Modularized high-voltage distribution box and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a modular high-voltage distribution box and a control method thereof, and relates to the technical field of container type energy storage systems, and the modular high-voltage distribution box comprises a substrate structural member, a charging and discharging loop module, a control unit and a detection unit. The substrate structural member is provided with a battery interface and a charging and discharging loop interface; the charging and discharging loop module comprises a positive electrode module and a negative electrode module; the control unit is of a plug-in type structure and is installed in an independent plug-in box, and the plug-in box is provided with a plurality of slots. The detection unit is used for collecting current and voltage signals from the charging and discharging loop module and is in communication connection with the control unit. According to the invention, by monitoring the independently pluggable charging and discharging loop module and the multi-interface substrate, the capacity expansion and the replacement of the charging and discharging loop module can be carried out without replacing the main body when the high-voltage distribution box breaks down.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of containerized energy storage system technology, and more particularly to modular high-voltage distribution boxes and their control methods. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of energy storage systems and equipment energy conservation, such as elevator energy recovery systems, the high-voltage distribution box (high-voltage box) is the core power distribution and management unit connecting the energy storage battery and the load. Its performance directly affects the efficiency, reliability and maintainability of the entire system.

[0003] Existing technologies already employ modular approaches. For example, Chinese patent document CN220984701U discloses a modular, combined energy storage system. This system mechanically connects multiple independent battery cabinets using bolts, with each cabinet containing a battery module and a high-voltage box. When system power or capacity needs to be expanded, a complete battery cabinet including the high-voltage box is added. This approach achieves system-level modularity and capacity expansion, allowing the system scale to be adjusted by adding or removing standardized cabinets.

[0004] However, the aforementioned existing technologies still have the following limitations: their "modularity" is limited to the cabinet level, while the high-voltage box itself within each cabinet remains a fixed structure. The number, layout, and device configuration of the charging and discharging circuits inside the high-voltage box are fixed at the factory and cannot be flexibly adjusted according to actual application scenarios. When the same energy storage system needs to connect to loads of different numbers or power levels, different specifications of high-voltage boxes still need to be customized. In addition, when a circuit or device inside the high-voltage box fails, the entire high-voltage box still needs to be shut down for maintenance, which is complex, time-consuming, and affects the continuous operation of the system. At the same time, the limited internal space of the high-voltage box restricts the expansion of its monitoring and control functions. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to provide a modular high-voltage distribution box and its control method, which aims to solve the problems of fixed and unchangeable charging and discharging circuits inside the high-voltage box, the need for complete machine shutdown for maintenance, and the limitation of control scale by the physical space of the box.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes a modular high-voltage distribution box, which includes: a base plate structure, a charging and discharging circuit module, a control unit, and a detection unit; The substrate structure is equipped with a battery interface and a charging / discharging circuit interface; The charging and discharging circuit module includes a positive electrode module and a negative electrode module, both of which are modularly packaged and detachably connected to the charging and discharging circuit interface of the substrate structure via a high-current quick-connect plug. The control unit has a plug-in structure and is installed in a separate box. The box has multiple slots for controlling the on / off state of the module by controlling the relays in the charging and discharging circuit module. The detection unit is used to acquire current and voltage signals from the charge and discharge circuit module and communicates with the control unit.

[0007] Furthermore, the positive electrode module integrates a positive electrode charging / discharging interface, a fuse, a circuit breaker, and a positive electrode relay in sequence; the negative electrode module integrates a negative electrode charging / discharging interface, a shunt, and a negative electrode relay in sequence.

[0008] Furthermore, the positive module has a control signal interface on its panel, and the negative module has a signal acquisition interface on its panel. The internal circuits of the positive and negative modules are led out to the panel interfaces through through-wall terminals.

[0009] Furthermore, among the multiple charging and discharging circuit interfaces provided on the substrate structure, some interfaces are connected to charging and discharging circuit modules, while the remaining interfaces are sealed by insulating sealing components.

[0010] Furthermore, the shape of the substrate structure is a non-standard shape adapted to the installation space.

[0011] Furthermore, a temperature sensor is installed on the heating component of the charging and discharging circuit module, and the temperature sensor is communicatively connected to the control unit.

