Vehicle and vehicle charging control method

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle and a charging control method of the vehicle. A vehicle includes a plurality of single-phase battery module systems including a plurality of battery modules and disposed in each phase of a motor, where each of the plurality of battery modules includes a battery and a power conversion module including an inverter, and a plurality of switches disposed in each phase of the motor. An inverter configured to convert a DC voltage stored in the battery into an AC voltage to control the motor; the plurality of switches are configured to turn on and off a connection between each of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems and the charger, where the inverter operates to connect the charger to each of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems when the plurality of switches are turned on.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0100939 filed on July 30, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0105015 filed on August 10, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a vehicle and a charging control method for the vehicle. Background Art

[0004] It should be noted that the contents described in this section merely provide background technical information about the present invention and do not constitute prior art.

[0005] The environmentally friendly vehicle may refer to a hybrid electric vehicle, an electric vehicle, a fuel cell electric vehicle, etc., and may include a high-voltage battery pack, an inverter, a motor, and the like.

[0006] The driving system of such an environmentally friendly vehicle may include a battery pack and an inverter as separate devices, and when fast charging is performed, the charger may be configured to directly charge the high-voltage battery pack. Summary of the invention

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is to provide a vehicle and a charging control method of the vehicle, in which a low-voltage battery and an inverter are integrated into a battery module, and even when a motor is driven by combining multiple battery modules, fast charging can be performed as is using a conventional charger.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle includes: multiple single-phase battery module systems and multiple switches, the multiple single-phase battery module systems include multiple battery modules and are arranged in each phase of a motor, wherein each of the multiple battery modules includes a battery and a power conversion module, the power conversion module includes an inverter, and the inverter is configured to convert a DC voltage stored in the battery into an AC voltage to control the motor; multiple switches are configured to connect and disconnect the connection between each of the multiple single-phase battery module systems and a charger, wherein, when the multiple switches are turned on, the inverter works to connect the charger to each of the multiple single-phase battery module systems.

[0009] An input terminal of the inverter and the battery may be connected to each other in parallel, and an output terminal of the inverter may be connected in series to an output terminal of an inverter included in an adjacent battery module.

[0010] One end of each of the plurality of switches may be connected to each other and to a positive (+) terminal of the charger, and the other end of each of the plurality of switches may be connected to a plurality of single-phase battery module systems.

[0011] The other end of each of the plurality of switches may be connected to one of output ends of an inverter included in one of the plurality of battery modules included in each of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems.

[0012] Another end of the output ends of the inverter included in one of the multiple battery modules included in one single-phase battery module system among the multiple single-phase battery module systems can be interconnected with another end of the output ends of the inverter included in one of the multiple battery modules included in another single-phase battery module system among the multiple single-phase battery module systems, and connected to the negative (-) terminal of the charger.

[0013] The inverter may include: an upper switch and a lower switch arranged in a first branch and connected in series with each other; and an upper switch and a lower switch arranged in a second branch and connected in series with each other, one end of the output terminal of the inverter may be arranged between the upper switch and the lower switch of the first branch, and the other end of the output terminal of the inverter may be arranged between the upper switch and the lower switch of the second branch.

[0014] The number of battery modules included in one of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems may be the same as the number of battery modules included in another of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems.

[0015] The inverter may include an H-bridge single-phase inverter including a plurality of power semiconductor devices.

[0016] During DC charging, the upper switch of the first branch and the lower switch of the second branch may be turned on, or the lower switch of the first branch and the upper switch of the second branch may be turned on.

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, a charging control method for a vehicle is provided, wherein the vehicle includes a plurality of single-phase battery module systems, the plurality of single-phase battery module systems include a plurality of battery modules and are arranged in each phase of a motor, wherein each of the plurality of battery modules includes a battery and a power conversion module, the power conversion module includes an inverter, and the inverter is configured to convert a DC voltage stored in the battery into an AC voltage to control the motor, the charging control method comprising: a receiving step, in which a charging signal for DC charging is received from a charger; and a control step, in which, when the charging signal is received, a plurality of switches are turned on and the inverter is controlled to connect the charger to each of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems.

[0018] The inverter may include: an upper switch and a lower switch arranged in a first branch and connected in series with each other; and an upper switch and a lower switch arranged in a second branch and connected in series with each other, and the control step may be configured to turn on the upper switch of the first branch and the lower switch of the second branch, or to turn on the lower switch of the first branch and the upper switch of the second branch. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description presented in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 An electric vehicle drive system including a conventional high voltage battery pack is shown;

[0021] Figure 2 and Figure 3 shows a battery module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a connection structure between a plurality of battery modules according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 A single-phase battery module system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0024] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a connection relationship between inverters in a three-phase battery module system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing a connection relationship between first DC / DC converters in a three-phase battery module system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a connection relationship between second DC / DC converters in a three-phase battery module system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a structure of an inverter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram showing a fast charging path by a DC voltage according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Fig.12 is a flowchart illustrating a charging control method of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

[0031] Fig.13 is a block diagram illustrating a computing device that may fully or partially implement a control module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In the following, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following detailed description is provided to help fully understand the methods, devices and / or systems described in this specification. However, the detailed description is only for illustrative purposes and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0033] When describing an embodiment of the present invention, when it is determined that the detailed description of the known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the main idea of ​​the present invention, its detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the terms to be described below are terms defined in consideration of the functions in the present invention, which can change according to the intention or habit of the user or operator. Accordingly, these terms should be defined based on the content in this specification. The terms used herein are only used to describe the purpose of a specific embodiment and do not limit the embodiment. As used herein, the singular "one", "one" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes one of the related enumerated items and any combination of any two or more. It will be further understood that when the term "including" and / or "including" is used in this specification, it indicates that there are described features, values, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations thereof, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, values, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof.

