Battery module and intelligent charging method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a battery module and an intelligent charging method thereof. The battery module is electrically connected to a load system. The battery module comprises a battery, a detection unit and a processing unit. The detection unit is connected to the processing unit and the battery. When the battery module is electrically connected to a charger, the detection unit detects the voltage of the battery and the current flowing through the load system. When the battery module is electrically connected to the charger, the processing unit controls the output current and the output voltage of the charger through a channel, and determines whether the battery is in a constant-current charging mode or a constant-voltage charging mode according to the voltage of the battery. When the processing unit determines that the battery is in the constant-current charging mode, the output current of the charger is dynamically increased based on a default rule. When the processing unit determines that the battery is in the constant-voltage charging mode, the output voltage of the charger is dynamically increased based on the default rule. Therefore, the problem that the battery cannot be effectively charged due to the electric connection between the battery module and the load system can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of charging technology, and in particular to a battery module and its intelligent charging method. Background Technology

[0002] Please see Figure 1 This is a system architecture diagram for charging a traditional battery module connected to a load system using a charger. In this diagram, Vchg is the voltage of the charger 110, Vbat is the voltage of the battery module 120, Vload is the voltage of the load system 130, I_chg is the total output current of the charger 110, I_bat is the current shunt flowing through the battery module 120, and I_load is the current shunt flowing through the load system 130, satisfying I_chg = I_bat + I_load.

[0003] like Figure 1 As shown, since there is no way for the battery module 120 and the charger 110 to know whether the battery module 120 is being charged while connected to the load system 130, the actual amount of electricity that can be charged into the battery module 120 when it is connected to the load system 130 is less than the amount that can be charged when it is not connected to the load system 130. Therefore, the battery module 120 may not be fully charged. Furthermore, if the percentage of charged electricity is used as the basis for the capacity update algorithm of the battery module 120, the capacity update will face the problem of distortion.

[0004] In addition, the time it takes for the battery module 120 to switch from constant current charging mode to constant voltage charging mode when connected to the load system 130 is longer than when it is not connected to the load system 130, resulting in a longer charging time for the battery module 120 when connected to the load system 130.

[0005] Please see Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the relationship between the charging time and battery voltage of a traditional battery module when connected to and unconnected to a load system. The solid line represents the relationship between the charging time and battery voltage when the battery module is connected to a load system, while the chain line represents the relationship between the charging time and battery voltage when the battery module is unconnected to a load system. Using the same fixed voltage as the starting point for charging the batteries in both connected and unconnected battery modules, the time t1 when the battery in the connected module enters the constant voltage charging mode is later than the time t2 when the battery in the unconnected module enters the constant voltage charging mode. Figure 2It can be seen that the battery module takes a long time to charge when connected to a load system; and if the battery module voltage is 42 volts (V) to represent the battery module being fully charged, it can be seen that when the battery module is connected to a load system, after the battery module enters the constant voltage charging mode, the voltage difference caused by the load effect causes the battery module to have the problem of not being fully charged. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main objective of this application is to provide a battery module and its intelligent charging method, which solves the problem in the prior art that the battery of the battery module cannot be fully charged when connected to a load system.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this application is implemented as follows:

[0008] Firstly, a battery module is provided, electrically connected to a load system. The battery module includes a battery, a detection unit, and a processing unit, with the detection unit connected to the processing unit and the battery. When the battery module is electrically connected to a charger, the detection unit detects the battery voltage and the current flowing through the load system. When the battery module is electrically connected to the charger, the processing unit controls the output current and output voltage of the charger via a channel, and determines whether the battery is in a constant current charging mode or a constant voltage charging mode based on the battery voltage. Specifically, when the processing unit determines that the battery is in a constant current charging mode, it dynamically increases the charger's output current based on default rules; and when the processing unit determines that the battery is in a constant voltage charging mode, it dynamically increases the charger's output voltage based on default rules.

[0009] Secondly, a smart charging method for a battery module is provided, comprising the following steps: determining whether the battery module is electrically connected to a load system; detecting whether the battery module is electrically connected to a charger; when it is determined that the battery module is electrically connected to the load system and it is detected that the battery module is electrically connected to a charger, detecting the voltage of the battery in the battery module; determining whether the battery is in a constant current charging mode or a constant voltage charging mode based on the battery voltage; when it is determined that the battery is in a constant current charging mode, dynamically increasing the output current of the charger based on default rules; and when it is determined that the battery is in a constant voltage charging mode, dynamically increasing the output voltage of the charger based on default rules.

[0010] Therefore, when the battery module is in constant current charging mode, the output current of the charger is dynamically increased based on default rules; and when the battery module is in constant voltage charging mode, the output voltage of the charger is dynamically increased based on default rules. This compensates for the battery module's incomplete charging due to its electrical connection to the load system, ensuring that the battery module's battery is fully charged, thus solving the problem of the battery module's inability to be effectively charged due to its electrical connection to the load system. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0012] Figure 1 A system architecture diagram showing how a charger is used to charge a traditional battery module when it is connected to a load system.

[0013] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the relationship between the charging time and the battery voltage of a traditional battery module when it is connected to a load system and when it is not connected to a load system.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a system architecture for charging a battery module electrically connected to a load system according to this application using a charger.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of charging the battery module in a constant voltage charging mode using a charger when the battery module is not connected to a load system.

[0016] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of charging the battery module using a charger when the battery is in a constant voltage charging mode in the case of the battery module being connected to a load system according to this application.

[0017] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of charging the battery module using a charger when the battery is in a constant voltage charging mode, provided the battery module is connected to a load system according to this application; and

[0018] Figure 7 This is a schematic flowchart of an embodiment of the intelligent charging method for a battery module according to this application. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Please see Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of a system architecture for charging a battery module electrically connected to a load system according to this application. In this embodiment, the battery module 300 is electrically connected to the load system 400 and the charger 500, and the charger 500, battery module 300, and load system 400 are connected in parallel. The battery module 300 includes a battery 310, a detection unit 320, and a processing unit 330, with the detection unit 320 connected to the processing unit 330 and the battery 310. The number of batteries 310 may be, but is not limited to, one.

[0021] When the battery module 300 is electrically connected to the charger 500, the detection unit 320 detects the battery voltage and the current flowing through the load system 400. The processing unit 330 controls the output current and output voltage of the charger 500 through a medium, such as an I / O interface or channel 340, and determines whether the battery 310 is in a constant current charging mode or a constant voltage charging mode based on the battery voltage. The detection unit 320 can also obtain the magnitude of the charging current lost by the battery module 300 when connected to the load system 400 (i.e., detect the current flowing through the load system 400) based on the expected charging current when the battery module 300 is not connected to the load system 400.

[0022] In one embodiment, when the processing unit 330 determines that the battery 310 is in a constant current charging mode, it dynamically increases the output current of the charger 500 based on default rules; when the processing unit 330 determines that the battery 310 is in a constant voltage charging mode, it dynamically increases the output voltage of the charger 500 based on default rules. The processing unit 330 instructs the charger 500 to adjust the output current and output voltage by changing the level of the control signal or by using different control signals.

[0023] More specifically, in this embodiment, a default voltage value is used as the standard. When the voltage of the battery 310 is less than the default voltage value, the processing unit 330 determines that the battery 310 is in a constant current charging mode; otherwise, the battery 310 is in a constant voltage charging mode. The default voltage value can be adjusted according to the different types of batteries 310.

[0024] Therefore, the default rule dynamically increases the output current of the charger 500, thereby compensating for the current loss of the battery module 300 due to its electrical connection to the load system 400, and increasing the charging rate in the constant current charging mode; the default rule also dynamically increases the output voltage of the charger 500, thereby compensating for the insufficient charge of the battery 310 of the battery module 300 due to its electrical connection to the load system 400, and ensuring that the battery 310 of the battery module 300 is fully charged.

[0025] In one embodiment, the default rule includes: when it is determined that the battery 310 is in a constant current charging mode, setting the sum of the current flowing through the load system 400 and a preset current value as the output current that the charger 500 needs to provide, thereby increasing the output current of the charger 500. The preset current value may be, but is not limited to, the current output by the charger 500 to the battery 310 in constant current charging mode when the battery module 300 is not connected to the load system 400, but this embodiment is not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0026] Since the magnitude of the current flowing through the load system 400 varies, the charger 500 can dynamically adjust the magnitude of the output current according to the changes in the control signal.

[0027] In one embodiment, the default rule further includes: when it is determined that the battery 310 is in a constant voltage charging mode, calculating a compensation voltage based on the current flowing through the load system 400, so as to require the charger 500 to increase the output voltage according to the compensation voltage, in order to compensate for the battery 310 not being fully charged due to the battery module 300 being electrically connected to the load system 400, thereby ensuring that the battery 310 of the battery module 300 is fully charged; wherein, the compensation voltage is the product of the current flowing through the load system 400 and the equivalent output resistance, and the equivalent output resistance is the sum of the equivalent resistance of the charger 500 when the battery 310 is in the constant voltage charging mode and the resistance of the connecting line 600 connecting the battery 310 and the charger 500.

[0028] The preset voltage value may be, but is not limited to, the voltage output by the charger 500 to the battery 310 in a constant voltage charging mode when the battery module 300 is not connected to the load system 400. However, this embodiment is not intended to limit this application.

[0029] In one embodiment, the default rule further includes: when it is determined that the battery 310 is in a constant voltage charging mode and the charger 500 is required to increase the output voltage according to the magnitude of the compensation voltage, periodically determining whether the battery 310 is not fully charged based on the voltage of the battery 310; and when it is determined for the Nth time that the battery 310 is not fully charged, increasing the compensation voltage by N+1 times to increase the output voltage of the charger 500 until it is determined that the battery 310 is fully charged, wherein the sum of the increased compensation voltage and the preset voltage value is less than the overvoltage protection threshold of the battery 310, and N is a positive integer.

[0030] More specifically, the processing unit 330 can determine whether the battery 310 is not fully charged at preset time intervals (i.e., periodically, for example, but not limited to 5 minutes or 10 minutes) based on the voltage of the battery 310 detected by the detection unit 320. When the processing unit 330 determines for the first time that the battery 310 is not fully charged, the processing unit 330 adds the preset voltage value to twice the compensation voltage and requests the charger 500 to increase the output voltage based on the sum. When the processing unit 330 determines for the second time that the battery 310 is not fully charged, the processing unit 330 adds the preset voltage value to three times the compensation voltage and requests the charger 500 to increase the output voltage based on the sum, and so on until the battery 310 is determined to be fully charged. It should be noted that the above sum must be less than the overvoltage protection threshold of the battery 310, that is, N has an upper limit, which may vary depending on the type of battery.

[0031] In one embodiment, the battery module 300 further includes a detection unit 350 and an electrical connection detection unit 320, for detecting whether the battery module 300 is electrically connected to the charger 500.

[0032] In one embodiment, the battery module 300 further includes a storage unit 360 and an electrical connection processing unit 330 for storing constant current flag values ​​and constant voltage flag values; when the battery module 300 is electrically connected to the charger 500, the processing unit 330 sets the constant current flag value and the constant voltage flag value to 0.

[0033] In one embodiment, when the processing unit 330 determines that the battery 310 is in the constant current charging mode, the processing unit 330 sets the constant current flag value to 1; when the processing unit 330 determines that the battery 310 is in the constant voltage charging mode, the processing unit 330 sets the constant voltage flag value to 1.

[0034] The following combinations Figures 4 to 6 The magnitude of the compensation voltage is illustrated by way of example.

[0035] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment where the battery module is charged using a charger when it is in a constant voltage charging mode without being connected to a load system. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of charging the battery module using a charger when the battery is in a constant voltage charging mode, provided that the battery module of this application is connected to a load system.

