Battery assembly of battery module

Abstract

A battery assembly (10) is described comprising a chain of at least one primary battery module (20) and a secondary battery module (22). The main battery module includes a main housing (40 ') in which a first plurality of groups of battery cells (32) are housed and electrically connected in series, each group including a plurality of battery cells (30) electrically connected in parallel. The main battery module further comprises a battery monitoring unit (60) arranged to detect a voltage of each of the plurality of sets of battery cells of the main battery module. The secondary battery module comprises a secondary enclosure (40 '') within which a second plurality of groups of battery cells (32) are housed and electrically connected in series, each group comprising a plurality of battery cells (30) electrically connected in parallel. There is also an electrical interconnection between the primary battery module and the secondary battery module arranged such that each of the first plurality of groups of battery cells is electrically connected in parallel with a respective one of the second plurality of battery cells such that the voltage detected by the battery monitoring unit is also the voltage of each of the plurality of groups of battery cells of the secondary battery module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to batteries, and more particularly to a battery assembly comprising a chain consisting of at least one primary battery module and a secondary battery module. Background Art

[0002] Batteries made up of multiple battery modules, each consisting of a large number of individual battery cells, have become the traditional way to provide power in road vehicles, ships, small aircraft and other modes of transportation. The relative flexibility of designs using such modules also makes them attractive in other application areas, such as household and industrial power supplies, and electrical energy storage from renewable energy sources.

[0003] It is hoped that the problems and limitations of the related prior art can be solved. Summary of the invention

[0004] Prior art battery modules are often designed with fixed configurations in terms of voltage (V) and capacity (Ah), limiting the number of battery configurations that can be produced by repeating a single battery module. For example, similar or identical modules can be electrically connected in series, which increases the voltage of the entire battery, but does not allow independent control of capacity. Alternatively or additionally, modules can be electrically connected in parallel, which can also increase the total capacity of the battery independently of voltage, thereby providing flexible adjustment of the total power (W) and energy (Wh) available to the assembly.

[0005] In most high power and high capacity batteries, it is very important to monitor and control various parts of the battery. This is usually implemented on a module-by-module basis, using a central battery management unit that communicates with multiple battery monitoring units. If multiple battery modules are used in parallel electrical connection to increase the battery capacity, implementing additional battery monitoring units for each such parallel electrical connection module increases the complexity and cost of each module and increases the data that must be communicated with and processed by the battery management.

[0006] In addition, existing battery modules are typically designed to be connected in series only to increase voltage, but not to independently control the total capacity. In this case, adding additional battery modules to such a system in electrical parallel would require reprogramming or other adjustments to the battery management unit, or significantly increase its data processing capabilities.

[0007] Thus, the present invention provides an expandable battery assembly comprising a main battery module having a battery monitoring unit and one or more secondary battery modules, adding any number of secondary battery modules that can be electrically connected in parallel with the main battery module to increase electrical capacity by forming a chain of such battery modules. The corresponding battery packs in each module are then individually electrically coupled in parallel, allowing the battery monitoring unit of the main module to effectively sense the voltages of all corresponding battery packs in the chain and provide charge balancing and other services thereto without adding excessive electrical complexity or requiring further data processing capabilities. A battery with a selected capacity and voltage can then be constructed by combining any number of such expandable battery assemblies in series.

[0008] In particular, the present invention provides a battery assembly comprising a chain of at least a primary battery module and a secondary battery module,

[0009] The main battery module comprises a main housing or casing, a first plurality of groups or strings of battery cells being housed within the main housing or casing and electrically connected in series, each group or string comprising a plurality of battery cells electrically connected in parallel, the main battery module further comprising a battery monitoring unit arranged to detect the voltage of each group of battery cells in the plurality of groups of battery cells of the main battery module (typically at least the voltage between each adjacent group in the series, and optionally also the voltage at each end of the series, or equivalently the voltage across each group in the series),

[0010] The secondary battery module includes a secondary housing or casing, a second plurality of groups or strings of battery cells housed within the secondary housing or casing and electrically connected in series, each group or string including a plurality of battery cells electrically connected in parallel; and

[0011] An electrical interconnection between the main battery module and the secondary battery module, the electrical interconnection being arranged so that each group or string of battery cells in a first plurality of groups or strings of battery cells is electrically connected in parallel with a corresponding group or string of battery cells in a second plurality of groups or strings of battery cells, so that the voltage detected by the battery monitoring unit is also the voltage of each group of battery cells in the plurality of groups of battery cells in the secondary battery module.

[0012] In particular, preferably, a separate battery monitoring unit is not provided at or for any or each secondary battery module, but rather it is sensed together with the main battery module as part of a battery module chain. Instead, the battery monitoring unit associated with the main battery module is effectively shared with the other secondary battery modules of the chain.