[0034] In addition, a “module voltage” to be described below may refer to a voltage output from a battery module, and a “system voltage” may refer to a voltage output from a battery module system formed based on the battery module.

[0035] The battery module to be described below may include a vehicle battery module, and the battery module system may include a single-phase vehicle battery module system and a three-phase vehicle battery module system.

[0036] Furthermore, the technology provided in the present invention can be applied not only to vehicles but also to various devices to which battery modules and battery module systems are applicable.

[0037] Figure 1 A driving system of an environmentally friendly vehicle including a conventional high-voltage battery pack is shown.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, the driving system 1 of the environmentally friendly vehicle may include a high-voltage battery pack 3 , an inverter 4 including a DC bus capacitor C, and a motor 5 .

[0039] According to this configuration, the charger 2 can be connected to the high-voltage battery pack 3, the charger 2 can directly charge the high-voltage battery pack 3 with a DC voltage, and the inverter 4 can convert the DC voltage stored in the high-voltage battery pack 3 into an AC voltage and can drive the motor 5. Here, the charger 2 can be a fast charging device that is provided outside the vehicle and provides a DC type charging current.

[0040] That is, the conventional driving system 1 of the environmentally-friendly vehicle may include a battery pack 3 and an inverter 4 , and may be configured such that the charger 2 can quickly charge the high-voltage battery pack 3 during direct current charging.

[0041] Accordingly, in the case of integrating a low-voltage battery and an inverter into a single battery module and driving a motor by combining a plurality of battery modules, the conventional charger 2 utilizing a DC voltage during DC charging may not be used as it is.

[0042] In addition, since the drive system 1 of the environmentally friendly vehicle operates at a high voltage (e.g., 400V to 800V), it may be necessary to use high-voltage components, but the high-voltage components may be expensive and may generate a large amount of heat compared to components operating at a low voltage. In particular, SiC power semiconductors for high-voltage switches may be applied to the inverter 4 operating at a high voltage, but SiC power semiconductors may have a low yield for high demand, making the semiconductors may not be easily supplied and may be expensive.

[0043] Since the high voltage battery pack 3 has only one type of high voltage output, various power conversion devices may need to be applied to an environmentally friendly vehicle. This is because the environmentally friendly vehicle may include electrical loads with various functions, and the voltage required by each electrical load may be different.

[0044] For example, an environmentally friendly vehicle may have various types of electrical loads requiring various voltages, for example, a low voltage load such as a radio operating at a low DC voltage (e.g., 12V or 24V), a high voltage load such as an air conditioning system operating at a high DC voltage (e.g., 400V or 800V), and a motor operating at a high voltage three-phase AC voltage (e.g., 400V or 800V). Accordingly, various types of voltages may be required depending on the type of component.

[0045] These various power conversion devices may result in energy losses in the process of converting the power from high voltage to low voltage, which reduces efficiency and may require a separate transformer due to the need to significantly step down the voltage.

[0046] Furthermore, the conventional driving system 1 of the environmentally-friendly vehicle may need to have a capacitor for each of the various power conversion devices as well as a high-capacity capacitor, so that the system may be expensive and may occupy a large volume.

[0047] In addition, the conventional drive system 1 of an environmentally friendly vehicle may have the disadvantage that when a problem occurs in one of the battery cells included in the high-voltage battery pack 3, the entire high-voltage battery pack 3 may need to be replaced, and when one component fails, the entire system may stop, which reduces the reliability of the entire system.

[0048] For a conventional driving system 1 of an environmentally friendly vehicle, each power electric (PE) system may need to be designed according to different standards depending on the vehicle type, which may complicate the process and may increase production costs.

[0049] The battery module system according to the embodiment of the present invention described below may be configured by a series / parallel combination of a plurality of battery modules, and each battery module may include a low voltage battery and a power conversion device such as an inverter and a converter operating at a low voltage.

[0050] In other words, the battery module system according to the embodiment of the present invention can be configured based on the battery module, and each battery module includes a power conversion device, so that the battery module system can store / release electrical energy and can also perform power conversion in the battery module. Accordingly, the battery module according to the embodiment of the present invention can convert direct current into alternating current, or can convert the size of the battery power, and can output power if necessary. In addition, the output of each battery module can be connected in series with each other and a high-voltage output can be formed, or can be connected in parallel with each other and a high-current output can be formed, and the voltage of each battery module can be monitored and the balance can be controlled. Hereinafter, the battery module according to the embodiment of the present invention and the battery module system including the battery module will be described in more detail.

