Power conversion connector extrusion damage monitoring system and method

Abstract

The invention, which relates to the technical field of new energy, discloses an extrusion damage monitoring system and method for a power conversion connector, comprising a monitoring unit, an extrusion logic determination unit and a communication unit. The monitoring unit is fixed on the connection part of the station end connector or the battery end connector; the monitoring unit and the communication unit are connected with the extrusion logic judgment unit; the monitoring unit comprises a distance monitoring subunit and a strain monitoring subunit; the distance monitoring subunit and the strain monitoring subunit are respectively used for monitoring the coupling distance and strain of the battery end connector and the station end connector in the connection process; the extrusion logic judgment unit is used for judging whether extrusion damage exists in the connection process of the battery end connector and the station end connector according to the coupling distance and the strain, and generating state monitoring information according to the extrusion damage condition; the communication unit is used for feeding back the state monitoring information to a station control system, the transformation and installation cost of an existing stock power conversion connector is low, and the power conversion failure rate and the number of times of abnormal interruption can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of new energy technologies, and in particular to a system and method for monitoring the extrusion damage of a power swap connector. Background Art

[0002] At present, electric vehicles are developing rapidly, and consumers are increasingly inclined to choose electric vehicles. As the number of electric vehicles continues to increase, the corresponding demand for electric vehicle energy replenishment equipment is also increasing. As a rapid energy replenishment measure, battery swap stations are increasingly supported by users. The battery swap connector is a connection device between the battery and the vehicle or battery swap station. The connector is installed at the battery end as the female end and the battery swap station end or vehicle end as the male end.

[0003] Taking the station-end and battery-end connector as an example, the situation of the vehicle-end and battery-end connector is the same. When the depleted battery is removed from the vehicle, the connector changes from the closed state to the separated state, and the battery swap station transfers the battery to the station-end battery swap bracket. The battery swap mechanism aligns the battery with the station-end connector position on the battery swap bracket, and realizes the installation of the battery swap battery at the station end through the alignment and gradual connection of the connector and the closure of the battery swap connector. Since the battery weight is generally large, the passenger car battery generally exceeds 500kg, and the commercial vehicle large-capacity battery generally exceeds 2500kg, and the operation of the battery swap mechanism after alignment belongs to the straight line up and down operation determined by the program, so the connector device is prone to initial alignment due to the guide, but there is an angle deviation during the battery swap operation, resulting in extrusion damage during the connection process.

[0004] In the current examples of battery swap stations operating on the market, operators will find that the connectors are deformed and stuck due to squeezing during the battery swap process. This will cause the battery to get stuck and the battery swap station to go out of service, greatly affecting the operational efficiency and cost of the battery swap station, resulting in untimely battery swaps for subsequent vehicles and undermining the owners' willingness to swap. During the battery swap process, the battery swap platform, vehicle body structure, and battery swap mechanism block the view, making it difficult for staff to visually determine whether the connectors are aligned, and the initial angle deviation is not large. Squeezing occurs when the connector is close to being fully connected, and it is difficult to rely on the operator's experience to determine whether the connector will be damaged in the next second.

[0005] Due to the large number of existing battery swapping stations in the market, and most of the existing battery swapping stations do not have a means to monitor the status during the connection process of the battery swapping connector. It is difficult to retrofit on the basis of the original station. The workload of connecting the monitoring system to the power supply of the battery swapping station and communicating with the station control system is large and the cost is high. Moreover, in the existing technology, there is currently no monitoring technical means for the connection process of the connector when bearing a large load. The existing methods for monitoring the connector mostly focus on monitoring whether the connection is maintained under the connected state of the connector, and judge through sensors or visual means. The connection of the connector in the battery swapping scenario also has special scene characteristics. The battery is heavy, resulting in a large load on the connector, and it is inserted and removed through the battery swapping mechanism, which is different from ordinary connectors and is prone to damage to the connector during the insertion and removal process.

[0006] In summary, in the existing technology, the extrusion damage during the connection process of the battery swapping connector cannot be effectively monitored. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To solve the problem that the existing battery swapping connector cannot effectively monitor the extrusion damage in the prior art.

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is achieved by adopting the following technical solutions:

[0009] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a monitoring system for extrusion damage of a battery swapping connector, including a monitoring unit, an extrusion logic judgment unit, and a communication unit;

[0010] The monitoring unit is fixed on the connection part of the station-side connector or the battery-side connector; both the monitoring unit and the communication unit are connected to the extrusion logic judgment unit;

[0011] The monitoring unit includes a distance monitoring sub-unit and a strain monitoring sub-unit fixed on the station-side connector or the battery-side connector; the distance monitoring sub-unit and the strain monitoring sub-unit are respectively used to monitor the coupling distance and strain of the battery-side connector and the station-side connector during the connection process;

[0012] The extrusion logic judgment unit is used to judge whether there is extrusion damage between the battery-side connector and the station-side connector during the connection process according to the coupling distance and the strain, and generate status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation;

[0013] The communication unit is used to feedback the status monitoring information to the station control system.

[0014] Preferably, the distance monitoring sub-unit is a ranging sensor;

[0015] The ranging sensor is installed at the bottom of the guiding groove in the station-side connector or the top of the guiding post in the battery-side connector.

[0016] Preferably, the strain monitoring subunit includes a plurality of strain gauges;

[0017] When a plurality of strain gauges are installed on the battery terminal connector, the plurality of strain gauges are respectively installed on the outer side wall of the guide post in the battery terminal connector and on the housing of the battery terminal connector;

[0018] When a plurality of strain gauges are installed on the station terminal connector, the plurality of strain gauges are respectively installed on the inner side wall of the guide groove in the station terminal connector and on the housing of the station terminal connector.

