Battery cell, battery pack and battery equalization method

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a battery cell, a battery pack and a battery equalization method. The battery equalization method comprises the following steps: acquiring data of at least two battery cells of a battery pack; determining a to-be-balanced battery cell, and sending a balance capacity signal to a battery cell management module of the battery cell; regulating and controlling the battery cell management module; and stopping balancing the capacities of the at least two battery cells. By designing the battery equalization method adaptive to the single battery cell-independent battery cell management module, the independent battery cell management module of the single battery cell is finely regulated and controlled through the main controller of the battery pack, equalization adjustment of voltage consistency of the multiple battery cells is completed, and the equalization method is simple in structure, small in data calculation amount and high in reliability. And finally, the charge and discharge capacity of the battery pack can be improved at low cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a battery cell, battery pack, and battery balancing method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, battery packs are widely used in electrical equipment such as new energy vehicles and energy storage power stations. Maintaining voltage balance among the individual cells in the battery pack is fundamental to ensuring the overall performance, safety, and lifespan of the battery pack. Current methods for managing battery system voltage consistency mainly fall into two categories: active balancing and passive balancing. Passive balancing uses bypass resistors to dissipate excess energy from higher-voltage cells as heat, achieving voltage leveling. This method is simple and low-cost but results in energy waste. Active balancing, on the other hand, uses circuits such as switching power supplies, inductors, or capacitors to transfer energy from higher-voltage cells to lower-voltage cells or recover it to the common bus, improving efficiency and making it suitable for large-capacity or fast-charging scenarios. However, this method is more complex and costly. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a battery cell, battery pack, and battery balancing method. By setting an independent battery cell management module on a single battery cell, data of the single battery cell can be collected synchronously. A battery balancing method adapted to the battery pack structure is designed. Ultimately, the charging and discharging capacity of the battery pack can be increased at a lower cost while avoiding power waste.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a battery cell, including a first terminal, a second terminal, a first connecting piece, a second connecting piece, and a battery cell management module. The first and second terminals are both disposed on the cover plate of the battery cell. The first connecting piece is electrically connected to the first terminal, and the second connecting piece is electrically connected to the second terminal. The first and second connecting pieces are used for detachably connecting one battery cell to another. The battery cell management module includes a control unit and a data acquisition component. At least one of the first terminal, the second terminal, and the cover plate is electrically connected to the control unit through the data acquisition component. The data acquisition component is used to acquire battery cell data, and the control unit is used to process the battery cell data.

[0005] This solution establishes an independent cell management module on each individual battery cell. This module includes a control unit and a data acquisition component. The control unit can independently control the sampling frequency of the acquisition component and the simultaneity of data sampling, allowing for simultaneous comparison of cell data and resulting in more accurate analysis. Furthermore, this enables fine-tuning of the individual cell management module to balance the voltage of multiple cells.

[0006] In one possible implementation, the acquisition component includes a first acquisition line, a second acquisition line, and a third acquisition line. There are at least two first and second acquisition lines. At least two first acquisition lines are connected between the control unit and the first terminal, at least two second acquisition lines are connected between the control unit and the second terminal, and the third acquisition line is connected between the control unit and the cover plate. The first, second, and third acquisition lines can all be used to acquire physical information about the battery cell. The control unit issues a synchronization command and simultaneously reads the voltage and temperature information of the first and second terminals, as well as the temperature information of the cover plate. Because all acquisition lines are controlled by the same module, a high degree of synchronization of the sampled data can be achieved, which helps improve data accuracy and creates conditions for balancing the voltage of multiple battery cells through fine-tuning of a single battery cell management module.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the control unit is located between the first and second poles, with the first acquisition line located on the side of the second acquisition line away from the second pole. A third acquisition line is arranged parallel to at least two of the first acquisition lines at intervals, or the third acquisition line is arranged parallel to at least two of the second acquisition lines at intervals. Thus, positioning the control unit between the first and second poles helps to make efficient use of the limited space in the cover plate for wiring; the first and second acquisition lines being located on opposite sides of the control unit helps to cut off electromagnetic interference between the first and second poles; and the parallel and spaced arrangement of the voltage and temperature acquisition lines helps to reduce mutual inductance effects. This facilitates the efficient operation of the process of finely controlling the individual cell management module to balance the voltage of multiple cells.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the battery cell also includes a protective cover. The protective cover and the cover plate together form a receiving cavity, within which the first terminal, the second terminal, the battery cell management module, a portion of the first connector, and a portion of the second connector are located. This effectively prevents physical damage, such as impacts, scratches, and foreign object ingress, by encapsulating the control unit, the precision data acquisition circuitry, and the high-potential but exposed terminal tops within a separate receiving cavity; it also prevents environmental corrosion, such as moisture, dust, water vapor, and potentially corrosive atmospheres; and it avoids accidental short circuits, such as short circuits between terminals caused by conductive foreign objects. This helps reduce external interference with the process of precisely controlling the individual battery cell management module to balance the voltage of multiple battery cells.

[0009] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a battery pack, including a substrate, a main controller, and at least two battery cells as described in the first aspect. The at least two battery cells are fixed to the substrate and electrically connected to each other. The main controller is electrically connected to a battery cell management module and is used to receive battery cell data. The main controller is also used to send operation instructions to the battery cell management module.

[0010] This application enables cell-level unitized management by equipping each individual cell with an independent cell management module. A main controller then unifies data reception and command transmission across multiple independent cell management modules. Compared to battery pack-level management systems, this approach offers higher synchronization and accuracy of cell data, and the main controller's commands can be applied to individual cells, facilitating balanced voltage regulation across multiple cells.

[0011] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a battery balancing method for balancing the capacity of at least two cells in a battery pack of the second aspect, comprising the following steps: acquiring data of at least two cells; determining the cell to be balanced based on the data, and sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module of the cell to be balanced; adjusting the cell management module based on the balancing capacity signal; and stopping the sending of the balancing capacity signal to stop balancing the capacity of at least two cells.

