Battery pack external controller and battery pack

Abstract

The application provides a battery pack external controller and a battery pack. The battery pack external controller is used for controlling the battery pack, and the battery pack comprises a battery module, an output end, an input end, a BMS acquisition board, a plurality of relays and a relay control circuit. The input end and the output end are connected with the battery module respectively. The BMS acquisition board is used for acquiring state information. The plurality of relays are arranged between the input end and the output end and the battery module respectively. The relay control circuit is arranged between the BMS acquisition board and the plurality of relays, so as to control the disconnection of a target relay according to the state information of the battery module. The battery pack external controller is connected with the BMS acquisition board, is used for receiving the state information, and generates a disconnection command according to the state information, so as to control the circuit to control the disconnection of the target relay. The battery pack external controller is also connected with control ends of the plurality of relays, and is used for controlling the disconnection of the target relay through the control end of the target relay when the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit fails.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle technology, specifically to an external controller for a battery pack and a battery pack. Background Technology

[0002] In the current electronic and electrical architecture of new energy vehicles, power battery management relies on the battery management system (BMS) and the power distribution unit (PDU).

[0003] The BMS includes a main control board and an internal control board for the battery pack. It is used to manage the battery, coordinate charging and discharging, and calculate SOX. The PDU is responsible for power distribution, that is, selecting different power paths when charging and discharging the power battery.

[0004] In this architecture, the relays within the battery pack are transmitted to the control board inside the battery pack via serial signals from an external controller. The control board then handles the relay activation and deactivation. If the internal control board malfunctions, such as crashing, the relays may remain in the activated state, preventing the external controller from issuing commands to disconnect the high-voltage relays via the bus. This situation deviates from expected control and poses unpredictable risks. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides an external controller for a battery pack and a battery pack itself. The technical solution adopted in this application is as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, a battery pack external controller is provided for controlling the battery pack. The battery pack includes a battery module, a power output terminal, a power input terminal, at least one BMS (Battery Management System) acquisition board, multiple relays, and a relay control circuit. The power input terminal and the power output terminal are respectively connected to the battery module. The at least one BMS acquisition board is used to collect status information of the battery module. The multiple relays are respectively disposed between the power input terminal and the power output terminal and the battery module. The input terminal of the relay control circuit is connected to the at least one BMS acquisition board, and the output terminal of the relay control circuit is connected to the first control terminal of the multiple relays to control the battery module according to the status information of the battery module. The status information of the group controls the disconnection of the target relay; the external controller of the battery pack is connected to at least one BMS acquisition board, and is used to receive the status information sent by the at least one BMS acquisition board, and generate the disconnection command according to the status information, so as to control the disconnection of the target relay through the at least one BMS acquisition board and the relay control circuit. The external controller of the battery pack is also connected to the second control terminal of the plurality of relays, and is used to control the disconnection of the target relay through the second control terminal of the target relay when the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit fails; wherein, the target relay is one or more of the plurality of relays.

[0007] Based on the above technical means, the relay can be switched on and off using an external controller for the battery pack and a BMS acquisition board. In the event of a failure of the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit, the relay can be shut down independently using the external controller, which can ensure the safety of high voltage input and output under the new electronic and electrical architecture.

[0008] In some embodiments, the external controller for the battery pack is also connected to the power input terminal and the power output terminal for collecting voltage information of the battery pack; the external controller for the battery pack is also used to: generate the disconnect command based on the status information and / or the voltage information; and, when the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit fails, control the target relay to disconnect through the second control terminal of the target relay based on the status information and / or the voltage information.

[0009] Based on the above technical means, the voltage information of the battery pack is collected by the BMS acquisition board, so that the external controller of the battery pack can control the on / off of the charging / discharging path of the battery pack according to the status information of the cell module and / or the voltage information of the battery pack, thereby ensuring the charging / discharging safety of the battery pack.

[0010] In some embodiments, the external controller of the battery pack is also connected to the battery module for collecting current information of the battery module; the external controller of the battery pack is also used to: generate the disconnect command based on the status information and / or the voltage information and / or the current information; and, when the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit fails, control the target relay to disconnect through the second control terminal of the target relay based on the status information and / or the voltage information and / or the current information.

[0011] Based on the above technical means, the current information of the battery module is monitored in real time by external control of the battery pack, and the charging / discharging path of the battery pack is controlled according to the status information and / or voltage information and / or current information to ensure the charging / discharging safety of the battery pack.

[0012] In some embodiments, the power input terminal includes a first input terminal and a second input terminal, which are respectively connected to the positive and negative terminals of the battery module; the power output terminal includes a first output terminal and a second output terminal, which are respectively connected to the positive and negative terminals of the battery module; the plurality of relays includes a main positive relay, a main negative relay, a fast-charging positive relay, and a fast-charging negative relay, wherein the main positive relay and the fast-charging positive relay are disposed between the first output terminal and the first input terminal and the positive terminal, and the main negative relay and the fast-charging negative relay are respectively disposed between the second output terminal and the second input terminal and the negative terminal; the battery pack further includes a pre-charging resistor, the pre-charging relay and the pre-charging resistor are connected in series between the first output terminal and the positive terminal, the first control terminal of the pre-charging relay is connected to the relay control circuit, and the second control terminal is connected to the external controller of the battery pack.

[0013] Based on the aforementioned technical means, by setting multiple relays between the power input and power output terminals and the battery module, the charging and discharging paths of the battery pack can be easily controlled. By incorporating a pre-charge resistor and a pre-charge relay within the battery pack, excessive current is prevented during charging using the pre-charge resistor. The pre-charge relay controls the enable state of the pre-charge resistor. In the event of a fault in the internal control board of the battery pack, the external controller can independently shut off the high side of the pre-charge relay, thus exiting the pre-charge state and optimizing the control logic.

[0014] In some embodiments, the at least one BMS acquisition board is connected to the external controller of the battery pack via a bus; the at least one BMS acquisition board is further configured to: after executing the disconnect command, send a response message to the external controller of the battery pack via the bus; the external controller of the battery pack is further configured to: determine the execution status of the disconnect command based on whether the response message is received.

[0015] Based on the above technical means, the external controller of the battery pack sends a disconnect command to the BMS acquisition board through the bus connection and monitors the execution status of the disconnect command according to whether a response message is received, so as to ensure that the battery pack is in a real-time controllable state.

[0016] In some embodiments, the external controller for the battery pack is further configured to: within a first time period after sending the disconnect command to the at least one BMS acquisition board, if a response message sent by the at least one BMS acquisition board is received, determine that the disconnect command has been executed successfully; if no response message is received within the first time period, determine that the at least one BMS acquisition board is faulty, and control the target relay to disconnect via the second control terminal of the target relay.

[0017] Based on the above technical means, the external controller of the battery pack determines whether the disconnect command has been successfully executed by whether the response message has timed out. If it has not been successfully executed, it intervenes in time to disconnect the target relay. This method is simple to implement and has a relatively fast impact speed.

[0018] Secondly, a battery pack is provided for operation under the control of an external controller. The battery pack includes a battery module, a power output terminal, a power input terminal, at least one BMS (Battery Management System) acquisition board, multiple relays, and a relay control circuit. The power input terminal and the power output terminal are respectively connected to the battery module. The at least one BMS acquisition board is used to collect status information of the battery module. The multiple relays are respectively disposed between the power input terminal and the power output terminal and the battery module. The input terminal of the relay control circuit is connected to the at least one BMS acquisition board, and the output terminal of the relay control circuit is connected to the first control terminal of the multiple relays to adjust the status information according to the battery module. The status information controls the disconnection of the target relay; the at least one BMS acquisition board is connected to the external controller of the battery pack and is used to send status information to the external controller of the battery pack, so that the external controller of the battery pack generates the disconnection command according to the status information, so as to control the target relay to disconnect through the at least one BMS acquisition board and the relay control circuit. The second control terminal of the plurality of relays is connected to the external controller of the battery pack. When the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit fails, the target relay is controlled to disconnect by the external controller of the battery pack through the second control terminal of the target relay; wherein, the target relay is one or more of the plurality of relays.

[0019] In some embodiments, the power input terminal and the power output terminal are also connected to the external controller of the battery pack, which is used to collect the voltage information of the battery pack; the target relay is used to disconnect in response to the disconnect command, which is generated by the external controller of the battery pack based on the status information and / or the voltage information; the target relay is also used to: be controlled to disconnect by the external controller of the battery pack based on the status information and / or the voltage information through the second control terminal of the target relay when the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit fails.

[0020] In some embodiments, the battery module is also connected to the external controller of the battery pack, which is used to collect the current information of the battery module; the target relay is used to disconnect in response to the disconnect command, which is generated by the external controller of the battery pack based on the status information and / or the voltage information and / or the current information; the target relay is also used to: when the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit fails, be disconnected by the external controller of the battery pack based on the status information and / or the voltage information and / or the current information through the second control terminal of the target relay.

