Battery swelling sensing system and method

A method of detecting swelling of a battery, the method comprising:

• detecting, by a plurality of detecting units provided at one or more battery modules of a battery pack, respectively, gas branched from a battery cell of the battery module;
• selecting, by a control unit, the largest detection value among the detection values of the respective detecting units, determining a level of the selected detection value according to a size of the selected detection value, and controlling an operation of a peripheral apparatus based on the corresponding level;
• and
• being turned on and off, by a switch unit provided in a connection path of the battery pack and an external power source, according to a signal of the control unit,
• wherein the controlling includes comparing, by the control unit, the detection value of each of the detecting units with a predetermined threshold value, selecting the largest detection value among the detection values exceeding the threshold values, and determining a level of the selected detection value according to the size of the selected detection value,
• wherein the level of the selected detection value is determined as one of a first level, a second level, and a third level according to the degree of swelling risk, and
• wherein the controlling includes, when the level of the selected detection value is determined as one of the first level, the second level, and the third level, transmitting a vehicle speed control signal based on the corresponding level to an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle.

A system for detecting swelling of a battery, the system comprising:

• a plurality of detecting units which is provided at one or more battery modules of a battery pack, respectively, and detects gas branched from a battery cell of the battery module;
• a control unit which selects the largest detection value among the detection values of the respective detecting units, determines a level of the selected detection value according to a size of the selected detection value, and controls an operation of a peripheral apparatus based on the corresponding level;
• and
• a switch unit which is provided in a connection path of the battery pack and an external power source and is turned on and off according to a signal of the control unit,
• wherein the control unit compares the detection value of each of the detecting units with a predetermined threshold value, selects the largest detection value among the detection values exceeding the threshold values, and determines a level of the selected detection value according to the size of the selected detection value, and
• wherein the level of the selected detection value is determined according to the degree of swelling risk, and the control unit transmits a vehicle speed control signal based on the corresponding level to an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle.