Control method and power supply device

Abstract

The application provides a control method and a power supply device. The power supply device comprises a shell, a dehumidification unit for dehumidification, a radiator, a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) and a battery cell unit. The dehumidification unit, the radiator, the PCBA and the battery cell unit are arranged in the shell. The PCBA is located between the battery cell unit and the radiator, the PCBA is electrically connected with the battery cell unit, and the radiator is close to the side wall of the shell. The control method is applied to the power supply device. The first temperature of the radiator, the second temperature of the PCBA and the third temperature of the battery cell unit are obtained. When the first temperature, the second temperature and the third temperature meet the preset condition, the dehumidification unit is controlled to work, so as to inhibit the formation of condensation on the surface of the battery cell unit and / or the surface of the PCBA, and reduce the condensation risk in the power supply device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of power supply technology, and in particular to a control method and a power supply device. Background Technology

[0002] Improper processing or transportation of energy storage devices, start-stop breathing effects, inappropriate selection or aging of sealing materials, and other factors can cause moisture from the external environment to enter the device. When the external environment changes, a temperature difference occurs between the air inside the energy storage device and its components. If the component temperature is below the dew point, moisture in the internal air will condense on the component surface due to supersaturation. Condensation can damage the electrical performance of the equipment, causing corrosion, short circuits, and other safety threats. Therefore, solving the problem of condensation inside the equipment is an important measure to ensure the safety of energy storage devices and personnel. Currently, specialized condensation sensors are commonly used to detect condensation; however, this method requires multiple sensors, resulting in high costs, large space requirements, and hindering the improvement of power density in energy storage devices. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, this application provides a control method and a power supply device that can effectively suppress the formation of condensation on the surface of the battery cell and / or the PCBA without the need for a condensation sensor, thereby reducing the risk of condensation inside the power supply device.

[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a control method applicable to a power supply device. The power supply device includes a housing, a dehumidification unit for dehumidification, a heat sink, a circuit board assembly (PCBA), and battery cells. The dehumidification unit, heat sink, PCBA, and battery cells are all disposed within the housing. The PCBA is located between the battery cells and the heat sink, and the PCBA is electrically connected to the battery cells. The heat sink is located near the side wall of the housing. The control method acquires a first temperature of the heat sink, a second temperature of the PCBA, and a third temperature of the battery cells, and then controls the dehumidification unit to operate when the first, second, and third temperatures meet preset conditions. The preset conditions include a first condition, a second condition, or a third condition. The first condition includes a first temperature greater than the second temperature, and the difference between the first and second temperatures being greater than a first preset difference, and a first temperature less than a first preset threshold. The second condition includes a second temperature greater than the first temperature and less than the third temperature, and the difference between the third and second temperatures being greater than a second preset difference, and a third temperature greater than a second preset threshold. The third condition includes a third temperature being less than a first temperature, and the difference between the first temperature and the third temperature being greater than a third preset difference, and a third temperature being less than a third preset threshold, and the third preset threshold being less than a first preset threshold and greater than a second preset threshold.

[0005] In one possible design, the preset conditions also include a fourth condition. This fourth condition involves the number of times the first, second, and third temperatures meet any of the first, second, or third conditions within a first set time period reaches a preset threshold. It is understood that the fourth condition primarily considers that the magnitudes of the first, second, and third temperatures may fluctuate. Therefore, multiple confirmations improve the accuracy and reliability of determining the risk of condensation on the PCBA surface and / or the battery cell surface, avoiding misjudgments. This allows for more precise control of the dehumidification unit's operation, preventing accidental triggering or shutdown of the dehumidification process, thus more effectively suppressing condensation and better protecting the battery cell and PCBA.

[0006] In one possible design, the second condition also includes that the difference between the second temperature and the first temperature is greater than a fourth preset difference. Based on this design, the second condition can more accurately reflect the magnitude relationship between the first temperature and the second temperature.

[0007] In one possible design, the third condition also includes that the first and second temperatures within a preset time period are both less than a fourth preset threshold, and the fourth preset threshold is greater than the third preset threshold. It can be understood that less heat generated by the battery cell indicates that the battery cell is operating under low load (i.e., low power). The workload of the PCBA powered by the battery cell is also correspondingly lower, resulting in less heat generation by the PCBA, and consequently, less heat transferred by the heat sink. Therefore, the third condition, including that the first and second temperatures within a preset time period are both less than the fourth preset threshold, can more accurately reflect the potential condensation on the surface of the battery cell, the PCBA surface, and the inner surface of the casing when the battery cell is operating at low power.