[0013] Such a battery assembly may extend to any reasonable length of a chain comprising a primary battery module, a secondary battery module, and one or more additional secondary battery modules, which may be substantially identical or similar to the first secondary module and connected by further similar or identical electrical interconnects to form the chain. Note that while the chain of battery modules may use electrical interconnects such that the modules are arranged in a linear chain, the chain may alternatively include or also include branches, for example, two secondary battery modules are directly connected to the same side of a single primary battery module using one or more suitable electrical interconnects.

[0014] In particular, each additional secondary battery module may also include a secondary housing or shell, in which multiple groups of battery cells are accommodated and electrically connected in series, each group of battery cells includes multiple battery cells electrically connected in parallel, and each additional secondary battery module can be electrically connected to the previous secondary battery module in the chain through an additional electrical interconnection, and the additional electrical interconnection is arranged so that each group of battery cells in the multiple groups of battery cells of the additional secondary battery module is electrically connected in parallel with a corresponding group of battery cells in the multiple groups of battery cells of the previous secondary battery module, so that the voltage detected by the battery cell monitoring unit of the main battery module is also the voltage of each group of battery cells in the multiple battery cells of the additional secondary battery module.

[0015] Typically, the battery monitoring unit may be mounted externally or internally to the main housing and may include one or more circuit boards carrying one or more integrated circuits and other circuits arranged to implement the desired battery monitoring functions and typically also in data communication with a separate battery management unit arranged to manage that and other battery components of the battery. However, if desired, the battery monitoring unit may be located away from the main housing, such as collocated with the battery management unit, or elsewhere.

[0016] The housings or shells of the battery modules of the chain can be connected together in series using one or more mechanical couplers between each pair of adjacent housings in the chain. For example, each mechanical coupler can snap into and be retained in parallel grooves at the corners of two adjacent housings or shells connected together by it. If chains of multiple battery modules are arranged adjacent to each other, such mechanical couplers can be similarly used to connect the four corners of four adjacent housings or shells forming part of two such chains.

[0017] In each battery module, the battery cells of each group of battery cells may be electrically connected in parallel using one or more busbars, each busbar spanning the group of battery cells. Typically, the total number of busbars required will be one more than the number of battery cell groups, as busbars may also be used to electrically connect groups of battery cells in series. In any case, the battery monitoring unit may be electrically connected to the busbars of the first battery module, optionally using an electrical manifold component spanning the busbars, typically at one end near the housing of the battery monitoring unit.

[0018] The electrical interconnection between each pair of adjacent battery modules in the chain may include a plurality of bus links, each bus link coupling a corresponding group of battery cells in an adjacent module, such as by electrically connecting and optionally mechanically coupling or securing to a bus bar of each pair of adjacent battery modules. The plurality of bus links between each pair of adjacent battery modules may be included within a single integral interconnect unit.

[0019] To deliver power from the battery modules to a load (e.g., a vehicle motor), including through other battery modules in series as needed, each battery module may include a pair of electrically opposite (i.e., positive and negative) power terminals, typically disposed on opposite sides of the battery module housing, typically disposed on sides of the housing that are perpendicular to the sides of the main housing in which the battery monitoring unit is located, and perpendicular to the sides of the housing that abut against other housings in the chain. The electrically opposite power terminals of each battery module may be staggered from one another along opposite sides of the housing so that when multiple chains are connected in series, there is more room for power connections between modules.

[0020] Each battery module may include one or more temperature detectors, such as thermocouples, which are typically disposed on or near one or more battery cells of the battery module, and then the battery monitoring unit of the main module is electrically connected to the temperature detectors of all battery modules to monitor the temperatures in all battery modules.

[0021] The present invention also provides a battery comprising a plurality of the above-mentioned battery assemblies, which are electrically connected in series to provide a power output at a voltage multiple of each individual module. To this end, the chains of battery modules corresponding to the battery assemblies are usually arranged adjacent to each other and are usually also physically connected in parallel with each other, and then the battery cell groups of each battery assembly are electrically connected in series with the battery cell groups of each other battery assembly.

[0022] For each pair of adjacent battery assemblies, a power connector is coupled between the power output terminal of each battery module of a first battery assembly of the pair of battery assemblies and the power output terminal of each corresponding battery module of a second battery assembly of the pair of battery assemblies to provide a series electrical connection between each pair of battery assemblies using a plurality of power connectors. In this way, output power is transmitted directly between corresponding series-connected battery modules rather than through electrical interconnections along the chain.

[0023] Then, each power output terminal of each battery module can be set on one side of the housing of the battery module, each power connector can connect the power output terminals on adjacent sides (usually physically parallel) of each housing, and a pair of power output terminals connected by each power connector are staggered with each other along the corresponding adjacent sides of each housing.

