Apparatus and method for balancing battery cell

• Main Authors: LEE, BYUNG EUN, HWANG, KYU MIN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Korean
• Published: 08.02.2019
• Subjects: CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTINGELECTRIC POWER; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT OR PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLEDVEHICLES; ELECTRICITY; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES, IN GENERAL; GENERATION; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

The present invention relates to a battery cell balancing apparatus and a method thereof to reduce energy consumption and extend a lifespan of a battery cell. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the battery cell balancing apparatus comprises: a measurement unit measuring voltage or current of each of multiple battery cells; a balancing control unit controlling a cell balancing operation to adjust the voltage of at least one of the multiple battery cells to reduce a difference value if the difference value between voltages of the multiple battery cells is out of a reference difference value range; and a deterioration degree estimation unit estimating a deterioration degree of each of the multiple battery cells by using a measurement result of voltage or current of the measurement unit. The balancing control unit can be operated in a flexible cell balancing mode so that the frequency of a cell balancing operation can be reduced in a second case other than a first case, wherein the first case is that a deterioration degree difference between the multiple battery cells is within a reference deterioration degree and the second case is that the deterioration degree difference between the multiple battery cells is out of the reference deterioration degree. 본 발명의 일 실시 예에 따른 배터리 셀 밸런싱 장치는, 복수의 배터리 셀 각각의 전압 또는 전류를 측정하는 측정부와, 복수의 배터리 셀의 전압 간의 차이값이 기준 차이값 범위를 벗어날 경우에 차이값이 감소하도록 복수의 배터리 셀 중 적어도 하나의 전압을 조정하는 셀 밸런싱 동작을 제어하는 밸런싱 제어부; 및 측정부의 전압 또는 전류의 측정 결과를 이용하여 복수의 배터리 셀 각각의 열화도를 추정하는 열화도 추정부를 포함하고, 밸런싱 제어부는 복수의 배터리 셀 간의 열화도 차이가 기준 열화도 범위 이내인 제1 경우보다 복수의 배터리 셀 간의 열화도 차이가 기준 열화도 범위를 벗어나는 제2 경우에 셀 밸런싱 동작의 빈도가 감소하도록 제2 경우에 탄력적 셀 밸런싱 모드로 동작할 수 있다.