MONITORING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF BATTERY CONTACT POINT IN CHARGE/DISCHARGE SYSTEM WITH BATTERIES CONNECTED IN SERIES

• US 20140340092A1
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HBL Corporation, LG CNS Company Limited (LBHunet Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: HBL Corporation, LG CNS Company Limited (LBHunet Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: KIM, Jeong Moog, LEE, Hwan Hee, RYU, Tae Hyoung, SHIN, Dong Hoon, HAN, Cheol Kyu
• Granted Patent: US 9,291,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/430
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/205 Measuring contact resistance of connections, e.g. of earth connections
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A monitoring apparatus and method of a battery contact point that autonomously measures contact resistances of a contact terminal for directly connecting a battery for charging/discharging and a circuit in a charge/discharge apparatus for charging/discharging a single secondary battery or a plurality of secondary batteries in series.

Claims

1. A monitoring apparatus, comprising:

a measuring element configured to;

separate a plurality of batteries connected in series from a battery charge/discharge control circuit by operating relays connected to the plurality of batteries, and

measure a loop resistance of the battery charge/discharge control circuit, exclusive of a battery contact point, using an output voltage and a conducting current of a charge/discharge system while conducting a set current during a period of time; and

a calculator configured to;

connect a first battery, among the plurality of batteries, to the battery charge/discharge control circuit by operating a first relay, among the relays, provided for charging/discharging of the first battery,

conduct the set current during the period of time,

obtain the output voltage of the charge/discharge system measured during the conducting of the set current,

obtain a first battery voltage measured by an isolated battery management system (BMS) provided in a first battery contact point of the first battery, and

calculate a contact resistance of the first battery contact point using the measured loop resistance, the output voltage, and the first battery voltage.

2. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second calculator configured to;

obtain a battery voltage, of each remaining battery of the plurality of batteries, as measured by an isolated battery management system (BMS) provided in a battery contact point of an associated battery of the remaining batteries, and

calculate a contact resistance of a battery contact point of each of the remaining batteries using the measured loop resistance, the output voltage, and the battery voltage of an associated battery of the remaining batteries,

connect a final n-th battery to the battery charge/discharge control circuit by operating a relay provided for charging/discharging the n-th battery,

obtain an n-th battery voltage measured by an isolated BMS provided in an n-th battery contact point of the n-th battery, and

calculate a contact resistance of the n-th battery contact point using the measured loop resistance, the output voltage, and the n-th battery voltage.

3. The monitoring apparatus of claim 2, wherein the contact resistance of the n-th battery contact point is represented by Equation (n), which is as follows:

{Contact resistance of n-th battery contact point=(measured output voltage of the charge/discharge system−

the n-th battery voltage)/the conducting current−

the loop resistance (Z₀)×

(number of all the batteries−

1)/(number of all the batteries)}.

4. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the loop resistance is obtained by dividing the output voltage of the charge/discharge system by the conducting current of the charge/discharge system.

5. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact resistance of the first battery contact point is represented by Equation 2, which is as follows:

{Contact resistance of first battery contact point=(measured output voltage of the charge/discharge system−

the first battery voltage)/the conducting current−

the loop resistance (Z₀)×

(number of all the batteries−

1)/(number of all the batteries)}.

6. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein a direct current (DC) is increased by connecting a plurality of secondary batteries connected in series, and the contact resistance for each of the plurality of battery contact points is measured in order to recognize a state of the battery contact points.

7. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact resistance of the first battery contact point is calculated prior to charging/discharging, and wherein an event is indicated when the contact resistance of the first battery contact falls below a threshold level of contact.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a battery voltage, of each remaining battery of the plurality of batteries, as measured by an isolated battery management system (BMS) provided in a battery contact point of an associated battery of the remaining batteries;

calculating a contact resistance of a battery contact point of each of the remaining batteries using the measured loop resistance, the output voltage, and the battery voltage of an associated battery of the remaining batteries;

connecting a final n-th battery to the battery charge/discharge control circuit by operating a relay provided for charging/discharging the n-th battery;

obtaining an n-th battery voltage measured by an isolated BMS provided in an n-th battery contact point of the n-th battery; and

calculating a contact resistance of the n-th battery contact point using the measured loop resistance, the output voltage, and the n-th battery voltage.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the contact resistance of the n-th battery contact point is represented by Equation (n), which is as follows:

{Contact resistance of n-th battery contact point=(measured output voltage of the charge/discharge system−

the n-th battery voltage)/the conducting current−

the loop resistance (Z₀)×

number of all the batteries−

1)/(number of all the batteries)}.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the loop resistance is obtained by dividing the output voltage of the charge/discharge system by the conducting current of the charge/discharge system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the contact resistance of the first battery contact point is represented by Equation 2, which is as follows:

{Contact resistance of first battery contact point=(measured output voltage of the charge/discharge system−

the first battery voltage)/the conducting current−

the loop resistance (Z₀)×

(number of all the batteries−

1)/(number of all the batteries)}.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein a direct current (DC) is increased by connecting a plurality of secondary batteries connected in series, and the contact resistance for each of the plurality of battery contact points is measured in order to recognize a state of the battery contact points.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the contact resistance of the first battery contact point is calculated prior to charging/discharging, and wherein an event is indicated when the contact resistance of the first battery contact falls below a threshold level of contact.

8. A monitoring method comprising:

separating a plurality of batteries connected in series from a battery charge/discharge control circuit by operating relays connected to the plurality of batteries;

measuring a loop resistance of the battery charge/discharge control circuit, exclusive of a battery contact point, using an output voltage and a conducting current of a charge/discharge system while conducting a set current during a period of time;

connecting a first battery, among the plurality of batteries, to the battery charge/discharge control circuit by operating a first relay, among the relays, provided for charging/discharging of the first battery;

conducting the set current during the period of time;

obtaining the output voltage of the charge/discharge system measured during the conducting of the set current;

obtaining a first battery voltage measured by an isolated battery management system (BMS) provided in a first battery contact point of the first battery; and

calculate a contact resistance of the first battery contact point using the measured loop resistance, the output voltage, and the first battery voltage.