[0024] In the above-mentioned batteries, battery assemblies and battery modules, each battery module may be applicable to one or more of the following: including 20 to 200 individual battery cells; and having a capacity of 1 to 20 kWh. Typically, each battery module of the battery assembly will have the same number of battery cell groups and the same number of battery cells in each group as the other battery modules of the battery assembly, and each battery assembly of the battery will have the same number of such battery modules as each other assembly.

[0025] The present invention also provides a vehicle, such as a road or other wheeled or tracked land vehicle, a vessel or an aircraft, comprising at least one battery assembly or battery as described above, wherein the battery assembly or battery is arranged to provide electric power to the vehicle.

[0026] The present invention also provides methods of manufacturing, assembling and operating the devices. For example, the present invention provides a method of managing battery assemblies, each battery assembly comprising a chain of a main battery module housed in a main housing or shell and one or more secondary battery modules housed in separate secondary housings or shells, each main battery module and each secondary battery module comprising a plurality of groups of battery cells, wherein each group of battery cells is electrically connected in parallel, and the groups of battery cells of each battery module are electrically connected in series, the method comprising:

[0027] Using a battery monitoring unit to monitor the voltage of each group of battery cells in the plurality of groups of battery cells of the main battery module,

[0028] An electrical interconnection is provided between the main battery module and the secondary battery module, and the electrical interconnection is arranged so that each group of battery cells in the multiple groups of battery cells of the main battery module is electrically connected in parallel with a corresponding group of battery cells in the multiple groups of battery cells of the secondary battery module, so that the monitored voltage of each group of battery cells in the multiple groups of battery cells of the main battery module is also the voltage of the corresponding battery cell group of the secondary battery module.

[0029] In this way, the battery monitoring unit is a shared battery monitoring unit shared between the main battery module and each secondary battery module.

[0030] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the battery monitoring unit associated with the main module can be located remotely from the main module, and / or can be implemented using two or more sub-units that are different from each other, for example, each sub-unit is used to monitor the voltage of a different subset of the battery cell group. It should also be noted that although the battery has been indicated above as including two or more of the described battery assemblies electrically connected in series, a complete battery can be implemented using only one such battery assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a battery assembly including a primary battery module coupled to a secondary battery module via an electrical interconnect, the secondary battery module coupled to another secondary battery module via another electrical interconnect;

[0033] Figure 2 Schematically shows Figure 1 How two or more battery assembly chains can be physically placed in parallel and / or adjacent to each other and electrically connected in series to form a higher output voltage battery;

[0034] Figure 3 The plan view shows how to implement it in more detail. Figure 1 Battery components;

[0035] Figure 4 is with Figure 3 the corresponding side elevation; and

[0036] Figure 5 is with Figure 3 and Figure 4 Corresponding exploded perspective view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Reference Figure 1 , schematically shows a battery assembly 10 including a main battery module 20 and one or more secondary battery modules 22 electrically connected in parallel such that the battery modules form a chain. Although schematic, this view may be viewed as similar to a view of the battery assembly from above. One or more secondary battery modules are provided to increase the electrical capacity of the battery assembly 10, in particular to increase the available current, without increasing the voltage. If an increase in voltage is desired, a plurality of such battery assemblies may be provided in series as further described below.

[0038] The battery assembly 10, or indeed a plurality of such battery assemblies electrically connected to form a battery, may be mounted or contained in a vehicle (not shown), such as a road or other wheeled or tracked land vehicle, a vessel or an aircraft, for example, arranged to provide electric power to the vehicle.

[0039] In the drawings, two secondary battery modules are shown in the chain, but one or more secondary battery modules may be used in a single such battery assembly 10. Note that although Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the embodiment, the main battery module 20 is indicated as being physically and electrically located at one end of the chain of battery modules, but it may also be located at another position in the chain, such as between at least two secondary battery modules. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The battery module chain described in uses electrical interconnects so that the modules are arranged in a linear chain, but the chain may also contain branches, such as directly connecting two secondary battery modules to the same side of a single main battery module using suitable electrical interconnects.

[0040] Each of the primary battery module and the secondary battery module includes a plurality of battery cells 30 housed in a housing 40. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the housing of the primary battery module is marked as 40' and may be referred to as the primary housing, while the housing of the secondary battery module is marked as 40", and may be referred to as the secondary housing. For the sake of clarity, Figure 1 Only five rows of battery cells are shown in FIG, but of course in practice the rows of battery cells are repeated along the length of each housing.

[0041] Typically, each housing may be molded from a plastic or polymer material and may be approximately rectangular in shape, and individual battery cells may be supported within the housing and spaced apart from each other by a foam material, the foam material helping to position the battery cells and providing a thermal barrier, thereby reducing the likelihood of thermal runaway in the battery modules 20, 22. Typically, the housings 40', 40" of each primary and secondary module may have substantially the same shape and physical dimensions as one another, and may contain the same number of battery cells in the same electrical configuration.