[0051] Figure 2 A battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0052] refer to Figure 2 , the battery module 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include: a battery 110 , an inverter 120 , a first DC / DC converter 130 and a second DC / DC converter 140 .

[0053] The battery 110 may output a battery voltage and may charge or discharge electric energy. In addition, the battery voltage may form a basic voltage of the battery module 10 to provide an input voltage to the inverter 120 , the first DC / DC converter 130 , and the second DC / DC converter 140 .

[0054] In addition, the battery 110 may have an amplitude ratio reference Figure 1The conventional high voltage battery pack 3 described above has a lower battery voltage. Accordingly, a power conversion element operable at a low voltage can be applied to the vehicle battery module 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, thereby reducing production costs.

[0055] In addition, according to the battery module 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, various amplitudes and types of voltages can be output according to the series or parallel combination of the battery modules 10, so that a single standardized battery module 10 can be applied to vehicle types with various specifications, thereby reducing production costs.

[0056] For example, when the battery voltage is set to 100 V, four battery modules 10 can be connected in series to form a battery module system that outputs 400 V, and eight battery modules 10 can be connected in series to form a battery module system that outputs 800 V. In addition, for example, when the battery voltage is set to 50 V, eight battery modules 10 can be connected in series to form a battery module system that outputs 400 V, and sixteen battery modules 10 can be connected in series to form a battery module system that outputs 800 V.

[0057] In addition, the battery modules 10 can be connected in series with each other, and the inverter output can be used to form a single-phase battery module system that outputs a high-voltage AC voltage, and a plurality of single-phase battery module systems can be used to output a three-phase AC voltage. In addition, the battery modules 10 can be combined in parallel with each other to form a battery module system through which a high current flows.

[0058] The inverter 120 can convert the battery voltage into an AC module voltage and output the AC module voltage. In addition, the inverter 120 may include input terminals 120a and 120b and output terminals 120c and 120d. The input terminals 120a and 120b of the inverter may be connected to the battery in parallel with each other to receive the battery voltage, and the output terminals 120c and 120d of the inverter may output the AC module voltage. Hereinafter, the output terminals 120c and 120d of the inverter may be referred to as AC module output terminals, which output the AC module voltage. In addition, the inverter 120 may be configured to supply AC power to the AC load according to the AC module voltage. In this case, the AC load may be a load (e.g., a motor) that utilizes an AC voltage as a driving voltage.

[0059] In addition, the first DC / DC converter 130 may convert the battery voltage into a first DC module voltage which is lower than the battery voltage, and may output the first DC module voltage.

[0060] In addition, the first DC module voltage can be set to a driving voltage of a low-voltage load. For example, the low-voltage load can be an electrical load such as various lights, radios, infotainment, etc. of an electric vehicle. In addition, the first DC module voltage can be set to 12V, 24V, or 48V, which is a driving voltage of a low-voltage load. However, the voltage amplitude mentioned in this article is only an example, and can be set to a voltage with various amplitudes according to the design.

[0061] In addition, the first DC / DC converter may include input terminals 130a and 130b and output terminals 130c and 130d. The input terminals 130a and 130b of the first DC / DC converter may be connected to the battery in parallel with each other to receive the battery voltage, and the output terminals 130c and 130d of the first DC / DC converter may output the first DC module voltage. Hereinafter, the output terminals 130c and 130d of the first DC / DC converter may be referred to as first DC module output terminals, which output the first DC module voltage.

[0062] In addition, the output terminals 130 c and 130 d of the first DC / DC converter may be directly connected to a low voltage load to provide a first DC module voltage.

[0063] In one embodiment, one output terminal 130d of the output terminals of the first DC / DC converter can be grounded, and the other output terminal 130c of the output terminals of the first DC / DC converter can be connected to a low voltage load to output the first DC module voltage. In another embodiment, both output terminals of the first DC / DC converter can be connected to both ends of the low voltage load to output the first DC module voltage.

[0064] In addition, the second DC / DC converter 140 may convert the battery voltage into a second DC module voltage and output the second DC module voltage. The second DC module voltage may be set to a value greater than the first DC module voltage output from the first DC / DC converter 130. In addition, the second DC module voltage may be lower than or equal to the battery voltage, or may be higher than the battery voltage.

[0065] In addition, the second DC module voltage output from the second DC / DC converter 140 can be connected in series to the second DC module voltage output from another battery module 10 to provide power to the high-voltage load. In other words, the second DC module voltage output from the second DC / DC converter 140 may not provide power to the high-voltage load as a single output, but may be connected in series to the second DC module voltage of another battery module 10 to provide power to the high-voltage load. The battery voltage included in the battery module 10 may be formed as a low voltage. In order to provide voltage to a high-voltage load such as an air-conditioning system, a plurality of battery modules 10 may be combined in series with each other to provide a high voltage. In other words, the output terminal of the second DC / DC converter may be connected in series to the output terminal of the second DC / DC converter of another battery module to form a high voltage, thereby providing power to the high-voltage load.

[0066] In addition, the second DC / DC converter may include input terminals 140a and 140b and output terminals 140c and 140d. The input terminals 140a and 140b of the second DC / DC converter may be connected to the battery 110 in parallel with each other to receive the battery voltage, and the output terminals 140c and 140d of the second DC / DC converter may output the second DC module voltage. As used herein, the output terminals 140c and 140d of the second DC / DC converter may also be referred to as second DC module output terminals, which output the second DC module voltage.