[0012] This application designs an equalization method adapted to single-cell and independent cell management modules. Through the fine control of the independent cell management module of a single cell by the main controller, the voltage consistency of multiple cells is balanced and adjusted. This can ensure the uniformity of voltage difference distribution at the end of charging and discharging of the battery system. The equalization method requires a simple structure, requires little data calculation, and improves the charging and discharging capacity of the battery pack.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the step of determining the cell to be balanced based on data and sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module of the cell to be balanced includes: determining a first cell with a low voltage and sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module of the first cell; the step of adjusting the cell management module according to the balancing capacity signal includes: reducing the power consumption of the cell management module of the first cell. The first cell has a lower voltage than the other cells, which can lead to the other cells still having voltage margin and not being fully discharged when the first cell reaches its discharge end voltage, or the first cell still lacking sufficient charge to reach its full charge end voltage when the other cells reach their charging end voltage, both resulting in a decrease in the charge and discharge capacity of the battery pack. This application reduces the power consumption of the cell management module of the first cell while keeping the power consumption of the other cells constant, so that the power consumption of the other cells is greater than that of the first cell in the same amount of time, thereby narrowing the voltage difference between the first cell and the other cells until the voltage difference distribution of the battery pack is balanced. Voltage consistency management can be achieved by directly controlling the independent cell management module of the first cell through the main controller. This is simple to operate and requires little data calculation.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the step of reducing the power consumption of the cell management module of the first battery cell includes: reducing the frequency at which the sampling component of the first battery cell samples the temperature of at least one of the first terminal, the second terminal, and the cover plate. By reducing the temperature sampling frequency of the sampling component of the first battery cell, the power consumption of the cell management module of the first battery cell per unit time can be reduced. This operation is easy to implement and helps to reduce the operating cost of voltage consistency management.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the steps to reduce the power consumption of the cell management module of the first battery cell include: controlling the acquisition component of the first battery cell to perform temperature sampling on at most two of the first terminal, the second terminal, and the cover plate. That is, at least one temperature sampling point of the acquisition component of the first battery cell is turned off. By reducing the number of temperature sampling points of the acquisition component of the first battery cell, the power consumption of the cell management module during temperature sampling can be reduced. This operation is easy to implement and helps reduce the operational cost of voltage consistency management.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the steps to reduce the power consumption of the cell management module of the first battery cell include: reducing the frequency of data transmission from the control unit of the first battery cell to the main controller. This can reduce the power consumption of the cell management module of the first battery cell per unit time, is easy to implement, and helps to reduce the operating cost of voltage consistency management.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the steps to reduce the power consumption of the cell management module of the first battery cell include: intermittently shutting down the data sampling function of the acquisition component and the data transmission function of the control unit of the first battery cell. By switching the cell management module of the first battery cell between an operating state and a non-operating state, the power consumption of the cell management module of the first battery cell can be reduced. This method is easy to implement and helps to reduce the operating cost of voltage consistency management.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the step of determining the cell to be balanced based on data and sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module of the cell to be balanced includes: determining a second cell with a high voltage and sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module of the second cell; the step of adjusting the cell management module according to the balancing capacity signal includes: increasing the power consumption of the cell management module of the second cell. The second cell has a higher voltage than the other cells, which can lead to the other cells still lacking sufficient charge when the second cell reaches its charging end voltage, or the second cell still having voltage margin and not being fully discharged when the other cells reach their discharging end voltage, both resulting in a decrease in the charge and discharge capacity of the battery pack. This application increases the power consumption of the cell management module of the second cell while keeping the power consumption of the other cells constant, thus reducing the power consumption of the other cells relative to the power consumption of the second cell within the same time period, thereby narrowing the voltage difference between the second cell and the other cells until the voltage difference distribution of the battery pack is balanced. Voltage consistency management can be achieved by directly controlling the independent cell management module of the second cell through the main controller. This is simple to operate and requires little data calculation.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the step of increasing the power consumption of the cell management module of the second battery cell includes: increasing the frequency at which the sampling component of the second battery cell samples the temperature of at least one of the first terminal, the second terminal, and the cover plate. By increasing the temperature sampling frequency of the sampling component of the second battery cell, the power consumption of the cell management module of the second battery cell per unit time can be increased. This operation is easy to implement and helps to reduce the operational cost of voltage consistency management.

[0020] In one possible implementation, increasing the power consumption of the cell management module of the second battery cell includes increasing the frequency of data transmission from the control unit of the second battery cell to the main controller. This can increase the power consumption of the cell management module of the second battery cell per unit time, is easy to implement, and helps reduce the operating cost of voltage consistency management.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the step of increasing the power consumption of the cell management module of the second battery cell includes connecting a resistor to the acquisition component of the second battery cell. By loading a resistor in the bypass of the acquisition component of the second battery cell, excess power of the second battery cell is dissipated as heat, thereby achieving voltage consistency management. This approach is simple in structure and low in cost.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the step of acquiring data from at least two battery cells includes: acquiring the voltages of at least two battery cells and determining a first voltage difference value between the at least two voltages; the step of determining the battery cell to be balanced based on the data and sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module of the battery cell to be balanced includes: determining whether the first voltage difference value is greater than or equal to a voltage difference threshold; if so, sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module; otherwise, re-determining the first voltage difference value and determining whether it is greater than or equal to the voltage difference threshold, thus forming a loop. This process of determining whether to start the balancing operation requires a small amount of data and the data calculation is simple, which is conducive to the simple implementation of the battery balancing method's start process.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the step of stopping the issuance of the equalization capacity signal to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two cells includes: reacquiring the voltages of at least two cells; determining a second voltage difference value between the at least two voltages; determining whether the second voltage difference value is less than a voltage difference threshold; if so, stopping the issuance of the equalization capacity signal to the cell management module; otherwise, re-determining the second voltage difference value and determining whether it is less than the voltage difference threshold, thus forming a loop. This process of determining whether to stop the equalization operation requires a small amount of data and is simple to calculate, which facilitates the easy implementation of the battery equalization method's stop process. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery cell provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a top view of a battery cell provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery pack provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the interconnection of two battery cells provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the interconnection of three battery cells provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a battery pack containing a first substrate and a second substrate provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a battery cell with a protective cover provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic flowchart of the battery balancing method provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic flowchart of a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 10 This is a schematic flowchart of a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 11This is a schematic flowchart of a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 12 This is a schematic flowchart of a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 13 This is a schematic flowchart of a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 14 This is a schematic flowchart of a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 15 This is a schematic flowchart of a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 16 This is a schematic flowchart of a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 17 This is a schematic flowchart of a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 18 This is a schematic flowchart of a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 19 This is a schematic flowchart of a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure label: Battery pack - 1000; Cell - 1; First cell - 1a; Second cell - 1b; Third cell - 1c; First terminal - 110; Second terminal - 120; Cover plate - 20; Cell management module - 100; Control unit - 30; Data acquisition component - 40; First data acquisition line - 410; One first data acquisition line - 410a; Another first data acquisition line - 410b; Second data acquisition line - 420; One second data acquisition line - 420a; Another second data acquisition line - 420b; Third data acquisition line - 430; Explosion relief valve - 50; First connecting piece - 610; First connecting piece of the second cell - 610b; First connecting piece of the third cell - 610c; First through hole - 611; 612; 613; 620; 620a; 620b; 621; 622; 623; 70; 80; 801; 2; 2; 210; 210a; 210b; 211; 211a; 211b; 220; 221; 222; 222; 201; 202.

[0026] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, will further illustrate this application. Detailed Implementation

[0027] For ease of understanding, the relevant technical terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be explained and described below.

[0028] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the term "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a detachable connection or a non-detachable connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. "Fixed connection" means that the components are connected to each other and their relative positional relationship remains unchanged after connection. "Rotary connection" means that the components are connected to each other and can rotate relative to each other after connection. The term "integral molding" means that during the formation of one of a plurality of components, that component is connected to the other components without requiring further processing (such as bonding, welding, snap-fit ​​connection, screw connection) to connect the two components together. The directional terms mentioned in the embodiments of this application, such as "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," and "side," are only for reference to the directions in the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for better and clearer explanation and understanding of the embodiments of this application, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application. The term “and / or” as used in this application refers to any combination of one or more of the associated listed items, as well as all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.

[0029] Currently, battery packs are widely used in electrical equipment such as new energy vehicles and energy storage power stations. Maintaining voltage balance among the individual cells in the battery pack is fundamental to ensuring the overall performance, safety, and lifespan of the battery pack. Current methods for managing battery system voltage consistency mainly fall into two categories: active balancing and passive balancing. Passive balancing uses bypass resistors to dissipate excess energy from higher-voltage cells as heat, achieving voltage leveling. This method is simple and low-cost but results in energy waste. Active balancing, on the other hand, uses circuits such as switching power supplies, inductors, or capacitors to transfer energy from higher-voltage cells to lower-voltage cells or recover it to the common bus, improving efficiency and making it suitable for large-capacity or fast-charging scenarios. However, this method is more complex and costly.