[0008] In one possible design, the control method further includes acquiring the current of the battery cell and the amount of charge or discharge. Correspondingly, the third condition also includes that the current of the battery cell is less than a preset current threshold, and that the amount of charge or discharge of the battery cell within a preset time period is less than a preset energy threshold. It can be understood that the current of the battery cell being less than the current threshold reflects the real-time low-load operation of the battery cell, resulting in less heat generation in the battery cell and PCBA in real time. The prolonged low-load operation of the battery cell with the amount of charge or discharge less than the energy threshold within the preset time period results in less heat generation in the battery cell and PCBA over a longer period. Therefore, the third condition, including the current of the battery cell being less than the current threshold and the amount of charge or discharge less than the energy threshold within the preset time period, can more accurately reflect the potential condensation on the surface of the battery cell, the surface of the PCBA, and the inner surface of the casing when the battery cell is operating at low power.

[0009] In one possible design, after the dehumidification unit is operating, if the real-time first temperature, second temperature, and third temperature do not meet the preset conditions, the dehumidification unit is controlled to stop operating in order to reduce the energy consumption of the dehumidification unit.

[0010] In one possible design, when the first, second, and third temperatures meet preset conditions, the dehumidification unit is controlled to operate for a second set duration. After the dehumidification unit operates for the second set duration, it is then controlled to pause operation for a third set duration. After the dehumidification unit pauses operation for the third set duration, it is controlled to operate for the second set duration again, and so on, in a cyclical manner. In other words, the dehumidification unit is controlled to operate intermittently. Based on this design, the method of this application can reduce the energy consumption of the dehumidification unit while preventing condensation formation.

[0011] In one possible design, during the process of controlling the dehumidification unit to operate for a second set duration, if the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature do not meet the preset conditions, the dehumidification unit can be immediately controlled to stop operating for a third set duration, without having to wait until after the second set duration to control the dehumidification unit to stop operating, so as to ensure timely suppression of condensation.

[0012] Secondly, this application provides a power supply device, including a housing, a dehumidification unit for dehumidification, a heat sink, a circuit board assembly (PCBA), a battery cell unit, and a controller. The dehumidification unit, heat sink, PCBA, and battery cell unit are all disposed within the housing, wherein the PCBA is located between the battery cell unit and the heat sink, and the PCBA is electrically connected to the battery cell unit. The heat sink is located near the side wall of the housing. The controller is connected to the dehumidification unit and is used to acquire a first temperature of the heat sink, a second temperature of the PCBA, and a third temperature of the battery cell unit, and then control the dehumidification unit to operate when the first temperature, second temperature, and third temperature meet preset conditions. The preset conditions include a first condition, a second condition, or a third condition. The first condition includes a first temperature greater than the second temperature, and the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature greater than a first preset difference value, and a first temperature less than a first preset threshold. The second condition includes a second temperature greater than the first temperature and less than the third temperature, and the difference between the third temperature and the second temperature greater than a second preset difference value, and a third temperature greater than a second preset threshold. The third condition includes a third temperature lower than the first temperature, and the difference between the first and third temperatures being greater than a third preset difference value; and the third temperature being lower than a third preset threshold value, where the third preset threshold value is lower than the first preset threshold value and greater than a second preset threshold value. Therefore, based on the logical relationship between the first, second, and third temperatures, the power supply device of this application can accurately control the dehumidification unit to perform dehumidification, thus promptly eliminating the risk of condensation on the surface of the battery cell unit and / or the PCBA surface, and solving the condensation problem inside the power supply device. Furthermore, the power supply device of this application does not require a condensation sensor, which helps to reduce size, increase power density, and reduce cost.

[0013] In one possible design, the preset conditions also include a fourth condition, which includes a preset threshold number of times that the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature satisfy the first condition, the second condition, or the third condition within a first set time period.

[0014] In one possible design, after controlling the dehumidification unit to operate, the second condition also includes that the difference between the second temperature and the first temperature is greater than a fourth preset difference.

[0015] In one possible design, the third condition also includes that the first temperature and the second temperature within a preset time period are both less than a fourth preset threshold, and the fourth preset threshold is greater than the third preset threshold.

[0016] In one possible design, the controller is connected to the battery cell unit and is also used to acquire the current of the battery cell unit, as well as the amount of charge or discharge. A third condition also includes that the current of the battery cell unit is less than a preset current threshold, and that the amount of charge or discharge of the battery cell unit within a preset time period is less than a preset energy threshold.

[0017] Furthermore, the technical effects of any possible implementation in the second aspect can be found in the technical effects of different implementations in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a power supply device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 3A yes Figure 2 A flowchart of step S22 in the process.

[0022] Figure 3B yes Figure 2 Another flowchart for step S22 in the process.

[0023] Figure 3C yes Figure 2 Another flowchart for step S22 in the process.

