US-12627163-B2 - Apparatus and method for protecting battery pack

US12627163B2US 12627163 B2US12627163 B2US 12627163B2US-12627163-B2

Abstract

An apparatus for protecting a battery pack, includes: a battery module; a relay to apply an output of the battery module to a load of a vehicle, or block the output of the battery module; an actuator to operate by a power supplied from a starter battery; and a processor to: monitor the battery module when a start signal is input to detect a failure of the relay; and if the failure of the relay is detected, control the actuator to discharge the starter battery and block a start of the vehicle.

Inventors

Hwan Lee
Seung Hyeok PARK

Assignees

SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240111
Priority Date: 20231107

Claims (12)

1 . An apparatus for protecting a battery pack, comprising: a battery module; a relay configured to apply an output of the battery module to a load of a vehicle, or block the output of the battery module; an actuator configured to operate by a power supplied from a starter battery external to the battery module and for powering ignition of the vehicle; and a processor configured to: monitor the battery module when a start signal is input to detect a failure of the relay if the failure of the relay is detected, control the actuator to discharge the starter battery and block a start of the vehicle, wherein, if a failure of the battery module and the failure of the relay is detected, the processor is further configured to maintain an ignition-off state of the vehicle by discharging the starter battery before an ignition of the vehicle is turned on by the start signal.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: monitor the battery module when the start signal is input to detect a failure of the battery module; and in response to detecting the failure of the battery module, control the relay to block the output of the battery module.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: detect a failure of the battery module based on at least one of a temperature, a current, or a voltage of the battery module measured by a sensor; control the relay to be turned off if the battery module fails; and determine the failure of the relay based on the current of the battery module.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit a control signal to the actuator through a local interconnect network (LIN) to cause the actuator to operate.
5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the actuator includes at least one of a heater or a pump, and wherein the at least one of the heater or the pump is connected to the starter battery to operate.
6 . A method of protecting a battery pack, comprising: monitoring, by a processor, a battery module when a start signal is input to detect a failure of a relay; applying, by the processor, a control signal to an actuator of a vehicle if the relay fails; operating the actuator using power supplied from a starter battery external to the battery module and for powering ignition of the vehicle; and discharging the starter battery to turn an ignition of the vehicle off, wherein to turn the ignition of the vehicle off, the processor maintains an ignition-off state of the vehicle by discharging the starter battery before the ignition of the vehicle is turned on by the start signal.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein to detect the failure of the relay, the method further comprises: monitoring, by the processor, the battery module when the start signal is input; detecting, by the processor, a failure of the battery module; controlling the relay to block an output of the battery module in response to detecting the failure of the battery module; and detecting the failure of the relay.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the failure of the battery module is detected based on at least one of a temperature, a current, or a voltage of the battery module measured by a sensor.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the failure of the relay is detected based on a current of the battery module after the controlling of the relay.
10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the applying of the control signal comprises transmitting, by the processor, the control signal to the actuator through a local interconnect network (LIN) to cause the actuator to operate.
11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the operating of the actuator comprises supplying power from the starter battery to operate the actuator to discharge the starter battery.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the actuator comprises at least one of a heater or a pump connected to the starter battery.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0152515, filed on Nov. 7, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND 1. Field Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus and method for protecting a battery pack in response to a failure of a relay of the battery pack. 2. Description of the Related Art Unlike primary batteries that cannot be recharged, secondary batteries are capable of being charged and discharged. Low-capacity secondary batteries may be used in small portable electronic devices, such as smartphones, feature phones, laptop computers, digital cameras, camcorders, and the like. High-capacity secondary batteries are widely used as a power supply for driving motors of hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, or the like, as well as for power storage batteries, and the like. A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly including a positive electrode and a negative electrode, a case for accommodating the electrode assembly, and an electrode terminal connected to the electrode assembly. Secondary batteries are charged by a charge current applied from the outside, and output a discharge current to supply the discharge current to a load. In the secondary batteries, a relay connected to an output terminal may be turned on or turned off, and thus, the input of the charge current and the output of the discharge current may change. The above information disclosed in this Background section is for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore, it may contain information that does not constitute prior art. SUMMARY In order to control charging or discharging of secondary batteries, the secondary battery may include a battery management system (BMS)) that controls the operation of a relay according to magnitudes of a discharge current and a charge current. In the case of electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles in which a secondary battery is installed in the vehicle, during driving according to the input of a starter key, a BMS may check the status of a battery module. If the battery module normally operates, the BMS may turn on a relay to supply power to the vehicle from the battery module for driving the vehicle. When a failure of a battery module is detected, the BMS may block the output by turning off a relay, such that the output of the battery module may not be supplied to the vehicle. However, relays may fail due to their own internal defects or due to environmental defects. When a failure of a relay occurs, because the output of a battery module may not be controlled by a BMS, accidents due to no control of the battery module may occur, which may lead to safety issues for vehicle occupants. As such, some vehicles may include a plurality of relays designed in a dual structure, but when all of the plurality of relays fail, the same kind of safety issues for the vehicle occupants may be caused. As such, apparatuses and methods to stably control the input and output of a battery module according to an operating state of a relay may be desired. Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an apparatus and method for protecting a battery pack, in which the battery pack is stably controlled in response to a failure of a relay provided in the battery pack. However, the aspects and features of the present disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other aspects and features will be clearly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art from the following description. According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, an apparatus for protecting a battery pack, includes: a battery module; a relay configured to apply an output of the battery module to a load of a vehicle, or block the output of the battery module; an actuator configured to operate by a power supplied from a starter battery; and a processor configured to: monitor the battery module when a start signal is input to detect a failure of the relay; and if the failure of the relay is detected, control the actuator to discharge the starter battery and block a start of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the processor may be further configured to: monitor the battery module when the start signal is input to detect a failure of the battery module; and in response to detecting the failure of the battery module, control the relay to block the output of the battery module. In an embodiment, the processor may be further configured to: detect a failure of the battery module based on at least one of a temperature, a current, or a voltage of the battery module measured by a sensor; control the relay to be turned off if the battery module fails; and determine the failure of the relay based on the current of the battery module. In an embodiment, if a failure of the battery module and th