DETECTING DEVICE AND DETECTING METHOD FOR MONITORING BATTERY MODULE

• US 20110234231A1
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Yang, Fu-Kwo, Wu, Jong-Lin, LIU, CHIN-CHUAN, Mei, Li-Yang
• Granted Patent: US 8,587,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/429
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/389 Measuring internal impedance, internal conductance or related variables
• 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 detecting device and a detecting method for monitoring a battery module are provided. The battery module is electrically connected to a load and includes a first battery unit, a second battery unit and a connecting device. The connecting device connects the positive electrode of the first battery unit to the negative electrode of the second battery unit. The detecting device includes a shunt, a voltage detecting module and a control module. The shunt is serial connected between the battery module and the load to measures the load current. The voltage detecting module measures the voltage difference across the connecting device between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The control module computes the equivalent resistance across the connecting device between the positive electrode and the negative electrode according to the load current and the voltage difference. Therefore, the hazard caused by aging of the electric circuit can be prevented by monitoring the equivalent resistance, which infers the change of the assembly quality.

Claims

1. A battery module detecting method, applied to a battery module, the battery module being electrically connected to a load and comprising a first battery unit, a second battery unit, and a connecting device, the connecting device connecting a positive electrode of the first battery unit to a negative electrode of the second battery unit, the battery module detecting method comprising the steps of:

measuring a voltage difference between the positive electrode and the negative electrode;

measuring a load current passing through the load; and

computing an equivalent resistance between the positive electrode and the negative electrode according to the load current and the voltage difference.

2. The battery module detecting method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

computing a quality reference value according to the equivalent resistance and a default resistance;

comparing the quality reference value and a default threshold; and

if the quality reference value is larger than the default threshold, starting a protection function.

3. The battery module detecting method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

locking two detecting ends of a voltage detecting module on the positive electrode and the negative electrode respectively to form two voltage detecting points.

4. The battery module detecting method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

serially connecting a protection resistance between the positive electrode and the voltage detecting module or between the negative electrode and the voltage detecting module.

5. A battery module detecting device, applied to a battery module, the battery module being electrically connected to a load and comprising a first battery unit, a second battery unit, and a connecting device, the connecting device connecting a positive electrode of the first battery unit to a negative electrode of the second battery unit, the battery module detecting device comprising:

a voltage detecting module, for measuring a voltage difference between the positive electrode and the negative electrode;

a shunt, serially connected between the battery module and the load and electrically connected to the voltage detecting module, for measuring a load current of the load; and

a control module, electrically connected to the voltage detecting module, for computing an equivalent resistance between the positive electrode and the negative electrode according to the load current and the voltage difference.

6. The battery module detecting device of claim 5, further comprising a display for displaying a battery module related information.

7. The battery module detecting device of claim 5, wherein the voltage detecting module comprises a first detecting end and a second detecting end, the first detecting end is electrically connected to the positive electrode, the second detecting end is electrically connected to the negative electrode, the voltage detecting module measures the voltage difference via the first detecting end and the second detecting end.

8. The battery module detecting device of claim 7, further comprising two detecting end locking apparatuses to fix the first detecting end and the second detecting end on the positive electrode and the negative electrode respectively to form two voltage detecting points.

9. The battery module detecting device of claim 5, further comprising a protection resistance serially connected between the positive electrode and the voltage detecting module or between the negative electrode and the voltage detecting module.

10. The battery module detecting device of claim 6, wherein the voltage detecting module comprises a millivoltmeter, an analog/digital converter, and an analog scanning switch, the millivoltmeter is used for measuring the voltage difference between the detecting ends, the analog scanning switch is used for switching the detecting ends measured by the millivoltmeter, the analog/digital converter is used for converting an analog signal measured by the millivoltmeter into a digital signal and transmitting the digital signal to the control module.