Battery pack, control method of battery pack, and vehicle

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a battery pack, a control method for the battery pack, and a vehicle. The battery pack includes a frame, a bottom guard plate, and a drive mechanism. The frame houses the battery cells; the bottom guard plate is disposed at the bottom of the frame; and the drive mechanism is configured to drive the bottom guard plate to move up or down away from or towards the battery cells based on operational safety information of the battery pack. Through this technical solution, the drive mechanism can drive the bottom guard plate to an appropriate position to cope with the operating conditions based on the acquired operational safety information, thereby improving the protective effect. Furthermore, whether under normal operating conditions or low-probability extreme operating conditions, the drive mechanism can achieve the protective purpose by driving the bottom guard plate, thus achieving a protective effect comparable to redundant passive protection structures while occupying less volume and weight.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of battery pack protection technology, and in particular to a battery pack, a battery pack control method, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] The reliability of power battery protection is crucial to the safe operation of vehicles. Current mainstream solutions employ passive protection, meaning that the mechanical structures related to protection are designed with a specific protection level in mind, and the overall structure is fixed during battery pack assembly. To cope with extremely rare extreme operating conditions, the protective structure occupies a volume and weight that is redundant for normal operating conditions throughout the battery pack's entire lifespan. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To overcome the problems existing in the related technologies, this disclosure provides a battery pack, a control method for the battery pack, and a vehicle.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a battery pack is provided, comprising: A frame for housing the battery cells; A bottom protective plate is provided at the bottom of the frame; A drive mechanism configured to drive the bottom guard plate to move away from or closer to the battery cell based on the battery pack's operational safety information.

[0005] Optionally, the battery pack further includes a monitoring device for acquiring operational safety information of the battery pack.

[0006] Optionally, the monitoring device includes at least one of the following: a battery status monitoring sensor, a pressure relief valve pressure sensor, a road condition image capture device, and a bottom guard plate impact sensor.

[0007] Optionally, the battery pack further includes a controller, which is connected to both the drive mechanism and the monitoring device.

[0008] Optionally, the drive mechanism includes a mounting part and a drive part. The mounting part is disposed on the frame, and the drive part is connected to the bottom guard plate and can drive the bottom guard plate to move.

[0009] Optionally, the drive mechanism is located at the corner of the frame and / or on the side beam of the frame.

[0010] Optionally, the battery pack further includes a spring connected between the frame and the bottom cover, the spring being configured to allow the bottom cover to move freely relative to the frame within a predetermined range.

[0011] Optionally, the battery pack further includes a connection structure connected between the frame and the bottom cover plate, for maintaining the connection between the frame and the bottom cover plate during the movement of the bottom cover plate.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided that includes a battery pack comprising any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0013] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling any of the above-described battery packs is provided, the method comprising: Obtain operational safety information of the battery pack; Based on the obtained operational safety information, the bottom protective plate is driven to rise or fall away from or near the battery cell.

[0014] Optionally, obtaining the operational safety information of the battery pack includes: Obtain thermal runaway information of the battery pack; Based on the obtained operational safety information, driving the bottom protective plate to rise or fall away from or near the battery cell includes: When the thermal runaway information meets the preset conditions, the bottom protective plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

[0015] Optionally, obtaining thermal runaway information of the battery pack includes: Obtain battery cell status information; When the thermal runaway information meets the preset conditions, driving the bottom protection plate to move away from the battery cell includes at least one of the following: When the obtained battery cell temperature value is greater than the preset temperature, and / or when the obtained battery cell temperature rise rate is greater than the preset temperature rise rate, the bottom protection plate is driven to move away from the battery cell. When the obtained battery cell voltage is greater than the preset voltage, the bottom protective plate is driven to move away from the battery cell. When the current of the battery cell is greater than the preset current, the bottom protective plate is driven to move away from the battery cell. When the remaining power of the battery cell is greater than the upper limit of the preset remaining power range or less than the lower limit of the preset remaining power range, the bottom protective plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

[0016] Optionally, obtaining thermal runaway information of the battery pack includes: Obtain information on pressure changes in the pressure relief valve; When the thermal runaway information meets the preset conditions, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery cell includes: When the pressure rise rate at the pressure relief valve is greater than the preset pressure rise rate, or when the airflow velocity at the pressure relief valve is greater than the preset airflow velocity, the bottom protective plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

[0017] Optionally, obtaining the operational safety information of the battery pack includes: Obtain the bottom impact information of the battery pack; Based on the obtained operational safety information, driving the bottom protective plate to rise or fall away from or near the battery cell includes: When the bottom impact information meets the preset conditions, the bottom guard plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

[0018] Optionally, obtaining the bottom impact information of the battery pack includes: Obtain road surface image information: When the bottom impact information meets the preset conditions, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery cell includes: When the road surface image information shows an obstacle that could impact the underbody protection plate, the underbody protection plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

[0019] Optionally, obtaining the bottom impact information of the battery pack includes: Obtain impact energy information: When the bottom impact information meets the preset conditions, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery cell includes: When the impact on the bottom protective plate exceeds a preset impact energy, the bottom protective plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

[0020] Optionally, obtaining the bottom impact information of the battery pack includes: Obtain impact energy information; When the bottom impact information meets the preset conditions, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery cell includes: When the impact on the bottom protective plate is less than or equal to a preset impact energy, the bottom protective plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

[0021] Optionally, the step of driving the bottom protective plate to move away from the battery cell when the impact received by the bottom protective plate is less than or equal to a preset impact energy includes: The bottom guard plate is driven to rise and fall repeatedly.