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also proposes a control method for a modular high-voltage distribution box, comprising the following steps: Perform power-on initialization and identify the connected charging / discharging circuit modules through the detection unit; The operating status of the charging and discharging circuit module is monitored based on the detection unit; When a fault is detected in the charging / discharging circuit module, the faulty charging / discharging circuit module is recorded as a faulty module, and the relay of the faulty module is disconnected through the control unit. The faulty module was hot-swapped and replaced.

[0013] Furthermore, monitoring the operating status of the charging and discharging circuit module includes: monitoring the voltage and current values ​​during the operation of the charging and discharging circuit module, and judging the operating status of the charging and discharging circuit module where the voltage and current values ​​exceed the set safety range as a fault state.

[0014] Furthermore, monitoring the operating status of the charging and discharging circuit module includes: monitoring the temperature of the heating device of the charging and discharging circuit module, and judging the operating status of the charging and discharging circuit module when the temperature exceeds the set threshold as a fault state.

[0015] Furthermore, hot-swapping the faulty module includes: after removing the faulty module, installing the replacement charging / discharging circuit module onto the baseboard structure, and then the control unit automatically identifying and registering the replacement charging / discharging circuit module.

[0016] This invention decomposes the high-voltage box into standardized, independently pluggable charging and discharging modules and optional substrate structures with multiple interfaces. Users can select the appropriate number of charging and discharging modules and substrates for combination and installation according to the number of circuits required for actual applications. When the system capacity needs to be expanded in the future, new charging and discharging modules can be added directly to the redundant interfaces reserved on the substrate structure without replacing the main body of the high-voltage box. This allows for flexible adaptation to the needs of different scale systems on the same high-voltage box platform, which can improve the applicability of the product and the efficiency of resource utilization. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the control method for the modular high-voltage distribution box of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the control device of the modular high-voltage distribution box according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the base plate structure of the control device for the modular high-voltage distribution box according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the base plate structure of the control device of the modular high-voltage distribution box according to another embodiment of the present invention; The objectives, features, and advantages of this invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0020] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0021] To better understand the technical solution of the present invention, a detailed description will be provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the control method for the modular high-voltage distribution box of the present invention, provided in Embodiment 1.

[0023] refer to Figure 1 In this embodiment, the control method for the modular high-voltage distribution box includes the following steps: S10, perform power-on initialization, and identify the connected charging and discharging circuit modules through the detection unit.

[0024] In this embodiment, after the system's low-voltage control power supply is powered on, the control unit enters the initialization program. The program drives the multi-channel analog input module in the detection unit to scan and measure the voltage of all charging and discharging circuit interfaces on the substrate structure to the common terminal at a sampling frequency of 100 times per second. In this embodiment, these are interfaces 1 to 4.

[0025] In this embodiment, the detection unit transmits the measured analog voltage value to the control unit in real time via the communication bus. The control unit has a preset effective voltage threshold, for example, 320V in this embodiment. The scan reveals that the voltage of interface 1 is 398V and the voltage of interface 2 is 397V, both higher than the threshold; while the voltages of interfaces 3 and 4 are 0.5V and 0.3V respectively, far below the threshold.

[0026] In this embodiment, the logic processing unit of the control unit determines, based on the scan result, that interfaces 1 and 2 are connected to a functional charging / discharging circuit module and battery load, thus identifying them as valid physical connections. The system assigns a unique identifier, Loop-01, to the first valid interface and Loop-02 to the second valid interface according to a preset enumeration logic. This identifier is then written into the non-volatile memory of the control unit and bound to all subsequent monitoring, control, and alarm information.

[0027] In this embodiment, after initialization, the human-machine interface of the control unit or the host computer monitoring system will display: The system has detected two loops: Loop-01 and Loop-02.

[0028] By performing power-on initialization, the control unit identifies all connected charging and discharging circuit modules through the detection unit and assigns a unique number to each module, enabling plug-and-play functionality and automatic topology discovery. Compared to traditional high-voltage boxes that require manual jumpers or software settings for circuit parameters, this invention achieves remote automatic identification through the electrical characteristic automatic identification module of the detection unit. This process enables automatic module identification and registration, reducing manual configuration steps. S20 monitors the operating status of the charging and discharging circuit module based on the detection unit.

