Abstract: Disclosed herein is a secondary battery module constructed approximately in a rectangular parallelepiped structure. The battery module includes a pair of side members (right and left side members) having pluralities of grooves formed at the inside surfaces thereof such that the sides of unit cells are securely fitted in the grooves and at least one connection member integrally formed with the side members such that the side members are spaced apart from each other by the width of the unit cells while the grooves of the side members face each other. A medium- or large-sized battery system is manufactured using one or more secondary battery module. The secondary battery module allows a plurality of unit cells to be mounted in the battery module with high density. Consequently, the total size of the battery system can be considerably reduced, and the electrical connection between the electrodes is highly stable.

Abstract: A battery cartridge includes a pair of outer frame members for receiving unit cells and an inner frame member disposed between the outer frame members. The unit cells are mounted between the outer and inner frame members. The inner frame member has a plurality of through-holes, which communicate with the outside while the unit cells are mounted between the outer and inner frame members. An opened type battery module includes such a battery cartridge. The battery cartridge and the battery module have a high structural integration and mechanical strength. Consequently, the present invention has the effect of minimizing the size of a battery system, stably mounting unit cells having low mechanical strength, and effectively removing heat from the unit cells.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a battery module for medium- or large-sized battery packs, including a plurality of unit cells, wherein the unit cells are generally plate-shaped unit cells, and the unit cells are electrically connected with each other while the unit cells are arranged in a module case so as to constitute at least two rows and at least two columns. According to the present invention, integration of the battery module is highly improved. Especially, the vertical-direction mechanical strength of the battery module is further increased, and the number of connecting members necessary for the electrical connection between the unit cells is reduced.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for estimating a state of charge (SOC) in a battery, in which the battery SOC is estimated using a fusion type soft computing algorithm, thereby accurately estimating the battery SOC in a high C-rate environment. The apparatus includes a detector unit for detecting current, voltage and temperature of a battery cell; and soft computing unit for outputting a battery SOC estimation value of processing the current, the voltage and the temperature detected by the detector unit using a radial function based on a neural network algorithm. Especially, the soft computing unit combines the neural network algorithm with any one of a fuzzy algorithm, a genetic algorithm (GA), a cellular automata (CA) algorithm, an immune system algorithm, and a rough-set algorithm, and thereby adaptively updates the parameters of the neural network algorithm.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for setting an initial SOC value, which initializes the SOC in consideration of not only the temperature change of the external environment of the battery but also the internal temperature change of the battery before the battery reaches a stable unloaded state, thereby enhancing the accuracy in the setup of the initial SOC value. The method includes: measuring internal temperatures of the battery and SOCs corresponding to voltages of the battery, which change according to the time passage after a loaded state is converted into an unloaded state, and constructing an SOC estimation table by using measured values, and storing the SOC estimation table; measuring the internal temperature and the voltage of the battery when estimation of an initial SOC value of the battery is required; and reading an SOC corresponding to the measured internal temperature and the voltage of the battery from the SOC estimation table.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus of estimating a state of health (SOH) of a battery using internal resistance, which has been found to act as a parameter exerting the greatest influence on the SOH of the battery. The method comprises the steps of: storing an SOH estimation table constructing SOH values corresponding to various values of internal resistance according to temperature and a state of charge (SOC) in a memory; performing measurement of the temperature and estimation of the SOC of the battery when a request is made to estimate the SOH; detecting the internal resistance value of the battery; and reading the SOH values corresponding to the measured temperature, the estimated SOC of the battery, and the detected internal resistance value of the battery from the SOH estimation table.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for estimating the maximum power of a battery, which can inexpensively perform an estimation of the maximum power of a battery in a relatively simple manner of using the internal resistance of the battery, which has a correlation with and a largest effect on the maximum power of the battery. The method includes the steps of: measuring an internal resistance and a temperature of the battery and estimating a state of charge, if an estimation of the maximum power of the battery is requested; and reading a value of the maximum power of the battery, which corresponds to the measured temperature, the estimated state of charge, and the measured internal resistance, from a table in which the internal resistances and the maximum powers of the battery are mapped according to the temperatures and states of charge.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for controlling the discharge or charge power of a battery, capable of preventing over-charge and over-discharge of battery cells according to states of the battery cells, and solving a problem that the lifetime of a conventional battery pack is rapidly reduced due to the over-charge or over-discharge of some cells of the battery pack. The method includes the steps of estimating the maximum power of the battery, measuring voltage of a battery cell or pack, checking whether or not the voltage of the battery cell or pack deviates from a preset limited range so as to correspond to the maximum power, and when the voltage of the battery cell or pack deviates from a preset limited range, controlling the discharge or charge power of the battery.

Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for accurately estimating a state of charge of a battery, which can measure a change of temperature and an open circuit voltage so as to estimate the state of charge at an initial time when a vehicle is not driven, and while measuring a decrement in a capacity of a battery according to charging and discharging of the battery when the vehicle is driven. The method includes the steps of: measuring a temperature in an initial estimation of the state of charge; measuring an open circuit voltage; obtaining parameters indicating a change of the open circuit voltage according to a change of temperature; and calculating the state of charge using the parameters and the open circuit voltage which is measured depending on the obtained parameters.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a terminal-connecting device including an electrically insulating hollow connecting device body having an open upper end, and an electrically insulating cover coupled to the open upper end of the connecting device body. The terminal-connecting device is constructed such that a plate-shaped conductive bus bar is mounted to the lower end of the connecting device body, two or more terminal insertion holes are formed in the lower end of the connecting device body and the bus bar, the terminal insertion holes formed in the lower end of the connecting device body communicating with the terminal insertion holes formed in the bus bar, and a connecting member insertion slit is formed in one side of connecting device body for allowing further connection of the corresponding electrode terminal to an external connecting member, as occasion demands.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a member for mechanically and electrically connecting two or more objects, including an insulation body having a plurality of coupling holes for coupling the objects formed therein, a plate-shaped conductive strip mounted at the rear surface of the insulation body in the diagonal direction of the insulation body while the conductive strip is isolated from the front surface of the insulation body, the conductive strip having connection holes formed at opposite ends thereof such that the connection holes communicate with the insulation body, and a connecting bar constructed such that the connecting bar can be inserted into the corresponding connection hole of the conductive strip while the strip is connected to the objects. The connecting member accomplishes excellent mechanical connection and stable electrical connection of objects, easy assembly and disassembly, and low possibility of short circuits.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a secondary battery module comprising a plurality of unit cells stacked one on another, wherein the unit cells are spaced apart from each other such that a channel for heat dissipation is defined between the unit cells, the battery module further comprises at least one piezoelectric sensor mounted in the channel, and the at least one piezoelectric sensor is connected to a battery management system (BMS). According to the present invention, the piezoelectric sensor is mounted in the channel defined between the unit cells of the secondary battery module. Consequently, no additional space for installing the piezoelectric sensor is needed, and therefore, the increase of the size of the battery module is effectively prevented. Furthermore, the change of the internal pressure of the battery is accurately detected by the piezoelectric sensor, and therefore, the expansion or the explosion of the battery caused due to the overcharge or overheating of the unit cells is effectively prevented.

Abstract: A process for controlling temperature of a battery pack includes operating a fan to change a battery temperature to an optimal range of temperature (Topt) when a condition is satisfied that the battery temperature is equal to or greater than a maximum acceptable temperature (Tmax) or when the battery temperature is equal to or less than a minimum acceptable temperature (Tmin) and, at the same time, when the difference between a battery temperature (Tbat) and an air temperature (Tair) of air is equal to or greater than a critical temperature (Tct), and operating the fan to change the battery temperature to an optimal range of temperature variation (Topt1) of each unit cell when the battery temperature does not satisfy the condition, and a temperature variation (Tvar) of each unit cell is equal to or greater than a predetermined critical temperature (Tcrt1).

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a battery cartridge-connecting system for battery modules, comprising: bus bars, each of which includes a plate-shaped bar body, coupling parts, and electrical connection parts; a base plate, to which the bus bars are easily mounted; and a printed circuit board (PCB), which is easily coupled to the bus bars and is mounted to the base plate in a compact structure. The present invention also provides a battery module and a medium- or large-sized battery system including the battery cartridge-connecting system. According to the present invention, the battery cartridge-connecting system easily accomplishes the electrical connection and the mechanical coupling in the compact-structured battery module or battery system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of estimating a maximum output of a battery for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). The method comprises steps of: extracting maximum charge/discharge outputs of the battery depending on a plurality of charged states (SOC) of the battery under which the vehicle is able to be driven and calculating an interrelation between them; extracting maximum charge/discharge outputs of the battery at plural temperatures under which the vehicle is able to be driven, and calculating an interrelation between them; extracting degradations of outputs of the battery as a capacity of the battery is discharged during the traveling, and calculating an interrelation between them; and based on the interrelations obtained from each of the steps, estimating a maximum output (Powermax) of the battery through a following function.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and method for discharging a voltage in a battery pack. The apparatus comprises a discharge resistance connected to a discharge target battery of plural batteries in the battery pack and discharging a voltage of the discharge target battery; a switching section for connecting the discharge target battery and the discharge resistance; a voltage measuring section for measuring a voltage of the discharge target battery; and a control section for controlling the switching section depending on the measured voltage value of the battery so as to maintain an energy consumed in the discharge resistance to be constant.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a secondary battery pack including a plurality of cartridges. Each of the cartridges has a plurality of unit cells mounted therein. The cartridges are stacked one on another in an alternate orientation structure in which electrode terminals of the neighboring cartridges are not located on the same plane when the cartridges are electrically connected to each other, thereby accomplishing easy and safe electrical connection between the cartridges.

Abstract: A member for measurement of cell voltage and temperature in a battery pack comprises temperature measuring elements (a) attached to the surfaces of unit cells, and a printed circuit board (b) having protrusions formed at the upper end thereof such that the protrusions are connected to electrode lead connection members that connect electrode leads of the unit cells, connection parts formed at the lower part thereof for allowing the temperature measuring elements to be attached to the printed circuit board, and a circuit through which electric current for voltage measurement of the unit cells and electric current for temperature measurement of the temperature measuring elements flow.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a cooling system for a battery pack that is usable as a power source of electric vehicles and hybrid-electric vehicles. The cooling system has the effect of effectively dissipating heat generated from battery cells by supplying a refrigerant to the battery cells at a constant flow rate, and of minimizing a temperature difference between the battery cells during a cooling process. This prevents degradation in the performance of the battery cells, and achieves optimal temperature control. Also, the cooling system employs a single refrigerant guide member arranged at a side of the battery pack, resulting in a reduction in the size of an overall battery system.