[0067] In addition, the output terminals 140c and 140d of the second DC / DC converter may be connected in series to the output terminals of the second DC / DC converter included in another battery module, or may be connected to a high voltage load. In this case, a specific connection structure with another battery module 10 will be described below.

[0068] In addition, the battery 110 may be connected to the input terminals 120a and 120b of the inverter, the input terminals 130a and 130b of the first DC / DC converter, and the input terminals 140a and 140b of the second DC / DC converter in parallel with each other.

[0069] Figure 3 A battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0070] refer to Figure 3 , the battery module 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include: a battery 210, an inverter 220, a first DC / DC converter 230, a second DC / DC converter 240, and a common capacitor 250. In addition, the common capacitor 250 may be connected to the battery 210 in parallel with each other. Figure 3 The battery module 20 shown may include Figure 2All components of the battery module 10 are shown, and the battery module 20 may further include a common capacitor 250 .

[0071] According to the battery module 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a common capacitor can be shared without applying a capacitor to each inverter and each converter element. Accordingly, the volume can be reduced, and a low-voltage capacitor can be applied, thereby reducing production costs.

[0072] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection structure between a plurality of battery modules according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] refer to Figure 4 , the first battery module 10-1 and the second battery module 10-2 may include the same components and may have the same structure. Figure 2 As described above, the first battery module 10-1 and the second battery module 10-2 may include: batteries 110-1 and 110-2, inverters 120-1 and 120-2, first DC / DC converters 130-1 and 130-2, and second DC / DC converters 140-1 and 140-2. Alternatively, the first battery module 10-1 and the second battery module 10-2 may further include as described in reference Figure 3 The shared capacitor.

[0074] In addition, a plurality of battery modules may be connected to each other to form a battery module system, and a connection relationship between each of the plurality of battery modules included in the battery module system may be the same as Figure 4 The structures shown are the same.

[0075] More specifically, the output terminals 120-1c and 120-1d of the inverter included in the first battery module 10-1 can be connected in series to the output terminals 120-2c and 120-2d of the inverter included in the second battery module 10-2. In addition, when the inverter outputs the AC module voltage, the inverter 120-1 included in the first battery module and the inverter 120-2 included in the second battery module can be connected in series to output an AC module voltage with an amplitude twice that of the AC module voltage. For example, when the AC module voltage is set to 100V, the two inverters 120-1 and 120-2 connected in series with each other can output an AC voltage of 200V. In this case, the amplitude of the AC voltage can refer to the maximum value, effective value, or average value of the AC voltage.

[0076] In addition, the output terminals of the first DC / DC converter included in the first battery module 10-1 can be connected in parallel to the output terminals of the first DC / DC converter included in the second battery module 10-2. In the embodiment, the output terminal 130-1d of the output terminals of the first DC / DC converter included in the first battery module 10-1 can be grounded, and the output terminal 130-2d of the output terminals of the first DC / DC converter included in the second battery module 10-2 can be grounded. In addition, the other end 130-1c of the output terminals of the first DC / DC converter included in the first battery module 10-1 can be connected in parallel to the other output terminal 130-2c of the output terminals of the first DC / DC converter included in the second battery module 10-2 to output the first DC module voltage. In addition, the output terminals of the output terminals of the first DC / DC converter connected in parallel to each other can output the first DC module voltage, and can be connected to a low voltage load to provide voltage using the first DC module voltage as a driving voltage.

[0077] In addition, the output terminal of the second DC / DC converter included in the first battery module 10-1 can be connected in series to the output terminal of the second DC / DC converter included in the second battery module 10-2. More specifically, one output terminal 140-1d of the output terminals of the second DC / DC converter included in the first battery module 10-1 can be connected to another output terminal 140-2c of the output terminals of the second DC / DC converter of the second battery module 10-2.

[0078] In addition, when the second DC / DC converters 140-1 and 140-2 output the second DC module voltage, the second DC / DC converter 140-1 included in the first battery module and the second DC / DC converter 140-2 included in the second battery module can be connected in series with each other to output the second DC module voltage having an amplitude twice that of the second DC module voltage. For example, when the second DC module voltage is set to 100V, the two second DC / DC converters 140-1 and 140-2 can be connected in series with each other to output 200V.

[0079] That is, the first battery module 10 - 1 and the second battery module 10 - 2 may be connected in series to each other, the first DC / DC converters may be connected in parallel to each other, and the second DC / DC converters may be connected in series to each other.

[0080] In addition, the single-phase battery module system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of battery modules 10-1, 10-2, ..., 10-N. In addition, each of the plurality of battery modules 10-1, 10-2, ..., 10-N included in the single-phase battery module system 100 may be connected to Figure 2 or Figure 3The battery modules 10 and 20 shown in FIG. 1 are the same. In addition, the single-phase battery module system 100 includes a plurality of battery modules 10-1, 10-2, ..., 10-N which may have Figure 4 The connection structure between the battery modules shown.