[0029] In this embodiment, the current sensor of the detection unit continuously collects the current flowing through the Loop-01 and Loop-02 loops, and the temperature sensor collects the contactor contact temperature. All data are refreshed and uploaded to the control unit with a time period of t (e.g., 10ms).

[0030] In this embodiment, during the operation of the high-voltage box, due to the mechanical stall of the elevator connected to Loop-01, a short circuit occurs on its motor side, causing the circuit current to rise sharply to Ith (e.g., 280A) within time t1 (e.g., 1ms) and continuously exceed the safe current limit of Ith. The large current generates Joule heat at the contactor contacts, causing the temperature sensor reading on the positive module of Loop-01 to rise from T0 (e.g., 40°C) to T1 (e.g., 85°C) within time t2 (e.g., 3 seconds), exceeding the alarm threshold of Tth (e.g., 75°C). The control unit's fault diagnosis algorithm receives alarm signals for both Loop-01 current over-limit and Loop-01 temperature over-limit simultaneously. Based on the preset fault tree logic, the control unit comprehensively judges this situation as a first-level serious fault—overload and overheating fault.

[0031] S30: When a fault is detected in the charging / discharging circuit module, the faulty charging / discharging circuit module is recorded as a faulty module, and the relay of the faulty module is disconnected through the control unit.

[0032] In this embodiment, the control unit immediately interrupts the current control cycle of Loop-01 and calls the fault handling subroutine. Through this subroutine, a "disconnect" command is sent to the digital output channel of the Loop-01 control loop. This command is transmitted through the cable to the relay control coil in the aviation plug of the Loop-01 positive and negative module panels. The control unit de-energizes the relay coils in the positive and negative modules corresponding to Loop-01, and the main contacts are quickly disconnected within t3 (e.g., 5ms) under the action of the spring, so that the Loop-01 circuit is completely disconnected from the main bus and load of the system, achieving physical isolation.

[0033] In this embodiment, upon issuing the disconnect command, the control unit generates a structured fault event record with the following content: "Timestamp: 14:13; Fault Code: F101; Fault Loop: Loop-01; Fault Type: Overcurrent, Overheat; Action: Isolated." This record is immediately uploaded to the cloud monitoring platform via the Ethernet interface.

[0034] In another embodiment, fault event logs are uploaded to a local workstation via wireless transmission.

[0035] The implementation process of the above embodiments enables precise, rapid, and proactive fault isolation. Compared to traditional solutions that may rely solely on fuses to blow during a short circuit, which, while fast, are unrecoverable and cannot provide overheat warnings; and those that rely on the inverse-time or instantaneous tripping characteristics of circuit breakers, whose full breaking time is typically in the tens to hundreds of milliseconds, resulting in limited response speed, this invention, through real-time multi-parameter monitoring and intelligent algorithms, can make judgments within milliseconds of the occurrence of fault characteristics and drive high-speed relays to complete the breaking within tens of milliseconds. This achieves faster and more precise proactive fault isolation, thereby minimizing the impact of the fault and greatly improving the dynamic safety and availability of the system. It also prevents the impact of the fault from spreading to other normal circuits such as Loop-02, significantly enhancing the overall system availability and safety, and providing a data foundation for predictive maintenance.

[0036] S40, hot-swap the faulty module for replacement.

[0037] In this embodiment, after receiving the alarm information, maintenance personnel arrive at the site. By checking the monitoring screen, they confirm that Loop-01 is isolated, Loop-02 is operating normally, and the system's main bus voltage is stable. In this state, the entire high-voltage box remains energized except for the faulty circuit.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the maintenance personnel disconnect the Loop-01 panel aviation plug, and then operate the mechanical latch of the high-current quick-connect plug to directly pull the positive and negative modules of Loop-01 directly from the substrate structure in sequence. Since the fault circuit has been electrically isolated in advance, this plugging and unplugging operation only physically disconnects the connection that is no longer flowing, does not generate an electric arc, and does not affect the power supply of Loop-02.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the maintenance personnel will align the pre-prepared spare positive and negative charging / discharging circuit modules of the same model and specifications with the anti-foolproof guide groove of the original interface of the substrate, and forcefully insert them until they hear the locking sound of the latch, thus completing the high-voltage electrical connection and connecting the panel aviation plug.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after the new positive electrode charging and discharging circuit module and negative electrode charging and discharging circuit module are inserted, their internal detection circuits enable the interface to present a valid voltage signal to the detection unit. After the control unit recognizes that a valid module has reappeared at the original faulty interface, it automatically executes a simplified identification and registration process: after verifying that the interface voltage is valid, the original number "Loop-01" is reassigned to the new module, and its status is reset from fault isolation to standby ready.