[0022] Optionally, the battery pack further includes a spring connected between the frame and the bottom cover; The step of driving the bottom protective plate to move away from the battery cell when the impact received by the bottom protective plate is less than or equal to a preset impact energy includes: The bottom guard plate moves freely within a preset lifting range under the action of the spring.

[0023] Optionally, the bottom guard plate can be set to move freely within a preset lifting range under the action of the spring as the default initial mode.

[0024] Optionally, driving the bottom guard plate to rise or fall away from or near the battery cell based on the acquired operational safety information includes: The bottom guard plate is driven to tilt in the left and right directions.

[0025] Optionally, the control method for the battery pack further includes: Based on the obtained operational safety information, a fault alert is issued.

[0026] Optionally, the control method for the battery pack further includes: The suspension is raised before the underbody protection plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

[0027] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure may include the following beneficial effects: The battery pack disclosed herein includes a drive mechanism configured to drive a bottom guard plate to move away from or closer to the battery cells based on the battery pack's operational safety information. The battery pack generates different operational safety information under different operating conditions. The drive mechanism of the battery pack disclosed herein can drive the bottom guard plate to an appropriate position to address the specific operating condition based on the acquired operational safety information, thereby improving the protective effect. Furthermore, regardless of whether it is a normal operating condition or a low-probability extreme operating condition, the drive mechanism can drive the bottom guard plate to achieve the protective purpose, thus achieving a protective effect comparable to redundant passive protection structures while occupying less volume and weight.

[0028] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0030] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the structure of a battery pack according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0031] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a monitoring device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a partial enlarged view of a battery pack according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a battery pack omitting the battery and monitoring device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0034] Figures 5a to 5j This is a schematic diagram illustrating different arrangements of the drive mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a drive mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0036] Figures 7a to 7j This is a schematic diagram illustrating different connection structures according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0037] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a spring connection between a frame and a bottom guard plate according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0038] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a battery pack according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0039] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for controlling a battery pack according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0040] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating yet another method for controlling a battery pack according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0041] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 1-Frame, 11-Storage slot, 2-Battery unit, 21-Pressure relief valve, 3-Bottom guard plate, 4-Drive mechanism, 41-Mounting part, 42-Drive part, 43-Linking rod, 5-Monitoring device, 51-Battery status monitoring sensor, 52-Pressure relief valve air pressure sensor, 53-Road condition image capture device, 54-Bottom guard plate impact sensor, 55-Controller, 6-Cover plate, 7-Spring, 8-Connecting structure, 81-Bellow folding structure, 821-Roller, 822-Winding structure, 83-Scissor lift structure, 831-First rod, 832-Second rod, 84-Sliding connection structure. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0043] It should be noted that all actions involving the acquisition of signals, information, or data in this disclosure are carried out in compliance with the relevant data protection laws and policies of the country where the location is situated, and with authorization from the owner of the relevant device.

[0044] like Figures 1 to 8 As shown, this exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a battery pack. The battery pack includes a frame 1, a bottom guard plate 3, and a drive mechanism 4. The frame 1 houses battery cells 2; the bottom guard plate 3 is disposed at the bottom of the frame 1; the drive mechanism 4 is configured to drive the bottom guard plate 3 to rise or fall away from or near the battery cells 2 based on the battery pack's operational safety information. The battery pack's operational safety information refers to information that reflects adverse effects on the safe operation of the battery pack, including information reflecting operational safety from within the battery pack and information reflecting operational safety from outside the battery pack. The battery pack is typically located under the vehicle chassis, with the bottom guard plate 3 located below the battery pack. Depending on the design, a cooling plate or support plate may also be provided between the bottom guard plate 3 and the battery cells 2 to support the battery cells 2. It should be noted that the battery cell 2 can be one or more battery cells, and the type of battery cell is not limited here; for example, it can be prismatic, cylindrical, or pouch-shaped.