[0081] Return to reference Figure 2 , a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: first DC module output terminals 130c and 130d corresponding to the output terminals of the first DC / DC converter, second DC module output terminals 140c and 140d corresponding to the output terminals of the second DC / DC converter, and AC module output terminals 120c and 120d corresponding to the output terminals of the inverter.

[0082] In addition, reference Figure 5 , the single-phase battery module system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include first DC system output terminals 130c and 130d, wherein the first DC module output terminals respectively included in the plurality of battery modules are connected to each other in parallel. In this case, the first DC system output terminals 130c and 130d may output a first DC system voltage, and the amplitude of the first DC system voltage may be the same as the amplitude of the first DC module voltage output from the output terminal of the first DC / DC converter.

[0083] In addition, the single-phase battery module system 100 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include second DC system output terminals 140-1c and 140-Nd, wherein the second DC module output terminals respectively included in the plurality of battery modules are connected in series with each other. Here, the second DC system output terminals 140-1c and 140-Nd may output a second DC system voltage, and the amplitude of the second DC system voltage may be an integer (N) times the amplitude of the second DC module voltage output from the output terminal of the second DC / DC converter.

[0084] In addition, the single-phase battery module system 100 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include an AC system output terminal 120-1c and 120-Nd, wherein the AC module output terminals respectively included in the plurality of battery modules are connected in series with each other. In addition, the AC system output terminals 120-1c and 120-Nd can output an AC system voltage, and the amplitude of the AC system voltage can be an integer (N) times the amplitude of the AC module voltage output from the output terminal of the inverter. The AC system output terminal can provide AC power to an AC load, and can provide an input voltage for one phase of a three-phase AC voltage.

[0085] That is, in the single-phase battery module system 100 , respective elements of a plurality of battery modules may be connected to each other in series or in parallel to provide various output voltages including a first DC system voltage, a second DC system voltage, and an AC system voltage.

[0086] In addition, the electric vehicle may include a low voltage load R1 operating at a low voltage, a high voltage load R2 operating at a high voltage, and an AC load (e.g., a motor) operating at a high voltage three-phase AC voltage. In addition, the low voltage load may use the first DC system voltage as a driving voltage, the high voltage load may use the second DC system voltage as a driving voltage, and the AC load may use the AC system voltage as a driving voltage.

[0087] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a connection relationship between inverters in a three-phase battery module system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing a connection relationship between first DC / DC converters in a three-phase battery module system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a connection relationship between second DC / DC converters in a three-phase battery module system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] refer to Figures 6 to 8 , the three-phase battery module system 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of single-phase battery module systems 100 - 1 , 100 - 2 , and 100 - 3 , and each of the single-phase battery module systems may include a plurality of battery modules.

[0089] refer to Figure 6 , the three-phase battery module system 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include three single-phase battery module systems 100-1, 100-2 and 100-3. In addition, the single-phase battery module system may include an AC system output terminal, wherein the inverter output terminals are connected in series with each other. In addition, the AC system output terminals respectively included in the three single-phase battery module systems may output different AC voltages with the same amplitude and the same phase difference.

[0090] For example, the AC system output terminals of the three single-phase battery module systems can output different AC voltages with a phase difference of 120 degrees. Accordingly, the three-phase battery module system can output a three-phase AC voltage, and the three-phase AC voltage can be used as a driving voltage to provide a driving voltage to an AC load (e.g., a motor).

[0091] In addition, reference Figure 7 , each of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3 included in the three-phase battery module system 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a first DC system output terminal, wherein the plurality of first DC / DC converters are connected to each other in parallel to output a first DC system voltage. In addition, the first DC system output terminals respectively included in the plurality of single-phase battery module systems 100 may be connected to each other in parallel.

[0092] In other words, when the single-phase battery module system 100 includes N first DC / DC converters, the 3×N first DC / DC converters included in the three-phase battery module system 1000 can all be connected in parallel with each other to output a first AC module voltage or a first DC system voltage having the same amplitude as the first DC module voltage.

[0093] In addition, reference Figure 8 , each of the multiple single-phase battery module systems 100-1, 100-2 and 100-3 included in the three-phase battery module system 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a second DC system output terminal, wherein the multiple second DC / DC converters are connected in series to output a second DC system voltage. In addition, the second DC system output terminals respectively included in the multiple single-phase battery module systems 100-1, 100-2 and 100-3 can be connected to each other in parallel. That is, in the single-phase battery module system 100, the second DC module output terminals can be connected in series to form a second DC system output terminal. In the three-phase battery module system 1000, the multiple second DC system output terminals can be connected to each other in parallel.

[0094] exist Figures 4 to 8 In FIG. 1 , the negative (−) terminal of the first DC / DC converter is shown as being connected to ground, or alternatively, the negative (−) terminals of the first DC / DC converter may simply be connected together.

[0095] In addition, the three-phase battery module system may further include a controller (not shown). The controller may control the battery modules individually, and may control the inverter, the first DC / DC converter, and the second DC / DC converter included in each battery module individually. Accordingly, according to an embodiment of the present invention, balancing control may be performed on each power conversion element and each battery module, thereby improving energy efficiency.

[0096] Furthermore, when a problem occurs in one of the N battery modules, the controller may perform control to disconnect only the battery module in which the problem occurs, thereby ensuring the reliability of the entire system.