[0036] exist Figure 4In the diagram, Vchg_1 represents the output voltage of charger 500, Vbat_1 represents the voltage of battery module 300 not connected to load system 400, Ichg_1 represents the output current of charger 500, Ibat_1 represents the current flowing through battery module 300 not connected to load system 400, Rcable_1 represents the resistance of the connection wire between battery module 300 and charger 500, Rchg,cv_1 represents the equivalent resistance of charger 500 when battery 310 of battery module 300 is in constant voltage charging mode, and T... CV The charging time is defined as the charging time of battery 310 in the unconnected battery module 300 in constant voltage charging mode. Therefore, when battery 310 in the unconnected battery module 300 is in constant voltage charging mode, the charger 500 can charge the battery 310 in the unconnected battery module 300 to a certain amount of power.

[0037] exist Figure 5 In this context, Vchg_1 represents the output voltage of charger 500, Vbat_L represents the voltage of battery module 300, Ichg_1 represents the output current of charger 500, Ibat_1 represents the current flowing through battery module 300, Rcable_1 represents the resistance of the connection wire between battery module 300 and charger 500, and Rchg,cv_1 represents the equivalent resistance of charger 500 when battery 310 is in constant voltage charging mode. Load Given the equivalent resistance of the load system of 400, I Load T represents the magnitude of the current flowing through the load system of 400. CV_Load The charging time for battery 310 in constant voltage charging mode is given by ΔV, where ΔV is the magnitude of the compensation voltage. Therefore, when battery module 300 connected to load system 400 is in constant voltage charging mode, charger 500 can charge battery 310 to a certain amount of capacity.

[0038] The battery module 300 of this application aims to ensure that the accumulated charge of the battery 310 electrically connected to the load system 400 is consistent with the accumulated charge of the battery 310 not electrically connected to the load system 400 (i.e., Q). CV =Q CV_L Assume T CV =T CV_Load And Vbat_1(t) = Vbat_L, such that ΔV = I Load ×(Rchg, cv_1+Rcable_1). Where Rchg, cv_1+Rcable_1 is the equivalent output resistance.

[0039] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of charging the battery module using a charger when the battery is in a constant voltage charging mode, provided that the battery module of this application is connected to a load system.

[0040] Figure 6 and Figure 5 The difference between the models lies in the electrical connection method of the battery module 300, load system 400, and charger 500. Figure 6 The model also includes the voltage magnitude V_L of the load system 400. Therefore, when the battery 310 of the battery module 300 connected to the load system 400 is in a constant voltage charging mode, the charger 500 can charge the battery 310 of the battery module 300 connected to the load system 400.

[0041] In this application, the battery module 300 aims to ensure that the accumulated charge of the battery 310 in the battery module 300 electrically connected to the load system 400 is consistent with the accumulated charge of the battery 310 in the battery module 300 not electrically connected to the load system 400 (i.e., Q). CV =Q CV_L Assume T CV =T CV_Load And V_L(t)=Vbat_1(t)+Ibat_1×R Load So that ΔV = I Load ×(Rchg,cv_1+Rcable_1)+ Where Rchg,cv_1+Rcable_1 is the equivalent output resistance.

[0042] Please see Figure 7 This is a schematic flowchart of an embodiment of the intelligent charging method for a battery module according to this application. In this embodiment, the intelligent charging method for the battery module includes the following steps: determining whether the battery module is electrically connected to a load system (step 410); detecting whether the battery module is electrically connected to a charger (step 420); when it is determined that the battery module is electrically connected to the load system and it is detected that the battery module is electrically connected to the charger, detecting the voltage of the battery in the battery module (step 430); determining whether the battery is in a constant current charging mode or a constant voltage charging mode based on the voltage of the battery (step 440); when it is determined that the battery is in the constant current charging mode, dynamically increasing the output current of the charger based on a default rule (step 450); and when it is determined that the battery is in the constant voltage charging mode, dynamically increasing the output voltage of the charger based on the default rule (step 460).