[0045] The battery pack structure design needs to consider the requirements of different operating conditions. For example, thermal runaway from inside the battery pack or bottom impact from outside the battery pack. For instance, when thermal runaway occurs, the bottom protection plate 3 moves away from the battery cell 2, creating sufficient space between the battery cell 2 and the bottom protection plate 3 for venting, preventing problems such as poor venting of the battery cell 2, burning of the bottom protection plate 3 due to venting from the battery cell 2, and the spread of thermal runaway to adjacent battery cells 2. It should be noted that this disclosure is applicable to battery packs where the battery cell 2 vents downwards and requires venting space between the battery cell 2 and the bottom protection plate 3. Alternatively, for battery packs where the battery cell 2 vents upwards, under thermal runaway conditions requiring venting space, the battery cell 2 needs to descend with the bottom protection plate 3 to create venting space above it. In this case, the high-voltage copper busbar, aluminum busbar, cold plate, etc., mechanically connected to the battery cell 2 all need to move downwards. For example, when there is an obstacle on the ground that may impact the bottom protection plate 3, the bottom protection plate 3 is driven to move away from the battery unit 2, or in other words, the bottom protection plate 3 is driven to move closer to the obstacle. This can offset the impact of the obstacle by actively lowering the bottom protection plate 3, thus protecting the battery unit 2 and preventing the obstacle from intruding into the battery pack and causing damage to the battery unit 2 and other internal components.

[0046] The mainstream solution in the current market adopts a passive protection approach, meaning that the mechanical structures related to protection are designed with a specified protection level in mind, and the overall structure is fixed during battery pack assembly. This passive protection takes into account the needs of various operating conditions during design, and the final solution is usually a relatively balanced solution that can meet the standards for various operating conditions simultaneously, rather than the optimal solution for a specific operating condition. Furthermore, in order to cope with some extreme operating conditions with extremely low probability of occurrence, the passive protection structure occupies a volume and weight that is quite redundant for normal operating conditions throughout the entire life cycle of the battery pack.

[0047] The battery pack disclosed herein employs an active protection method. In terms of improving protection effectiveness, unlike the passive, balanced but untargeted protection schemes in related technologies, in this disclosure, the drive mechanism 4 can drive the bottom guard plate 3 to rise or fall away from or near the battery cell 2. During vehicle operation, when the battery pack faces different operating conditions, the drive mechanism 4 can drive the bottom guard plate 3 to an appropriate position to address that condition, seeking a better protection solution under that condition, thereby improving the protection effect. Regarding improving volumetric packing efficiency, unlike the redundant passive protection schemes in related technologies, in this disclosure, whether under normal operating conditions or low-probability extreme conditions, the drive mechanism 4 can drive the bottom guard plate 3 to achieve the purpose of protection, thus achieving a protection effect comparable to redundant passive protection structures while occupying less volume and weight.

[0048] In some embodiments, the battery pack also includes a monitoring device 5, which is used to acquire operational safety information of the battery pack. Different operating conditions will generate different operational safety information. The monitoring device 5 can acquire this operational safety information and drive the bottom protection plate 3 to an appropriate position according to this operational safety information to cope with the different operating conditions faced by the battery pack.

[0049] In some embodiments, the monitoring device 5 includes at least one of a battery status monitoring sensor 51, a pressure relief valve pressure sensor 52, a road condition image capture device 53, and a underbody impact sensor 54. These monitoring devices 5 can be used individually or in combination to improve control accuracy by integrating the monitoring results.

[0050] Among them, the battery status monitoring sensor 51 is used to monitor and output parameters such as battery cell temperature, battery cell voltage and current, and remaining charge (SOC) in real time. The pressure relief valve pressure sensor 52 is used to monitor the pressure change near the pressure relief valve of battery cell 2, indicating whether battery cell 2 is depressurized. For example, Figure 3 As shown, the pressure sensor 52 for the pressure relief valve can be positioned close to the area of ​​the pressure relief valve 21 to improve monitoring accuracy. Both the battery status monitoring sensor 51 and the pressure sensor 52 for the pressure relief valve can be implanted sensors.

[0051] The road condition image capture device 53 is used to monitor the road conditions ahead of the vehicle. For example, it can utilize sensors such as cameras and radar mounted on the vehicle body. After processing and identifying the images captured by the road condition image capture device 53, it can predict whether there are obstacles on the road surface that could impact the underbody protection plate. The road condition image capture device 53 can be positioned in front of the battery pack area to more accurately predict the road conditions that the battery pack will face. The underbody protection plate impact sensor 54, for example, can use piezoelectric crystal material. Utilizing the piezoelectric effect, it converts external impact signals into electrical signals, thereby monitoring the location and magnitude of the energy impact on the underbody protection plate 3.

[0052] In some embodiments, the battery pack also includes a controller 55. The controller 55 is connected to the drive mechanism 4 and the monitoring device 5, respectively. The monitoring device 5 can be connected to the controller 55 wirelessly via a physical signal cable or Bluetooth connection. It is worth noting that the controller 55 can be located inside the battery pack, or in other embodiments, it can be located outside the battery pack on the vehicle. It can function as a standalone controller or be integrated with other controllers, such as the BMU inside the pack and the vehicle controller outside the pack, as long as the system's response time is less than the time from entering the data acquisition area to actually reaching the battery pack area under the corresponding operating condition. This disclosure does not impose any limitations on this.