[0024] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Another flowchart for step S22 in the process.

[0025] Figure 5This is another flowchart of the control method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0026] Figure 6 This is another flowchart of the control method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0027] Explanation of main component symbols

[0028]

[0029] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, will further illustrate this application. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] It is understood that the connection relationships described in this application refer to direct or indirect connections. For example, the connection between A and B can be a direct connection between A and B, or an indirect connection between A and B through one or more other electrical components. For instance, A can be directly connected to C, and C can be directly connected to B, thus achieving a connection between A and B through C. It is also understood that the "A connects to B" described in this application can be a direct connection between A and B, or an indirect connection between A and B through one or more other electrical components.

[0032] In the description of this application, the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" are used only to distinguish different objects and do not limit the quantity or order of execution. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" do not necessarily imply that they are different. In addition, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0033] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or". For example, A / B can mean A or B. The "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a power supply device 100 provided in an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0035] In the embodiments of this application, the power supply device 100 can be any power supply equipment or system capable of supplying power to a load. For example, the power supply device 100 can be a power supply equipment or power supply system for a base station. As another example, the power supply device 100 can be an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for a data center. As an example, the power supply device 100 can be a residential energy storage device. As yet another example, the power supply device 100 can be an energy storage device suitable for grid-connected operation, such as wind power energy storage devices, photovoltaic energy storage devices, etc.

[0036] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the power supply unit 100 includes a housing 1, a heat sink 3, a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) 4, and a battery cell unit 5. The housing 1 has a top wall (not shown) and a bottom wall (not shown) arranged opposite each other, and a side wall (not labeled) connecting the top wall and the bottom wall. The top wall, bottom wall, and side wall together enclose a receiving space 2. The receiving space 2 can be used to accommodate the heat sink 3, the PCBA 4, and the battery cell unit 5.

[0037] The heat sink 3, PCBA4, and battery cell unit 5 are all fixedly connected to the housing 1. It is understood that this application embodiment does not limit the method of fixed connection. For example, the heat sink 3, PCBA4, and battery cell unit 5 can all be fixedly connected to the housing 1 via a bracket (not shown).

[0038] In this embodiment, the heat sink 3, PCBA4 and battery cell 5 are arranged sequentially in the receiving space 2, and the PCBA4 is located between the heat sink 3 and the battery cell 5, and is separated from the heat sink 3 and the battery cell 5.

[0039] In this embodiment, the heat sink 3 is located close to the side wall of the housing 1. In some embodiments, the heat sink 3 may directly contact the side wall of the housing 1 (see reference). Figure 1 It is understandable that no restrictions are placed on radiator 3 here, as long as radiator 3 can achieve the functions of heat transfer and heat dissipation.

[0040] Cell unit 5 can be used to store and provide electrical energy. It is understood that cell unit 5 can be a single cell, or it can consist of multiple cells connected in series, parallel, or a series-parallel connection; no specific limitation is made here. The types of cells include, but are not limited to, lead-acid battery cells, lithium battery cells, and nickel-metal hydride battery cells.

[0041] PCBA4 is electrically connected to the battery cell unit 5. It is understood that PCBA4 may consist of a circuit board (not shown) and electronic circuitry (not shown) mounted on the circuit board. The electronic circuitry includes a power conversion circuit, which can be used to convert voltage to charge or discharge the battery cell unit 5. It is understood that the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the power conversion circuit. For example, the power conversion circuit may include a direct current-alternating current (DC-AC) conversion circuit and an alternating current-direct current (AC-DC) conversion circuit. As another example, the power conversion circuit may include a direct current-direct current (DC-DC) conversion circuit. In some embodiments, to facilitate the connection between PCBA4 and the battery cell unit 5, PCBA4 may also be vertically mounted relative to the top or bottom wall of the housing 1, so that the side of PCBA4 containing the electronic circuitry faces the battery cell unit 5.

[0042] Please continue reading. Figure 1 The power supply unit 100 also includes multiple temperature detection units 6. The multiple temperature detection units 6 are respectively installed on the heat sink 3, PCBA 4 and battery cell unit 5.

[0043] Specifically, the temperature detection unit 6 installed on the heat sink 3 can be used to detect the first temperature of the heat sink 3 in real time (for ease of description, it can be simply referred to as T1). The temperature detection unit 6 installed on the PCBA4 can be used to detect the second temperature of the PCBA4 in real time (for ease of description, it can be simply referred to as T2). The temperature detection unit 6 installed on the cell unit 5 can be used to detect the third temperature of the cell unit 5 in real time (for ease of description, it can be simply referred to as T3).