[0043] In one embodiment, the default rule of step 450 may include: when it is determined that the battery is in the constant current charging mode, setting the sum of the current flowing through the load system and a preset current value as the magnitude of the output current that the charger needs to provide, so as to increase the magnitude of the output current of the charger. A detailed description has been given in the preceding paragraphs and will not be repeated here.

[0044] In one embodiment, the default rule of step 460 may include: when it is determined that the battery is in the constant voltage charging mode, calculating a compensation voltage based on the magnitude of the current flowing through the load system, so as to require the charger to increase the magnitude of the output voltage according to the magnitude of the compensation voltage; wherein, the compensation voltage is the product of the magnitude of the current flowing through the load system and the equivalent output resistance, and the equivalent output resistance is the sum of the equivalent resistance of the charger when the battery is in the constant voltage charging mode and the resistance of the connecting wires connecting the battery and the charger. A detailed description has been provided in the preceding paragraphs and will not be repeated here.

[0045] In one embodiment, the default rule of step 460 may further include: when it is determined that the battery is in the constant voltage charging mode and the charger is required to increase the output voltage according to the magnitude of the compensation voltage, periodically determining whether the battery is not fully charged based on the battery voltage; and when it is determined for the Nth time that the battery is not fully charged, increasing the compensation voltage by N+1 times to increase the output voltage of the charger until it is determined that the battery is fully charged, wherein the sum of the increased compensation voltage and the preset voltage value is less than the overvoltage protection threshold of the battery, and N is a positive integer. A detailed description has been provided in the preceding paragraphs and will not be repeated here.

[0046] In one embodiment, the intelligent charging method for the battery module further includes: storing a constant current flag value and a constant voltage flag value; and setting the constant current flag value and the constant voltage flag value to 0 when it is detected that the battery module is electrically connected to the charger. The detailed description has been provided above and will not be repeated here.

[0047] In one embodiment, the intelligent charging method for the battery module further includes: setting the constant current flag value to 1 when it is determined that the battery is in the constant current charging mode; and setting the constant voltage flag value to 1 when it is determined that the battery is in the constant voltage charging mode. The detailed description has been provided above and will not be repeated here.

[0048] In summary, the battery module and its intelligent charging method of this application compensate for the battery module's incomplete charging due to its electrical connection to the load system, thereby ensuring that the battery module's battery is fully charged and solving the problem of the battery module's inability to be effectively charged due to its electrical connection to the load system. This is achieved by dynamically increasing the output current of the charger based on default rules when the battery module's battery is in constant current charging mode, and by dynamically increasing the output voltage of the charger based on default rules when the battery module's battery is in constant voltage charging mode.

[0049] Although the components described above are included in the drawings of this application, it is not excluded that more additional components may be used to achieve better technical effects without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0050] While the present invention has been described using the above embodiments, it should be noted that these descriptions are not intended to limit the invention. Rather, this invention encompasses modifications and similar arrangements that are obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the claims should be interpreted in the broadest possible sense to include all obvious modifications and similar arrangements.

Claims

1. A battery module electrically connected to a load system, characterized in that, The battery module includes: Battery; A detection unit, connected to the battery, is used to detect the voltage of the battery and the current flowing through the load system when the battery module is electrically connected to the charger; and The processing unit, connected to the detection unit, is used to control the output current and output voltage of the charger through a channel when the battery module is electrically connected to the charger, and to determine whether the battery is in a constant current charging mode or a constant voltage charging mode based on the voltage of the battery. Specifically, when the processing unit determines that the battery is in the constant current charging mode, it dynamically increases the output current of the charger based on default rules; and When the processing unit determines that the battery is in the constant voltage charging mode, it dynamically increases the output voltage of the charger based on the default rule until it determines that the battery is fully charged. The default rules include: When the battery is determined to be in the constant voltage charging mode, the accumulated charging capacity of the battery in the battery module electrically connected to the load system is consistent with the accumulated charging capacity of the battery in the battery module not electrically connected to the load system. A compensation voltage is calculated based on the magnitude of the current flowing through the load system, so that the charger is required to increase the output voltage according to the magnitude of the compensation voltage. The compensation voltage is the product of the magnitude of the current flowing through the load system and the equivalent output resistance, and the equivalent output resistance is the sum of the equivalent resistance of the charger when the battery is in the constant voltage charging mode and the resistance of the connecting wire between the battery and the charger.

