Battery pack and vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a battery pack and a vehicle, and belongs to the technical field of new energy automobiles, the battery pack in the embodiment of the invention comprises a box body, a battery assembly and a control assembly, the battery assembly is arranged in the box body, the battery assembly comprises a first battery pack and a second battery pack which are mutually independent, and the first battery pack is electrically connected with a low-voltage discharge interface; the control assembly comprises a power distribution module and a control module, the power distribution module and the control module are arranged in the box body, a first power distribution end of the power distribution module is electrically connected with the second battery pack, a second power distribution end of the power distribution module is electrically connected with a high-voltage discharge interface, and the control module is electrically connected with the first battery pack. The high-voltage power battery in the battery pack is physically divided into the first battery pack and the second battery pack which are independent in circuit, so that the power supply time of the low-voltage load is prolonged, the low-efficiency energy supplement frequency of the direct-current conversion module is reduced, and the energy utilization efficiency of the battery pack is improved by virtue of the characteristics of high capacity and long service life of the power battery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of new energy vehicle technology, and in particular to a battery pack and vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] New energy vehicles are one of the fastest-growing industries. As users demand higher levels of comfort from their vehicles, the lightweighting, miniaturization, and integration of key vehicle components have become the main development trends for new energy vehicles.

[0003] Currently, low-voltage batteries and high-voltage batteries in new energy vehicles are arranged independently and require the installation of DC-DC converters (DCDC) to convert high-voltage DC power into low-voltage DC power to charge the low-voltage batteries or supply power to low-voltage loads. However, DC-DC converters have low workload, low conversion efficiency from high voltage to low voltage, and high energy loss. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a battery pack designed to address the technical problems of low power conversion efficiency and high energy loss in architectures where high-voltage and low-voltage batteries are independently arranged.

[0005] Technical solution: This application discloses a battery pack, including: Box; A battery assembly is disposed within the housing. The battery assembly includes a first battery pack and a second battery pack that are independent of each other. The first battery pack is electrically connected to a low-voltage discharge port. The control component includes a power distribution module and a control module, both of which are housed within the enclosure. The first power distribution terminal of the power distribution module is electrically connected to the second battery pack, and the second power distribution terminal of the power distribution module is electrically connected to a high-voltage discharge interface. The control module is electrically connected to the first battery pack.

[0006] In some embodiments, the control component includes a circuit board disposed within the enclosure, and both the power distribution module and the control module are disposed on the circuit board.

[0007] In some embodiments, the control component further includes a DC-DC converter module, wherein the input terminal of the DC-DC converter module is electrically connected to the second power distribution terminal of the power distribution module and the high-voltage discharge interface, and the output terminal of the DC-DC converter module is electrically connected to the first battery pack and the low-voltage discharge interface; The DC-DC converter module is mounted on the circuit board and is electrically connected to the control module.

[0008] In some embodiments, the control component further includes an on-board charger, the output terminal of which is connected to the input terminal of the DC-DC converter and the second power distribution terminal of the power distribution module, respectively, and the input terminal of the on-board charger is connected to an AC interface; The on-board charger is mounted on the circuit board and is electrically connected to the control module.

[0009] In some embodiments, the battery pack further includes a liquid cooling plate, on which both the battery assembly and the control assembly are disposed.

[0010] In some embodiments, the control module includes: a battery management unit, a DC-DC converter control unit, an on-board charger control unit, a low-voltage power supply control unit, and a charging communication conversion unit.

[0011] In some embodiments, the control component further includes a DC-DC converter module disposed outside the enclosure, the input terminal of the DC-DC converter module being connected to a DC source, and the output terminal of the DC-DC converter module being connected to the low-voltage discharge interface.

[0012] In some embodiments, the control component further includes an on-board charger disposed outside the housing, the on-board charger having an input terminal connected to an AC power source and an output terminal connected to the input terminal of the DC-DC converter module.

[0013] In some embodiments, the on-board charger and the DC-DC converter are integrated into one unit.

[0014] This application also discloses a vehicle including the battery pack described in the above embodiments.