[0097] Furthermore, the controller may control each battery module individually, so that even when each battery module deteriorates to a different degree, the deteriorated performance of each battery module may be actively controlled.

[0098] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a structure of an inverter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] The inverter 120 may include an upper switch 1201 and a lower switch 1202 disposed in the first branch Lg1 and connected in series with each other, and an upper switch 1203 and a lower switch 1204 disposed in the second branch Lg2 and connected in series with each other. Here, one end 120c of the output ends 120c and 120d of the inverter 120 may be located between the upper switch 1201 and the lower switch 1202 of the first branch Lg1, and the other end 120d of the output ends 120c and 120d of the inverter 120 may be located between the upper switch 1203 and the lower switch 1204 of the second branch Lg2.

[0100] refer to Fig. 9 , the inverter 120 may include a plurality of power semiconductor devices, such as a plurality of Si metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) elements 1201 , 1202 , 1203 , and 1204 , and may have an H-bridge single-phase inverter structure.

[0101] In an electric vehicle system according to the related art, SiC power semiconductors may be mainly applied, which may have high efficiency and fast switching speed, but may be expensive.

[0102] In addition, conventional electric vehicle systems may use insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) at low voltages. IGBTs may be relatively cheap, but their switching speeds may be slow.

[0103] Si-MOSFET elements may have fast switching speeds and may be relatively low in price. However, the performance of Si-MOSFET elements at high voltages may deteriorate, making it difficult to apply Si-MOSFET elements to conventional high-voltage electric vehicle systems.

[0104] The battery module according to the embodiment of the present invention can be driven at a low voltage, and the Si-MOSFET element can be applied to the inverter. Accordingly, the inverter included in the battery module according to the embodiment of the present invention can use multiple Si-MOSFET elements, so that the production cost can be reduced and the switching speed can be increased. Accordingly, the fuel efficiency can be improved so that the driving distance of the vehicle can be increased, and as the driving distance increases, the battery capacity can be reduced, thereby reducing the production cost.

[0105] Furthermore, the inverter according to the embodiment of the present invention may have an H-bridge single-phase inverter structure and may maintain stability even at a high current.

[0106] also, Fig. 9 An example in which an H-bridge circuit is configured using four Si-MOSFETs is shown. However, an H-bridge circuit may be formed by connecting a plurality of Si-MOSFETs in parallel to each other to enable switching of a high current.

[0107] like Fig.10 As shown, a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of single-phase battery module systems 10-1, 10-2, and 10-N, a control module 100-4, and a switch module 410 having a plurality of switches Sa, Sb, and Sc for connecting and disconnecting each of the single-phase battery module systems and a charger.

[0108] The plurality of single-phase battery module systems 100 - 1 , 100 - 2 , and 100 - 3 may include a plurality of battery modules.

[0109] For example, in the case of phase A of the motor, the single-phase battery module system 100-1 may include a plurality of battery modules 10-1, 10-2, and 10-N, each of which may include batteries 110-1, 110-2, and 110-N, single-phase inverters 120-1, 120-2, and 120-N, first DC / DC converters 130-1, 130-2, and 130-N, and second DC / DC converters 140-1, 140-2, and 140-N. Here, the input terminals of the batteries 110-1, 110-2, and 110-N and the input terminals of the inverters 120-1, 120-2, and 120-N may be connected in parallel to each other, and the output terminals of the inverters 120-1, 120-2, and 120-N may be connected in series to the output terminals of the inverters included in the adjacent battery modules.

[0110] Although not separately shown for ease of explanation, the single-phase battery module systems 100 - 2 and 100 - 3 of the other phases (B phase and C phase) of the motor may also have the same configuration.

[0111] In addition, one of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems 100 - 1 , 100 - 2 , and 100 - 3 may include the same number of battery modules as another single-phase battery module system.

[0112] In addition, another end of the output end of the inverter included in one of the multiple battery modules included in one of the single-phase battery module systems 100-1, 100-2, 100-3 can be interconnected with another end of the output end of the inverter included in one of the multiple battery modules included in any other single-phase battery module system of the multiple single-phase battery module systems 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, and can be connected to the charger 2.

[0113] For example, among the multiple battery modules 10-1, 10-2, and 10-N included in the single-phase battery module system 100-1, the other end 120-Nd of the output end of the inverter 120-N included in the battery module 10-N arranged at the lowest end can be interconnected with the other end 120-Nd of the output end of the inverter included in the battery module arranged at the lowest end among the multiple battery modules included in another single-phase battery module system 100-2, 100-3, and can be connected to the negative (-) terminal of the charger 2.

[0114] That is, the single-phase battery module systems 100 - 1 , 100 - 2 , and 100 - 3 may be connected to each other at the contact point 411 , and may further include a lower switch 421 between the contact point 411 and the charger 2 .

[0115] The switch module 410 may include a plurality of switches Sa, Sb, and Sc that may connect and disconnect the connection between each of the single-phase battery module systems 100 - 1 , 100 - 2 , and 100 -N and the charger 2 .