[0019] Further, a plurality of housing strain gauge mounting grooves are circumferentially formed on the housing of the battery terminal connector or the housing of the station terminal connector, and the strain gauges are installed on the inner side wall of the housing strain gauge mounting grooves.

[0020] Furthermore, the housing strain gauge mounting grooves include a plurality of triangular holes and a plurality of square holes;

[0021] The plurality of triangular holes are annularly distributed on the housing of the battery terminal connector or the housing of the station terminal connector, and square holes are provided on the housing between every two adjacent triangular holes;

[0022] The plurality of strain gauges are respectively fixed on the inner side walls of each square hole and each triangular hole.

[0023] Further, a plurality of strain gauge mounting grooves are provided on both the top and bottom of the outer side wall of the guide post, and one or more of the strain gauges are installed on the inner side wall of one of the strain gauge mounting grooves.

[0024] Furthermore, the plurality of strain gauge mounting grooves on the guide post are annularly distributed along the central axis of the guide post.

[0025] Further, a plurality of strain gauge mounting grooves are provided on both the top and bottom of the inner side wall of the guide groove, and one or more of the strain gauges are installed on the inner side wall of one of the strain gauge mounting grooves.

[0026] Furthermore, the plurality of strain gauge mounting grooves on the guide groove are annularly distributed along the central axis of the guide groove.

[0027] Furthermore, the strain gauge mounting groove is a triangular groove or a rhombic groove.

[0028] Preferably, the monitoring unit further includes an independent power source, and the independent power source is used to supply energy to the distance monitoring subunit and the strain monitoring subunit.

[0029] Second aspect, the present invention proposes a method for monitoring extrusion damage of a battery swapping connector, which is implemented based on the battery swapping connector extrusion damage monitoring system described in any one of the above, and includes:

[0030] The extrusion logic judgment unit determines whether there is extrusion damage during the connection process between the battery-side connector and the station-side connector according to the coupling distance and strain, and generates status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation;

[0031] The extrusion logic judgment unit feeds back the status monitoring information to the station control system through the communication unit;

[0032] Wherein, the coupling distance and strain are obtained by the monitoring unit.

[0033] Preferably, the extrusion logic judgment unit determines whether there is extrusion damage during the connection process between the battery-side connector and the station-side connector according to the coupling distance and strain, and generates status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation; including:

[0034] When the coupling distance is less than or equal to the first preset distance and greater than or equal to the second preset distance, according to the strain on the guide post or guide groove, it is judged whether there is extrusion damage between the guide post and the guide groove, and strain status monitoring information is generated according to the extrusion damage situation;

[0035] When the coupling distance is greater than 0 and less than the second preset distance, according to the strain on the housing of the station-side connector or the housing of the battery-side connector, it is judged whether there is extrusion damage between the housing of the station-side connector and the housing of the battery-side connector, and housing strain status monitoring information is generated according to the extrusion damage situation;

[0036] When the coupling distance is equal to 0, the battery-side connector and the station-side connector are coupled, and status monitoring information of completed coupling is generated;

[0037] Wherein, the first preset distance is greater than the second preset distance.

[0038] Further, the method of judging whether there is extrusion damage between the guide post and the guide groove according to the strain on the guide post or the guide groove, and generating strain status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation, includes:

[0039] Obtain the maximum strain value on the guide post or the guide groove;

[0040] When the maximum strain value is less than the first preset strain, it is determined that the coupling is in a normal state, and normal coupling status monitoring information is generated;

[0041] When the maximum strain is greater than the second preset strain, it is determined that the extrusion failure state occurs, and the monitoring information of the extrusion failure state is generated;

[0042] When the maximum strain is greater than or equal to the first preset strain and less than or equal to the second preset strain, it is determined that the dangerous contact state occurs, and the monitoring information of the dangerous contact state is generated;

[0043] The monitoring information of the dangerous contact state includes the position information of the maximum strain value;

[0044] Wherein, the first preset strain is less than the second preset strain.

[0045] Further, based on the strain on the housing of the station-side connector or the housing of the battery-side connector, it is determined whether there is damage between the housings of the station-side connector and the battery-side connector, and the monitoring information of the housing strain state is generated according to the extrusion damage situation, which specifically includes:

[0046] Obtain the maximum value of the housing strain on the housing of the station-side connector or the housing of the battery-side connector;

[0047] When the maximum value of the housing strain is less than the first preset housing strain, it is determined that the normal coupling state occurs, and the monitoring information of the normal coupling state is generated;

[0048] When the maximum value of the housing strain is greater than the second preset housing strain, it is determined that the housing extrusion failure state occurs, and the monitoring information of the housing extrusion failure state is generated;

[0049] When the maximum value of the housing strain is greater than or equal to the first preset housing strain and less than or equal to the second preset housing strain, it is determined that the housing dangerous contact state occurs, and the monitoring information of the housing dangerous contact state is generated;

[0050] The monitoring information of the housing dangerous contact state includes the position information of the maximum value of the housing strain;

[0051] Wherein, the first preset housing strain is less than the second preset housing strain.