[0030] This application provides a battery cell, battery pack, and battery balancing method. By setting an independent battery cell management module on a single battery cell, data of the single battery cell can be collected synchronously. A battery balancing method adapted to the battery pack structure is designed. Ultimately, the charging and discharging capacity of the battery pack can be increased at a lower cost while avoiding power waste.

[0031] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery cell provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a top view of a battery cell provided in an embodiment of this application. This application provides a battery cell 1. The battery cell 1 includes a first terminal 110, a second terminal 120, and a battery management module 100. Both the first terminal 110 and the second terminal 120 are disposed on a cover plate 20 of the battery cell 1. For example, the first terminal 110 and the second terminal 120 protrude from the surface of the cover plate 20 of the battery cell 1 along the Z direction shown in the figure, with a height of approximately 1mm-3mm. This provides space for electrical connections and avoids short circuits caused by external contact. The battery management module 100 is electrically connected to at least one of the first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, and the cover plate 20. The battery management module 100 is used to collect data from the battery cell 1 and also to process the data. The data from the battery cell 1 includes, but is not limited to, information such as voltage, current, and temperature. It can be understood that the battery management module 100 is the functional carrier of the BMS (Battery Management System) at the individual battery cell level.

[0032] Therefore, the cell management module 100 is set up one-to-one with the cell 1, which can realize data acquisition at the cell level, help improve monitoring accuracy and response speed, and can promptly identify risks such as electrolyte leakage or leakage and issue fault alarms.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the cover plate 20 may be made of materials such as aluminum alloy, nickel-plated steel, and copper-aluminum composite plate.

[0034] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 The battery cell management module 100 includes a control unit 30 and a data acquisition component 40. At least one of the first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, and the cover plate 20 can be electrically connected to the control unit 30 through the data acquisition component 40. The data acquisition component 40 can be used to acquire battery cell data, and the control unit 30 can be used to process the battery cell data. The battery cell data can be physical parameters such as voltage and temperature. Illustratively, the data acquisition component 40 can acquire the voltage of the first terminal 110 and transmit it to the control unit 30 for data processing; or, the data acquisition component 40 can acquire the voltage of the first terminal 110 and the temperature of the cover plate 20 and transmit them to the control unit 30 for data processing; or, the data acquisition component 40 can acquire the voltage of the first terminal 110, the voltage of the second terminal 120, and the temperature of the cover plate 20 and transmit them to the control unit 30 for data processing.

[0035] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2In one possible implementation, the acquisition component 40 may include a first acquisition line 410, a second acquisition line 420, and a third acquisition line 430. There are at least two of each of the first acquisition lines 410 and 420. At least two of the first acquisition lines 410 are connected between the control body 30 and the first terminal 110, at least two of the second acquisition lines 420 are connected between the control body 30 and the second terminal 120, and the third acquisition line 430 is connected between the control body 30 and the cover plate 20. All three acquisition lines (410, 420, and 430) are used to acquire physical information of the battery cell 1.

[0036] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 Schematic illustration: There are two first acquisition lines 410, namely one first acquisition line 410a and the other first acquisition line 410b. The control body 30 synchronously triggers one first acquisition line 410a to acquire the temperature information of the first electrode 110, and the other first acquisition line 410b to acquire the voltage information of the first electrode 110. There are two second acquisition lines 420, namely one second acquisition line 420a and the other second acquisition line 420b. The control body 30 synchronously triggers one second acquisition line 420a to acquire the temperature information of the second electrode 120, and the other second acquisition line 420b to acquire the voltage information of the second electrode 120. The control body 30 triggers a third acquisition line 430 to acquire the temperature information of the cover plate 20. Among them, one first acquisition line 410a and the other first acquisition line 410b are connected in parallel, and one second acquisition line 420a and the other second acquisition line 420b are connected in parallel. The first acquisition line 410, the second acquisition line 420 and the third acquisition line 430 can be connected by welding, and their material can be low-impedance silver-plated copper wire.

[0037] The control unit 30 issues a synchronization command, simultaneously reading the voltage and temperature information of the first terminal 110 and the second terminal 120, as well as the temperature information of the cover plate 20. Since all acquisition lines are controlled by the same module, a high degree of synchronization of the sampled data can be achieved, which helps improve data accuracy. Multiple acquisition lines connected in parallel can continue operating normally even if a single line fails, avoiding the failure of the entire information acquisition process due to a short circuit in a single acquisition line. The cover plate 20 is one of the areas with the fastest heat conduction inside the battery cell 1. The direct connection of the third acquisition line 430 to the cover plate 20 helps to quickly obtain the thermal status of the battery cell 1, accurately monitor the operating temperature, and help to identify faults in a timely manner and provide early warnings, preventing localized overheating of the battery cell 1 and delaying its aging.

[0038] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2In this embodiment, the control body 30 is disposed on the surface of the cover plate 20, and the first electrode post 110, the second electrode post 120, and the control body 30 are all disposed on the same side of the cover plate 20 of the battery cell 1. The control body 30 is located between the first electrode post 110 and the second electrode post 120, and the first acquisition line 410 is located on the side of the second acquisition line 420 away from the second electrode post 120; the third acquisition line 430 is arranged parallel to at least two first acquisition lines 410 in sequence at intervals, or the third acquisition line 430 is arranged parallel to at least two second acquisition lines 420 in sequence at intervals.

[0039] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 Schematic illustration: The control unit 30 is located between the first pole 110 and the second pole 120, closer to the second pole 120. The first acquisition line 410 is located on the side of the second acquisition line 420 away from the second pole, and the length of the first acquisition line 410 is greater than the length of the second acquisition line 420. The third acquisition line 430 is arranged parallel to one of the first acquisition lines 410a and another of the first acquisition lines 410b, spaced apart.

[0040] It is understandable that when the control unit 30 is located between the first pole 110 and the second pole 120, closer to the first pole 110, the first acquisition line 410 is located on the side of the second acquisition line 420 away from the second pole, and the length of the first acquisition line 410 is less than the length of the second acquisition line 420. The third acquisition line 430 is arranged parallel to one second acquisition line 420a and another second acquisition line 420b in sequence at intervals.

[0041] Therefore, on the one hand, the control body 30 is located between the first pole 110 and the second pole 120, which helps to make reasonable use of the limited space of the cover plate 20 for wiring; on the other hand, the first acquisition line 410 and the second acquisition line 420 are located on both sides of the control body 30, which helps to cut off the electromagnetic interference between the first pole 110 and the second pole 120; furthermore, the voltage acquisition line and the temperature acquisition line are set in parallel and spaced apart, which helps to reduce the mutual inductance effect.

[0042] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, the battery cell 1 includes a pressure relief valve 50, which is disposed on the cover plate 20. When thermal runaway occurs inside the battery cell 1, thermal runaway products such as electrolyte can be released to the outside of the battery cell 1 through the pressure relief valve 50 on the cover plate 20. The thermal runaway products are high-temperature fluids, including flammable gases and chemical solutions. The connection point between the third acquisition line 430 and the cover plate 20 is adjacent to the pressure relief valve 50. Since the area around the pressure relief valve 50 is usually one of the earliest locations to heat up when thermal runaway occurs inside the battery cell 1, dedicated monitoring can avoid the influence of temperature lag in other areas. This allows the third acquisition line 430 to detect the temperature rise in the area around the pressure relief valve 50 at the beginning of thermal runaway and provide timely thermal runaway warning.