[0021] In some embodiments, the power input terminal includes a first input terminal and a second input terminal, which are respectively connected to the positive and negative terminals of the battery module; the power output terminal includes a first output terminal and a second output terminal, which are respectively connected to the positive and negative terminals of the battery module; the plurality of relays includes a main positive relay, a main negative relay, a fast-charging positive relay, and a fast-charging negative relay, wherein the main positive relay and the fast-charging positive relay are disposed between the first output terminal and the first input terminal and the positive terminal, and the main negative relay and the fast-charging negative relay are respectively disposed between the second output terminal and the second input terminal and the negative terminal; the battery pack further includes a pre-charging resistor, the pre-charging relay and the pre-charging resistor are connected in series between the first output terminal and the positive terminal, the first control terminal of the pre-charging relay is connected to the relay control circuit, and the second control terminal is connected to the external controller of the battery pack.

[0022] In some embodiments, the at least one BMS acquisition board is connected to the external controller of the battery pack via a bus; the at least one BMS acquisition board is further configured to: after executing the disconnect command, send a response message to the external controller of the battery pack via the bus, so that the external controller of the battery pack determines the execution status of the disconnect command based on whether it receives the response message. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle power distribution system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a partial schematic diagram of the target relay in the power distribution system; Detailed Implementation

[0025] The embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments are only for illustrating this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this application. Therefore, the drawings only show the components related to this application and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0027] Currently, the management of power batteries in new energy vehicles relies on a battery management system (BMS) and a power distribution unit (PDU). The BMS further includes a main control board and an internal control board within the battery pack. It manages the battery, coordinating charging and discharging, and calculating SOX (including state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), and state of power (SOP)). The PDU is responsible for power distribution, selecting different power output paths for external electrical appliances during battery charging and discharging.

[0028] With the development and evolution of the vehicle's electronic and electrical architecture, BMS and PDU are gradually being integrated into other controllers, and after integration, they will no longer exist in the battery pack.

[0029] Among them, the integration trend of BMS is to integrate the main control board into other power-related controllers, and only the internal control board of the battery pack exists in the battery pack. The internal control board of the battery pack reports the status information of the battery to the BMS main board outside the battery pack, and the main board performs calculations and decisions.

[0030] The PDU is integrated into other controllers such as chargers or DC-DC converters, while the main and auxiliary high-voltage relays and pre-charge relays are retained in the battery pack.

[0031] According to the above architecture, the relays within the battery pack are transmitted to the control board inside the battery pack via serial port signals from the external controller. The control board then handles the relay activation and deactivation. If the internal control board malfunctions, such as crashing, the relays may remain in the activated state, preventing the external controller from issuing commands to disconnect the high-voltage relays via the bus. This situation deviates from expected control and poses unpredictable risks. Therefore, ensuring the safety of high-voltage output under this new electronic and electrical architecture is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed.

[0032] In view of the above problems, this application provides an external controller for a battery pack and a battery pack. The technical solution provided by this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle power distribution system using the external controller of the battery pack, provided in an embodiment of this application. For ease of understanding, Figure 1 The diagram shows a battery pack 11 and a battery pack external controller 12, which is used to control the battery 11.

[0034] The battery pack 11 includes a battery module 111, a power output terminal 112, a power input terminal 113, multiple relays 114, a relay control circuit 115, and at least one BMS acquisition board 116.

[0035] The battery module 111 may include multiple cell modules, which may be connected in series, in parallel, or in a series-parallel configuration.

[0036] The power input terminal 113 and the power output terminal 112 are respectively connected to the battery module 111. The battery input terminal is used to provide the current / voltage input and can be connected to a charging pile or charging gun outside the vehicle to charge the battery module 111. The battery output terminal is used to provide the current / voltage output and to supply power to devices outside the battery pack. The external devices mentioned here include the vehicle's drive system, air conditioning compressor, lighting system, braking system, power steering system, etc.

[0037] Multiple relays 114 are respectively disposed between the power input terminal 113 and the power output terminal 112 and the battery module 111, and are used to control the on / off state of the battery module 111 and the power input terminal 113 or the power output terminal 112. For example, when charging the battery module 111, the relay controlling the connection between the power input terminal 113 and the battery module 111 is turned on, and the relay controlling the connection between the power output terminal 112 and the battery module 111 is turned off; after charging is completed, the relay controlling the connection between the power input terminal 113 and the battery module 111 is turned off.