[0042] The housing 40' of the primary battery module may be secured or directly coupled or mounted to the housing housing 40" of an adjacent secondary battery module in the chain using one or more mechanical couplers 42 between the primary battery module and the secondary battery module. Similarly, each secondary battery module may be secured or directly coupled or mounted to another and adjacent secondary battery module in the chain using similar mechanical couplers 42. Suitable mechanical couplers 42 may be separate components bolted or otherwise secured or coupled to each of the two adjacent housings, such as separate mechanical components that snap into and are retained within parallel slots in each of the two adjacent housings, such as at two pairs of adjacent corners of the two adjacent housings. Alternatively, suitable mechanical couplers may be provided as an integral part of one of the housings and then bolted, engaged or otherwise secured to an adjacent housing in the chain.

[0043] Each battery cell 30 has at least a positive and a negative electrical terminal. Figure 1 In, the battery cells are cylindrical in shape, with the positive and negative terminals accessible at the connection end (usually the upper part) of each cylinder, and the battery cells are enclosed in a casing with the connection ends all facing in the same direction (usually upwards). However, other battery cell forms and arrangements within the casing and other orientations of the battery cells are possible. A suitable cell type may be a 21700 cylindrical battery cell (21mm diameter, 70mm length), such as a Molicel P45B battery cell, but larger or smaller battery cells may also be used, as well as battery cells of different shapes and forms, such as pouch or prismatic battery cells. In Figure 1 In the arrangement of , each primary and secondary battery module contains 60 battery cells, arranged in 12 rows of 5 battery cells each (not all rows are shown in the figure). Figure 1 A square packing arrangement is shown in FIG, but more typically the rows will be staggered to provide a hexagonal packing. Of course, other numbers and configurations of battery cells may be used.

[0044] The battery cells 30 of each battery module 20, 22 are arranged into a plurality of groups 32 of battery cells. Figure 1 20, 22, each bus bar (as shown in dashed boxes) spans between or across a group of battery cells and provides a common electrical connection for all of the battery cells in the group 32. The battery cell groups 32 of a particular primary or secondary battery module are then connected in series with each other within the module. Although there are a variety of different configurations that can achieve this, in the embodiment of the present invention, the battery cell groups 32 are connected in series with each other within the module. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the first bus bar 34 connects the positive terminals of the battery cells of the first battery cell group, the last bus bar 38 connects the negative terminals of the battery cells of the last battery cell group, and a plurality of intermediate bus bars 36 are provided, each intermediate bus bar 36 connecting the negative terminals of one group of battery cells with the positive terminals of another group of battery cells. In this way, the battery cell groups of a particular battery module are all electrically connected in series with each other.

[0045] The main battery module 20 also includes a battery monitoring unit 60, which is arranged to detect and / or monitor the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells within the main battery module. Figure 1 As shown, this can typically be achieved by using an electrical connection from the battery monitoring unit 60 to each bus bar 34, 36, 38 of the main battery module, such as using an electrical manifold component 61 that spans or extends through the bus bars, which is preferably located proximal to the battery monitoring unit 60 and proximal to the bus bars.

[0046] Note that the battery monitoring unit can monitor and report the voltage on each group of battery cells, requiring the same number of measurements as the number of battery cell groups, or can monitor and report the voltage points between each group of battery cells and at both ends of multiple groups of battery cells, requiring one more voltage point than the number of battery cell groups, or can monitor and report the voltage of the battery cell groups in other ways. In any of these arrangements, each voltage can be referred to as the voltage of a particular battery cell group, including the voltage at one end thereof.

[0047] The battery monitoring unit 60 may also be arranged to detect and / or monitor the temperature of one or more locations 62 within the main battery module 20, typically via a thermistor or other temperature detector 64 located at each location 62 and using an electrical connection between the temperature detector 64 and the battery monitoring unit 60. The temperature detector 64 may be thermally coupled to, or located on or adjacent to, each of the one or more battery cells within the module.

[0048] The battery monitoring unit 60 can be mounted to the housing 40' of the main battery module 20, for example, mounted to the outside or inside of the housing, such as mounted on the outside or inside of the side wall of the housing 40', or mounted in a hole or space in the side wall of the housing or in the housing itself. However, in some embodiments, the battery monitoring unit 60 can be located separately or at a certain distance from the main housing, such as close to the battery management unit 70.

[0049] The battery monitoring unit 60 is typically in communication with a battery master control unit 70 which is also in communication with other battery monitoring units of other master battery modules of which the battery assembly may form a part (see Figure 2 ) to form a battery management system for a complete battery including multiple chains of main battery modules and secondary battery modules. The battery master control unit 70 can generally be located away from the main battery modules, or can be mounted or fixed to one of the main battery modules.