[0043] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in one possible implementation, the control body 30 is located between the second pole 120 and the explosion relief valve 50, and the extension direction of the third acquisition line 430 is from the second pole 120 to the first pole 110. That is, the explosion relief valve 50 is positioned between the first pole 110 and the second pole 120. By fully utilizing the space between the first pole 110 and the second pole 120, the distance between the explosion relief valve 50 and the control body 30 is shortened, which helps to improve the overall compactness of the cell 1 layout. In another possible implementation, the control body 30 is located between the first pole 110 and the explosion relief valve 50, and the extension direction of the third acquisition line 430 is from the first pole 110 to the second pole 120.

[0044] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the battery cell 1 includes a first connecting piece 610 and a second connecting piece 620. The first connecting piece 610 can be electrically connected to the first terminal 110, and the second connecting piece 620 can be electrically connected to the second terminal 120. The first connecting piece 610 and the second connecting piece 620 can be used to detachably connect one battery cell 1 and another battery cell 1. That is, one battery cell 1 can be detachably connected to another battery cell 1 through the first connecting piece 610, or one battery cell 1 can be detachably connected to another battery cell 1 through the second connecting piece 620, or one battery cell 1 can be detachably connected to two other battery cells 1 respectively through the first connecting piece 610 and the second connecting piece 620. Specific implementation methods will be described in the following embodiments of this application.

[0045] Therefore, the detachable connection between cells 1 facilitates a modular structure. In the event of a single cell failure, only the damaged cell 1 needs to be replaced, improving maintenance efficiency and reducing maintenance costs. Furthermore, the modular structure helps adapt to application scenarios with different voltage or capacity requirements.

[0046] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery pack provided in an embodiment of this application. This application also provides a battery pack 1000, including a substrate 2 and the battery cells 1 described in the above embodiments, with at least two battery cells 1 fixed to the substrate 2 and electrically connected to each other.

[0047] Specifically, the substrate 2 is used to provide a support structure and positioning frame. The cell 1 is fixed to the substrate 2 by means of welding, snap-fitting, bolting and embedding. The cells 1 are electrically connected to each other by series, parallel or a combination thereof to form a battery pack 1000 with higher voltage and larger capacity.

[0048] In one possible implementation, the substrate 2 is a liquid cooling plate used for heat exchange of the battery cell 1 and to control the temperature of the battery cell 1.

[0049] Therefore, on the one hand, each individual cell 1 has an independent control unit 30, enabling cell-level unitized management. Compared to a battery pack-level management system, its data has high synchronization and improved accuracy; if the control unit 30 of a single cell 1 is damaged, it will not affect the information acquisition of other cells 1. On the other hand, since the acquisition of key signals such as voltage and temperature is completed on the individual cell 1, the complexity of the wiring harness and the assembly difficulty at the battery pack level can be simplified. Furthermore, it helps to improve the scalability of the battery pack 1000, allowing for flexible configuration of the number of cells 1 according to the requirements of different products.

[0050] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the interconnection of two battery cells provided in an embodiment of this application. In this embodiment, battery cell 1 includes a first connecting piece 610 and a second connecting piece 620. The first connecting piece 610 is electrically connected to the first terminal 110, and the second connecting piece 620 is electrically connected to the second terminal 120. The first connecting piece 610 of one battery cell 1 and the first connecting piece 610 of an adjacent battery cell 1 are electrically connected through a conductive element 70, and / or, the second connecting piece 620 of one battery cell 1 and the second connecting piece 620 of an adjacent battery cell 1 are electrically connected through a conductive element 70.

[0051] Combination Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the interconnection of three battery cells provided in an embodiment of this application. Specifically, each battery cell 1 is equipped with a first connecting piece 610 connected to a first terminal 110 and a second connecting piece 620 connected to a second terminal 120. The first connecting piece 610 and the second connecting piece 620 are rigid or semi-rigid conductive metal sheets, such as copper, aluminum, nickel-plated steel, etc. (Illustrative, as shown) Figure 4 As shown, when there are two cells 1, such as the first cell 1a and the second cell 1b being adjacent, the second connecting piece 620a of the first cell 1a and the second connecting piece 620b of the second cell 1b are electrically connected through the conductive element 70, thus, the first cell 1a and the second cell 1b are connected in series. When there are three or more cells, for example... Figure 5 As shown, the first battery cell 1a, the second battery cell 1b, and the third battery cell 1c are adjacent to each other. The second connecting piece 620a of the first battery cell 1a and the second connecting piece 620b of the second battery cell 1b are electrically connected through the conductive element 70. The first connecting piece 610b of the second battery cell 1b and the first connecting piece 610c of the third battery cell 1c are electrically connected through the conductive element 70. Thus, the first battery cell 1a, the second battery cell 1b, and the third battery cell 1c are connected in series.

[0052] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 4 In one possible implementation, the conductive element 70 includes welded busbar connectors, nickel plates, and bolted busbars. For example, the conductive element 70 is a bolt, and correspondingly, the first connecting piece 610 has a first through hole 611, and the second connecting piece 620 has a second through hole 621, for the bolt to make electrical connections.

[0053] Therefore, on the one hand, by using connecting pieces to connect and lead out the terminals, and then using conductive parts 70 to make electrical connections between cells 1, the mechanical strength and electrical stability of the connection are ensured, and the production process is simplified and manufacturing costs are reduced; on the other hand, it helps to improve the flexibility of the battery pack 1000, and the assembly process of connecting pieces and conductive parts 70 makes it more flexible to increase or decrease the number of cells 1; furthermore, when a single cell 1 fails, the faulty cell 1 can be replaced independently without damage, without affecting the other normally operating cells 1, thereby improving the maintainability of the battery pack 1000.

[0054] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a battery pack containing a first substrate and a second substrate provided in an embodiment of this application. In this embodiment, the substrate 2 includes a first substrate 210 and a second substrate 220. There are two first substrates 210. The first substrate 210 includes a first mounting surface 211, and the second substrate 220 includes a second mounting surface 221 and a third mounting surface 222. Some battery cells 1 are laid between one first mounting surface 211a and the second mounting surface 221, and other battery cells 1 are laid between another first mounting surface 211b and the third mounting surface 222.

[0055] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 6 Schematic illustration: The battery pack 1000 includes a first substrate 210a, another first substrate 210b, and a second substrate 220. Along the thickness direction of the battery pack 1000, i.e., the Z-direction shown in the illustration, the first substrate 210a, the second substrate 220, and the other first substrate 210b are arranged sequentially. A first mounting surface 211a of the first substrate 210a and a second mounting surface 221 of the second substrate 220 are positioned opposite each other, with a portion of the battery cell 1 disposed between the first mounting surface 211a and the second mounting surface 221. Another first mounting surface 211b of the other first substrate 210b and a third mounting surface 222 of the second substrate 220 are positioned opposite each other, with another portion of the battery cell 1 disposed between the other first mounting surface 211b and the third mounting surface 222. That is, each battery cell 1 is fixed at both ends along the X-direction by two substrates.

[0056] In one possible implementation, the number of second substrates 220 is multiple, such as two, three, or four. Along the Z-direction shown in the figure, the battery pack 1000 has a first substrate 210a and another first substrate 210b at opposite ends, and multiple second substrates are sequentially disposed between the first substrate 210a and the other first substrate 210b. This allows for the expansion of multiple layers of cells 1 in the Z-direction to form a battery pack 1000 with higher voltage and greater capacity.