[0044] It can be understood that each temperature detection unit 6 can be a single temperature sensor or include multiple temperature sensors. Taking a temperature detection unit 6 installed on a cell unit 5 as an example: when the temperature detection unit 6 is a single temperature sensor, it can be installed at any location on the surface of the cell unit 5. When the temperature detection unit 6 includes multiple temperature sensors, the multiple temperature sensors can be respectively located at multiple locations on the surface of the cell unit 5, and the detection data from the multiple temperature sensors are used as T3 after performing arithmetic operations (e.g., mean filtering calculation).

[0045] Please refer to this again. Figure 1 The power supply unit 100 also includes a controller 7 and a dehumidification unit 8.

[0046] Specifically, controller 7 may include a central processing unit (CPU), other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, etc. Controller 7 can be integrated with PCBA4 or configured independently (see [reference]). Figure 1 This is not limited to this. Controller 7 can be installed inside housing 1 (see...). Figure 1 Of course, in other embodiments, the controller 7 may also be located outside the housing 1, which is not limited here.

[0047] This application does not impose any limitations on the dehumidification unit 8, as long as the dehumidification unit 8 can achieve the functions of dehumidification and condensation elimination. For example, the dehumidification unit 8 can be a fan, and it can be housed within the receiving space 2 and fixedly connected to the casing 1 (see reference). Figure 1 When the fan rotates, it can accelerate the airflow in the containment space 2, making the air in the containment space 2 more evenly mixed, preventing the local air from becoming too saturated with water vapor and condensing into condensation, and also accelerating the evaporation of condensation, thus playing a role in inhibiting the formation of condensation.

[0048] In this embodiment, the controller 7 is connected to multiple temperature detection units 6, so that T1, T2 and T3 can be acquired in real time.

[0049] In some implementations, the controller 7 may also include a battery management system (BMS). Therefore, as... Figure 1 As shown, the controller 7 can also be connected to the battery cell unit 5 to manage the battery cell unit 5, thereby obtaining the current, charge amount and discharge amount of the battery cell unit 5.

[0050] In this embodiment, the controller 7 is also connected to the dehumidification unit 8. Based on this, the controller 7 can be used to control the dehumidification unit 8 to operate when preset conditions T1, T2, and T3 are met, thereby suppressing condensation on the surface of the PCBA4 and / or the surface of the battery cell 5, eliminating the risk of condensation inside the housing 1 of the power supply unit 100, thus protecting the battery cell 5 and PCBA4, and reducing the failure rate of the power supply unit 100. See the control method described below for details.

[0051] The control method of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below.

[0052] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 An embodiment of this application provides a control method. It can be understood that this control method can be... Figure 1 The controller 7 shown is executed.

[0053] like Figure 2 As shown, the control method includes the following steps:

[0054] Step S21: Obtain the first temperature T1 of the heat sink 3, the second temperature T2 of the PCBA4, and the third temperature T3 of the battery cell 5.

[0055] Step S22: When T1, T2 and T3 meet the preset conditions, control the dehumidification unit 8 to work.

[0056] Conversely, when T1, T2, and T3 do not meet the preset conditions, the dehumidification unit 8 is controlled to not work.

[0057] It's understandable that condensation on an object's surface will evaporate when the temperature is too high, and will freeze when the temperature is too low. Obviously, condensation won't occur at excessively high or low temperatures. Only when the object's temperature is low, and its surface is in contact with the surrounding warm air, will moisture in the warm air easily condense on the surface, causing condensation. Therefore, condensation is likely to form on the PCBA4 surface only when T2 is lower than the surrounding air temperature, and on the cell unit 5 surface only when T3 is lower than the surrounding air temperature.

[0058] Because PCBA4 has a large heat capacity and is located between the battery cell 5 and the heat sink 3, it is understandable that T2 is easily affected by the battery cell 5 and the heat sink 3. Because the battery cell 5 has a small heat capacity, it is understandable that T3 is mainly affected by the heat generated by the battery cell 5 itself and is not easily affected by its surroundings. Clearly, the main influencing factors for T2 and T3 are different. Therefore, in this embodiment, the preset conditions include a first condition, a second condition, or a third condition.

[0059] Specifically, the first condition includes: T1-T2>first preset difference, and T1<first preset threshold.

[0060] Both the first preset difference and the first preset threshold can be set according to actual conditions, and no specific limitation is made here. For example, the first preset difference can be set to 3℃, and the first preset threshold can be set to 45℃.