[0050] In addition to reporting the state of the battery cell groups in the module to the battery management unit using measured voltage and temperature, the battery monitoring unit 60 can also be configured to balance the state of charge between the battery cell groups, such as by passively using resistive shunt elements to equalize the state of charge of the battery cell groups in the battery module, or through more active charge balancing. The battery monitoring unit 60 can be implemented using conventional battery monitoring unit components, such as the Analog Devices LTC68xx series, such as the LTC6811.

[0051] exist Figure 1In the battery assembly 10, a single battery monitoring unit 60 is provided as part of the main battery module 20, and no other battery monitoring unit is provided as part of any secondary battery module 22 associated with the main battery module. Alternatively, the single battery monitoring unit 60 of the main battery module 20 is arranged to monitor the voltage of all groups of battery cells within the main battery module and the secondary battery module. This is achieved without adding complexity or additional wiring by providing an electrical interconnect 80' (stippled portion in the figure) between the main battery module 20 and the secondary battery module 22, the electrical interconnect being arranged so that each group of battery cells in the main battery module is electrically connected in parallel with a corresponding group of battery cells in the secondary battery module. In this way, the voltage of a group of battery cells 30 in the main battery module detected by the battery monitoring unit 60 is the same as the corresponding voltage of the corresponding group of battery cells in the secondary battery module, and only the voltage of the battery cell group in the main battery module needs to be directly measured.

[0052] If more than one secondary battery module 22 is provided in the battery assembly 10, an additional electrical interconnect 80" having the same characteristics is used to connect each additional secondary battery module to the previous secondary battery module in the chain so that each group of battery cells in the previous secondary module is electrically connected in parallel with the corresponding group of battery cells in the additional secondary modules in the chain.

[0053] In this way, any desired number of secondary battery modules 22 may be added to the chain to form the battery assembly 10, thereby increasing the current carrying capacity of the assembly 10, without requiring an additional battery monitoring unit for each additional battery module, nor requiring a single more complex battery monitoring unit 60 with more voltage measurement channels. Instead, in the described arrangement, the battery monitoring unit 60 of the main battery module 20 is sufficient to monitor the main battery module and all secondary battery modules of the chain simultaneously.

[0054] The electrical interconnect 80', 80" may be provided in a variety of ways, such as by using rigid or flexible conductive bus links to couple each bus bar 34, 36, 38 to a corresponding bus bar in the next battery module in the chain. Each such bus link may be directly mechanically coupled to a corresponding bus bar of each adjacent battery module.

[0055] Rigid metal bus links may be provided, for example, by metal plates bolted or otherwise secured to and between the respective busbars. Flexible metal bus links may be provided by metal wires coupled to and between the respective busbars and electrically connected using spade or eyelet terminals.

[0056] Whether flexible or rigid, the bus links may be appropriately embedded in a suitable electrical insulator material. The bus links between one battery module and another battery module may be implemented as a single or multiple rigid or flexible integral interconnect units, each of which contains all or a subset of the bus links, and these interconnect units may also be mechanically coupled to the housing or other portion of each associated battery module to provide additional stability to the electrical connection provided by the electrical interconnect.

[0057] although Figure 1 The single battery monitoring unit 60 is arranged to monitor the voltage of each electrically parallel group of battery cells on all battery modules in the chain via a single electrical connection from the battery monitoring unit to the group of battery cells within the main battery module, but if the temperature in one or more secondary battery modules is to be monitored, then an additional temperature detector 64 will need to be installed in each additional position 62 in the secondary battery module. However, if the number of temperature detectors provided in each battery module is small, for example from about one to five, then this will impose little additional burden on the single battery monitoring unit 60 and can be easily accommodated using appropriate electrical connections to the additional temperature detectors 64, which may be low power connections required only to carry low power data signals. Figure 1 In the arrangement of , additional temperature sensors 64 are provided in additional locations 62 in each secondary battery module of the chain.

[0058] While in principle the electrical interconnects 80' and 80" between corresponding battery cell groups in adjacent modules can carry the required power between the battery modules so that all power for the entire assembly can be delivered using a pair of electrically opposite power output terminals, this may require much more robust electrical interconnects, reducing reliability, particularly under high current delivery conditions, and compromising the ability of the battery monitoring unit to accurately detect the voltages of all electrically parallel battery cell groups 30 simultaneously.

[0059] Therefore, the power output of the battery assembly 10 can be achieved by each of the main battery module and the secondary battery module including a pair of power output terminals 82, 84 of opposite electrical properties. Figure 1 In the arrangement, the first power output terminal 82 is directly electrically connected to and adjacent to the first busbar 34 of each battery module, and the second power terminal 84 is directly connected to and adjacent to the last busbar of each battery module. Therefore, the two power output terminals of each battery module are generally arranged on opposite sides of the battery module housing and on opposite sides of the housing perpendicular to the sides of the housing, wherein adjacent modules of the chain are electrically and mechanically connected together as described above.