[0116] Specifically, one end of each of the multiple switches Sa, Sb and Sc can be connected to the positive (+) terminal of the charger 7 (see the interconnection point 412), and the other end of the multiple switches Sa, Sb and Sc can be connected to the multiple single-phase battery module systems 100-1, 100-2 and 100-N.

[0117] That is, the other end of each of the multiple switches Sa, Sb, Sc can be connected to one of the multiple battery modules included in each of the single-phase battery module systems 100-1, 100-2 and 100-3, for example, one of the output ends of the inverter included in the battery module arranged at the uppermost end.

[0118] For example, in the case of phase A of the motor, the other end of the switch (Sa) can be connected to one of the multiple battery modules 10-1, 10-2 and 10-3 included in the single-phase battery module system 100-1 (for example, one end 120-1c of the output ends of the inverter 120-1 included in the battery module 10-1 arranged at the top), or it can be connected to other single-phase battery module systems 100-2 and 100-3.

[0119] The control module 100 - 4 may include a controller C and a memory M, and may control an inverter and other switches through a switching signal.

[0120] During DC charging, that is, when a charging signal for DC charging is received from the charger 2, the inverter may be controlled to turn on multiple switches Sa, Sb, and Sc, and the charger 2 may be connected to each of the multiple single-phase battery module systems 100-1, 100-2, 100-3.

[0121] Specifically, the controller C may turn on the upper switch of the first branch and the lower switch of the second branch, or may turn on the lower switch of the first branch and the upper switch of the second branch.

[0122] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller C can control the inverter for multiple single-phase battery module systems. For example, the controller C can control all of the multiple single-phase battery module systems equally, or can control the multiple single-phase battery module systems individually through inverter control.

[0123] The control module 100-4 may include a processor (e.g., a computer, a microprocessor, a CPU, an ASIC, a logic circuit, etc.) and a memory storing software instructions that provide various functions when executed by the processor. Here, the processor and the memory may be implemented as separate semiconductor circuits. Alternatively, the processor and the memory may be implemented as a single integrated semiconductor circuit. One or more processors may be provided.

[0124] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram showing a fast charging path by a DC voltage according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, a single-phase battery module system 100 - 1 is described, but the description may be applicable to other single-phase battery module systems 100 - 2 , 100 - 3 .

[0125] Specifically, according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 9 and Fig.11 As shown, the upper switch 1201 of the first branch Lg1 and the lower switch 1204 of the second branch Lg2 of each of the inverters 120-1, 120-2, and 120-N can be turned on, and the lower switch 1202 of the first branch Lg1 and the upper switch 1203 of the second branch Lg2 can be turned off. Conversely, the upper switch 1201 of the first branch Lg1 and the lower switch 1204 of the second branch Lg2 of the inverters 120-1, 120-2, and 120-N can be turned off, and the lower switch 1202 of the first branch Lg1 and the upper switch 1203 of the second branch Lg2 can be turned on.

[0126] Accordingly, the batteries 110-1, 110-2, and 110-N included in the battery module systems 100-1, 100-2, and 100-N may be connected as follows: Fig.11That is, the inverters 120-1, 120-2, and 120-N may operate to connect the charger 2 to the battery module systems 100-1, 100-2, and 100-N when the switches Sa, Sb, and Sc are turned on.

[0127] on the other hand, Fig.12 is a flowchart illustrating a charging control method of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0128] refer to Fig.12 , the charging control method ( S1200 ) of the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention may be started by an operation of receiving a charging signal for DC charging from the charger 2 in the control module 100 - 4 ( S1201 ).

[0129] Thereafter, the control module 100 - 4 may control the inverter to turn on the plurality of switches Sa, Sb, and Sc to connect the charger 2 to each of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems 100 - 1 , 100 - 2 , and 100 - 3 .

[0130] Specifically, the controller C may turn on the upper switch of the first branch and the lower switch of the second branch, or may turn on the lower switch of the first branch and the upper switch of the second branch. As described above, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a switch for connecting and disconnecting the connection between the single-phase battery module and the charger is added to each phase of the motor, and the inverter may operate to connect the charger to the single-phase battery module when the switch is turned on, so that even when a low-voltage battery and an inverter are integrated into a single battery module and the motor is driven by combining a plurality of battery modules, fast charging may be performed using a conventional charger.

[0131] Fig.13 is a block diagram of a computing device that may fully or partially implement control module 100 - 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0132] like Fig.13 As shown, computing device 1300 may include at least one processor 1301 , a computer-readable storage medium 1302 , and a communication bus 1303 .

[0133] The processor 1301 may cause the computing device 1300 to operate according to the above-described embodiments. For example, the processor 1301 may execute one or more programs stored on the computer-readable storage medium 1302. The one or more programs may include one or more computer-executable instructions, and when the computer-executable instructions are executed by the processor 1301, the computing device 1300 may perform operations according to the embodiments.

[0134] The computer-readable storage medium 1302 may be configured to store computer-executable instructions, program codes, program data, and / or other suitable forms of information. The program 1302a stored on the computer-readable storage medium 1302 may include an instruction set executable by the processor 1301. In an embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium 1302 may be implemented as a memory (volatile memory such as random access memory, non-volatile memory, or a suitable combination thereof), one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other types of storage media accessed by the computing device 1300 and storing desired information, or a suitable combination thereof.