[0057] Therefore, on the one hand, the use of double-sided liquid cooling for cell 1 can improve the heat exchange efficiency between cell 1 and substrate 2, thereby improving the temperature control capability of battery pack 1000; on the other hand, the use of a stacked structure can realize the vertical expansion of battery pack 1000, improving space utilization and structural strength.

[0058] Combination Figure 3 and Figure 6 In this embodiment of the application, the substrate 2 includes a plurality of grooves 201, the battery cell 1 is nested in the grooves 201, at least a portion of the first connecting piece 610 and the second connecting piece 620 is located outside the grooves 201, and there is a receiving space 202 between the first substrate 210 and the second substrate 220, at least a portion of the first connecting piece 610 and the second connecting piece 620 is received in the receiving space 202.

[0059] Specifically, the groove 201 is formed on the mounting surface of the substrate 2, such as the first mounting surface 211, the second mounting surface 221, and the third mounting surface 222. The shape and size of the groove 201 are designed to match the battery cell 1. For example, when the battery cell 1 is a cuboid, the groove 201 should be designed as a rectangular groove, and the size of the groove 201 is slightly larger than that of the battery cell 1 to facilitate the installation of the battery cell 1.

[0060] Combination Figure 3 and Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a battery cell with a protective cover provided in an embodiment of this application. In one possible implementation, the groove 201 is a hexagonal groove, and the battery cell 1 is hexagonal, with the hexagonal battery cell 1 nested in the hexagonal groove 201. Thus, on the one hand, the hexagonal honeycomb layout is one of the most efficient and compact geometric forms for in-plane packing, which can utilize the surface space of the substrate 2 to a near-maximum extent, significantly improving the volumetric energy density and space utilization of the entire battery pack 1000; on the other hand, the hexagonal shape is symmetrical in each direction and the edges support each other, so that the battery cell 1 is uniformly constrained at multiple points within the groove 201, and the honeycomb array itself also has very high spatial stiffness and strength, which can effectively resist vibration, impact and extrusion loads, providing a more stable and robust foundation for the entire battery pack 1000.

[0061] Combination Figure 3 and Figure 7The groove 201 provides a limiting function to ensure precise positioning of the battery cell 1. At least a portion of the structure of the first connecting piece 610 and the second connecting piece 620 of the battery cell 1, typically the portion of the connecting piece used to connect with the conductive element 70, extends out of and protrudes from the area of ​​the groove 201 where it is located. Along the Z direction, a continuous and relatively large receiving space 202 is naturally formed between the first substrate 210 and the second substrate 220. The ends of all the first connecting pieces 610 and the second connecting pieces 620 of the battery cell 1 that extend out of the groove 201, i.e., the portions used for electrical connection, are guided or arranged within this receiving space 202 formed between the first substrate 210 and the second substrate 220 to facilitate the entry of the conductive element 70 into the receiving space 202 for connection.

[0062] Thus, on the one hand, the groove 201 provides strong physical positioning and constraint for the cell 1, preventing its displacement or vibration from causing loose electrical connections or component damage. The nested design makes integration and assembly simple and quick, and helps to enhance the mechanical strength of the battery pack 1000. On the other hand, unifying the parts of the first connecting piece 610 and the second connecting piece 620 used for interconnecting the cell 1 within the receiving space 202 helps to reduce the installation difficulty of the cell 1. Assembly personnel or automated equipment can more easily wire, place conductive parts 70, and perform welding, crimping, or bolting operations for high-current connections. Furthermore, the receiving space 202 also provides a certain degree of physical protection for these critical electrical connection points, avoiding direct impact from external forces.

[0063] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 6 In this embodiment of the application, the first connecting piece 610 includes a first connecting portion 612 and a second connecting portion 613. The first connecting portion 612 is fitted to one end of the first pole post 110 away from the cover plate 20, and the second connecting portion 613 protrudes from the cover plate 20. The first connecting portion 612 is disposed in the groove 201, and the second connecting portion 613 is disposed in the receiving space 202.

[0064] Schematic, the first connecting portion 612 is generally disc-shaped, annular, or a large flat contact plate. The first connecting portion 612 is attached to and fixed to the protrusion of the first electrode 110 away from the cover plate 20, thereby achieving direct, low-resistance, reliable high-current transmission from the first electrode 110 to the first connecting plate 610. Furthermore, the first connecting portion 612 is located within the groove 201. The first acquisition line 410 is electrically connected to the first connecting portion 612. The second connecting portion 613 is a conductor of varying shape extending from the first connecting portion 612, such as a flat plate perpendicular to the first connecting portion 612. The second connecting portion 613 protrudes outward from the direction away from the cover plate 20, forming an end or platform for interconnection with the first connecting plates 610 of other cells 1. The second connecting portion 613 extends into and is arranged within the receiving space 202.

[0065] In one possible implementation, the first connecting portion 612 and the second connecting portion 613 are integrally formed or welded.

[0066] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 6 Similarly, the second connecting piece 620 includes a third connecting portion 622 and a fourth connecting portion 623. The third connecting portion 622 is fitted onto the end of the second pole post 120 opposite to the cover plate 20, and the fourth connecting portion 623 protrudes from the cover plate 20. The third connecting portion 622 is disposed within the groove 201, and the fourth connecting portion 623 is disposed within the receiving space 202. The arrangement of the third connecting portion 622 and the fourth connecting portion 623 is similar to that of the first connecting portion 612 and the second connecting portion 613.

[0067] Thus, on the one hand, the current smoothly transitions from the first terminal 110 to the second connection 613 via the first connection 612, resulting in a shorter path and surface contact with low internal resistance, which helps reduce heat generation and power loss. On the other hand, the first connection 612 is tightly fixed to the first terminal 110 and nested together with the battery cell 1 in the groove 201 of the substrate 2, ensuring a firm connection at the source. The second connection 613 performs wiring and fixing operations within the receiving space 202 without affecting the foundation fixation. Furthermore, this design combining the fixed end and the lead end facilitates the mass production of the connecting piece. All interconnecting ends of the battery cell 1 are gathered in the receiving space 202, greatly reducing the difficulty of designing the size of the conductive component 70 and the complexity of assembly. It also facilitates the thermal management component to make large-area contact with the battery cell 1 in the groove 201 area.

[0068] Combination Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 7 In this embodiment of the application, the battery cell 1 includes a protective cover 80, and the protective cover 80 and the cover plate 20 enclose a receiving cavity 801. The first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, the battery cell management module 100, the first acquisition line 410, the second acquisition line 420, the third acquisition line 430 and the first connecting part 612 are located inside the receiving cavity 801, and the second connecting part 613 is located outside the receiving cavity 801.

[0069] Specifically, the protective cover 80 is fastened, welded, or glued to the cover plate 20 of the battery cell 1 itself. The protective cover 80 and the cover plate 20 together enclose and seal a small, sealed or semi-sealed space, namely the receiving cavity 801. The receiving cavity 801 is used to provide physical protection and shielding isolation for key precision or vulnerable components that were originally exposed on the cover plate 20, such as the first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, the battery cell management module 100, the first acquisition line 410, the second acquisition line 420, the third acquisition line 430, and the first connection part 612. The second connection part 613 and the conductive parts 70 used for interconnecting the battery cells 1 are always located outside the receiving cavity 801 to facilitate the electrical connection between the battery cells 1.