[0053] In some implementations, such as Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the drive mechanism 4 includes a mounting part 41 and a drive part 42. The mounting part 41 is mounted on the frame 1, and the drive part 42 is connected to the bottom guard plate 3 and can drive the bottom guard plate 3 to move. The mounting part 41 and the drive part 42 can be connected by a screw structure such as a sliding screw, ball screw, or hydrostatic screw, or by a piston structure similar to an air spring in an air suspension, or by an electromagnetic damping structure similar to an electromagnetic suspension or a loudspeaker. The driving force of the drive part 42 can be pneumatic, hydraulic, linear motor driven, electromagnetic driven, or purely mechanical spring return type. In addition, the drive mechanism 4 can be disposable or reusable. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0054] The frame 1 can be constructed into any suitable outline shape; for example, the frame 1 can be constructed as a rectangle. The rectangular structure of the frame 1 facilitates the arrangement of battery cells 2, reduces gaps between them, fully utilizes space, and increases the energy density of the battery pack. The drive mechanism 4 can be located at the corner of the frame 1 and / or on the side beam of the frame 1, depending on factors such as the size of the battery pack and the internal design space of the vehicle body. Different arrangements of the drive mechanism 4 will be illustrated below. It should be noted that in the following description, front, back, left, and right are defined in terms of the vehicle itself; that is, the direction of the front of the vehicle is front, the direction of the rear of the vehicle is rear, and left and right are defined in terms of the direction from which the vehicle is viewed when the front is facing forward.

[0055] The drive mechanism 4 is positioned on the longitudinal centerline of the frame 1, and is symmetrically arranged about the longitudinal centerline of the frame 1. By positioning the drive mechanism 4 on the longitudinal centerline of the frame 1 or symmetrically about the longitudinal centerline, the stability of the drive mechanism 4 in driving the frame 1 can be improved, thereby enhancing the reliability of the protection for the battery cell 2.

[0056] In some embodiments, multiple drive mechanisms 4 are provided, and all multiple drive mechanisms 4 are located at the corner positions of the frame 1. For example... Figure 5a As shown, four drive mechanisms 4 are provided, positioned at the four corners of the frame 1. Providing four drive mechanisms 4 improves the control precision of the underbody protection plate 3, and by controlling the descent height of the underbody protection plate 3 at different positions, the four drive mechanisms 4 allow the underbody protection plate 3 to tilt left and right, thereby guiding moving obstacles outwards after a collision and reducing the risk of secondary impacts caused by obstacles remaining in the area below the battery pack. In other embodiments, the drive mechanisms 4 may include one, two, three, or more units positioned at the corners of the frame 1, which will not be detailed in this disclosure.

[0057] In some embodiments, multiple drive mechanisms 4 are provided, and all drive mechanisms 4 are arranged on the side beams of the frame 1. Specifically, only one drive mechanism 4 may be provided on one side beam, or at least two drive mechanisms 4 may be provided on one side beam. These will be described in detail below.

[0058] For a single edge beam, only one drive mechanism 4 can be installed. In some implementations, such as... Figure 5b As shown, there are four drive mechanisms 4, which are located at the center of the four side beams of the frame 1.

[0059] In some implementations, such as Figure 5f As shown, there are three drive mechanisms 4. One of the three drive mechanisms 4 is located at the center of the front beam of the frame 1, and the other two drive mechanisms 4 are located between the center of the left beam and the right beam and the rear corner, respectively, or as shown in the diagram. Figure 5e As shown, one of the three drive mechanisms 4 is located at the center of the rear beam of the frame 1, and the other two drive mechanisms 4 are located between the center of the left beam and the right beam and the front corner, respectively.

[0060] In some implementations, such as Figure 5h As shown, there are two drive mechanisms 4, which are respectively located at the center of the front beam and the rear beam of the frame 1, or as shown in the figure. Figure 5i As shown, two drive mechanisms 4 are respectively located at the center of the left and right beams of the frame 1. In an embodiment where two drive mechanisms 4 are provided, located at the center of the front and rear beams of the frame 1 respectively, the drive mechanisms 4 can be connected to the two corners at the front end of the frame 1 via connecting rods 43, and / or the drive mechanisms 4 can be connected to the two corners at the rear end of the frame 1 via connecting rods 43. This allows the drive mechanisms 4 to control the height of the two front corners and the two rear corners respectively, thereby achieving the tilting of the bottom guard plate 3 in the left and right directions.

[0061] For at least one side beam, two drive mechanisms 4 are provided. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 5c As shown, two of the four drive mechanisms 4 are spaced apart on the left beam of the frame 1, and the other two drive mechanisms 4 are spaced apart on the right beam of the frame 1.

[0062] In some embodiments, multiple drive mechanisms 4 are provided, with some of the drive mechanisms 4 located at the corners of the frame 1 and others located on the side beams of the frame 1. For example... Figure 5gAs shown, three drive mechanisms 4 are provided. One of the three drive mechanisms 4 is located at the center of the front beam of the frame 1, and the other two drive mechanisms 4 are located at the two corners of the rear end of the frame 1. In other embodiments, such as Figure 5d As shown, there are three drive mechanisms 4. One of the three drive mechanisms 4 is located at the center of the rear beam of the frame 1, and the other two drive mechanisms 4 are located between the center of the left beam and the right beam and the front corner, respectively.