[0015] Beneficial Effects: The battery pack in this embodiment includes a housing, battery components, and a control component. The battery components are housed within the housing and include an independent first battery pack and a second battery pack. The first battery pack is electrically connected to a low-voltage discharge interface. The control component includes a power distribution module and a control module, both housed within the housing. The first power distribution terminal of the power distribution module is electrically connected to the second battery pack, and the second power distribution terminal is electrically connected to a high-voltage discharge interface. The control module is electrically connected to the first battery pack. By physically dividing the high-voltage power battery within the battery pack into a circuit-independent first battery pack (responsible for low-voltage power supply to the entire vehicle) and a second battery pack (responsible for high-voltage power supply to the entire vehicle), leveraging the high capacity and long lifespan characteristics of the power battery, the low-voltage load power supply time is increased, the number of inefficient recharging cycles of the DC-DC converter module is reduced, and the energy utilization efficiency of the battery pack is improved. Simultaneously, the elimination of the casing and fixing structure of the independent low-voltage battery achieves vehicle weight reduction, indirectly reducing energy consumption. The battery and control components are all built into the enclosure, eliminating the need for separate low-voltage batteries, external DC-DC converters, or distributed controllers in other parts of the vehicle, thus reducing the space occupied by external components and improving space utilization.

[0016] Other features and advantages of this application will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] To gain a more complete understanding of this application and its beneficial effects, the following description will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals in the following description denote the same parts.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the battery pack structure according to an embodiment of this application, showing the first battery pack and the second battery pack; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the battery pack according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a battery pack according to another embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a battery pack according to another embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a battery pack according to another embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a battery pack according to another embodiment of this application.

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 10. Housing; 20. Battery assembly; 21. First battery pack; 22. Second battery pack; 30. Low-voltage discharge interface; 40. Control assembly; 41. Power distribution module; 42. Control module; 411. First power distribution terminal; 412. Second power distribution terminal; 50. High-voltage discharge interface; 43. DC-DC converter module; 44. On-board charger; 60. AC interface; 70. DC power source; 80. AC power source; 90. Low-voltage communication interface. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the protection scope of this application.

[0022] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, and "at least one" can refer to one, two, or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. The terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are only for the convenience of description and are used to name components or embodiments by number, and do not imply any order of importance between the components or embodiments.

[0023] As a preamble to this application, new energy vehicles are one of the fastest-growing industries. With increasing user demands for vehicle comfort, lightweighting, miniaturization, and integration of key vehicle components have become major development trends in new energy vehicles. Currently, low-voltage and high-voltage batteries in new energy vehicles are arranged independently and require a DC-DC converter (DCDC) to convert high-voltage DC power into low-voltage DC power to charge the low-voltage battery or power low-voltage loads. However, the DC-DC converter has a low workload, low high-voltage to low-voltage conversion efficiency, and high energy loss.

[0024] Secondly, in related technologies, components strongly associated with the battery, such as the Battery Management Unit (BMU), DC-DC converter, On-Board Charger (OBC), Low-Voltage Power Controller (LVPC), and Electric Vehicle Charge Controller (EVCC), are often scattered, complexly connected, have redundant protection, low space utilization, low integration efficiency, wasted hardware resources, and low communication and control efficiency. Furthermore, the thermal management designs of these related components are independent, resulting in redundant liquid cooling piping.

[0025] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a battery pack aimed at solving at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0026] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the embodiment of this application, the battery pack includes a housing 10, a battery assembly 20, and a control assembly 40. The battery assembly 20 is disposed within the housing 10 and includes a first battery pack 21 and a second battery pack 22 that are independent of each other. The first battery pack 21 is electrically connected to a low-voltage discharge interface 30. The control assembly 40 includes a power distribution module 41 and a control module 42, both of which are disposed within the housing 10. The first power distribution terminal 411 of the power distribution module 41 is electrically connected to the second battery pack 22, and the second power distribution terminal 412 of the power distribution module 41 is electrically connected to a high-voltage discharge interface 50. The control module 42 is electrically connected to the first battery pack 21. It should be understood that the first battery pack 21 is responsible for the low-voltage power supply of the entire vehicle, and the second battery pack 22 is responsible for the high-voltage power supply of the entire vehicle. Both include multiple battery cells, and their circuits are independently connected. By physically dividing the high-voltage power battery within the battery pack into a first battery pack 21 and a second battery pack 22, the high capacity and long service life of the power battery are utilized to increase the power supply time for low-voltage loads, reduce the number of times the DC-DC converter module 43 needs to be recharged inefficiently, and improve the energy utilization efficiency of the battery pack. At the same time, the elimination of the casing and fixing structure of the independent low-voltage battery reduces the overall vehicle weight and indirectly reduces energy consumption.