[0070] Therefore, on the one hand, by encapsulating the cell management module 100, the precision acquisition circuitry, and the high-potential but exposed top of the terminal block within an independent receiving cavity 801, physical damage such as impacts, scratches, and foreign objects falling in is effectively prevented; environmental corrosion such as moisture, dust, water vapor, and potentially corrosive atmospheres is prevented; and accidental short circuits, such as short circuits between terminals caused by conductive foreign objects falling in, are avoided. On the other hand, the second connection portion 613 and the conductive component 70 remain outside the receiving cavity 801, ensuring necessary operating space and allowing operations such as tightening high-current terminal bolts and laser welding to proceed unimpeded.

[0071] The battery pack 1000 includes a substrate 2, a main controller, and at least two battery cells 1 as described in the first aspect. The at least two battery cells 1 are fixed to the substrate 2 and electrically connected to each other. The main controller is electrically connected to a cell management module 100. The main controller receives data from the battery cells 1 and sends operation commands to the cell management module 100. This embodiment of the application, by providing each individual battery cell 1 with an independent cell management module 100, enables cell-level unitized management. The main controller provides unified data reception and command transmission to multiple independent cell management modules 100. Compared to a battery pack-level management system, its cell data has high synchronization and high accuracy, and the operation commands issued by the main controller can be applied to individual battery cells 1, which is beneficial for achieving balanced voltage regulation of multiple battery cells 1.

[0072] Figure 8 This is a schematic flowchart of the battery balancing method provided in the embodiments of this application, combined with... Figure 1 and Figure 8 As shown in the figure, this application provides a battery balancing method for balancing the capacity of at least two cells 1 in a battery pack 1000, including the following steps: S100: Obtain data from at least two battery cells 1; S200: Based on the data, determine the cell to be balanced 1, and send a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module 100 of the cell to be balanced 1; S300: Adjusts the cell management module 100 according to the equalization capacity signal; S400: Stop sending equalization capacity signals to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two cells 1.

[0073] This application designs an equalization method adapted to the single-cell-independent cell management module 100. Through the fine control of the independent cell management module 100 of a single cell 1 by the main controller, the voltage consistency of multiple cells 1 is balanced and adjusted. This can ensure the uniformity of the voltage difference distribution at the end of the charge and discharge of the battery system. The structure required for the implementation of the equalization method is simple, the amount of data calculation is small, and there are no unnecessary and invalid cell actions. Ultimately, the charge and discharge capacity of the battery pack 1000 can be increased at a lower cost while avoiding power waste.

[0074] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application, combined with... Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 9 As shown, in one possible implementation, the step of determining the cell to be balanced 1 based on data and sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module 100 of the cell to be balanced 1 includes: determining a first cell 1a with a low voltage and sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a; the step of adjusting the cell management module 100 according to the balancing capacity signal includes: reducing the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a. That is, the battery balancing method may include the following steps: S100: Obtain data from at least two battery cells 1; S210: Determine that the first cell 1a has a low voltage and send an equalization capacity signal to the cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a. S310: Reduce the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a; S400: Stop sending equalization capacity signals to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two cells 1.

[0075] The voltage of the first cell 1a is lower than that of the other cells. This can lead to a situation where, when the first cell 1a reaches its discharge end voltage, the other cells still have voltage margin and are not fully discharged, or when the other cells reach their charging end voltage, the first cell 1a still lacks sufficient charge to reach full charge. Both of these issues result in a decrease in the charging and discharging capacity of the battery pack 1000. This application addresses this by reducing the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a while keeping the power consumption of the other cells constant. This increases the power consumption of the other cells compared to the first cell 1a within the same time frame, thereby narrowing the voltage difference between the first cell 1a and the other cells until the voltage distribution of the battery pack 1000 is balanced. Voltage consistency management can be achieved by directly controlling the independent cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a through the main controller. This method is simple to operate and requires minimal data computation. Another possible implementation can achieve voltage consistency management by increasing the power consumption of the cell management modules 100 of the other cells, which will be described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0076] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application, combined with... Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 10 As shown, in one possible implementation, the step of reducing the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a includes: reducing the frequency at which the sampling component 40 of the first cell 1a samples the temperature of at least one of the first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, and the cover plate 20. That is, the battery balancing method may include the following steps: S100: Obtain data from at least two battery cells 1; S210: Determine that the first cell 1a has a low voltage and send an equalization capacity signal to the cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a. S311: Reduce the frequency at which the acquisition component 40 of the first cell 1a samples the temperature of at least one of the first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, and the cover plate 20. S400: Stop sending equalization capacity signals to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two cells 1.

[0077] This embodiment of the application reduces the temperature sampling frequency of the sampling component 40 of the first battery cell 1a, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the first battery cell 1a per unit time. This operation is easy to implement and helps reduce the operational cost of voltage consistency management. Another possible implementation is to increase the frequency at which the sampling components 40 of the other battery cells sample the temperature of at least one of the first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, and the cover plate 20, thereby increasing the power consumption of the other battery cells and ultimately narrowing the capacity gap between the first battery cell 1a and the other battery cells, thus achieving voltage consistency management.

[0078] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application, combined with... Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 11 As shown, in one possible implementation, the step of reducing the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a includes: controlling the acquisition component 40 of the first cell 1a to sample the temperature of at most two of the first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, and the cover plate 20. That is, the battery balancing method may include the following steps: S100: Obtain data from at least two battery cells 1; S210: Determine that the first cell 1a has a low voltage and send an equalization capacity signal to the cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a. S312: Control the acquisition component 40 of the first cell 1a to perform temperature sampling on up to two of the first terminal 110, the second terminal 120 and the cover plate 20; S400: Stop sending equalization capacity signals to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two cells 1.

[0079] Specifically, at least one temperature sampling point of the acquisition component 40 of the first cell 1a is turned off. For example, temperature sampling can be performed only on the first terminal 110 and the second terminal 120, or only on the first terminal 110 and the cover plate 20, or only on the second terminal 120 and the cover plate 20, or only on the first terminal 110, or only on the second terminal 120, or only on the cover plate 20. By reducing the number of temperature sampling points of the acquisition component 40 of the first cell 1a, the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a during temperature sampling can be reduced. The operation is easy to implement and helps to reduce the operating cost of voltage consistency management.

[0080] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application, combined with... Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 12 As shown, in one possible implementation, the step of reducing the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a includes: reducing the frequency of data transmission from the control unit 30 of the first cell 1a to the main controller. That is, the battery balancing method may include the following steps: S100: Obtain data from at least two battery cells 1; S210: Determine that the first cell 1a has a low voltage and send an equalization capacity signal to the cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a. S313: Reduce the frequency of data transmission from the control unit 30 of the first cell 1a to the main controller; S400: Stop sending equalization capacity signals to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two cells 1.

[0081] Schematic illustration: the frequency of data transmission from the control unit 30 of the first battery cell 1a to the main controller can be reduced from once every 5 seconds to once every 20 seconds. This reduces the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the first battery cell 1a per unit time, is easy to implement, and helps reduce the operating cost of voltage consistency management. Another possible implementation is to increase the frequency of data transmission from the control units 30 of the other battery cells to the main controller, thereby increasing the power consumption of the other battery cells and ultimately narrowing the capacity gap between the first battery cell 1a and the other battery cells, thus achieving voltage consistency management.