[0061] The first condition primarily considers that when the external ambient temperature of the power supply unit 100 is high (e.g., sunlight during the day causing the external environment to heat up), the heat sink 3, being close to the casing 1, will absorb heat from the external environment, resulting in T1 > T2. Since heat is transferred from the heat sink 3 to the air in the containment space 2, causing the air temperature to rise, the temperature of the air in the containment space 2, especially the air between the heat sink 3 and the PCBA4, will be higher than T2. ​​In this case, when the temperature difference between T1 and T2 exceeds a first preset difference, moisture in the air easily condenses on the surface of the PCBA4 near the heat sink 3. Since the PCBA4 is a thin board, condensation may also occur on other surfaces of the PCBA4. Furthermore, moisture in the air may also condense on the surface of the battery cell unit 5 and the inner surface of the casing 1, potentially causing condensation on these surfaces as well.

[0062] Since the heat from the external environment is much greater than the heat generated by the battery cell 5, when T1 > T2, T2 is mainly affected by T1. Considering that excessively high temperatures can easily cause condensation to evaporate, an upper limit for T1 is set in the first condition, i.e., T1 < the first preset threshold.

[0063] Therefore, in the first condition, by setting the comparison between T1 and T2, as well as the upper limit of T1, the situation where T2 is low and condensation is easily generated on the PCBA4 surface can be accurately reflected when the external ambient temperature is high.

[0064] Therefore, as Figure 3A As shown, step S22 may specifically include the following steps:

[0065] Step S31a: Confirm whether T1 and T2 meet the first condition, that is, confirm whether T1 is greater than T2, whether the difference between T1 and T2 is greater than the first preset difference, and whether T1 is less than the first preset threshold.

[0066] Step S32a: When T1 and T2 meet the first condition (i.e., T1-T2>first preset difference and T1<first preset threshold), control the dehumidification unit 8 to work.

[0067] Step S33a: When T1 and T2 do not meet the first condition, control the dehumidification unit 8 to not work.

[0068] In this embodiment of the application, the second condition includes: T2>T1, T3-T2>second preset difference, and T3>second preset threshold.

[0069] Among them, both the second preset difference and the second preset threshold can be set accordingly according to the actual situation, and no specific limitation is made here. By way of example, the second preset difference can be set to 3°C. The second preset threshold is less than the first preset threshold. By way of example, the second preset threshold can be set to 5°C.

[0070] The second condition mainly considers that when the external environmental temperature of the power supply device 100 is relatively low (for example, at night when the sun goes down and the external environment cools down without sunlight), T1 < T2. When the power supply device 100 supplies power to the load, the battery cell unit 5 and the PCBA 4 generate heat. The heat capacity of the battery cell unit 5 is less than that of the PCBA 4. Therefore, the heat dissipation speed of the battery cell unit 5 is slower than that of the PCBA 4. So, T3 > T2, and further the temperature of the air between the battery cell unit 5 and the PCBA 4 is higher than T2. In this case, when the temperature difference between T3 and T2 is greater than the second preset difference, the water vapor in the air of the accommodation space 2 is likely to condense on the surface of the PCBA 4 close to the battery cell unit 5. And the PCBA 4 is a thin plate, so condensation may also be distributed on other surfaces of the PCBA 4. Among them, considering that the condensation is likely to freeze at too low temperatures, therefore, the lower limit of T3 is set in the second condition, that is, T3 > the second preset threshold.

[0071] Therefore, in the second condition, by setting the comparison of T1, T2, and T3, and the lower limit of T3, it can accurately reflect the situation where the surface of the PCBA 4 is prone to condensation due to the lower T2 in the scenario of low external environmental temperature.

[0072] Therefore, as Figure 3B shown, step S22 may specifically include the following steps:

[0073] Step S31b: Confirm whether T1, T2, and T3 satisfy the second condition, that is, confirm whether T2 is greater than T1 and less than T3, and whether the difference between T2 and T3 is greater than the second preset difference, and whether T3 is greater than the second preset threshold.

[0074] Step S32b: When T1, T2, and T3 satisfy the second condition (that is, T2 > T1, T3 - T2 > the second preset difference, and T3 > the second preset threshold), control the dehumidifying unit 8 to work.

[0075] Step S33b: When T1, T2, and T3 do not satisfy the second condition, control the dehumidifying unit 8 not to work.

[0076] It can be understood that in order to more accurately reflect the magnitude relationship between T1 and T2, in some embodiments, the second condition may further include: T1 - T2 > the fourth preset difference.

[0077] The fourth preset difference can be set according to the actual situation, and no specific limitation is made here. For example, the fourth preset difference can be set to 3℃.

[0078] In this embodiment, the third condition includes: T1-T3 > third preset difference, and T3 < third preset threshold. The third preset difference and third preset threshold can be set according to actual conditions and are not specifically limited here. For example, the third preset difference can be set to 3℃. The third preset threshold is less than the first preset threshold and greater than the second preset threshold; for example, the third preset threshold can be set to 20℃.

[0079] The third condition primarily considers that when the power supply unit 100 operates under low load (i.e., the power demand of the load is small, and the power supply unit 100 operates at low power), the battery cell unit 5 generates less heat, resulting in T3 < the third preset threshold. If the external ambient temperature is relatively higher than the third temperature, causing T1 > T3, the heat sink 3 can transfer heat to the air in the containment space 2, thereby making the temperature of the air in the containment space 2 easily higher than T3. In this case, when the temperature difference between T1 and T3 is greater than the third preset difference, moisture in the air in the containment space 2 is easily condensed on the surface of the battery cell unit 5, and condensation may even occur on the surface of the PCBA4 and the inner surface of the casing 1.

[0080] Therefore, in the third condition, by setting a comparison between T1 and T3, and an upper limit for T3, the situation where T1 is low and condensation easily forms on the surface of the battery cell 5 can be accurately reflected in the scenario where the power supply device 100 operates at low power. It can be understood that the upper limit of T3 reflects both the low T3 and the fact that condensation is less likely to occur at excessively high temperatures.

[0081] Therefore, as Figure 3C As shown, step S22 may specifically include the following steps:

[0082] Step S31c: Confirm whether T1 and T3 meet the third condition, that is, confirm whether T1 is greater than T3, whether the difference between T1 and T3 is greater than the third preset difference, and whether T3 is less than the third preset threshold.

[0083] Step S32c: When T1 and T3 meet the third condition (i.e., T1-T3>the third preset difference and T3<the third preset threshold), control the dehumidification unit 8 to work.

[0084] Step S33c: When T1 and T3 do not meet the third condition, control the dehumidification unit 8 to not work.

[0085] In some embodiments of this application, in order to more accurately reflect that the power supply device 100 is in a low-power operating state, the current and charge or discharge amount of the battery cell 5 may be obtained before step S22.

[0086] Correspondingly, the third detection condition may also include: the current of the battery cell 5 is less than a preset current threshold, and the charging or discharging amount of the battery cell 5 within a preset time period is less than a preset energy threshold.

[0087] It is understood that the current threshold, preset time period, and energy threshold can all be set according to actual conditions, and no specific limitations are made here. For example, the current threshold can be set to 10A, the preset time period can be set to 24 hours, and the energy threshold can be set to 1kWh.

[0088] The fact that the current of the battery cell 5 is less than the current threshold indicates that the power supply device 100 is in a low-power operation state in real time. The fact that the charging or discharging amount of the battery cell 5 is less than the power threshold within a preset period indicates that the power supply device 100 is in a low-power operation state for a long time.

[0089] In other embodiments, considering that the power supply device 100 operates at low power, the temperature of the heat sink 3, PCBA4 and battery cell 5 will not be high. Therefore, in order to more accurately reflect that the power supply device 100 is in a low-power operating state, the third condition may also include: T1, T2 and T3 within a preset time period < a fourth preset threshold.

[0090] It is understandable that the fourth preset threshold can be set according to the actual situation, and no specific limitation is made here. The fourth preset threshold is greater than the third preset threshold. For example, the fourth preset threshold can be set to 50℃.

[0091] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, the method can combine the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition. That is, step S22 can execute steps S31a, S31b, and S31c, and the execution order is not limited. When T1, T2, and T3 satisfy any one of the first to third conditions, the dehumidification unit 8 can be controlled to work. When none of the first to third conditions are satisfied, the dehumidification unit 8 is controlled not to work.

[0092] In some embodiments of this application, considering that T1, T2, and T3 may fluctuate, leading to misjudgments and causing the dehumidification unit 8 to be started or stopped incorrectly, the preset conditions may include a fourth condition to more accurately control the dehumidification unit 8.

[0093] The fourth condition includes: within a first set time period, the number of times that T1, T2, and T3 satisfy the first, second, or third condition above reaches a preset threshold.

[0094] Thus, as Figure 4 As shown, step S22 may include the following steps:

[0095] Step S41: Confirm whether the number of times T1, T2, and T3 meet the first condition, the second condition, or the third condition within the first set time period has reached the number threshold.

[0096] The process of confirming that T1, T2 and T3 meet the first condition, the second condition or the third condition can be found in steps S31a~S33a, S31b~S33b, S31c~S33c above, and will not be repeated here.

[0097] Step S42: Within a first set time period, when the number of times T1, T2 and T3 meet the first condition, the second condition or the third condition reaches the number threshold, control the dehumidification unit 8 to work.

[0098] Step S43: Within the first set time period, if the number of times T1, T2 and T3 meet the first condition, the second condition or the third condition is less than the number threshold, the dehumidification unit 8 is controlled to not work.