[0038] The first control terminals of the aforementioned plurality of relays 114 are connected to the output terminal of the relay control circuit 115, and the input terminal of the relay control circuit 115 is connected to at least one BMS acquisition board 116. The at least one BMS acquisition board 116 is used to acquire the status information of the battery module 111. In this embodiment, the plurality of relays 114 are high-voltage relays, and their first control terminals are the low-side of the high-voltage relays. At least one BMS acquisition board 116 can send a control signal to the relay control circuit 115, and the relay control circuit 115 controls the on / off state of the relays according to the control signal.

[0039] The battery pack external controller 12 is connected to at least one BMS acquisition board 116 for receiving and transmitting status information. When a target relay needs to be disconnected, the external controller 12 sends a disconnect command to at least one BMS acquisition board 116. The at least one BMS acquisition board 116 then controls the target relay to disconnect via the relay control circuit 115 according to the disconnect command. For example, when charging the battery pack, when the SOC reaches 100%, the external controller 12 sends a disconnect command to at least one BMS acquisition board 116 to disconnect the relay between the power input terminal 113 and the battery module 111, thus ending the charging process. As another example, when the user locks the vehicle, at least one BMS acquisition board 116 sends a disconnect command to disconnect the relay between the power output terminal 112 and the battery module 111, thus powering down the vehicle's electrical components.

[0040] The aforementioned battery pack external controller 12 is also connected to the second control terminal of multiple relays 114. When the relay is a high-voltage relay, its second control terminal is the high side of the high-voltage relay.

[0041] The aforementioned external controller 12 for the battery pack is also used to: control the target relay to disconnect via the second control terminal of the target relay when at least one BMS acquisition board 116 and / or relay control circuit 115 fails; wherein, the failure of the internal control board 116 of the battery pack may be, for example, a system crash of the BMS acquisition board 116.

[0042] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a partial circuit diagram of the target relay mentioned above. For example... Figure 2As shown, one end 211 of the target relay 21 is connected to the external controller 12 of the battery pack, which outputs a high level to the high side 211 of the target relay 21. The other end 212 of the target relay 21 is connected to the relay control circuit 115, which outputs a low level to the low side 212 of the target relay 21. When both the high and low sides of the target relay 21 are working normally, the target relay 21 is energized, and both sides of the target relay 21 are conductive. When it needs to be disconnected, the external controller 12 of the battery pack sends a disconnect command to the BMS acquisition board 116. In response to the disconnect command, the BMS acquisition board 116 controls the low side 211 of the target relay 21 to close through the relay control circuit 115. When either side of the target relay 21 is closed, the target relay 21 will be disconnected, thereby disconnecting the connection between the two sides of the target relay 21. In the event of a malfunction such as a crash in the BMS acquisition board 116, the external controller 12 of the battery pack can independently control the high side 212 of the target relay 21 to close, which also serves the purpose of closing the control terminal of the target relay 21.

[0043] Based on the above technical means, the relays can be switched on and off using an external controller for the battery pack and a BMS acquisition board. In the event of a BMS acquisition board failure, the relays can be shut down independently using the external controller, which can ensure the safety of high-voltage input and output under the new electronic and electrical architecture.

[0044] exist Figure 1 In the power distribution system 10 shown, the battery module 111 includes multiple cell modules 1111 connected in series. The number of the aforementioned at least one BMS acquisition board 116 can be two, which are respectively set to correspond to some of the multiple cell modules 1111, and are used to collect the status information of the corresponding cell module 1111.

[0045] The BMS acquisition board 116 in this embodiment includes multiple acquisition chips, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The number of acquisition chips is the same as the number of their corresponding battery cell modules 1111, meaning each battery cell module 1111 corresponds to one acquisition chip. This acquisition chip is used to acquire status information such as temperature, pressure, current, and voltage for each battery cell module 1111. The EEPROM is used to store this status information, and the external controller 12 of the battery pack can read the status information stored in the EEPROM through its connection with the BMS acquisition board 116.

[0046] Taking the temperature of battery module 111 as an example, during the charging process, the temperature of the battery pack increases as the charging progresses. When the temperature becomes too high, it threatens battery safety. Therefore, the external controller 12 can control the charging process based on the temperature of battery module 111. Specifically, when the temperature of battery module 111 exceeds a preset threshold, a safety risk is identified. At this time, the external controller 12 generates a disconnect command to control the target relay to disconnect the power input terminal 113 from the battery module 111 via the BMS acquisition board 116 and the relay control circuit 115. If the BMS acquisition board 116 malfunctions, the external controller 12 can directly disconnect it via the second control terminal of the relay based on the aforementioned temperature information.