[0135] The communication bus 1303 may interconnect various other components of the computing device 1300 , including the processor 1301 , and the computer-readable storage medium 1302 .

[0136] The computing device 1300 may also include one or more input / output interfaces 1305 and one or more network communication interfaces 1306 that provide an interface for one or more input / output devices 1304. The input / output interface 1305 and the network communication interface 1306 may be connected to the communication bus 1303. The network may be a cellular network, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division-CDMA (TD-CDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), or another cellular network.

[0137] The input / output device 1304 may be connected to other components of the computing device 1300 through the input / output interface 1305. Exemplary input / output devices 1304 may include input devices and / or output devices, such as a pointer device (e.g., a mouse or trackpad), a keyboard, a touch input device (e.g., a touchpad or touch screen), a voice or sound input device, various types of sensor devices, and / or a photographic device, and such as a display device, a printer, a speaker, and / or a network card. Exemplary input / output devices 1304 may be included in the computing device 1300 as a component included in the computing device 1300, or may be connected to the computing device 1300 as a device different from the computing device 1300.

[0138] The present invention may include a program for executing the method described in this specification on a computer and a computer-readable recording medium including the program. The computer-readable recording medium may include program commands, local data files, local data structures, etc., individually or in combination. The medium may be specially designed and configured for the present invention, or may be commonly used in the field of computer software. Examples of computer-readable recording media may include magnetic media, optical recording media, and hardware devices, such as hard disks, floppy disks, and tapes, and the optical recording media may be CD-ROMs and DVDs, and the hardware devices may be specially configured to store and execute program commands, such as ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories. Examples of programs may include machine language codes generated by a compiler, and high-level language codes executed by a computer using an interpreter.

[0139] According to the aforementioned embodiment, by adding a switch to each phase of the motor to connect and disconnect the connection between the single-phase battery module system and the fast charging device, and by operating the inverter to connect the fast charging device to the single-phase battery module system when the switch is turned on, the low-voltage battery and the inverter can be integrated into a single battery module, and even when the motor is driven by combining multiple battery modules, fast charging can be performed as is using a conventional fast charging device.

[0140] While embodiments have been illustrated and described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: a plurality of single-phase battery module systems, the plurality of single-phase battery module systems comprising a plurality of battery modules and disposed in each phase of the motor, wherein each of the plurality of battery modules comprises a battery and a power conversion module, each power conversion module comprises an inverter, the inverter being configured to convert a DC voltage stored in the battery into an AC voltage to control the motor; as well as a plurality of switches configured to connect and disconnect the connection between each of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems and the charger, When the plurality of switches are turned on, each inverter operates to connect the charger to each single-phase battery module system of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The input terminal of the inverter and the battery are connected in parallel with each other, The output terminal of the inverter is connected in series to the output terminal of the inverter included in the adjacent battery module.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: One end of each of the plurality of switches is connected to each other and to the positive terminal of the charger, The other end of each of the plurality of switches is connected to a plurality of single-phase battery module systems.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein: The other end of each of the plurality of switches is connected to one of the output ends of an inverter included in one of the plurality of battery modules included in each of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein: Another end of the output ends of the inverter included in one of the multiple battery modules included in one single-phase battery module system among the multiple single-phase battery module systems is interconnected with another end of the output ends of the inverter included in one of the multiple battery modules included in another single-phase battery module system among the multiple single-phase battery module systems, and is connected to the negative terminal of the charger.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein: Each inverter includes: a first upper switch and a first lower switch, the first upper switch and the first lower switch being disposed in the first branch and connected in series with each other; and a second upper switch and a second lower switch, the second upper switch and the second lower switch being disposed in the second branch and connected in series with each other; Wherein, one of the output terminals of the inverter is arranged between the first upper switch and the first lower switch; The other of the output terminals of the inverter is arranged between the second upper switch and the second lower switch.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The number of battery modules included in the first single-phase battery module system among the plurality of single-phase battery module systems is the same as the number of battery modules included in the second single-phase battery module system among the plurality of single-phase battery module systems.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein: Each inverter includes an H-bridge single-phase inverter including a plurality of power semiconductor devices.

9. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: During direct current charging, the first upper switch and the second lower switch are turned on, or the first lower switch and the second upper switch are turned on.

10. A charging control method for a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a plurality of single-phase battery module systems, the plurality of single-phase battery module systems comprising a plurality of battery modules and arranged in each phase of a motor, wherein each of the plurality of battery modules comprises a battery and a power conversion module, the power conversion module comprises an inverter, the inverter being configured to convert a DC voltage stored in the battery into an AC voltage to control the motor, the charging control method comprising: a receiving step, in which a charging signal for DC charging is received from a charger; A control step in which, when a charging signal is received, the plurality of switches are turned on and the inverter is controlled to connect a charger to each of the plurality of single-phase battery module systems.

11. The vehicle charging control method according to claim 10, wherein: Each inverter includes: a first upper switch and a first lower switch disposed in a first branch and connected in series with each other, and a second upper switch and a second lower switch disposed in a second branch and connected in series with each other, The controlling step is configured to turn on the first upper switch and the second lower switch, or turn on the first lower switch and the second upper switch.

Images