[0027] Secondly, both the battery pack 20 and the control pack 40 are built into the housing 10, eliminating the need to place independent low-voltage batteries, external DC-DC converter modules 43, or distributed controllers in other locations of the vehicle. This reduces the space occupied by external components and improves space utilization. Meanwhile, the control module 42 is directly electrically connected to the first battery pack 21. The control module 42 integrates a battery management unit and a low-voltage power control unit, which can collect the status of the low-voltage battery pack, such as charge, temperature, and voltage, in real time. The control command transmission path is shortened, and the response speed is faster. In particular, the voltage stability is better when there are sudden fluctuations in low-voltage loads, such as when the sentry mode is started or when the vehicle refrigerator is running at high power.

[0028] It should be understood that the control module 42 is also connected to a low-voltage communication interface 90.

[0029] In some embodiments, the control component 40 includes a circuit board (not shown) disposed within the housing 10, with both the power distribution module 41 and the control module 42 mounted on the circuit board. It should be understood that by integrating the power distribution module 41 and the control module 42 onto the same circuit board, such as through soldering, and using copper foil traces within the circuit board to transmit signals and electrical energy, high-voltage wiring harnesses and low-voltage signal lines are no longer required, significantly improving connection reliability and anti-interference capabilities. Simultaneously, the response link between the power distribution module 41 and the control module 42 is shortened, increasing response speed and improving coordination efficiency. Furthermore, since the power distribution module 41 and the control module 42 are fixed using a single circuit board, an independent housing design is unnecessary, saving wiring harness space and further improving the space utilization of the housing 10, simplifying the internal layout.

[0030] Please see Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the control component 40 further includes a DC-DC converter module 43. The input terminal of the DC-DC converter module 43 is electrically connected to the second power distribution terminal 412 and the high-voltage discharge interface 50 of the power distribution module 41, and the output terminal of the DC-DC converter module 43 is electrically connected to the first battery pack 21 and the low-voltage discharge interface 30. The DC-DC converter module 43 is mounted on a circuit board and electrically connected to the control module 42. It should be understood that by integrating the DC-DC converter module 43 onto the circuit board, such as by soldering, the external wiring harness of the DC-DC converter module 43 is eliminated. The control module 42 and the DC-DC converter module 43 are directly connected on the same circuit board, and commands are transmitted through the internal circuitry, improving the control response speed.

[0031] It should be understood that when the first battery pack 21 is low on power, the control module 42 can instruct the DC-DC converter 43 to draw power from the second battery pack 22 from the power distribution module 41, or it can instruct the DC-DC converter 43 to draw external high-voltage DC power from the high-voltage discharge interface 50, if the vehicle is in a charging state.

[0032] Please see Figure 4As shown, in some embodiments, the control component 40 further includes an on-board charger 44. The output terminal of the on-board charger 44 is connected to the input terminal of the DC-DC converter module 43 and the second power distribution terminal 412 of the power distribution module 41, respectively. The input terminal of the on-board charger 44 is connected to an AC interface 60. The on-board charger 44 is mounted on a circuit board and electrically connected to the control module 42. It should be understood that by integrating the on-board charger 44, the power distribution module 41, and the control module 42 onto the same circuit board, the energy flow path of the AC input, the on-board charger 44, the power distribution module 41, and the second battery pack 22 is shortened. The output terminal of the on-board charger 44 is directly connected to the input terminal of the DC-DC converter module 43 and the second power distribution terminal 412 of the power distribution module 41 through the copper foil of the circuit board. The transmission distance is shortened from meters to millimeters, reducing wiring harness transmission loss and control delay loss. The on-board charger 44 converts AC power into high-voltage DC power, which is then converted into low-voltage DC power by the DC-DC converter 43 to provide the first battery pack 21 with stored energy and to power low-voltage loads. On the other hand, the high-voltage DC power can be directly transmitted to the second power distribution terminal 412 of the power distribution module 41 to power high-voltage loads or to provide the second battery pack 22 with stored energy.