[0047] Based on the above technical means, the BMS acquisition board installed in the battery pack is used to collect the status information of the cell module in real time, and the charging or discharging path of the battery pack is determined according to the status information of the cell to ensure the safety of the battery pack.

[0048] In some embodiments, the external controller 12 of the battery pack is also connected to the power input terminal 113 and the power output terminal 112 for collecting voltage information of the battery pack.

[0049] The external controller 12 of the battery pack is also used to: generate a disconnect command based on the status information and / or voltage information of the battery module 111, and, in the event of a fault in the BMS acquisition board 116 and / or the relay control circuit 115, control the target relay to disconnect based on the status information and / or voltage information through the second control terminal of the target relay.

[0050] The aforementioned voltage information includes the battery pack's output voltage and input voltage. Taking the output voltage of battery module 111 as an example, during the battery's external discharge process, its output voltage shows a continuous decreasing trend. During this discharge process, the external controller 12 monitors its output voltage. When the output voltage is less than a preset threshold, battery module 111 is at risk of over-discharge, and in this case, it is necessary to control battery module 111 to stop discharging. At this time, the external controller 12 can generate a disconnect command based on the above information, thereby disconnecting the path between the power output terminal 112 and battery module 111, stopping the external discharge.

[0051] It should be noted that the external controller 12 of the battery pack can also determine whether it is a target relay and whether to generate a disconnect command for the target relay based on any two of the aforementioned multiple state information and multiple voltage information combinations. For example, during the charging process of the battery module 111, it determines whether a preset charging stage has been reached based on the voltage of the battery module 111 and the charging voltage. If so, it generates a disconnect command for the target relay and controls the target relay to disconnect to end the charging process. As another example, during the battery discharging process, it determines whether there is a risk of over-discharge based on the pressure and discharge voltage of the cells in the battery module 111. If so, it generates a disconnect command for the target relay and controls the target relay to disconnect to end the discharge process.

[0052] Based on the above technical means, the voltage information of the battery pack is collected by the internal control board of the battery pack, so that the external controller of the battery pack can control the on / off of the charging / discharging path of the battery pack according to the status information of the cell module and / or the voltage information of the battery pack, thereby ensuring the charging / discharging safety of the battery pack.

[0053] In some embodiments, the BMS acquisition board 116 and the battery pack external controller 12 are connected via a bus, which may be any one of RS485, RS232, CAN, etc.

[0054] The BMS acquisition board 116 is further configured to: send a response message to the external controller 12 of the battery pack via the bus after executing the disconnect command. The external controller 12 of the battery pack is further configured to: determine the execution status of the disconnect command based on whether the response message is received.

[0055] Based on the above technical means, the external controller of the battery pack sends a disconnect command to the BMS acquisition board through the bus connection and monitors the execution status of the disconnect command according to whether a response message is received, so as to ensure that the battery pack is in a real-time controllable state.

[0056] In some embodiments, after receiving a disconnect command from the external controller 12 of the battery pack, the BMS acquisition board 116 executes the command to control the target relay to disconnect via the relay control circuit 115. After executing the command, it sends a response message through the bus connection with the external controller 12 of the battery pack. If the external controller 12 of the battery pack receives the response message within a preset first time period, it determines that the disconnect command has been executed successfully. If no response message is received within the first time period, it determines that the internal control board of the battery pack has malfunctioned. In this case, the external controller 12 of the battery pack intervenes and controls the target relay to disconnect via the second terminal of the target relay.

[0057] Based on the above technical means, the external controller of the battery pack determines whether the disconnect command has been successfully executed by whether the response message has timed out. If it has not been successfully executed, it intervenes in time to disconnect the target relay. This method is simple to implement and has a relatively fast impact speed.

[0058] In some embodiments, the external controller 12 of the battery pack is also connected to the battery module 111 for collecting current information of the battery module 111. This current information may include the input current or the output current of the battery module 111.

[0059] The external controller 12 of the battery pack is also used to: generate a disconnect command based on status information and / or voltage information and / or current information; and, in the event of a fault in the BMS acquisition board 116, control the target relay to disconnect via the second control terminal of the target relay based on the status information and / or voltage information and / or current information.

[0060] It is understandable that the above disconnect command can be determined based on any one or more of the status information, voltage information, and current information.