[0041] In this embodiment, the entire replacement process can be completed within 2 minutes; furthermore, the system automatically puts Loop-01 back into operation; throughout the entire process, the elevator connected to Loop-02 is not affected by any power outage and continues to operate normally.

[0042] In another embodiment, maintenance personnel can manually confirm that Loop-01 has been put back into operation on the monitoring interface.

[0043] Compared to the tedious work of high-voltage distribution boxes that require power outages, unpacking, or searching for and replacing individual components in dense wiring harnesses, resulting in system downtime of several hours, this embodiment, through modular packaging, pre-fault isolation, and automatic identification, makes the replacement of core power components as simple and quick as replacing a server power module. This reduces unplanned downtime to almost zero, significantly improving the system's continuous operation capability while lowering the technical threshold, time cost, and safety hazards of maintenance.

[0044] This invention monitors independently pluggable charging and discharging circuit modules and multi-interface substrates, enabling capacity expansion and replacement of charging and discharging circuit modules without replacing the main body when encountering high-voltage distribution box failures.

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the control device of the modular high-voltage distribution box according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Reference Figure 2 The present invention also proposes a modular high-voltage distribution box comprising: a base plate structure 10, a charging and discharging circuit module 20, a control unit 30, and a detection unit 40; like Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the base plate structure of the control device of the modular high-voltage distribution box according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Reference Figure 3 The substrate structure 10 is provided with a battery interface 12 and a charging / discharging circuit interface 11. The charging / discharging circuit interface 11 is located on the front side of the substrate structure 10, and the battery interface 12 is located on the back side of the substrate structure 10. The front and back sides are arranged in a partitioned manner so that the wiring operation space does not interfere with each other, which is convenient for installation and maintenance, and is conducive to the separation of power lines and signal lines, reducing interference.

[0048] In this embodiment, the charging and discharging circuit module 20 includes a positive electrode module and a negative electrode module, both of which are modularly packaged and detachably connected to the charging and discharging circuit interface of the substrate structure 10 via a high-current quick-connect plug. The modular packaging and quick-connect design make each circuit an independent functional unit, supporting quick plug-and-play replacement, which greatly improves maintenance efficiency and system maintainability, and allows for flexible configuration of the number of circuits according to requirements.

[0049] In this embodiment, the control unit 30 has a plug-in structure and is installed in an independent box. The box has multiple slots for controlling the on / off state of the module by controlling the relays in the charging / discharging circuit module 20. The plug-in structure allows the control capability to be expanded as needed, without being limited by the main structure space of the high-voltage box, improving the scalability and flexibility of the system, while also facilitating independent maintenance and upgrades of the controller.

[0050] The detection unit 40 is used to collect current and voltage signals from the charging and discharging circuit module 20 and is communicatively connected to the control unit 30.

[0051] In this embodiment, the positive electrode module sequentially integrates a positive electrode charging and discharging interface, a fuse, a circuit breaker, and a positive electrode relay. The positive electrode module integrates the connection of the positive electrode path, short-circuit protection, overload protection, and controlled switch into a complete safety protection and execution function package, which simplifies the internal structure and improves reliability.

[0052] The negative electrode module integrates a negative electrode charging and discharging interface, a shunt, and a negative electrode relay in sequence. The negative electrode module integrates the connection of the negative electrode path, accurate current monitoring, and controlled switch into a complete monitoring and loop function package, which facilitates accurate power measurement and status feedback.

[0053] In this embodiment, the positive module has a control signal interface on its panel, and the negative module has a signal acquisition interface on its panel. The internal circuits of the positive and negative modules are led out to the panel interface through through-wall terminals. This structural design can realize the standardization and rapid connection between the internal low-voltage circuits of the module and the external connection, simplify the field wiring, improve the connection reliability and electromagnetic compatibility performance, and facilitate the overall replacement of the faulty module.