[0052] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0053] The present invention provides a system and method for monitoring the extrusion damage of a battery swapping connector. By installing a monitoring unit to monitor the coupling distance and strain during the connection process of the battery - end connector and the station - end connector, without changing the structure of the existing battery swapping connector, an extrusion logic judgment unit determines whether there is extrusion damage during the connection process of the battery - end connector and the station - end connector based on the coupling distance and strain, and generates status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation. It can give an early warning of extrusion damage during the plug - in and unplugging of the connector, measure abnormal deformation or abnormal stress concentration in the guiding and housing devices of the connector before the extrusion damage occurs, and timely feedback the status monitoring information to the station control system through the communication unit, guiding the station control system to stop coupling in time or adjust the coupling angle of the connector to avoid irreversible damage to the connector. The present invention only needs to install a monitoring unit, an extrusion logic judgment unit and a communication unit on the existing battery swapping connector to effectively monitor the extrusion damage during the connection process of the battery swapping connector, reduce the failure rate of battery swapping and the number of abnormal terminations, and the transformation and installation cost of the system of the present invention for the existing stock of battery swapping connectors is low, which is suitable for large - scale promotion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] Figure 1 It is a frame diagram of the composition of a system for monitoring the extrusion damage of a battery swapping connector in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the station - end socket of the connector in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the battery - end plug of the connector in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the installation position of the housing strain gauge in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the installation position of the guiding column strain gauge in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 6 It is a flowchart of a method for monitoring the extrusion damage of a battery swapping connector in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 7 It is a flowchart of a method for monitoring the extrusion damage of a battery swapping connector in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 8 It is a flowchart of a method for monitoring the extrusion damage of a battery swapping connector in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0062] In the figure: 1 is a battery; 2 is a connector battery - end plug; 21 is a guiding post; 211 is a strain - gauge mounting groove; 22 is a first terminal; 23 is a first housing; 3 is a connector station - end socket; 31 is a guiding groove; 32 is a second terminal; 33 is a second housing; 331 is a triangular hole; 332 is a square hole; 4 is a monitoring unit; 41 is a strain gauge; 42 is a ranging sensor; 43 is a wire; 44 is an independent power source; 5 is a squeezing logic judgment unit; 6 is a communication unit. Detailed implementation manners

[0063] In the following text, only some exemplary embodiments are simply described. As those skilled in the art can recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various different ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and the description are considered to be exemplary in nature rather than restrictive.

[0064] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention.

[0065] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0066] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "mount", "connect", "connection", "fix", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations.

[0067] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the first feature being "on" or "under" the second feature may include the direct contact between the first and second features, or may include the situation where the first and second features are not in direct contact but in contact through additional features therebetween. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being "under", "below" and "beneath" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or merely indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is less than that of the second feature.

[0068] It should be understood that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" indicate the presence of the described features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or their combinations.

[0069] It should also be understood that the terms used in the specification of the present invention are merely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used in the specification of the present invention and the appended claims, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms.

[0070] It should be further understood that the term "and / or" used in the specification of the present invention and the appended claims refers to any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.

[0071] Schematic diagrams of various structures according to the disclosed embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings. These figures are not drawn to scale, where for the purpose of clear expression, some details are enlarged and some details may be omitted. The shapes of various regions and layers shown in the figures and their relative sizes and positional relationships are merely exemplary, and may actually deviate due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Those skilled in the art can design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes and relative positions according to actual needs.

[0072] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0073] Embodiment 1:

[0074] The present invention provides a monitoring system for extrusion damage of a battery swapping connector, including a monitoring unit 4, an extrusion logic judgment unit 5 and a communication unit 6;

[0075] The monitoring unit 4 is fixed on the connection part of the station - side connector or the battery - side connector; both the monitoring unit 4 and the communication unit 6 are connected to the extrusion logic judgment unit 5;

[0076] The monitoring unit 4 includes a distance monitoring subunit and a strain monitoring subunit fixed on the station - side connector or the battery - side connector; the distance monitoring subunit and the strain monitoring subunit are respectively used to monitor the coupling distance and strain during the connection process of the battery - side connector and the station - side connector;

[0077] The extrusion logic judgment unit 5 is used to judge whether there is extrusion damage during the connection process of the battery - side connector and the station - side connector according to the coupling distance and the strain, and generate status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation;

[0078] The communication unit 6 is used to feedback the status monitoring information to the station control system.

[0079] It should be further noted that an extrusion damage monitoring system for a battery - swapping connector in an embodiment of the present invention is as Figure 1 shown; among them, a battery - side connector is arranged on the battery 1, and the battery - side connector is connected to the station - side connector; in the embodiment of the present invention, the monitoring unit 4 is arranged inside the station - side connector and is used to monitor the status during the connection process of the battery - side connector and the station - side connector. The monitoring unit 4 is connected to the extrusion logic judgment unit 5, and the extrusion logic judgment unit 5 is used to comprehensively analyze and judge the information transmitted by the monitoring unit. The extrusion logic judgment unit 5 is connected to the communication unit 6, and the communication unit 6 is used to exchange information with the station control system of the battery - swapping station and feedback the judgment information (i.e., the status monitoring information generated according to the extrusion damage situation) to the station control system.

[0080] The battery - swapping connector (also known as the battery - swapping electrical connector) is generally divided into a connector plug and a connector socket. The connector plug is installed at the battery end, corresponding to the battery - side connector (i.e., the connector battery - side plug 2) in the above text; the connector socket is installed at the battery - swapping station end or the vehicle end, corresponding to the station - side connector (i.e., the connector station - side socket 3) in the above text; after the connector plug and the connector socket are connected, they can transmit electric energy and information. In the embodiment of the present invention, the connector battery - side plug 2 is installed on the battery 1, and the connector station - side socket 3 is installed at the battery - swapping station end or the vehicle end.

[0081] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the distance monitoring subunit includes a distance - measuring sensor 42; the distance - measuring sensor 42 is installed at the bottom of the guiding groove 31 in the station - side connector or the top of the guiding post 21 in the battery - side connector, and is used to measure the coupling distance between the guiding post 21 and the guiding groove 31 during the connection process. In the embodiment of the present invention, the distance - measuring sensor 42 is a micro - distance - measuring sensor, such as a laser displacement sensor or an infrared distance - measuring sensor.

[0082] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the strain monitoring subunit includes a plurality of strain gauges 41;

[0083] When the plurality of strain gauges 41 are installed on the battery terminal connector, the plurality of strain gauges 41 are respectively installed on the outer side wall of the guiding post 21 in the battery terminal connector and on the housing of the battery terminal connector;

[0084] When the plurality of strain gauges 41 are installed on the station terminal connector, the plurality of strain gauges 41 are respectively installed on the inner side wall of the guiding groove 31 in the station terminal connector and on the housing of the station terminal connector.