[0063] In some implementations, such as Figure 5j As shown, the drive mechanism 4 includes one component, which is located at the center of either the front beam or the rear beam of the frame 1. The other beam is connected to the bottom guard plate 3 via a pivot. In some other embodiments, the drive mechanism 4 is located on the rear beam of the frame 1, and the front beam is connected to the bottom guard plate 3 via a pivot.

[0064] like Figure 4 and Figure 8 As shown, the battery pack provided in this disclosure may further include a spring 7 connected between the frame 1 and the bottom protective plate 3. The spring 7 is configured such that the bottom protective plate 3 can move freely relative to the frame 1 within a predetermined range. Multiple springs 7 can be arranged along the side beams of the frame 1. The predetermined range of free up-and-down movement of the bottom protective plate 3 is related to the spring constant of the spring 7. The free up-and-down movement of the bottom protective plate 3 can "push away" a large amount of gravel, and the bottom protective plate 3 can move up and down within a certain range with the impact when subjected to low-energy impacts. This free up-and-down movement after an impact can absorb some of the impact energy and reduce the deformation of the bottom protective plate 3 after an impact.

[0065] In some embodiments, the battery pack also includes a connecting structure 8, which is connected between the frame 1 and the bottom protective plate 3. The connecting structure 8 is used to maintain the connection between the frame 1 and the bottom protective plate 3 during the movement of the bottom protective plate 3. That is, the connecting structure 8 serves to connect the frame 1 and the bottom protective plate 3 and prevent the bottom protective plate 3 from completely detaching during the movement of the bottom protective plate 3.

[0066] The connecting structure 8 can take various forms. In some embodiments, the connecting structure 8 is an extendable / retractable structure, wherein when the bottom guard plate 3 is away from the battery cell 2, the extendable / retractable structure is in an extended state, and when the bottom guard plate 3 is close to the battery cell 2, the extendable / retractable structure is in a retracted state. This extendable / retractable connecting structure occupies less space in the retracted state, reducing the volume occupied by the battery pack and benefiting the overall vehicle space layout. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 7bAs shown, the frame 1 and / or the bottom protective plate 3 are provided with a storage groove 11 to avoid the expansion and contraction structure, which helps to further reduce the volume occupied by the battery pack. The expansion and contraction structure can be connected to the frame 1 and the bottom protective plate 3 by means of welding, bonding or other methods.

[0067] In some implementations, such as Figure 7a and Figure 7b As shown, the telescopic structure includes an accordion fold structure 81, one end of which is connected to the frame 1, and the other end is connected to the bottom protective plate 3. The accordion fold structure 81 can be made of metal or composite material, for example. The accordion fold structure 81 can be a one-piece design that wraps around the frame 1, or it can be a separate design that is spliced ​​together to wrap around the frame 1.

[0068] In some implementations, such as Figure 7c and 7d As shown, the extension and retraction structure includes a roller 821 and a winding structure 822 wound around the roller 821. The roller 821 is mounted on the frame 1. One end of the winding structure 822 is connected to the roller 821, and the other end is connected to the bottom guard plate 3. The winding structure 822 can adopt a structure similar to a roller shutter or a coil spring structure. Similar to the accordion folding structure, the winding structure 822 can also be a one-piece design that wraps around the frame 1, or it can be a separate design that is spliced ​​together to wrap around the frame 1.

[0069] In some implementations, such as Figure 7e and Figure 7f As shown, the telescopic structure includes a scissor lift structure 83, which comprises a first rod 831 and a second rod 832, hinged together. The first rod 831 is slidably connected to the bottom guard plate 3. Figure 7g The scissor lift mechanism 83 is shown in the retracted position. Figure 7h The scissor lift structure 83 is shown in the extended position.

[0070] The connecting structure 8 may also include a sliding connecting structure 84, in some embodiments several, such as Figure 7i and 7j As shown, the sliding connection structure 84 includes a slide rail extending along the movement direction of the bottom guard plate 3 and a slider slidably disposed in the slide rail. One of the slide rail and the slider is disposed on the frame 1, and the other is disposed on the bottom guard plate 3. The slide rail enables vertical lifting without deformation of the parts themselves, resulting in a simple structure. Furthermore, other forms of sliding connections, such as roller and slide rail couplings or linkage-based sliding couplings, can also be applied in this disclosure, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0071] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is also provided, comprising the battery pack of any of the above-described embodiments, and having all of its beneficial effects.

[0072] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 9 As shown, a battery pack control method is also provided for controlling the battery pack described in any of the above-mentioned embodiments. The steps of the battery pack control method include: S1, acquiring operational safety information of the battery pack; and S2, driving the bottom protection plate to rise or fall away from or near the battery cells based on the acquired operational safety information. The operational safety information of the battery pack refers to information that reflects adverse effects on the safe operation of the battery pack, including information reflecting operational safety from within the battery pack and information reflecting operational safety from outside the battery pack.