[0060] Out of Figure 2For obvious reasons, the two electrically opposite power output terminals of each battery module may in particular be staggered with respect to each other along opposite sides of the housing in which they are located.

[0061] In addition to the above and Figure 1 In addition to increasing the current delivery capability by adding secondary battery modules electrically connected in parallel in a chain with a primary module, a battery 5 having a higher power output voltage may be desired and can be readily achieved by combining two or more additional such battery assemblies electrically in series, as shown. Figure 2 For the sake of clarity, the Figure 1 Some details about each battery component.

[0062] Specifically, Figure 2 Shows the Figure 1 A plurality of battery assemblies 10 of batteries 5, wherein the chains of battery modules in each battery assembly 10 are adjacent to each other and / or physically arranged in parallel, and the chains are electrically connected in series to each other, so that the battery cell groups of each battery assembly are electrically connected in series with the battery cell groups of each other battery assembly.

[0063] To avoid excessive power flowing along each chain through the electrical interconnects 80', 80", for each pair of adjacent battery assembly chains, a power connector 86 is connected between the power output terminals of each battery module of the first of the two assemblies and the power input terminals of each battery module of the second of the two assemblies (so as to provide a high power connection for battery current therebetween). In this way, multiple paths through multiple power connectors are provided for series power connection between adjacent battery assembly chains of battery modules.

[0064] In particular, Figure 2 As can be seen in the figure, the power connector 86 is directly disposed between the proximal power output terminals 84, 82 of adjacent primary battery modules, and the same is true for each secondary battery module. In addition, because the power output terminals are staggered along opposite sides of each battery module, adjacent battery assemblies can be placed closely together within the entire battery while still leaving sufficient distance between the power output terminals to be connected.

[0065] Similarly, separate power connectors 88 are provided directly between the power output terminals 82, 84 of each battery assembly at either end of the series connection of battery assemblies and the corresponding positive and negative power output rails 89 of the battery 5. Each main battery module 20 is equipped with a battery monitoring unit 60, and each battery monitoring unit 60 is connected to a battery management unit 70.

[0066] Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5The top view, side elevation view and exploded perspective view show the Figure 1 and Figure 2 How is the embodiment of the invention implemented? Figure 3 , it can be seen that the battery assembly 10 includes a main housing 40' of the main battery module 20 and a secondary housing 40". of the secondary battery module 22. Each module contains a large number of battery cells 30, which are arranged in a hexagonal configuration into 12 rows of 5 battery cells per row. From an electrical point of view, each row of 5 battery cells forms a battery cell group 32, which are electrically connected in parallel to each other at the positive terminal and the negative terminal, both of which are electrically connected at the top of each battery cell, one terminal (usually the positive terminal) is provided by the center cover, and the other terminal (usually the negative terminal) is provided by the battery housing or can. This parallel electrical connection is achieved between each group or row of battery cells through the use of a plurality of bus bars, which are generally rigid and made of metal. The battery cell terminals can be directly welded to the bus bars.

[0067] Specifically, each battery module includes a first bus bar 34, 11 intermediate bus bars 36, and a last bus bar 38. The first bus bar 34 spans or is located between the positive terminals of the first row or the first group of battery cells and is electrically connected to them, each intermediate bus bar 36 spans or is located between the negative terminal of the first row and the positive terminal of the adjacent second row and is electrically connected to them, and the last bus bar 38 spans or is located on the negative terminal of each battery cell in the last row and is electrically connected to them. It can be seen that the length of the last bus bar can be much shorter than that of the first bus bar and the intermediate bus bar, because reaching the negative tank terminal of the first and last battery cells in the row can be achieved with such a shortened length.

[0068] Each module also includes two power output terminals 82, 84 of opposite polarity for delivering power from the battery module to a load, optionally through series connection with other similar battery modules to achieve higher voltages. The power output terminals are arranged on respective opposite sides of the housing. The first power output terminal 82 is adjacent to the first busbar 34 and can be implemented as a continuous portion of the first busbar 34, and the second power output terminal 84 is adjacent to the second busbar 84 and can be implemented as a continuous portion of the second busbar 84. Although these first and second power output terminals are arranged on opposite but generally physically parallel sides of the housing, they are also staggered with each other along the physically parallel opposite sides, so that when a plurality of such chains of primary and secondary battery modules are physically arranged in parallel with each other, the first power output terminal 82 of one chain is spaced apart or staggered from the second power input terminal 84 of an adjacent chain so that the two do not abut each other and can be connected together more easily and flexibly using a power connector 86, such as Figure 2 shown.