[0085] The strain gauges 41 are used to measure the strain of the guiding post 21 and the guiding groove 31 during the connection process, as well as the strain of the housing of the battery terminal connector and the housing of the station terminal connector during the connection process.

[0086] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the monitoring unit 4 further includes an independent power supply 44 and a wire 43, and the independent power supply 44 supplies power to the strain gauges 41 and the ranging sensor 42.

[0087] Among them, the ranging sensor 42, the wire 43, and the independent power supply 44 form a distance monitoring subunit, which is used to determine whether the connector coupling is in place.

[0088] The strain gauges 41, the wire 43, and the independent power supply 44 form a strain monitoring subunit of the guiding post and the housing, which is used to monitor and judge whether there is extrusion damage.

[0089] Preferably, in the embodiment of the present invention, the ranging sensor 42 is installed at the bottom of the guiding groove 31 of the station terminal socket 3 of the connector. By measuring the distance between the station terminal socket 3 of the connector and the guiding post of the battery terminal plug 2 of the connector, it is judged whether the connector is in place, and it is used to assist in judging the degree of extrusion damage of the connector.

[0090] The monitoring unit 4 is configured with an independent power supply 44 to supply power to the distance monitoring subunit and the strain monitoring subunit. Since it is difficult to transform the existing battery swapping station, the access to the control power supply of this device in the battery swapping station is restricted and the engineering volume is large. Therefore, this device is designed to be independently configured and is a modular extrusion damage monitoring system that communicates with the station control system of the battery swapping station through a wireless transmission method.

[0091] It should be further noted that in the embodiment of the present invention, the battery terminal plug 2 of the connector includes a guiding post 21, a first terminal 22, and a first housing 23; the guiding post 21 and the first terminal 22 are fixedly installed inside the first housing 23, and the specific structure is as Figure 2 shown.

[0092] In the embodiment of the present invention, the connector station - end socket 3 includes a guiding groove 31, a second terminal 32, and a second housing 33. The guiding groove 31 and the second terminal 32 are fixedly installed inside the second housing 33, and the specific structure is as Figure 3 shown. Among them, the guiding post 21 and the guiding groove 31 are correspondingly inserted and matched. The first terminal 22 and the second terminal 32 are correspondingly electrically connected.

[0093] Figure 2 And Figure 3 are schematic diagrams of the connector plug and socket before modification. The damage warning system designed by the present invention can be applied to various forms of battery - swapping connectors, not limited to the terminal, guiding post, housing size and shape of the connector. Figure 2 In the connector plug, there are double guiding posts, one on each side, and the rest are all terminals. The ranging sensor 42 can be placed on the bottom surface of the guiding groove 31 in the connector station - end socket 3, or can be installed on the top surface of the guiding post 21 in the connector battery - end plug 2. That is, the ranging sensor 42 can be installed on the top surface of the guiding post 21 or the bottom surface of the guiding groove 31. The spacing at the connection does not affect the sensor installation and does not affect the cooperation between the guiding post 21 and the guiding groove 31. And only one of the guiding post 21 or the guiding groove 31 needs to be installed. For a plug with multiple guiding posts 21, it can be installed on multiple guiding posts 21. This installation method avoids the guiding surface of the guiding post 21 and does not affect the guiding accuracy.

[0094] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of housing strain - gauge mounting grooves are circumferentially formed on the housing of the battery - end connector or the housing of the station - end connector, and the strain gauges 41 are installed on the inner side wall of the housing strain - gauge mounting grooves.

[0095] It should be further noted that in the embodiment of the present invention, the housing strain - gauge mounting grooves are preferably formed on the housing of the station - end connector. That is, a plurality of strain gauges 41 are installed at the slots of the second housing 33 and the guiding groove 31 of the connector station - end socket 3, and are connected into a strain monitoring sub - unit through wires 43. In the embodiment of the present invention, the connection mode of the strain gauges 41 can be a full - bridge circuit, and the extrusion force received by the connector housing or the guiding groove 31 is determined by monitoring the deformation at the slots.

[0096] For the slot - opening method of the guiding groove 31 in the connector station - end socket 3, triangular slots or square slots can be selected to be opened at the corresponding positions on both sides of the middle of the guiding groove 31. By opening slots on both sides of the same guiding groove 31, the direction of the connector's overturning and extrusion can be monitored, which helps the battery - swapping mechanism to timely adjust the alignment direction of the connector. This method is also applied to multiple guiding grooves in the same station - end socket. Through the data feedback of the respective strain monitoring sub - units on multiple guiding grooves, the extrusion state of the guiding post during the connector connection process can be accurately judged.

[0097] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the housing strain gauge mounting groove includes a plurality of triangular holes 331 and a plurality of square holes 332; the plurality of triangular holes 331 are surrounded (i.e., distributed in a ring on the housing of the battery terminal connector or the housing of the station terminal connector), and square holes 332 are provided on the housing between every two adjacent triangular holes 331; a plurality of the strain gauges 41 are respectively fixed on the inner side walls of each of the square holes 332 and each of the triangular holes 331.

[0098] Preferably, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the strain gauge mounting position on the outer shell, which is commonly applicable to the connector socket and the connector plug. When extrusion damage occurs, the forces of the socket and the plug interact with each other. Therefore, installing a strain gauge at one end can monitor the extrusion warning signal. In this embodiment, taking four triangular holes 331 as an example, 4 symmetrical triangular holes 331 are opened on the outer surface of the connector housing, so as to form a cross on the outer shell surface, and square holes 332 are opened in the middle of each end of the cross.