[0073] The drive mechanism 4 can drive the bottom guard plate 3 to the appropriate position to deal with the working condition based on the acquired operational safety information, thereby improving the protective effect. Moreover, whether it is a normal working condition or an extreme working condition with a low probability of occurrence, the purpose of protection can be achieved by driving the bottom guard plate 3 with the drive mechanism 4, thereby achieving a protective effect comparable to redundant passive protection structures with less volume and weight.

[0074] The battery pack will generate different operational safety information under different operating conditions. In some implementations, such as... Figure 10 As shown, obtaining battery pack operation safety information includes: S11, obtaining thermal runaway information of the battery pack; based on the obtained operation safety information, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from or towards the battery cell includes: S21, when the thermal runaway information meets preset conditions, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery cell. When the battery pack experiences thermal runaway, driving the bottom guard plate 3 to move away from the battery cell 2, thereby creating sufficient space between the battery cell 2 and the bottom guard plate 3 for venting, avoiding problems such as poor venting of the battery cell 2, the battery cell 2 venting burning the bottom guard plate 3, and the thermal runaway spreading to adjacent battery cells 2.

[0075] Thermal runaway information can be obtained in various ways. In some embodiments, obtaining thermal runaway information of the battery pack includes: obtaining battery cell state information; when the thermal runaway information meets preset conditions, driving the bottom protection plate to move away from the battery cells includes at least one of the following: when the obtained battery cell temperature value is greater than a preset temperature, and / or when the obtained battery cell temperature rise rate is greater than a preset temperature rise rate, driving the bottom protection plate to move away from the battery cells; when the obtained battery cell voltage is greater than a preset voltage, driving the bottom protection plate to move away from the battery cells; when the obtained battery cell current is greater than a preset current, driving the bottom protection plate to move away from the battery cells; when the obtained remaining battery cell charge is greater than the upper limit of a preset remaining charge range or less than the lower limit of a preset remaining charge range, driving the bottom protection plate to move away from the battery cells. These methods can be used individually or in combination. The selection of preset values ​​can be determined based on the battery cell chemical system, battery cell charge, and cooling capacity of the cooling system.

[0076] In some implementations, acquiring thermal runaway information of the battery pack includes: acquiring pressure change information of the pressure relief valve; when the thermal runaway information meets preset conditions, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery cell includes: when the acquired pressure rise rate at the pressure relief valve is greater than the preset pressure rise rate, or when the acquired airflow velocity at the pressure relief valve is greater than the preset airflow velocity, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery cell.

[0077] In some implementations, such as Figure 11 As shown, obtaining the operational safety information of the battery pack includes: S12, obtaining the bottom impact information of the battery pack; based on the obtained operational safety information, driving the bottom guard plate to rise or fall away from or near the battery unit includes: S22, when the bottom impact information meets preset conditions, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery unit. When there is an obstacle on the ground that may impact the bottom guard plate 3, driving the bottom guard plate 3 to move away from the battery unit 2, actively lowering the bottom guard plate 3 to offset the impact of the obstacle, thus protecting the battery unit 2 and preventing the obstacle from intruding into the battery pack and causing damage to the battery unit 2 and other internal components.

[0078] Bottom impact information can be obtained in various ways. In some embodiments, obtaining bottom impact information of the battery pack includes: obtaining road surface image information; when the bottom impact information meets preset conditions, driving the underbody protection plate to move away from the battery cell includes: when the obtained road surface image information shows an obstacle that will impact the underbody protection plate, driving the underbody protection plate to move away from the battery cell. Unlike the method of obtaining impact energy described below, using the obtained road surface image information to drive the underbody protection plate 3 is a form of early prediction of bottom impact, so that when the vehicle travels to the point where the obstacle is located at the bottom of the battery pack, the underbody protection plate 3 has already descended in advance to offset the impact.

[0079] When the battery pack is subjected to bottom impact, it may experience impact energy under normal operating conditions or under extreme operating conditions. This impact energy can be monitored using the bottom plate impact sensor 54. Unlike the advance prediction based on road surface image information, the acquisition of impact energy information is real-time monitoring; that is, it can only be detected when an obstacle impacts the battery pack. However, the accuracy of this monitoring is also higher. Road surface image information and bottom plate impact energy acquisition can be used individually or in combination to improve control accuracy.

[0080] For impact energy under extreme operating conditions, i.e., when the impact on the bottom protective plate exceeds a preset impact energy (e.g., 150J), in some embodiments, acquiring the bottom impact information of the battery pack includes: acquiring impact energy information; when the bottom impact information meets a preset condition, driving the bottom protective plate to move away from the battery cell includes: when the impact on the bottom protective plate exceeds the preset impact energy, driving the bottom protective plate to move away from the battery cell. When the impact on the bottom protective plate exceeds the preset impact energy, driving the bottom protective plate to move away from the battery cell, by actively lowering the bottom protective plate 3, offsets the impact of the obstacle, protects the battery cell, and prevents the obstacle from intruding into the battery pack and causing damage to the battery cell 2 and other internal components.