2. The battery module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The default rules include: When it is determined that the battery is in the constant current charging mode, the sum of the current flowing through the load system and the preset current value is set as the output current that the charger needs to provide, so as to increase the output current of the charger.

3. The battery module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The default rules also include: When it is determined that the battery is in the constant voltage charging mode and the charger is required to increase the output voltage according to the compensation voltage, the charger periodically determines whether the battery is not fully charged based on the battery voltage. When it is determined for the Nth time that the battery is not fully charged, the compensation voltage is increased by N+1 times to increase the output voltage until it is determined that the battery is fully charged. The sum of the increased compensation voltage and the preset voltage value is less than the overvoltage protection threshold of the battery, and N is a positive integer.

4. A smart charging method for a battery module, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Determine if the battery module is electrically connected to the load system; Check whether the battery module is electrically connected to the charger; When it is determined that the battery module is electrically connected to the load system and it is detected that the battery module is electrically connected to the charger, the voltage of the battery in the battery module is detected; The battery is determined to be in constant current charging mode or constant voltage charging mode based on its voltage. When it is determined that the battery is in the constant current charging mode, the output current of the charger is dynamically increased based on the default rules. and When it is determined that the battery is in the constant voltage charging mode, the output voltage of the charger is dynamically increased based on the default rule until it is determined that the battery is fully charged. Wherein, the step of dynamically increasing the output voltage of the charger based on the default rule when it is determined that the battery is in the constant voltage charging mode includes: When the battery is determined to be in the constant voltage charging mode, the accumulated charging capacity of the battery in the battery module electrically connected to the load system is consistent with the accumulated charging capacity of the battery in the battery module not electrically connected to the load system. A compensation voltage is calculated based on the magnitude of the current flowing through the load system, so that the charger is required to increase the output voltage according to the magnitude of the compensation voltage. The compensation voltage is the product of the magnitude of the current flowing through the load system and the equivalent output resistance, and the equivalent output resistance is the sum of the equivalent resistance of the charger when the battery is in the constant voltage charging mode and the resistance of the connecting wire between the battery and the charger.

5. The intelligent charging method for a battery module as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The step of dynamically increasing the output current of the charger based on default rules when it is determined that the battery is in the constant current charging mode includes: When it is determined that the battery is in the constant current charging mode, the sum of the current flowing through the load system and the preset current value is set as the output current that the charger needs to provide, so as to increase the output current of the charger.

6. The intelligent charging method for a battery module as described in claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: When it is determined that the battery is in the constant voltage charging mode and the charger is required to increase the output voltage according to the magnitude of the compensation voltage, the charger periodically determines whether the battery is not fully charged based on the battery voltage. and When it is determined for the Nth time that the battery is not fully charged, the compensation voltage is increased by N+1 times to increase the output voltage until it is determined that the battery is fully charged. The sum of the increased compensation voltage and the preset voltage value is less than the overvoltage protection threshold of the battery, and N is a positive integer.

7. The intelligent charging method for a battery module as described in claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: Store constant current flag values ​​and constant voltage flag values; and When it is detected that the battery module is electrically connected to the charger, the constant current flag value and the constant voltage flag value are set to 0.

8. The intelligent charging method for a battery module as described in claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: When it is determined that the battery is in the constant current charging mode, the constant current flag value is set to 1; and When it is determined that the battery is in the constant voltage charging mode, the constant voltage flag value is set to 1.

Images