[0061] The following examples illustrate this. Taking the input current as an example, during constant-voltage charging of the battery, the charging current shows a decreasing trend. When the charging current drops to a preset threshold, it indicates that the battery has reached a fully charged state. Continuing to charge would lead to overcharging. At this time, the external controller 12 of the battery pack can generate a disconnect command based on the current input current and execute the disconnect command through the BMS acquisition board 116 to disconnect the target relay between the power input terminal 113 and the battery module 111, thus ending the charging of the battery module 111. Alternatively, the combination of current information and the state information of the battery module 111 can be used as the criterion for determining whether to send a disconnect command. Again, taking charging as an example, the temperature of the battery module 111 and the magnitude of the input current can be used to determine whether to end the charging process. When the temperature of the battery module 111 is too high and the input current is too low, a disconnect command is sent to the target relay, thereby stopping the charging process and reducing the probability of thermal runaway of the battery module 111. Furthermore, the charging state of the battery module 111 can be evaluated based on multiple parameters such as battery temperature, input voltage, and input current, and a disconnect command can be generated accordingly to control the end of the charging process. It should be noted that the embodiments of this application do not limit the specific types of status information, voltage information, and current information used to generate the above-mentioned disconnection command.

[0062] Based on the above technical means, the current information of the battery module is monitored in real time by external control of the battery pack, and the charging / discharging path of the battery pack is controlled according to the status information and / or voltage information and / or current information to ensure the charging / discharging safety of the battery pack.

[0063] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the power input terminal 113 includes a first input terminal 1131 and a second input terminal 1132, and the power output terminal 112 includes a first output terminal 1121 and a second output terminal 1122.

[0064] The aforementioned multiple relays 114 include a main positive relay 1141, a main negative relay 1142, a fast-charging positive relay 1143, and a fast-charging negative relay 1144. Specifically, the main positive relay 1141 is located between the first output terminal 1121 and the positive terminal 1112; the main negative relay 1142 is located between the second output terminal 1122 and the negative terminal 1113; the fast-charging positive relay 1143 is located between the first input terminal 1131 and the positive terminal 1112; and the fast-charging negative relay 1144 is located between the second input terminal 1132 and the negative terminal 1113.

[0065] The aforementioned main positive relay 1141 and main negative relay 1142 are used to control the opening and closing of the discharge path of the battery module 111, and the fast charging positive relay 1143 and fast charging negative relay 1144 are used to control the opening and closing of the charging path of the battery module 111.

[0066] Based on the above technical means, by setting multiple relays between the power input terminal and the power output terminal and the battery module, it is convenient to control the charging and discharging path of the battery pack.

[0067] In some embodiments, continue reading Figure 1 The aforementioned relays 114 also include a pre-charge relay 1145, and the battery pack 11 also includes a pre-charge resistor 118. The pre-charge relay 1145 and the pre-charge resistor 118 are connected in series between the first output terminal 1121 and the positive terminal 1112 of the battery module 111. The first control terminal of the pre-charge relay 1145 is connected to the relay control circuit 115, and the second control terminal is connected to the external controller 12 of the battery pack. When the battery pack needs to be charged, the BMS acquisition board 116 notifies the pre-charge relay 1145 to turn on through the relay control circuit 115, so as to reduce the initial charging current by utilizing the pre-charge resistor 118 to prevent the instantaneous current from being too large at the start of charging. The second control terminal of the pre-charge relay 1145 is connected to the external controller 12 of the battery pack. In the event of a failure of the BMS acquisition board 116, the external controller 12 of the battery pack can directly control the pre-charge relay 1145 to turn off.

[0068] Based on the above technical means, a pre-charge resistor and a pre-charge relay are set in the battery pack. During charging, the pre-charge resistor is used to prevent excessive current. The pre-charge relay is used to control the enable state of the pre-charge resistor. In the event of a fault in the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit, the external controller of the battery pack can independently shut down the high side of the pre-charge relay, thereby exiting the pre-charge state and optimizing the control logic.

[0069] This application also provides a battery pack, the structure of which can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 1 As described above. This battery pack is used to operate under the control of an external controller. The battery pack includes battery modules, power output terminals, power input terminals, at least one BMS acquisition board, multiple relays, and relay control circuitry.

[0070] The power input terminal and power output terminal are respectively connected to the battery module. At least one BMS acquisition board is used to collect the status information of the battery module. Multiple relays are respectively set between the power input terminal and the power output terminal and the battery module. The input terminal of the relay control circuit is connected to at least one BMS acquisition board, and the output terminal of the relay control circuit is connected to the first control terminal of multiple relays to control the disconnection of the target relay according to the status information of the battery module.