[0081] For impact energy under normal operating conditions, i.e., when the impact on the bottom guard plate is less than or equal to a preset impact energy, in some embodiments, obtaining the bottom impact information of the battery pack includes: obtaining impact energy information; when the bottom impact information meets a preset condition, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery cell includes: when the impact on the bottom guard plate is less than the preset impact energy, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery cell. That is, regardless of whether the impact energy is under normal or extreme operating conditions, the impact force can be offset by lowering the bottom guard plate 3.

[0082] Similar to energy impacts under extreme conditions, under normal conditions, when the obstacle is non-fixed and only appears on one side of the battery pack's central axis, the underbody protection plate 3 can tilt in the left and right directions. This guides the moving obstacle outwards after the collision, reducing the risk of secondary impacts caused by the obstacle remaining in the area under the battery pack. Furthermore, if the suspension height is adjustable, the suspension can be raised to its maximum height, providing more space for the underbody protection plate 3 to lower.

[0083] In the initial state, the gap between the bottom protective plate 3 and the battery cell 2 is minimized. The bottom protective plate 3 should not break when subjected to normal operating conditions, and the intrusion of the battery cell 2 and other internal structural components such as the bottom cold plate should not exceed the failure threshold.

[0084] In some embodiments, when the impact on the bottom guard plate is less than or equal to a preset impact energy, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery cell includes driving the bottom guard plate to rise and fall repeatedly. For example, in off-road conditions or areas with extremely poor road surfaces, there are often gravel sections characterized by small obstacles continuously and frequently impacting the bottom guard plate with low energy. Under such conditions, the bottom guard plate 3 is driven to rise and fall repeatedly to "push away" the gravel, thereby offsetting the impact and reducing the risk of the battery cell being affected by the impact. At the same time, it can also greatly reduce the accuracy requirements for road condition recognition and tracking of small obstacles.

[0085] In some embodiments, the battery pack also includes a spring 7 connected between the frame 1 and the bottom protective plate 3. When the impact on the bottom protective plate is less than or equal to a preset impact energy, driving the bottom protective plate to move away from the battery cell includes: the bottom protective plate moving freely within a preset lifting range under the action of the spring. The free up-and-down movement of the bottom protective plate 3 can "push away" a large amount of gravel, and the bottom protective plate 3 can move up and down within a certain range with the impact when subjected to low-energy impacts. This free up-and-down movement after an impact can absorb some of the impact energy and reduce the deformation of the bottom protective plate 3 after an impact. In areas with good road conditions, fewer obstacles, and lower ground clearance, such as highways and urban roads, this mode can be set as the default state.

[0086] Similar to energy impacts under extreme conditions, under normal conditions, when the obstacle is non-fixed and only appears on one side of the battery pack's central axis, the underbody protection plate 3 can tilt in the left and right directions. This guides the moving obstacle outwards after the collision, reducing the risk of secondary impacts caused by the obstacle remaining in the area under the battery pack. Furthermore, if the suspension height is adjustable, the suspension can be raised to its maximum height, providing more space for the underbody protection plate 3 to lower.

[0087] In some implementations, the battery control method further includes issuing a fault warning based on acquired operational safety information. The fault warning may be issued via flashing warning lights or a buzzer, and simultaneously, the drive mechanism 4 raises or lowers the underbody protection plate 3. Upon receiving the fault warning, occupants can pull the vehicle over to the side of the road to avoid personal injury and property damage.

[0088] In some embodiments, the control method for the battery further includes raising the suspension before driving the underbody protection plate to move away from the battery cell. The suspension may be an active suspension. By raising the suspension, more space is provided for the descent of the underbody protection plate 3, thereby creating sufficient venting space between the underbody protection plate 3 and the battery cell 2.

[0089] Furthermore, the term “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as advantageous compared to other aspects or designs. Rather, the use of the term “exemplary” is intended to present the concept in a concrete manner. As used herein, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless otherwise specified or clear from the context, “X applies A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive arrangements. That is, “X applies A or B” satisfies any of the foregoing instances if X applies A; X applies B; or both X applies A and B. Additionally, unless otherwise specified or clear from the context to refer to the singular form, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims are generally understood to mean “one or more.”

[0090] Similarly, although this disclosure has been shown and described with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent variations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding this specification and the accompanying drawings. This disclosure includes all such modifications and variations and is limited only by the scope of the claims. In particular, with respect to the various functions performed by the components described above (e.g., elements, resources, etc.), unless otherwise indicated, the terminology used to describe such components is intended to correspond to any component (functionally equivalent) that performs the specific function of the described component, even if structurally not equivalent to the disclosed structure. Furthermore, although specific features of this disclosure may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such features may be combined with one or more other features of other implementations, as may be desired and advantageous to any given or particular application. Moreover, with regard to the terms “comprising,” “owning,” “having,” “having,” or variations thereof as used in the detailed description or claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “including.”