[0069] The primary housing 40' and the secondary housing 40" are both substantially rectangular parallelepiped and are typically butted against one another and secured together using one or more mechanical couplers, in this case couplers 42 at each of the two pairs of corners of the two housings. Figure 3 The mechanical coupling shown is in the form of an elongated rod having two side lobes, each of which is slotted down into a corresponding slot in the corner of the housing. Figure 2 As shown, two chains or rows of battery modules are provided in electrical series connection, and the connector 42 may have four side lobes to connect all four housings together.

[0070] The secondary battery module 22 is substantially identical to the first module 24, except that only the first battery module is provided with a battery monitoring unit 60. Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the figure, a single battery monitoring unit 60 is fixed to the outside of the side wall of the main battery module, opposite to the side wall against which the secondary battery module abuts, and is electrically connected to each battery cell group 32 of the main battery module so as to sense the voltage of each battery cell group 32 via the bus bars 34, 36, and 38 using an electrical manifold component 61 that spans the bus bars.

[0071] No separate battery monitoring unit 60 is provided at the battery cell group 32 of the secondary battery module, nor is it provided for separately measuring the voltage of the battery cell group 32. Instead, each bus bar 34, 36, 38 of the main battery module is connected to the corresponding bus bar of the secondary battery module through the electrical interconnect 80'. In this way, each of the multiple groups of battery cells of the first battery module is electrically connected in parallel with a corresponding group of battery cells of the second battery module, so that the voltage of the battery cell group of the first battery module detected by the battery monitoring unit is also the voltage of the corresponding battery cell group of the secondary battery module.

[0072] exist Figure 3 In the arrangement of , the electrical interconnect 80' is constructed using individual bus links 86 that span and electrically connect between a pair of corresponding bus bars in each battery module. These bus links can be, for example, rigid or flexible metal plates that are screwed, bolted, or welded to the corresponding bus bars, although various other means can be used to provide equivalent electrical connections. Figure 3 The bus links are shown as separate elements without any specific supporting structure. Figure 5 In the exploded view of the , it can be seen how the bus link is implemented as part of a rigid or flexible integral interconnect unit, each unit containing all or a subset of the bus link, and such an interconnect unit 87, which can also be mechanically connected to the housing or other part of each associated battery module to provide additional stability of the electrical connection provided by the electrical interconnect.

[0073] like Figure 5 As shown, the battery monitoring unit 60 can be implemented using a main circuit board 110, which can removably carry a secondary circuit board 112, which in turn carries a main battery monitoring unit integrated circuit 114. The electrical manifold component 61 then electrically connects the main battery monitoring unit integrated circuit 114 to the busbar for voltage monitoring as described above. A first connector 116 is then provided on the main circuit board 110 for removably connecting a temperature harness 118, which extends to a temperature detector 64 (not shown in the figure) located in each battery module. A second connector 120 is then provided on the main circuit board 110 for removably connecting a communication connector (not shown) to exchange data with a battery management unit 70 (not shown in the figure), in particular for the battery monitoring unit 60 to provide the monitored voltage and temperature to the battery management unit, which can then return operating instructions to the battery monitoring unit, such as for charge balancing purposes.

[0074] although Figure 3 or Figure 5 80″. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The chains of primary battery modules and secondary battery modules shown are connected to each subsequent secondary battery module. Multiple such chains of two or more battery modules may then be electrically connected in series using power output terminals 82, 84, for example. Figure 2 As shown, in order to provide an increased voltage to the battery. Therefore, generally such a battery will include a linear array of primary and secondary battery modules, with power connectors 86 preferably connected between the respective battery modules in each chain to avoid excessive power flow along the electrical interconnects 80', 80". Similarly, output power connectors 88 connect each battery module to the output power rails of the battery at the end of the series chain of battery assemblies (see Figure 2 ).

[0075] Of course, other physical packaging and other interconnection arrangements may be used rather than forming a battery from such a linear array of primary and secondary battery modules. For example, a single or all chains of primary and secondary modules, and / or a single or all series of corresponding modules across multiple chains may be stacked vertically, tilted or irregularly distributed, configured to fit the space in which they are located, around corners, or include gaps or spaces to avoid structures such as beams or chassis features that form spaces.

[0076] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes and modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A battery assembly comprising a chain of at least one primary battery module and a secondary battery module, The main battery module comprises a main housing, a first plurality of battery cells are housed within the main housing and are electrically connected in series, each battery cell group comprising a plurality of battery cells electrically connected in parallel, and the main battery module further comprises a battery monitoring unit arranged to detect a voltage of each battery cell group in the plurality of battery cell groups of the main battery module; The secondary battery module includes a secondary housing, a second plurality of groups of battery cells being housed within the secondary housing and electrically connected in series, each group of battery cells including a plurality of battery cells electrically connected in parallel; and The electrical interconnection between the main battery module and the secondary battery module is arranged so that each group of battery cells in the first plurality of battery cells is electrically connected in parallel with a corresponding group of battery cells in the second plurality of battery cells, so that the voltage detected by the battery monitoring unit is also the voltage of each group of battery cells in the plurality of battery cells of the secondary battery module.