[0099] The strain gauge 41 can be pasted at the inner surface of the square hole 332, and the wire 43 is led out through the cross slot or hole to ensure no interference during the coupling of the outer shell. Among them, three strain gauges 41 can be correspondingly pasted at the three inner surfaces of the triangular hole, which can achieve the same monitoring effect. For the structural change of the outer shell, on the one hand, it is to facilitate the installation of the strain gauge without interference, and on the other hand, it can amplify the deformation at the opening, so that the overall deformation of the outer shell is concentrated at the opening, making it easier for the strain gauge to monitor the deformation.

[0100] In some embodiments, a housing strain gauge mounting groove can also be opened on the second housing 33. When the shape of the housing strain gauge mounting groove is a diamond hole, four strain gauges 41 are correspondingly pasted on the four side surfaces of the diamond hole, and this operation is repeated on multiple surfaces of the connector housing to form a strain monitoring sub-unit of the connector housing, which can monitor the compression in different directions when the outer shell is connected.

[0101] Specifically, a plurality of strain gauge mounting grooves 211 are opened on both the top and bottom of the outer side wall of the guide post 21, and one or more of the strain gauges 41 are mounted on the inner side wall of one of the strain gauge mounting grooves 211.

[0102] In some embodiments, a plurality of strain gauge mounting grooves 211 are opened on both the top and bottom of the inner side wall of the guide groove 31, and one or more of the strain gauges 41 are mounted on the inner side wall of one of the strain gauge mounting grooves 211.

[0103] It should be further noted that, as Figure 5As shown, it is an example of grooving on the guiding post 21 of the connector plug. For the plug end where the guiding post 21 is cylindrical and the socket end where the guiding slot 31 is a round hole, the grooving is mainly on the top and bottom of the cylindrical surface. Triangular grooves or diamond-shaped grooves, i.e., strain gauge mounting grooves 211, can be opened. Strain gauges are pasted in the grooves and through holes are opened inside the guiding post for wiring. Among them, multiple strain gauges 41 are respectively pasted on the three side surfaces of the triangular groove or the four side surfaces of the diamond-shaped groove.

[0104] The multiple strain gauge mounting grooves 211 on the guiding post 21 are annularly distributed along the central axis of the guiding post 21, so that grooving can be set at multiple points on the guiding post, and extrusion in different directions on the guiding post can be monitored.

[0105] In some embodiments, the multiple strain gauge mounting grooves 211 on the guiding slot 31 are annularly distributed along the central axis of the guiding slot 31.

[0106] Since the connector device is small in size and has precise contact, the wire 43 is drilled inside the guiding post and led out through the bottom of the guiding post, which does not affect the guiding accuracy and does not interfere with other components of the connector. The wiring method of the wire on the connector housing is to open a slot on the housing and install a retaining piece, which is convenient for the wire to pass through and fixes the wire so that it will not deform and pop out. The other end of the wire 43 is connected to the extrusion logic judgment unit, and the logic judgment unit is connected to the communication unit to transmit the signal to the station control terminal. The specific connection method in the embodiment of the present invention is that the wire is led out of the plug and is hot-pluggably inserted into the interface of the logic judgment unit.

[0107] In some embodiments, the extrusion logic judgment unit 5 can be implemented by a PLC. By entering the logic judgment program into the PLC and inputting various sensor signals, a warning signal is output when extrusion is judged, and a normal signal is output when there is no extrusion.

[0108] In the embodiment of the present invention, the communication unit 6 is used for information exchange with the station control system of the battery swapping station, feeds back the judgment information to the station control system, and is interconnected with the station control in a wireless form, reducing redundant arrangements and the difficulty of transformation.

[0109] The battery swapping connector extrusion damage monitoring system of the present invention is aimed at the battery swapping connector that will bear large loads, monitors the battery swapping connection process, and can give an early warning of the extrusion damage that occurs during the plugging and unplugging of the connector by transforming the existing battery swapping connector. Before the extrusion damage occurs, abnormal deformation or abnormal stress concentration of the guiding and housing devices of the connector can be measured and fed back to the station control system in time to guide the station control system to stop coupling in time or adjust the coupling angle of the connector to avoid irreversible damage to the connector. It has the characteristics of low transformation cost and being friendly to the existing stock of battery swapping connectors, reducing the battery swapping failure rate and the number of abnormal terminations.

[0110] The extrusion damage monitoring system provided by the present invention communicates with the station control through a wireless network. It is a monitoring and warning system that can work independently and is installed on the connector. It has the functions of independent power supply and independent information transmission, is friendly to the transformation of existing battery swapping stations, and has low transformation and installation costs, making it suitable for large-scale promotion.

[0111] In the embodiment of the present invention, the entire monitoring system is used for the battery swapping connector, and the facing scenario is the battery swapping scenario. The battery swapping connector has particularity compared with general connectors in terms of coupling. The coupling process has a large load, the battery swapping station and the battery structure are complex, and there are many structural members blocking the line of sight, making it difficult to observe the coupling process of the connector.

[0112] Since the connector on the station side and the battery side are in a separated state under normal conditions, and the battery-side connector is coupled with the vehicle side, it is difficult to transform the existing battery swapping connectors, and the cost of replacing the connector is high. The system in the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to the transformation of the station-side connector and has the ability of independent monitoring, reducing the quantity and difficulty of transformation.

[0113] The present invention monitors the stress state of the strain monitoring terminal of the guiding column. Since the guiding column generally has a large diameter, hard material, and high yield limit, but the terminal bears current and can withstand low external forces, the present invention installs a strain monitoring sub-unit on the guiding column or guiding groove, which does not affect the guiding function. At the same time, the guiding is the first component to be coupled, and it fits tightly during the coupling process, being able to sensitively monitor the angle and displacement deviation, and monitor whether the terminal is extruded without affecting the conductivity of the terminal.