[0099] It is understood that the first set duration and number of times threshold can be set according to the actual situation, and no specific limitation is made here. Moreover, in some embodiments, corresponding first set duration and number of times threshold can be set for the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition respectively. For example, for the first and second conditions, the first set duration can be set to 1 minute, and the number of times threshold can be set to at least 3 times. For the third condition, the first set duration can be set to 5 minutes, and the number of times threshold can be set to at least 3 times.

[0100] In this embodiment, during the operation of the dehumidification unit 8, the controller 7 also acquires T1, T2, and T3 in real time and confirms whether T1, T2, and T3 meet preset conditions. Therefore, as Figure 5 As shown, the control method includes steps S21~S22 (i.e.) as described above. Figure 5 Steps S51-S52 in the process may also include:

[0101] Step S53: After the dehumidification unit 8 is started, if T1, T2, and T3 do not meet the preset conditions, the dehumidification unit 8 is stopped. This avoids the waste of electrical energy caused by the continuous operation of the dehumidification unit 8.

[0102] In some embodiments of this application, the control method can also control the dehumidification unit 8 more precisely.

[0103] For example, such as Figure 6 As shown, the control method includes steps S21~S22 (i.e.) as described above. Figure 6Steps S61-S62 in the process may also include the following steps:

[0104] Step S63: When T1, T2 and T3 meet the preset conditions, control the dehumidification unit 8 to work for a second set duration.

[0105] Step S64: After the dehumidification unit 8 has been working for a second set duration, control the dehumidification unit 8 to pause working for a third set duration.

[0106] In other words, the dehumidification unit 8 operates intermittently, following a working pattern of a third set duration followed by a pause for a fourth set duration. Clearly, compared to controlling the dehumidification unit 8 to operate continuously, intermittent operation reduces operating time, thus preventing condensation while lowering energy consumption.

[0107] In addition, during the second set time of operation of the dehumidification unit 8, if the preset conditions T1, T2 and T3 are not met, the dehumidification unit 8 can be immediately controlled to stop working for the third set time, without having to wait until the second set time to control the dehumidification unit 8 to stop working. This can ensure timely suppression of condensation.

[0108] It is understood that the second and third set durations can be set according to actual circumstances, and this application does not impose any limitations on them. For example, the second and third set durations can be any value or range from 15 to 30 minutes. For instance, the second set duration is in the range of 15 to 30 minutes, and the third set duration is 30 minutes.

[0109] In other words, after starting dehumidification unit 8, it will operate for at least 15 minutes and at most 30 minutes. If, during the first 15 minutes of operation, the controller 7 confirms that preset conditions T1, T2, and T3 are not met, then the controller will control dehumidification unit 8 to operate for 15 minutes, and then pause its operation for another 30 minutes. If, during the period from 15 to 30 minutes of operation, the controller 7 confirms that preset conditions T1, T2, and T3 are not met, then the controller will pause dehumidification unit 8's operation for another 30 minutes.

[0110] In summary, the control method and power supply device of this application obtain the first temperature T1 of the heat sink, the second temperature T2 of the PCBA and the third temperature T3 of the battery cell, and then control the dehumidification unit to work when the first temperature, the second temperature and the third temperature meet the preset conditions, so as to timely suppress the generation of condensation on the PCBA surface and / or the battery cell surface.

[0111] As can be seen, the control method and power supply device of this application control the operation of the dehumidification unit based on the logical relationship between T1, T2 and T3, which can effectively reduce the risk of condensation inside the power supply device and prevent condensation from damaging the electrical performance of the battery cell and PCBA. Therefore, it is beneficial to reduce the failure rate of the power supply device and improve the safety performance of the power supply device.

[0112] Furthermore, the control method and power supply device of this application do not require multiple expensive condensation sensors to be installed in the housing, battery cell unit and PCBA to detect condensation, thus reducing the cost of the power supply device and also helping to reduce the overall size of the power supply device and increase the power density of the power supply device.

[0113] It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the aforementioned method embodiments are described as a series of actions. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the described order of actions, because according to this application, some steps may be performed in other orders or simultaneously.

[0114] It is understood that embodiments of this application may also provide a computer-readable storage medium. This computer-readable storage medium is used to store multiple logical instructions. These multiple logical instructions can be executed by a processor to perform some or all of the steps in the above-described control method. The computer-readable storage medium may include non-volatile computer-readable storage, such as a disk, memory, etc. It is understood that the computer storage medium may also include other non-volatile computer-readable storage, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart media card (SMC), a secure digital (SD) card, a flash card, at least one flash memory device, and / or other non-volatile solid-state storage devices.