2. A battery assembly according to the preceding claim, wherein: the chain comprising the primary battery module, the secondary battery module and one or more further secondary battery modules, Each additional secondary battery module further includes a secondary housing, a plurality of groups of battery cells being housed within the secondary housing and electrically connected in series, each group of battery cells including a plurality of battery cells electrically connected in parallel, Each additional secondary battery module is electrically connected to the previous secondary battery module in the chain via an additional electrical interconnection, which is arranged so that each group of battery cells in the multiple groups of battery cells of the additional secondary battery module is electrically connected in parallel with a corresponding group of battery cells in the multiple groups of battery cells of the previous secondary battery module, so that the voltage detected by the battery monitoring unit of the main battery module is also the voltage of each group of battery cells in the multiple groups of battery cells of the additional secondary battery module.

3. The battery assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The battery monitoring unit is installed outside or inside the main housing.

4. A battery assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The housings of the battery modules of the chain are coupled together in series using one or more mechanical couplers between each pair of adjacent housings in the chain.

5. The battery assembly according to claim 4, wherein: Each of the mechanical couplers snaps into and is retained within a parallel groove in each of the two adjacent housings coupled together by them.

6. A battery assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: In each battery module, the battery cells of each group of battery cells are electrically connected in parallel using one or more bus bars, with each bus bar spanning the group of battery cells.

7. The battery assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The battery monitoring unit is optionally electrically connected to the busbars of the main battery module using an electrical manifold component that spans the busbars.

8. The battery assembly according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The electrical interconnection between each pair of adjacent battery modules in the chain includes a plurality of bus links, each bus link being mechanically coupled to a bus bar of the each pair of adjacent battery modules.

9. The battery assembly according to claim 8, wherein: A plurality of bus links between each pair of adjacent battery modules are included within the overall interconnect unit.

10. A battery assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Each battery module includes a pair of electrically opposite power terminals, and the electrically opposite power terminals are disposed on opposite sides of a housing of the battery module.

11. The battery assembly according to claim 10, wherein: The electrically opposite power terminals of each battery module are staggered along opposite sides of the housing.

12. A battery assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Each battery module includes one or more temperature detectors, and the battery monitoring unit is electrically connected to the temperature detectors of all the battery modules to monitor temperatures in all the battery modules.

13. A battery comprising a plurality of battery assemblies according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The chains of battery modules of each battery assembly are arranged adjacent to one another, and wherein the battery cell groups of each battery assembly are electrically connected in series with the battery cell groups of each other battery assembly.

14. The battery according to claim 13, wherein For each pair of adjacent battery assemblies, a power connector is connected between the power output terminals of each battery module of a first battery assembly of the pair of battery assemblies and the power output terminals of each corresponding battery module of a second battery assembly of the pair of battery assemblies to provide a series electrical connection between each pair of battery assemblies using multiple power connectors.

15. The battery according to claim 14, wherein Each power output terminal of each battery module is arranged on one side of the shell of the battery module, each power connector connects the power output terminals on adjacent sides of each shell, and a pair of power output terminals connected by each power connector are staggered with each other along each adjacent side.

16. A battery pack or battery according to any preceding claim, wherein: Each battery module is adapted to one or more of: include 20 to 200 individual battery cells; and have a capacity of 1 to 20 kWh.

17. A vehicle comprising a battery assembly or battery according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The battery assembly or battery is arranged to provide electric power to the vehicle.

18. A method of managing battery assemblies, each battery assembly comprising a chain of a primary battery module housed in a primary housing and one or more secondary battery modules each housed in a separate secondary housing, each primary battery module and each secondary battery module comprising a plurality of groups of battery cells, wherein each group of battery cells is electrically connected in parallel and the groups of battery cells of each battery module are electrically connected in series, the method comprising: Using a battery monitoring unit to monitor the voltage of each group of battery cells in the plurality of groups of battery cells of the main battery module; as well as An electrical interconnection is provided between the main battery module and the secondary battery module, and the electrical interconnection is arranged so that each group of battery cells in the multiple groups of battery cells of the main battery module is electrically connected in parallel with a corresponding group of battery cells in the multiple groups of battery cells of the secondary battery module, so that the monitored voltage of each group of battery cells in the multiple groups of battery cells of the main battery module is also the voltage of the corresponding battery cell group of the secondary battery module.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein: The battery monitoring unit is located at or fixed to the main housing.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, wherein: The battery assembly is located in a vehicle and is used to provide electric power to the vehicle.

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