[0082] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application, combined with... Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 13As shown, in one possible implementation, the steps to reduce the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a include: intermittently shutting down the data sampling function of the acquisition component 40 of the first cell 1a and the data transmission function of the control unit 30. That is, the battery balancing method may include the following steps: S100: Obtain data from at least two battery cells 1; S210: Determine that the first cell 1a has a low voltage and send an equalization capacity signal to the cell management module 100 of the first cell 1a. S314: Intermittently shut down the data sampling function of the acquisition component 40 of the first cell 1a and the data transmission function of the control body 30; S400: Stop sending equalization capacity signals to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two cells 1.

[0083] Specifically, during the resting process, the data sampling function of the acquisition component 40 of the first battery cell 1a and the data transmission function of the control body 30 can be intermittently turned off, while the data sampling function of the acquisition component 40 of the other battery cells and the data transmission function of the control body 30 remain normal. This embodiment of the application reduces the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the first battery cell 1a by switching it between working and non-working states. This is easy to implement and helps reduce the operational costs of voltage consistency management.

[0084] Figure 14 This is a flowchart illustrating a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application, combined with... Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 14 As shown, in one possible implementation, the step of determining the cell 1 to be balanced based on data and sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module 100 of the cell 1 to be balanced includes: determining a second cell 1b with a high voltage and sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module 100 of the second cell 1b; the step of adjusting the cell management module 100 according to the balancing capacity signal includes: increasing the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the second cell 1b. That is, the battery balancing method may include the following steps: S100: Obtain data from at least two battery cells 1; S220: If the voltage of the second cell 1b is found to be too high, a capacity balancing signal is sent to the cell management module 100 of the second cell 1b. S320: Increases the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the second cell 1b; S400: Stop sending equalization capacity signals to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two cells 1.

[0085] The second cell 1b has a higher voltage than the other cells. This can lead to a situation where, when the second cell 1b reaches its charging end voltage, the other cells are still short of full charge, or when the other cells reach their discharging end voltage, the second cell 1b still has voltage margin and is not fully discharged. Both scenarios result in a decrease in the charging and discharging capacity of the battery pack 1000. This application addresses this by increasing the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the second cell 1b while keeping the power consumption of the other cells constant. This reduces the power consumption of the other cells compared to the second cell 1b within the same time frame, thereby narrowing the voltage difference between the second cell 1b and the other cells until the voltage distribution of the battery pack 1000 is balanced. Voltage consistency management can be achieved by directly controlling the independent cell management module 100 of the second cell 1b through the main controller. This method is simple to operate and requires minimal data computation. Another possible implementation is to reduce the power consumption of the cell management modules 100 of the other cells to achieve voltage consistency management, which will be described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0086] Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application, combined with... Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 15 As shown, in one possible implementation, the step of increasing the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the second cell 1b includes: increasing the frequency at which the sampling component 40 of the second cell 1b samples the temperature of at least one of the first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, and the cover plate 20. That is, the battery balancing method may include the following steps: S100: Obtain data from at least two battery cells 1; S220: If the voltage of the second cell 1b is found to be too high, a capacity balancing signal is sent to the cell management module 100 of the second cell 1b. S321: Increase the frequency of temperature sampling of at least one of the first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, and the cover plate 20 by the acquisition component 40 of the second cell 1b. S400: Stop sending equalization capacity signals to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two cells 1.

[0087] By increasing the temperature sampling frequency of the sampling component 40 of the second cell 1b, the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the second cell 1b per unit time can be increased. This operation is easy to implement and helps reduce the operating cost of voltage consistency management. Another possible implementation is to reduce the temperature sampling frequency of the sampling components 40 of the other cells to reduce their power consumption, ultimately narrowing the capacity gap between the second cell 1b and the other cells, thus achieving voltage consistency management.

[0088] Figure 16This is a flowchart illustrating a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application, combined with... Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 16 As shown, in one possible implementation, the step of increasing the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the second cell 1b includes: increasing the frequency of data transmission from the control unit 30 of the second cell 1b to the main controller. That is, the battery balancing method may include the following steps: S100: Obtain data from at least two battery cells 1; S220: If the voltage of the second cell 1b is found to be too high, a capacity balancing signal is sent to the cell management module 100 of the second cell 1b. S322: Increase the frequency of data transmission from the control unit 30 of the second battery cell 1b to the main controller; S400: Stop sending equalization capacity signals to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two cells 1.

[0089] Schematic illustration: The frequency of data transmission from the control unit 30 of the second cell 1b to the main controller can be increased from once every 20 seconds to once every 3 seconds. This increases the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the second cell 1b per unit time, is easy to implement, and helps reduce the operating cost of voltage consistency management. Another possible implementation is to reduce the frequency of data transmission from the control units 30 of the other cells to the main controller, thereby reducing the power consumption of the other cells and ultimately narrowing the capacity gap between the second cell 1b and the other cells, thus achieving voltage consistency management.

[0090] Figure 17 This is a flowchart illustrating a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application, combined with... Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 17 As shown, in one possible implementation, the step of increasing the power consumption of the cell management module 100 of the second cell 1b includes connecting a resistor to the acquisition component 40 of the second cell 1b. That is, the battery balancing method may include the following steps: S100: Obtain data from at least two battery cells 1; S220: If the voltage of the second cell 1b is found to be too high, a capacity balancing signal is sent to the cell management module 100 of the second cell 1b. S323: Connect a resistor in the acquisition component 40 of the second cell 1b; S400: Stop sending equalization capacity signals to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two cells 1.

[0091] This embodiment of the application adds a resistor in the bypass of the acquisition component 40 of the second cell 1b to dissipate the excess power of the second cell 1b as heat, so that the voltage of the second cell 1b drops to be consistent with or close to the voltage of the other cells, thereby achieving voltage consistency management. The structure is simple and the cost is low.

[0092] Figure 18 This is a flowchart illustrating a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application, combined with... Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 18 As shown, in one possible implementation, the step of acquiring data from at least two battery cells includes: acquiring the voltages of at least two battery cells and determining a first voltage difference value between the at least two voltages; the step of determining the battery cell to be balanced based on the data and sending a balancing capacity signal to the battery cell management module 100 of the battery cell to be balanced includes: determining whether the first voltage difference value is greater than or equal to a voltage difference threshold; if so, sending a balancing capacity signal to the battery management module 100; otherwise, re-determining the first voltage difference value and determining whether it is greater than or equal to the voltage difference threshold, to form a cycle. That is, the battery balancing method may include the following steps: S110: Obtain the voltage of at least two cells 1 and determine the first voltage difference value between at least two voltages; S230: Determine whether the first differential pressure value is greater than or equal to the voltage differential pressure threshold. If the determination result is yes, then execute step S240. If the determination result is no, then execute step S110 again to form a loop. S240: Sends a capacity balancing signal to the cell management module 100; S300: Adjusts the cell management module 100 according to the equalization capacity signal; S400: Stop sending equalization capacity signals to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two cells 1.

[0093] Specifically, step S240 determines whether the first voltage difference value is greater than or equal to the voltage difference threshold. If so, a capacity balancing signal is sent to the cell management module 100, and step S300 is executed. Otherwise, the process returns to step S110, at least two voltages are reacquired, the first voltage difference value is reconfirmed, and step S230 is executed again. This process for determining whether to enable the balancing operation requires a small amount of data and the data calculation is simple, which facilitates the easy implementation of the battery balancing method. Illustratively, for the full charge end voltage, the system charging cutoff voltage is 3.6V, and the charging end voltage is set to be no lower than 3.57V. Simultaneously, the frame with the highest voltage of a single cell at the charging end closest to 3.6V is read as the charging end single cell voltage extraction frame. For the full discharge end voltage, the system discharging cutoff voltage is 2.8V, and the discharging end voltage is set to be no higher than 2.83V. Simultaneously, the frame with the lowest voltage of a single cell at the discharging end closest to 2.8V is read as the discharging end single cell voltage extraction frame. The extraction frequency of the extraction frames can be 1 second, 5 seconds, or 30 seconds; this application does not limit this.

