality of trays and transmits monitoring data to the MCU.

11. The Energy Storage System recited in claim 10, wherein the AFE delivers a current output from the at least one tray of the plurality of trays to the second DC/DC converter, and upon receipt of the current output from the second DC/DC converter, the MCU ON/OFF unit outputs the current to the MCU.

12. The Energy Storage System recited in claim 11, wherein only when the MCU ON/OFF unit receives power from both the first DC/DC converter and the second DC/DC converter, the MCU ON/OFF unit inputs power received from first DC/DC converter or the second DC/DC converter to the third DC/DC converter.

13. A Battery System, comprising:

a battery rack to store power from at least one of a power generating units or a grid, the battery rack comprising;

a first battery tray through an nth battery tray connected in series or in parallel; and

a plurality of first BMSs (Battery Management System) connected to corresponding tray among the first battery tray through the nth battery tray, respectively; and

a second BMS (Battery Management System) to control an operation of the battery rack by monitoring data of the battery rack and transmitting a power control signal,

wherein the first BMSs are triggered in response to the power control signal from the second BMS,

wherein each first BMS comprises;

a controller electrically coupled to and controlling the corresponding tray; and

a switch unit electrically coupled to the controller and selectively applying a driving power to the controller according to the power control signal from the second BMS, and

wherein in a power saving mode, while the second BMS remains activated, the plurality of first BMSs are deactivated in response to the power control signal from the second BMS.

14. The Battery System recited in claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of first BMSs comprises:

a first converter converting the driving power and outputting a first converting signal;

a second converter converting a battery power and outputting a second converting signal; and

a controller ON/OFF unit electrically coupled to the first converter and the second converter and sending a driving signal to the controller when both the first converting signal and the second converting signal are more than a predetermined signal level.

15. The Battery System recited in claim 13, wherein each the plurality of first BMSs comprises:

a synchronization signal delivering unit receiving a synchronization signal from a neighboring one of the plurality of first BMSs and delivering the synchronization signal to a neighboring another of the plurality of first BMSs, wherein the synchronization signal is transmitted from the second BMS as the power control signal to one of the plurality of first BMSs, and transmitted from said one of the first BMSs of the plurality of first BMSs to another first BMS of the plurality of first BMSs in a cascade manner;

a tray ON/OFF unit connected to the synchronization signal delivering unit and selectively delivering the driving power according to the synchronization signal;

a first DC/DC converter connected to the tray ON/OFF unit and converting the driving power to a first converting signal;

a second DC/DC converter connected to an analog front end (AFE) and converting a battery power to a second converting signal;

a microcontroller (MCU) ON/OFF unit connected to the first and second DC/DC converter and outputting a driving signal when both the first converting signal and the second converting signal are more than a predetermined signal level;

a third DC/DC converter connected to the microcontroller (MCU) ON/OFF unit and converting the driving signal to a MCU driving power;

a MCU connected to the synchronization signal delivering unit and the third DC/DC converter and receiving the MCU driving power from the third DC/DC converter; and

a communication unit connected to the MCU and the second BMS.