[0114] The present invention monitors the process of battery swapping for the battery swapping connector that will bear large loads. By transforming the existing battery swapping connector, it can give an early warning of extrusion damage during the plugging and unplugging of the connector in the battery swapping process, measure abnormal deformation or abnormal stress concentration of the guiding and housing devices of the connector before the extrusion damage occurs, and promptly feedback to the station control system to guide the station control system to stop the coupling in time or adjust the coupling angle of the connector, avoiding irreversible damage to the connector. It has the characteristics of low transformation cost and being friendly to existing battery swapping connectors, reducing the battery swapping failure rate and the number of abnormal terminations.

[0115] Embodiment 2:

[0116] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also provides a method for monitoring extrusion damage of a battery swapping connector, which is implemented based on a monitoring system for extrusion damage of a battery swapping connector in Embodiment 1, and includes:

[0117] The extrusion logic judgment unit 5 determines whether there is extrusion damage during the connection process between the battery-side connector and the station-side connector according to the coupling distance and strain, and generates status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation;

[0118] The extrusion logic judgment unit 5 feeds back the status monitoring information to the station control system through the communication unit 6;

[0119] Among them, the coupling distance and strain are obtained by the monitoring unit 4.

[0120] Specifically, as Figure 6 shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, the extrusion logic judgment unit 5 determines whether there is extrusion damage during the connection process between the battery terminal connector and the station terminal connector according to the coupling distance and strain, and generates status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation; specifically including:

[0121] When the coupling distance is less than or equal to the first preset distance and greater than or equal to the second preset distance, judge whether there is extrusion damage between the guide post 21 and the guide groove 31 according to the strain on the guide post 21 or the guide groove 31, and generate strain status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation;

[0122] When the coupling distance is greater than 0 and less than the second preset distance, judge whether there is extrusion damage between the housing of the station terminal connector and the housing of the battery terminal connector according to the strain on the housing of the station terminal connector or the housing of the battery terminal connector, and generate housing strain status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation;

[0123] When the coupling distance is equal to 0, the battery terminal connector and the station terminal connector are coupled, and status monitoring information of completed coupling is generated;

[0124] Among them, the first preset distance is greater than the second preset distance.

[0125] Furthermore, as Figure 7 shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, judge whether there is extrusion damage between the guide post 21 and the guide groove 31 according to the strain on the guide post 21 or the guide groove 31, and generate strain status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation, including:

[0126] Obtain the maximum strain value on the guide post 21 or the guide groove 31;

[0127] When the maximum strain value is less than the first preset strain, it is determined that it is in a normal coupling state, and normal coupling state monitoring information is generated;

[0128] When the maximum strain value is greater than the second preset strain, it is determined that it is in an extrusion damage state, and extrusion damage state monitoring information is generated;

[0129] When the maximum strain value is greater than or equal to the first preset strain and less than or equal to the second preset strain, it is determined that it is in a dangerous contact state, and dangerous contact state monitoring information is generated;

[0130] The monitoring information of the dangerous contact state includes the position information of the point with the maximum strain.

[0131] Among them, the first preset strain is less than the second preset strain.

[0132] Furthermore, as Figure 8 shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, based on the strain on the housing of the station - side connector or the housing of the battery - side connector, it is judged whether there is damage between the housings of the station - side connector and the battery - side connector, and the housing strain state monitoring information is generated according to the extrusion damage situation, which specifically includes:

[0133] Obtain the maximum shell strain on the housing of the station - side connector or the housing of the battery - side connector;

[0134] When the maximum shell strain is less than the first preset shell strain, it is determined that it is in a normal coupling state, and the normal coupling state monitoring information is generated;

[0135] When the maximum shell strain is greater than the second preset shell strain, it is determined that it is in a shell extrusion damage state, and the shell extrusion damage state monitoring information is generated;

[0136] When the maximum shell strain is greater than or equal to the first preset shell strain and less than or equal to the second preset shell strain, it is determined that it is in a shell dangerous contact state, and the shell dangerous contact state monitoring information is generated;

[0137] The shell dangerous contact state monitoring information includes the position information of the point with the maximum shell strain;

[0138] Among them, the first preset shell strain is less than the second preset shell strain.

[0139] It should be further noted that, in the embodiment of the present invention, taking a passenger car battery swapping station as an example, the basic battery swapping process is as follows:

[0140] S1) The vehicle drives into the vehicle battery swapping platform according to the guiding system. The battery swapping platform corrects and positions the vehicle, and the vehicle battery swapping platform lifts the vehicle to the battery swapping height;

[0141] S2) The battery swapping mechanism moves to the battery taking position of the vehicle battery swapping platform. The unlocking mechanism rotates the lock to unlock the battery. The battery swapping mechanism carries the battery structure down and removes the depleted battery;

[0142] S3) The battery swapping mechanism moves to the battery storing position of the vehicle battery swapping platform, moves the fully - charged battery to a suitable position on the battery swapping platform. The battery swapping mechanism carries the battery structure to align and rise. After the battery is in place, the locking mechanism rotates to perform the locking action of the battery;

[0143] S4) The power exchange mechanism moves the depleted battery to the battery compartment in the power exchange station. After the battery-carrying structure is aligned and connected, when the battery is in place, the locking mechanism rotates to lock the battery, indicating that the power exchange is completed, and the vehicle drives away.

[0144] Connector damage is likely to occur in stages S3 and S4. When the battery box is installed on the vehicle and in the power exchange station, the structural risk of the connector is the highest. Therefore, the method in the embodiment of the present invention monitors the extrusion damage of the power exchange connector in stages S3 and S4.