[0071] At least one BMS acquisition board is connected to the external controller of the battery pack and is used to send status information to the external controller of the battery pack so that the external controller of the battery pack can generate a disconnect command based on the status information, so as to control the target relay to disconnect through at least one BMS acquisition board and relay control circuit.

[0072] The second control terminals of multiple relays are connected to an external controller for the battery pack. When the BMS acquisition board and / or relay control circuit fails, the target relay is disconnected by the external controller through its second control terminal. The target relay can be one or more of the multiple relays.

[0073] In some embodiments, the power input terminal and the power output terminal are also connected to an external controller for the battery pack, which is used to acquire voltage information of the battery pack; the target relay is used to disconnect in response to a disconnect command, which is generated by the external controller for the battery pack based on status information and / or voltage information; the target relay is also used to: in the event of a fault in the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit, be controlled to disconnect by the external controller for the battery pack based on status information and / or voltage information through the second control terminal of the target relay.

[0074] In some embodiments, the battery module is also connected to an external controller for the battery pack, which is used to collect current information of the battery module; a target relay is used to disconnect in response to a disconnect command, which is generated by the external controller based on status information and / or voltage information and / or current information; the target relay is also used to: in the event of a fault in the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit, be controlled to disconnect by the external controller based on status information and / or voltage information and / or current information through the second control terminal of the target relay.

[0075] In some embodiments, the power input terminal includes a first input terminal and a second input terminal, which are respectively connected to the positive and negative terminals of the battery module; the power output terminal includes a first output terminal and a second output terminal, which are respectively connected to the positive and negative terminals of the battery module; the multiple relays include a main positive relay, a main negative relay, a fast-charging positive relay, and a fast-charging negative relay, wherein the main positive relay and the fast-charging positive relay are disposed between the first output terminal and the first input terminal and the positive terminal, and the main negative relay and the fast-charging negative relay are respectively disposed between the second output terminal and the second input terminal and the negative terminal; the battery pack also includes a pre-charging resistor, the pre-charging relay and the pre-charging resistor are connected in series between the first output terminal and the positive terminal, the first control terminal of the pre-charging relay is connected to the relay control circuit, and the second control terminal is connected to the external controller of the battery pack.

[0076] In some embodiments, at least one BMS acquisition board is connected to the external controller of the battery pack via a bus; at least one BMS acquisition board is also used to: after executing a disconnect command, send a response message to the external controller of the battery pack via the bus, so that the external controller of the battery pack can determine the execution status of the disconnect command based on whether it receives the response message.

[0077] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments provided to fully illustrate this application, and the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on this application are all within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An external controller for a battery pack, used to control the battery pack, characterized in that, The battery pack includes a battery module, a power output terminal, a power input terminal, at least one BMS acquisition board, multiple relays, and relay control circuitry. The power input terminal and the power output terminal are respectively connected to the battery module. The at least one BMS acquisition board is used to collect the status information of the battery module. The multiple relays are respectively disposed between the power input terminal and the power output terminal and the battery module. The input terminal of the relay control circuit is connected to the at least one BMS acquisition board, and the output terminal of the relay control circuit is connected to the first control terminal of the multiple relays to control the disconnection of the target relay according to the status information of the battery module. The external controller of the battery pack is connected to the at least one BMS acquisition board, and is used to receive the status information sent by the at least one BMS acquisition board, and generate the disconnect command according to the status information, so as to control the target relay to disconnect through the at least one BMS acquisition board and the relay control circuit. The external controller for the battery pack is also connected to the second control terminal of the plurality of relays, and is used to control the target relay to disconnect through the second control terminal of the target relay when the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit fails. The target relay is one or more of the plurality of relays.

2. The external controller for the battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The external controller for the battery pack is also connected to the power input terminal and the power output terminal, and is used to collect the voltage information of the battery pack. The external controller for the battery pack is also configured to: generate the disconnect command based on the status information and / or the voltage information; as well as, When the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit fails, the target relay is controlled to disconnect through the second control terminal of the target relay according to the status information and / or the voltage information.

3. The external controller for the battery pack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The external controller of the battery pack is also connected to the battery module for collecting the current information of the battery module; The external controller for the battery pack is also configured to: generate the disconnect command based on the status information and / or the voltage information and / or the current information; as well as, When the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit fails, the target relay is controlled to disconnect through the second control terminal of the target relay according to the status information and / or the voltage information and / or the current information.

