Battery management system
A battery management system capable of safely disconnecting a charge/discharge current line from a battery pack in an over-charge condition is provided. The battery management system includes a charge/discharge relay including a relay switch coupled to a charge/discharge current path of a battery pack and a driving coil for driving the relay switch, a relay driving unit for controlling the driving coil, a motor control unit (MCU) for controlling the relay driving unit, the MCU being coupled to the relay driving unit, a switching device being coupled between the driving coil and the relay driving unit, and a switching control unit for controlling on/off operations of the switching device to control a current of the relay driving unit.
1. A battery management system comprising:
a charge/discharge relay comprising a relay switch coupled to a charge/discharge current path of a battery pack and a driving coil for driving the relay switch;
a relay driving unit for controlling the driving coil;
a motor control unit (MCU) for controlling the relay driving unit, the MCU being coupled to the relay driving unit;
a switching device coupled between the driving coil and the relay driving unit; and
a switching control unit for controlling on/off operations of the switching device to control a current of the relay driving unit.
2. The battery management system of claim 1 , wherein the switching device is serially coupled to the driving coil of the charge/discharge relay.
3. The battery management system of claim 1 , wherein the MCU and the switching control unit are configured to operate independently of each other.
4. The battery management system of claim 1 , wherein the switching device is coupled to both ends of at least one selected from a battery cell, a battery subpack, and a battery pack.
5. The battery management system of claim 1 , wherein the relay switch of the charge/discharge relay is normally in a turn-off state or a turn-on state.
6. The battery management system of claim 1 , wherein the switching device comprises a transistor coupled to the switching control unit.
7. The battery management system of claim 6 , wherein the transistor has a control electrode coupled to the switching control unit.
8. The battery management system of claim 6 , wherein the transistor has a first electrode and a second electrode coupled respectively to the driving coil of the charge/discharge relay and the relay driving unit.
9. The battery management system of claim 1 , wherein the switching device comprises:
a control relay switch coupled between the relay driving unit and the driving coil of the charge/discharge relay; and
a control driving coil coupled to the switching control unit to drive the control relay switch.
10. The battery management system of claim 9 , wherein the control relay switch is normally in a turn-off state or a turn-on state.
11. The battery management system of claim 1 , wherein when the switching device is turned off by the switching control unit, a signal indicating that the switching device is turned off is displayed on an external display device or an alarm is generated.