[0145] Specifically, the extrusion logic judgment unit 5 in the embodiment of the present invention is used to comprehensively judge the information transmitted by the monitoring unit (that is, to judge whether there is extrusion damage between the battery-end connector and the station-end connector during the connection process based on the coupling distance and the strain, and generate status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation). The complete process is as follows:

[0146] First, it is judged by the distance measuring sensor 42 that the distance between the guide columns (i.e., the coupling distance X) is greater than the first preset distance X1, and it is calibrated that the value output by the strain monitoring sub-unit at this time represents no extrusion.

[0147] The station-end socket 3 of the connector and the battery-end plug 2 of the connector start to couple. When the distance measured by the distance measuring sensor 42 is equal to the first preset distance X1, it is judged that the guide columns 21 start to couple at this time.

[0148] The connector continues to couple. When the distance measured by the distance measuring sensor 42 (i.e., the coupling distance X) is greater than or equal to the second preset distance X2 and less than or equal to the first preset distance X1, the strain monitoring sub-unit of a single guide column outputs the maximum strain value Y of the multi-point strain of this guide column. When the maximum strain value Y < the first preset strain Y1, it is determined that it is in a normal coupling state, and normal coupling state monitoring information is generated. The power exchange mechanism continues to couple according to the normal coupling state monitoring information.

[0149] When the first preset strain Y1 ≤ the maximum strain value Y ≤ the second preset strain Y2, it is determined that it is in a dangerous contact state; a dangerous contact warning appears, and dangerous contact state monitoring information is generated; among them, the dangerous contact state monitoring information includes the position information of the point where the maximum strain value is located.

[0150] The power exchange mechanism stops the coupling of the connector according to the dangerous contact state monitoring information, and makes corresponding controls according to the position information of the point where the maximum strain value is located; that is, identifies the position of the guide column n where the dangerous contact occurs, determines the point where the maximum strain value Y is output, and the strain value of the opposite side point is lower than the first preset strain Y1, that is, it is determined that this point is squeezed and there is a gap on the opposite side, and the power exchange mechanism makes corresponding angle or displacement adjustments.

[0151] When the second preset strain Y2 < the maximum strain Y, it is determined that the extrusion failure state occurs, and the extrusion failure state monitoring information is generated. The battery swapping mechanism immediately stops coupling according to the extrusion failure state monitoring information.

[0152] When the adjusted maximum strain Y < the first preset strain Y1, it is determined that the normal coupling state occurs, and the normal coupling state monitoring information is generated. The battery swapping mechanism continues to couple according to the normal coupling state monitoring information.

[0153] The distance measured by the distance measuring sensor 42 (i.e., the coupling distance X) is greater than 0 and less than the second preset distance X2. The connector housing monitoring unit outputs the maximum housing strain Z of multiple housing surface strains. When the maximum housing strain Z < the first preset housing strain Z1, it is determined that the normal coupling state occurs, and the normal coupling state monitoring information is generated. The battery swapping mechanism continues to couple according to the normal coupling state monitoring information.

[0154] When the first preset housing strain Z1 ≤ the maximum housing strain Z ≤ the second preset housing strain Z2, it is determined that the dangerous contact state of the housing occurs, a dangerous contact warning appears, and the dangerous contact state monitoring information of the housing is generated; wherein, the point position information of the maximum housing strain is included in the dangerous contact state monitoring information of the housing.

[0155] The battery swapping mechanism stops the coupling of the connector according to the dangerous contact state monitoring information of the housing, and makes corresponding controls according to the point position information of the maximum housing strain; that is, identifies the position of the housing surface u where the dangerous contact occurs, determines the surface where the maximum housing strain Z is output, and the opposite side point is lower than the first preset housing strain Z1, that is, it is determined that this point is extruded and there is a gap on the opposite side, and the battery swapping mechanism makes corresponding angle or displacement adjustments.

[0156] When the second preset housing strain Z2 < the maximum housing strain Z, it is determined that the extrusion failure state of the housing occurs, and the extrusion failure state monitoring information of the housing is generated. The battery swapping mechanism immediately stops coupling according to the extrusion failure state monitoring information of the housing.

[0157] When the adjusted maximum housing strain Z < the first preset housing strain Z1, it is determined that the normal coupling state occurs. The battery swapping mechanism continues to couple according to the normal coupling state monitoring information until the distance measured by the distance measuring sensor 42 is equal to 0, and the coupling is completed.

[0158] In the embodiment of the present invention, a method for monitoring extrusion failure during the connection process of a battery swapping connector is provided, and a judgment logic for whether the battery swapping connector of the battery swapping station is about to be extruded and broken is proposed. The present invention can monitor the force deformation conditions of the guide post and the housing of the battery swapping connector during the connection process, and communicate with the station control system of the battery swapping station in real time. The station control system can timely interrupt the next operation of the battery swapping mechanism according to the monitored force deformation conditions and the judgment method, avoiding the battery swapping failure and irreversible damage of the connector caused by the forced battery swapping of the battery swapping mechanism.