[0054] In this embodiment, among the multiple charging and discharging circuit interfaces provided on the substrate structure 10, some interfaces are connected to the charging and discharging circuit module 20, while the remaining interfaces are sealed by insulating sealing components; the charging and discharging circuit module can be replaced without replacing the entire substrate or housing, and the safety insulation of the idle interfaces is ensured.

[0055] like Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the base plate structure of the control device of the modular high-voltage distribution box according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Reference Figure 4 In another embodiment, the charging and discharging circuit interface 11 of the substrate structure 10 is arranged in a 2×2 square; it can provide a regular and compact interface layout, which is conducive to the regular installation of modules and the organization of heat dissipation channels and improves space utilization.

[0057] In another embodiment, the substrate structure 10 is a square structure, with charging and discharging circuit interfaces 11 on five sides and a battery interface 12 on one side; the multi-sided arrangement of interfaces can greatly improve the circuit connection density and expansion potential of a single substrate, so as to adapt to complex application scenarios with extremely high space utilization requirements or the need to concentrate a large number of circuits.

[0058] Furthermore, it also includes a temperature sensor installed on the heating component of the charging / discharging circuit module 20, which is communicatively connected to the control unit 30; this enables direct temperature monitoring of key heating components, provides overheat protection for the system, and prevents device damage or performance degradation caused by excessive temperature rise.

[0059] The above description is only a part of the embodiments of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made under the technical concept of the present invention using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modular high-voltage distribution box, characterized in that, The modular high-voltage distribution box includes: a base plate structure, a charging and discharging circuit module, a control unit, and a detection unit; The substrate structure is provided with a battery interface and a charging / discharging circuit interface. The charging and discharging circuit module includes a positive electrode module and a negative electrode module, both of which are modularly packaged and detachably connected to the charging and discharging circuit interface of the substrate structure via a high-current quick-connect plug. The control unit has a plug-in structure and is installed in an independent box. The box is provided with multiple slots for controlling the on / off state of the module by controlling the relays in the charging and discharging circuit module. The detection unit is used to collect current and voltage signals from the charging and discharging circuit module and is communicatively connected to the control unit.

2. The modular high-voltage distribution box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positive electrode module integrates a positive electrode charging / discharging interface, a fuse, a circuit breaker, and a positive electrode relay in sequence; the negative electrode module integrates a negative electrode charging / discharging interface, a shunt, and a negative electrode relay in sequence.

3. The modular high-voltage distribution box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positive module has a control signal interface on its panel, and the negative module has a signal acquisition interface on its panel. The internal circuits of the positive and negative modules are led out to the panel interfaces through through-wall terminals.

4. The modular high-voltage distribution box according to claim 1, characterized in that, Of the multiple charging and discharging circuit interfaces provided on the substrate structure, some interfaces are connected to the charging and discharging circuit module, while the remaining interfaces are sealed by insulating sealing components.

5. The modular high-voltage distribution box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shape of the substrate structure is a non-standard shape adapted to the installation space.

6. The modular high-voltage distribution box according to claim 1, characterized in that, A temperature sensor is installed on the heating component of the charging and discharging circuit module, and the temperature sensor is communicatively connected to the control unit.

7. A control method for a modular high-voltage distribution box according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: Perform power-on initialization and identify the connected charging / discharging circuit modules through the detection unit; The operating status of the charging and discharging circuit module is monitored based on the detection unit; When a fault is detected in the charging / discharging circuit module, the faulty charging / discharging circuit module is recorded as a faulty module, and the relay of the faulty module is disconnected through the control unit. The faulty module was hot-swapped and replaced.

8. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The monitoring of the operating status of the charging and discharging circuit module includes: monitoring the voltage and current values ​​of the charging and discharging circuit module during operation, and judging the operating status of the charging and discharging circuit module where the voltage and current values ​​exceed the set safety range as a fault state.

9. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The monitoring of the operating status of the charging and discharging circuit module includes: monitoring the temperature of the heating device of the charging and discharging circuit module, and judging the operating status of the charging and discharging circuit module with a temperature exceeding a set threshold as a fault state.

10. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The hot-swappable replacement of the faulty module includes: after removing the faulty module, installing the replacement charging and discharging circuit module onto the baseboard structure, and then the control unit automatically identifying and registering the replacement charging and discharging circuit module.

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