[0091] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

[0092] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery pack, characterized in that, include: A frame for housing the battery cells; A bottom protective plate is provided at the bottom of the frame; A drive mechanism configured to drive the bottom guard plate to move away from or closer to the battery cell based on the battery pack's operational safety information.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery pack further includes a monitoring device for acquiring operational safety information of the battery pack.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The monitoring device includes at least one of the following: a battery status monitoring sensor, a pressure relief valve pressure sensor, a road condition image capture device, and a bottom protection plate impact sensor.

4. The battery pack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The battery pack also includes a controller, which is connected to both the drive mechanism and the monitoring device.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive mechanism includes a mounting part and a drive part. The mounting part is disposed on the frame, and the drive part is connected to the bottom guard plate and can drive the bottom guard plate to move.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive mechanism is located at the corner of the frame and / or on the side beam of the frame.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery pack also includes a spring connected between the frame and the bottom cover, the spring being configured to allow the bottom cover to move freely relative to the frame within a predetermined range.

8. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery pack also includes a connection structure connected between the frame and the bottom protective plate, which is used to maintain the connection between the frame and the bottom protective plate during the movement of the bottom protective plate.

9. A vehicle, characterized in that, Includes the battery pack as described in any one of claims 1-8.

10. A method for controlling the battery pack according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The control method for the battery pack includes: Obtain operational safety information of the battery pack; Based on the obtained operational safety information, the bottom protective plate is driven to rise or fall away from or near the battery cell.

11. The battery pack control method according to claim 10, characterized in that, Obtaining the operational safety information of the battery pack includes: Obtain thermal runaway information of the battery pack; Based on the obtained operational safety information, driving the bottom protective plate to rise or fall away from or near the battery cell includes: When the thermal runaway information meets the preset conditions, the bottom protective plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

12. The battery pack control method according to claim 11, characterized in that, Obtaining thermal runaway information of the battery pack includes: Obtain battery cell status information; When the thermal runaway information meets the preset conditions, driving the bottom protection plate to move away from the battery cell includes at least one of the following: When the obtained battery cell temperature value is greater than the preset temperature, and / or when the obtained battery cell temperature rise rate is greater than the preset temperature rise rate, the bottom protection plate is driven to move away from the battery cell. When the obtained battery cell voltage is greater than the preset voltage, the bottom protective plate is driven to move away from the battery cell. When the current of the battery cell is greater than the preset current, the bottom protective plate is driven to move away from the battery cell. When the remaining power of the battery cell is greater than the upper limit of the preset remaining power range or less than the lower limit of the preset remaining power range, the bottom protective plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

13. The battery pack control method according to claim 11, characterized in that, Obtaining thermal runaway information of the battery pack includes: Obtain information on pressure changes in the pressure relief valve; When the thermal runaway information meets the preset conditions, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery cell includes: When the pressure rise rate at the pressure relief valve is greater than the preset pressure rise rate, or when the airflow velocity at the pressure relief valve is greater than the preset airflow velocity, the bottom protective plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

14. The control method for a battery pack according to any one of claims 10-13, characterized in that, Obtaining the operational safety information of the battery pack includes: Obtain the bottom impact information of the battery pack; Based on the obtained operational safety information, driving the bottom protective plate to rise or fall away from or near the battery cell includes: When the bottom impact information meets the preset conditions, the bottom guard plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

15. The battery pack control method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Obtaining the bottom impact information of the battery pack includes: Obtain road surface image information: When the bottom impact information meets the preset conditions, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery cell includes: When the road surface image information shows an obstacle that could impact the underbody protection plate, the underbody protection plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

16. The battery pack control method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Obtaining the bottom impact information of the battery pack includes: Obtain impact energy information: When the bottom impact information meets the preset conditions, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery cell includes: When the impact on the bottom protective plate exceeds a preset impact energy, the bottom protective plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

17. The battery pack control method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Obtaining the bottom impact information of the battery pack includes: Obtain impact energy information; When the bottom impact information meets the preset conditions, driving the bottom guard plate to move away from the battery cell includes: When the impact on the bottom protective plate is less than or equal to a preset impact energy, the bottom protective plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

18. The battery pack control method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The step of driving the bottom protective plate to move away from the battery cell when the impact received by the bottom protective plate is less than or equal to a preset impact energy includes: The bottom guard plate is driven to rise and fall repeatedly.

19. The battery pack control method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The battery pack also includes a spring connected between the frame and the bottom cover plate; The step of driving the bottom protective plate to move away from the battery cell when the impact received by the bottom protective plate is less than or equal to a preset impact energy includes: The bottom guard plate moves freely within a preset lifting range under the action of the spring.

20. The battery pack control method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The bottom guard plate is set to move freely within a preset lifting range under the action of the spring as the default initial mode.

21. The battery pack control method according to claim 10, characterized in that, Based on the obtained operational safety information, driving the bottom guard plate to rise or fall away from or near the battery includes: The bottom guard plate is driven to tilt in the left and right directions.

22. The battery pack control method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The control method for the battery pack also includes: Based on the obtained operational safety information, a fault alert is issued.

23. The battery pack control method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The control method for the battery pack also includes: The suspension is raised before the underbody protection plate is driven to move away from the battery cell.

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