Temperature monitoring apparatus and method for battery pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10991994-B2
Application number	US-201716060829-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2017
Priority date	Aug 12, 2016
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

Provided are temperature monitoring apparatus and method for a battery pack. The temperature monitoring apparatus includes a plurality of slave battery management systems (BMSs) including a first slave BMS and a second slave BMS; and a master BMS connected to the plurality of slave BMSs to communicate with them. The master BMS sets a next wake-up time of the second slave BMS based on first temperature data indicating a temperature of a first battery module from among a plurality of battery modules and transmitted from the first slave BMS.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A temperature monitoring apparatus for a battery pack, the temperature monitoring apparatus comprising:
a plurality of slave battery management systems (BMSs) comprising a first slave BMS and a second slave BMS, wherein each of the plurality of slave BMSs is configured to monitor a temperature of a respective battery module of the battery pack; and
a master BMS connected to the plurality of slave BMSs, wherein the master BMS is configured to transmit a respective wake-up time to each of the plurality of slave BMSs,
wherein each of the plurality of slave BMSs is configured to:
switch from a sleep mode to a wake-up mode when its respective wake-up time is reached;
switch from the wake-up mode back to the sleep mode after passage of a predetermined wake-up period;
measure a temperature of its respective battery module during the wake-up period; and
transmit temperature data indicating the temperature of the respective battery module to the master BMS during the wake-up period; and

wherein the master BMS is configured to:
receive first temperature data from the first slave BMS, wherein the first temperature data indicates a temperature of a first battery module monitored by the first slave BMS;
determine an updated wake-up time of the second slave BMS based on the temperature of the first battery module monitored by the first slave BMS; and
transmit the updated wake-up time to the second slave BMS, whereby the updated wake-up time becomes the respective wake-up time of the second slave BMS.

2. The temperature monitoring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature monitoring apparatus and the battery pack are included in an electric vehicle, and wherein the master BMS is configured to:
receive driving data indicating a driving state of the electric vehicle from the electric vehicle including the battery pack;
determine occurrence of a predefined event based on the driving data; and
determine the updated wake-up time of the second slave BMS in response to occurrence of the predefined event.

3. The temperature monitoring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the master BMS is configured to determine a second updated wake-up time for another one of the plurality of slave BMSs, wherein the second updated wake-up time is different from the wake-up time of the second slave BMS.

4. The temperature monitoring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the master BMS is configured to determine the updated wake-up time of the second slave BMS to equal a sum of a current time and a first predetermined time period, in response to the temperature of the first battery module being lower than a first predetermined temperature threshold.

5. The temperature monitoring apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the master BMS is configured to determine the updated wake-up time of the second slave BMS to equal a sum of a current time and a second predetermined time period in response to the temperature of the first battery module being equal to or higher than the first predetermined temperature threshold and lower than a second predetermined temperature threshold, wherein the second predetermined time period is shorter than the first predetermined time period.

6. The temperature monitoring apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of slave BMSs further comprises a third slave BMS, and
wherein the master BMS is configured to:
receive second temperature data from the second slave BMS;
calculate a difference between a temperature of the second battery module indicated by the second temperature data and the temperature of the first battery module indicated by the first temperature data; and
determine an updated wake-up time of the third slave BMS based on the second temperature data and the difference value.

7. The temperature monitoring apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the master BMS is configured to determine the updated wake-up time of the third slave BMS to equal:
a sum of a current time and a third predetermined time period in response to the difference value being a negative value; and
a sum of the current time and a fourth predetermined time period in response to the difference value being a positive value,
wherein the fourth predetermined time period is longer than the third predetermined time period.

8. The temperature monitoring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature data includes a plurality of temperature values indicating respective temperatures of the first battery module at different time points during the wake-up period of the first slave BMS, and
wherein the master BMS is configured to:
analyze a variation pattern in the temperatures of the first battery module during the wake-up period, based on the plurality of temperature values included in the first temperature data; and
determine a next wake-up time of the second slave BMS further based on the variation pattern.

9. A battery pack comprising the temperature monitoring apparatus for the battery pack according to claim 1 .

10. An electric vehicle comprising the battery pack according to claim 9 .

11. A temperature monitoring method for a battery pack, the temperature monitoring method comprising:
switching, by a first slave battery management system (BMS), from a sleep mode to a wakeup mode when a respective wake-up time of the first slave BMS is reached;
switching, by the first slave BMS, from the wake-up mode back to the sleep mode after passage of a predetermined wake-up period;
measuring, by the first slave BMS, a temperature of a first battery module of the battery pack during the wake-up period of the first slave BMS;
transmitting, by the first slave BMS, first temperature data indicating the temperature of the first battery module to the master BMS during the wake-up period of the first slave BMS;
receiving, by the master BMS, the first temperature data from the first slave BMS;
determining, by the master BMS, an updated wake-up time of a second slave BMS based on the temperature of the first battery module;
switching, by the second slave BMS, from the sleep mode to the wake-up mode when the updated wakeup time is reached;
switching, by the second slave BMS, from the wake-up mode back to the sleep mode after passage of the predetermined wake-up period; and
measuring, by the second slave BMS, a temperature of a second battery module of the battery pack, during the wake-up period of the second slave BMS.

12. The temperature monitoring method of claim 11 , wherein determining the updated wake-up time of the second slave BMS comprises setting the updated wake-up time equivalent to a sum of a current time and a first predetermined time period in response to the temperature of the first battery module being lower than a first predetermined temperature threshold.

13. The temperature monitoring method of claim 12 , wherein determining the updated wake-up time of the second slave BMS comprises setting the updated wake-up time equivalent to a sum of a current time and a second predetermined time period in response to the temperature of the first battery module being equal to or higher than the first predetermined temperature threshold and lower than a second predetermined temperature threshold, wherein the second predetermined time period is shorter than the first predetermined time period.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Su-Ho
• MOON Chi-Ho
• Suk Kyung-Hoon
• Ju Hong-Seok

Classifications

• H01M10/486 Primary

  for measuring temperature · CPC title

• H01M10/482

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M50/249

  specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64) · CPC title

• H01M50/204

  Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells · CPC title

• B60L58/10 Primary

  for monitoring or controlling batteries · CPC title