[0094] Figure 19 This is a flowchart illustrating a battery balancing method provided in another embodiment of this application, combined with... Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 19 As shown, in one possible implementation, the step of stopping the issuance of the equalization capacity signal to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two battery cells includes: reacquiring the voltages of at least two battery cells and determining a second voltage difference value between the at least two voltages; determining whether the second voltage difference value is less than a voltage difference threshold; if so, stopping the issuance of the equalization capacity signal to the battery cell management module 100; otherwise, re-determining the second voltage difference value and determining whether it is less than the voltage difference threshold, to form a loop. That is, the battery equalization method may include the following steps: S100: Obtain data from at least two battery cells 1; S200: Based on the data, determine the cell to be balanced 1, and send a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module 100 of the cell to be balanced; S300: Adjusts the cell management module 100 according to the equalization capacity signal; S410: Reacquire the voltage of at least two cells 1 and determine the second voltage difference value between at least two voltages; S420: Determine whether the second differential pressure value is less than the voltage differential pressure threshold. If the determination result is yes, then execute step S430. If the determination result is no, then execute step S410 again to form a loop. S430: Stop sending equalization capacity signals to the cell management module 100.

[0095] Specifically, in step S420, it is determined whether the second voltage difference value is less than the voltage difference threshold. If so, the equalization capacity signal sent to the cell management module 100 is stopped, and step S300 is executed to complete the voltage consistency management operation of the battery pack 1000. Otherwise, the process returns to step S410, the voltages of at least two cells are reacquired, the second voltage difference value is reconfirmed, and S420 is executed again. This process of determining whether to start the equalization operation requires a small amount of data and the data calculation is simple, which is conducive to the simple implementation of the battery equalization method. In another possible implementation, the required equalization capacity of the cell can be determined in step S200, and the equalization is stopped according to the required equalization capacity of the cell during the process of adjusting the cell management module 100 in step S300. That is, the equalization of the capacity of at least two cells is stopped when the capacity change value of the equalized cell reaches the required equalization capacity of the cell.

[0096] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A battery cell, characterized in that, include: The first terminal and the second terminal are both disposed on the cover plate of the battery cell; A first connecting piece and a second connecting piece, wherein the first connecting piece is electrically connected to the first terminal post and the second connecting piece is electrically connected to the second terminal post, and the first connecting piece and the second connecting piece are used to detachably connect one of the battery cells and the other battery cell; The battery cell management module includes a control unit and a data acquisition component. At least one of the first terminal, the second terminal, and the cover plate is electrically connected to the control unit through the data acquisition component. The data acquisition component is used to acquire battery cell data, and the control unit is used to process the battery cell data.

2. The battery cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The acquisition component includes a first acquisition line, a second acquisition line, and a third acquisition line. There are at least two first acquisition lines and at least two second acquisition lines. At least two first acquisition lines are connected to the control body and the first pole, at least two second acquisition lines are connected to the control body and the second pole, and the third acquisition line is connected to the control body and the cover plate.

3. The battery cell according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control unit is located between the first pole and the second pole, and the first acquisition line is located on the side of the second acquisition line away from the second pole; the third acquisition line is arranged in parallel with at least two of the first acquisition lines at intervals, or the third acquisition line is arranged in parallel with at least two of the second acquisition lines at intervals.

4. The battery cell according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The battery cell also includes a protective cover, and the protective cover and the cover plate together form a receiving cavity, in which the first terminal, the second terminal, the battery cell management module, a portion of the first connecting piece and a portion of the second connecting piece are located.

5. A battery pack, characterized in that, The device includes a substrate, a main controller, and at least two battery cells as described in any one of claims 1-4, wherein at least two of the battery cells are fixed to the substrate and are electrically connected to each other; the main controller is electrically connected to the battery cell management module, the main controller is used to receive battery cell data, and the main controller is also used to send operation instructions to the battery cell management module.

6. A battery balancing method for balancing the capacity of at least two cells in a battery pack according to claim 5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Obtain data from at least two of the battery cells; Based on the data, the cells to be balanced are identified, and a balancing capacity signal is sent to the cell management module of the cells to be balanced. The cell management module is adjusted according to the equalization capacity signal; Stop issuing the equalization capacity signal to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two cells.

7. The battery balancing method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The step of determining the cell to be balanced based on the data and sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module of the cell to be balanced includes: determining a first cell with a low voltage and sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module of the first cell; the step of adjusting the cell management module based on the balancing capacity signal includes: reducing the power consumption of the cell management module of the first cell.

8. The battery balancing method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The step of reducing the power consumption of the cell management module of the first cell includes: reducing the frequency at which the acquisition component of the first cell samples the temperature of at least one of the first terminal, the second terminal, and the cover plate.

9. The battery balancing method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The step of reducing the power consumption of the cell management module of the first cell includes: controlling the acquisition component of the first cell to perform temperature sampling on up to two of the first terminal, the second terminal, and the cover plate.

10. The battery balancing method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The step of reducing the power consumption of the cell management module of the first cell includes: reducing the frequency of data transmission from the control body of the first cell to the main controller.

11. The battery balancing method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The step of reducing the power consumption of the cell management module of the first battery cell includes: intermittently turning off the data sampling function of the acquisition component of the first battery cell and the data transmission function of the control body.

12. The battery balancing method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The step of determining the cell to be balanced based on the data and sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module of the cell to be balanced includes: determining a second cell with a high voltage and sending a balancing capacity signal to the cell management module of the second cell; the step of adjusting the cell management module based on the balancing capacity signal includes: increasing the power consumption of the cell management module of the second cell.

13. The battery balancing method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The step of increasing the power consumption of the cell management module of the second cell includes: increasing the frequency at which the acquisition component of the second cell samples the temperature of at least one of the first terminal, the second terminal, and the cover plate.

14. The battery balancing method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The step of increasing the power consumption of the cell management module of the second cell includes: increasing the frequency of data transmission from the control body of the second cell to the main controller.

15. The battery balancing method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The step of increasing the power consumption of the cell management module of the second cell includes: connecting a resistor in the acquisition component of the second cell.

16. The battery balancing method according to any one of claims 6-15, characterized in that, The step of acquiring data from at least two of the battery cells includes: acquiring the voltages of at least two of the battery cells and determining a first voltage difference value between the at least two voltages; the step of determining the battery cell to be balanced based on the data and sending a balancing capacity signal to the battery cell management module of the battery cell to be balanced includes: determining whether the first voltage difference value is greater than or equal to a voltage difference threshold; if so, sending a balancing capacity signal to the battery cell management module; otherwise, re-determining the first voltage difference value and determining whether it is greater than or equal to the voltage difference threshold, to form a loop.

17. The battery balancing method according to any one of claims 6-15, characterized in that, The step of stopping the issuance of the equalization capacity signal to stop equalizing the capacity of at least two cells includes: reacquiring the voltage of at least two cells; determining a second voltage difference value between the at least two voltages; determining whether the second voltage difference value is less than a voltage difference threshold; if so, stopping the issuance of the equalization capacity signal to the cell management module; otherwise, re-determining the second voltage difference value and determining whether it is less than the voltage difference threshold to form a loop.

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