[0159] In addition, it should be understood that although this specification is described according to embodiments, not every embodiment only contains an independent technical solution. This narrative way of the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art. The above content is only to illustrate the technical idea of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention cannot be limited thereby. Any modification made on the basis of the technical solution according to the technical idea proposed by the present invention falls within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A squeezing damage monitoring system for an electricity replacement connector, characterized in that It includes a monitoring unit (4), a squeezing logic judgment unit (5) and a communication unit (6); The monitoring unit (4) is fixed on the connection part of the station - end connector or the battery - end connector; both the monitoring unit (4) and the communication unit (6) are connected to the squeezing logic judgment unit (5); The monitoring unit (4) includes a distance monitoring sub - unit and a strain monitoring sub - unit fixed on the station - end connector or the battery - end connector; the distance monitoring sub - unit and the strain monitoring sub - unit are respectively used to monitor the coupling distance and strain during the connection process of the battery - end connector and the station - end connector; The squeezing logic judgment unit (5) is used to judge whether there is squeezing damage during the connection process of the battery - end connector and the station - end connector according to the coupling distance and the strain, and generate status monitoring information according to the squeezing damage situation; The communication unit (6) is used to feedback the status monitoring information to the station control system.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The distance monitoring sub - unit is a distance measuring sensor (42); The distance measuring sensor (42) is installed at the bottom of the guiding groove (31) in the station - end connector or the top of the guiding post (21) in the battery - end connector.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The strain monitoring sub - unit includes a plurality of strain gauges (41); When a plurality of strain gauges (41) are installed on the battery - end connector, the plurality of strain gauges (41) are respectively installed on the outer side wall of the guiding post (21) in the battery - end connector and the housing of the battery - end connector; When a plurality of strain gauges (41) are installed on the station - end connector, the plurality of strain gauges (41) are respectively installed on the inner side wall of the guiding groove (31) in the station - end connector and the housing of the station - end connector.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein A plurality of housing strain gauge installation grooves are circumferentially formed on the housing of the battery - end connector or the housing of the station - end connector, and the strain gauges (41) are installed on the inner side wall of the housing strain gauge installation grooves.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that The housing strain gauge installation grooves include a plurality of triangular holes (331) and a plurality of square holes (332); The plurality of triangular holes (331) are annularly distributed on the housing of the battery - end connector or the housing of the station - end connector, and square holes (332) are arranged on the housing between every two adjacent triangular holes (331); The plurality of strain gauges (41) are respectively fixed on the inner side walls of each square hole (332) and each triangular hole (331).

6. The system according to claim 3, wherein A plurality of strain gauge installation grooves (211) are formed on both the top and bottom of the outer side wall of the guiding post (21), and one or more strain gauges (41) are installed on the inner side wall of one strain gauge installation groove (211).

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The plurality of strain gauge installation grooves (211) on the guiding post (21) are annularly distributed along the central axis of the guiding post (21).

8. The system according to claim 3, wherein A plurality of strain gauge installation grooves (211) are formed on both the top and bottom of the inner side wall of the guiding groove (31), and one or more strain gauges (41) are installed on the inner side wall of one strain gauge installation groove (211).

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein The multiple strain gauge mounting grooves (211) on the guiding groove (31) are annularly distributed along the central axis of the guiding groove (31).

10. The system according to claim 6 or 8, characterized in that, The strain gauge mounting groove (211) is a triangular groove or a rhombic groove.

11. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The monitoring unit (4) further includes an independent power supply (44), and the independent power supply (44) is used to supply energy to the distance monitoring subunit and the strain monitoring subunit.

12. A method for monitoring extrusion damage of an electricity replacement connector, characterized in that, It is implemented based on a battery swapping connector extrusion damage monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, including: The extrusion logic judgment unit (5) determines whether there is extrusion damage during the connection process between the battery terminal connector and the station terminal connector according to the coupling distance and strain, and generates status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation. The extrusion logic judgment unit (5) feeds back the status monitoring information to the station control system through the communication unit (6). Wherein, the coupling distance and strain are obtained by the monitoring unit (4).

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The extrusion logic judgment unit (5) determines whether there is extrusion damage during the connection process between the battery terminal connector and the station terminal connector according to the coupling distance and strain, and generates status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation, including: When the coupling distance is less than or equal to a first preset distance and greater than or equal to a second preset distance, according to the strain on the guiding post (21) or the guiding groove (31), it is judged whether there is extrusion damage between the guiding post (21) and the guiding groove (31), and strain status monitoring information is generated according to the extrusion damage situation. When the coupling distance is greater than 0 and less than the second preset distance, according to the strain on the housing of the station terminal connector or the housing of the battery terminal connector, it is judged whether there is extrusion damage between the housing of the station terminal connector and the housing of the battery terminal connector, and housing strain status monitoring information is generated according to the extrusion damage situation. When the coupling distance is equal to 0, the battery terminal connector and the station terminal connector are coupled, and status monitoring information of completed coupling is generated. Wherein, the first preset distance is greater than the second preset distance.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein The method of judging whether there is extrusion damage between the guiding post (21) and the guiding groove (31) according to the strain on the guiding post (21) or the guiding groove (31), and generating strain status monitoring information according to the extrusion damage situation includes: Obtain the maximum strain value on the guiding post (21) or the guiding groove (31). When the maximum strain value is less than a first preset strain, it is determined that it is in a normal coupling state, and normal coupling state monitoring information is generated. When the maximum strain value is greater than a second preset strain, it is determined that it is in an extrusion damage state, and extrusion damage state monitoring information is generated. When the maximum strain value is greater than or equal to the first preset strain and less than or equal to the second preset strain, it is determined that it is in a dangerous contact state, and dangerous contact state monitoring information is generated. The dangerous contact state monitoring information includes the position information of the maximum strain value. Wherein, the first preset strain is less than the second preset strain.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein Judging whether there is damage between the housings of the station-side connector and the battery-side connector based on the strain on the housing of the station-side connector or the housing of the battery-side connector, and generating housing strain state monitoring information according to the extrusion damage condition, including: Obtaining the maximum value of the housing strain on the housing of the station-side connector or the housing of the battery-side connector; When the maximum value of the housing strain is less than the first preset housing strain, it is determined that it is in a normal coupling state, and normal coupling state monitoring information is generated; When the maximum value of the housing strain is greater than the second preset housing strain, it is determined that it is in a housing extrusion damage state, and housing extrusion damage state monitoring information is generated; When the maximum value of the housing strain is greater than or equal to the first preset housing strain and less than or equal to the second preset housing strain, it is determined that it is in a housing dangerous contact state, and housing dangerous contact state monitoring information is generated; The housing dangerous contact state monitoring information includes the point position information of the maximum value of the housing strain; Wherein, the first preset housing strain is less than the second preset housing strain.

Images