4. The battery pack external controller according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The power input terminal includes a first input terminal and a second input terminal, which are respectively connected to the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the battery module; The power output terminal includes a first output terminal and a second output terminal, which are respectively connected to the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the battery module; The plurality of relays includes a main positive relay, a main negative relay, a fast charging positive relay, and a fast charging negative relay, wherein the main positive relay and the fast charging positive relay are disposed between the first output terminal and the first input terminal and the positive terminal, respectively, and the main negative relay and the fast charging negative relay are disposed between the second output terminal and the second input terminal and the negative terminal, respectively. The battery pack also includes a pre-charge resistor. The pre-charge relay and the pre-charge resistor are connected in series between the first output terminal and the positive terminal. The first control terminal of the pre-charge relay is connected to the relay control circuit, and the second control terminal is connected to the external controller of the battery pack.

5. The external controller for the battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one BMS acquisition board is connected to the external controller of the battery pack via a bus; The at least one BMS acquisition board is further configured to: after executing the disconnect command, send a response message to the external controller of the battery pack via the bus; The external controller for the battery pack is also configured to: determine the execution status of the disconnect command based on whether the response message is received.

6. The external controller for the battery pack according to claim 5, characterized in that, The external controller for the battery pack is also used for: If, within a first time period after sending the disconnect command to the at least one BMS acquisition board, the response message sent by the at least one BMS acquisition board is received, then it is determined that the disconnect command has been executed successfully. If the response message is not received within the first time period, it is determined that at least one BMS acquisition board is faulty, and the target relay is controlled to disconnect via the second control terminal of the target relay.

7. A battery pack for operating under the control of an external controller, characterized in that, The battery pack includes a battery module, a power output terminal, a power input terminal, at least one BMS acquisition board, multiple relays, and relay control circuitry. The power input terminal and the power output terminal are respectively connected to the battery module. The at least one BMS acquisition board is used to collect the status information of the battery module. The multiple relays are respectively disposed between the power input terminal and the power output terminal and the battery module. The input terminal of the relay control circuit is connected to the at least one BMS acquisition board, and the output terminal of the relay control circuit is connected to the first control terminal of the multiple relays to control the disconnection of the target relay according to the status information of the battery module. The at least one BMS acquisition board is connected to the external controller of the battery pack and is used to send status information to the external controller of the battery pack, so that the external controller of the battery pack generates the disconnect command based on the status information, so as to control the target relay to disconnect through the at least one BMS acquisition board and the relay control circuit. The second control terminal of the plurality of relays is connected to the external controller of the battery pack. When the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit fails, the target relay is disconnected by the external controller of the battery pack through the second control terminal of the target relay. The target relay is one or more of the plurality of relays.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, characterized in that, The power input terminal and the power output terminal are also connected to the external controller of the battery pack, which is used to collect the voltage information of the battery pack. The target relay is used to disconnect in response to the disconnect command, which is generated by the external controller of the battery pack based on the status information and / or the voltage information; The target relay is also used to: disconnect the battery pack external controller according to the status information and / or the voltage information by controlling the second control terminal of the target relay when the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit fails.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8, characterized in that, The battery module is also connected to the external controller of the battery pack, which is used to collect the current information of the battery module. The target relay is used to disconnect in response to the disconnect command, which is generated by the external controller of the battery pack based on the status information and / or the voltage information and / or the current information; The target relay is also used to: when the BMS acquisition board and / or the relay control circuit fails, be disconnected by the external controller of the battery pack according to the status information and / or the voltage information and / or the current information through the second control terminal of the target relay.

10. The battery pack according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that, The power input terminal includes a first input terminal and a second input terminal, which are respectively connected to the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the battery module; The power output terminal includes a first output terminal and a second output terminal, which are respectively connected to the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the battery module; The plurality of relays includes a main positive relay, a main negative relay, a fast charging positive relay, and a fast charging negative relay, wherein the main positive relay and the fast charging positive relay are disposed between the first output terminal and the first input terminal and the positive terminal, respectively, and the main negative relay and the fast charging negative relay are disposed between the second output terminal and the second input terminal and the negative terminal, respectively. The battery pack also includes a pre-charge resistor. The pre-charge relay and the pre-charge resistor are connected in series between the first output terminal and the positive terminal. The first control terminal of the pre-charge relay is connected to the relay control circuit, and the second control terminal is connected to the external controller of the battery pack.

11. The battery pack according to claim 7, characterized in that, The at least one BMS acquisition board is connected to the external controller of the battery pack via a bus; The at least one BMS acquisition board is further configured to: after executing the disconnect command, send a response message to the external controller of the battery pack via the bus, so that the external controller of the battery pack can determine the execution status of the disconnect command based on whether it receives the response message.

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