[0115] Wherein, the logical instructions in the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium can be implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, and can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, or the parts that contribute to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as mobile storage devices, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0116] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method applied to a power supply device, the power supply device comprising a housing, a dehumidification unit for dehumidification, a heat sink, a circuit board assembly (PCBA), and a battery cell unit, wherein the dehumidification unit, the heat sink, the PCBA, and the battery cell unit are all disposed within the housing, wherein... The PCBA is located between the battery cell unit and the heat sink, the PCBA is electrically connected to the battery cell unit, and the heat sink is close to the side wall of the housing. The control method includes: The first temperature of the heat sink, the second temperature of the PCBA, and the third temperature of the battery cell are obtained. When the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature meet preset conditions, the dehumidification unit is controlled to operate. The preset conditions include a first condition, a second condition, or a third condition. The first condition includes: the first temperature is greater than the second temperature, and the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is greater than a first preset difference value, and the first temperature is less than a first preset threshold value. The second condition includes: the second temperature is greater than the first temperature and less than the third temperature, and the difference between the third temperature and the second temperature is greater than a second preset difference value, and the third temperature is greater than a second preset threshold value; The third condition includes: the third temperature is less than the first temperature, and the difference between the first temperature and the third temperature is greater than a third preset difference value; and the third temperature is less than a third preset threshold value, and the third preset threshold value is less than the first preset threshold value and greater than the second preset threshold value.

2. The control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The preset conditions also include a fourth condition, which includes: Within a first set time period, the number of times the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature satisfy the first condition, the second condition, or the third condition reaches a preset threshold.

3. The control method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second condition also includes: the difference between the second temperature and the first temperature is greater than a fourth preset difference value.

4. The control method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The third condition further includes: both the first temperature and the second temperature are less than a fourth preset threshold within a preset time period, and the fourth preset threshold is greater than the third preset threshold.

5. The control method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The control method further includes: acquiring the current and charge or discharge amount of the battery cell; The third condition also includes: the current of the battery cell is less than a preset current threshold, and the charging or discharging amount of the battery cell within a preset time period is less than a preset power threshold.

6. The control method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, After controlling the dehumidification unit to operate, the control method further includes: When the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature do not meet the preset conditions, the dehumidification unit is controlled to stop working.

7. The control method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature meet preset conditions, the control method further includes: Control the dehumidification unit to operate for a second set duration; After the second set duration, the dehumidification unit is controlled to pause operation for a third set duration.

8. The control method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, During the process of controlling the dehumidification unit to operate for the second set duration, the control method further includes: When the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature do not meet the preset conditions, the dehumidification unit is controlled to pause operation for the third preset duration.

9. A power supply device, characterized in that, include: chassis; Dehumidification unit, the dehumidification unit being used for dehumidification; heat sink; PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) Battery cell unit; The dehumidification unit, the radiator, the PCBA and the battery cell unit are all disposed inside the housing, wherein the PCBA is located between the battery cell unit and the radiator, the PCBA is electrically connected to the battery cell unit, and the radiator is close to the side wall of the housing; A controller, connected to the dehumidification unit, is used for: The first temperature of the heat sink, the second temperature of the PCBA, and the third temperature of the battery cell are obtained. When the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature meet preset conditions, the dehumidification unit is controlled to operate. The preset conditions include a first condition, a second condition, or a third condition. The first condition includes: the first temperature is greater than the second temperature, and the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is greater than a first preset difference value, and the first temperature is less than a first preset threshold value. The second condition includes: the second temperature is greater than the first temperature and less than the third temperature, and the difference between the third temperature and the second temperature is greater than a second preset difference value, and the third temperature is greater than a second preset threshold value; The third condition includes: the third temperature is less than the first temperature, and the difference between the first temperature and the third temperature is greater than a third preset difference value; and the third temperature is less than a third preset threshold value, and the third preset threshold value is less than the first preset threshold value and greater than the second preset threshold value.

10. The power supply device as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, The preset conditions also include a fourth condition, which includes: Within a first set time period, the number of times the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature satisfy the first condition, the second condition, or the third condition reaches a preset threshold.

11. The power supply device as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The second condition also includes: the difference between the second temperature and the first temperature is greater than a fourth preset difference value.

12. The power supply device as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The third condition further includes: both the first temperature and the second temperature are less than a fourth preset threshold within a preset time period, and the fourth preset threshold is greater than the third preset threshold.

13. The power supply device as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The controller is connected to the battery cell unit, and the controller is also used to: acquire the current and charge or discharge amount of the battery cell unit; The third condition also includes: the current of the battery cell is less than a preset current threshold, and the charging or discharging amount of the battery cell within a preset time period is less than a preset power threshold.

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