[0033] Meanwhile, the on-board charger 44 does not require a separate casing, mounting bracket, multiple wiring harnesses, or independent heat dissipation, reducing costs and weight, lowering connection and protection risks, improving space utilization, and enhancing system reliability.

[0034] In some embodiments, the battery pack further includes a liquid cooling plate, on which both the battery assembly 20 and the control assembly 40 are mounted (not shown in the figure). It should be understood that by sharing a liquid cooling plate for both the battery assembly 20 and the control assembly 40, only one liquid cooling circuit is needed to cover all heat-generating components, simplifying the piping layout and reducing the risk of leakage caused by a large number of parallel interfaces in multiple pipelines. The Joule heat of the battery pack, the on-board charger 44, the DC-DC converter module 43, the power distribution module 41, and the control module 42 are all dissipated through the liquid cooling plate, reducing the complexity of the thermal management piping. In some embodiments, the flow channels can be selected in series or parallel configurations based on the heat dissipation requirements and mutual influence of the components.

[0035] In some embodiments, the control module 42 includes: a battery management unit, a DC-DC converter module 43 control unit, an on-board charger 44 control unit, a low-voltage power supply control unit, and a charging communication conversion unit (not shown in the figure). It should be understood that the DC-DC converter module 43 control unit refers to the control circuit of the DC-DC converter module 43. Based on the battery management unit, one or more of the on-board charger 44 control unit, the DC-DC converter module 43 control unit, the low-voltage power supply control unit, and the charging communication conversion unit are integrated on the same circuit board, achieving chip reuse and sharing and consolidation of hardware resources. The on-board charger 44 control unit is directly connected to the battery management unit. The battery management unit transmits battery temperature and voltage balance status in real time, and the on-board charger 44 control unit can control the on-board charger 44 to instantly adjust the charging current, ensuring safe and reliable charging. The low-voltage power supply control unit is directly connected to the DC-DC converter module 43 control unit. When the low-voltage battery formed by the first battery pack 21 has a charge level below 20%, the DC-DC converter module 43 control unit can control the DC-DC converter module 43 to quickly start charging without waiting for the battery management unit to forward instructions, avoiding power interruption to the low-voltage load.

[0036] It is important to understand that the control module 42 coordinates the on-board charger 44 and the DC-DC converter module 43. While the on-board charger 44 charges the second single cell battery through the power distribution module 41, the DC-DC converter module 43 directly draws power from the output terminal of the on-board charger 44 without going through the high-voltage battery to replenish the first single cell battery. The two processes are carried out in parallel, which shortens the low-voltage replenishment time.

[0037] It's also important to understand that the charging communication conversion unit is integrated with the on-board charger 44 control unit, with protocol conversion and power adjustment working in sync. When using charging stations overseas, the charging communication conversion unit converts the charging station protocol into an internal signal and directly transmits it to the on-board charger 44 control unit. The on-board charger 44 can then match the charging parameters (voltage / current) without waiting for external protocol parsing.

[0038] Please see Figure 6As shown, in some embodiments, the control component 40 further includes a DC-DC converter module 43. The DC-DC converter module 43 is disposed outside the housing 10. The input terminal of the DC-DC converter module 43 is connected to a DC source 70, and the output terminal of the DC-DC converter module 43 is connected to the low-voltage discharge interface 30. It should be understood that, for scenarios with a compact internal structure of the battery pack, placing the DC-DC converter module 43 outside the battery pack housing 10 can increase the battery pack capacity or reduce the volume of the battery pack housing 10. By using an external DC-DC converter module 43, with its input terminal connected to an external DC source 70, a redundant backup path for low-voltage power supply is constructed. When the first battery pack 21 or the second battery pack 22 inside the housing 10 fails, the input terminal of the DC-DC converter module 43 can be directly connected to the external DC source 70, such as an on-board emergency DC power supply or a roadside emergency charging pile, to directly power the low-voltage discharge interface 30, maintaining the normal operation of the low-voltage critical load and achieving emergency power supply guarantee.

[0039] Please see Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the control component 40 further includes an on-board charger 44, which is disposed outside the housing 10. The input terminal of the on-board charger 44 is connected to an AC power source 80, and the output terminal of the on-board charger 44 is connected to the input terminal of the DC-DC converter module 43. It should be understood that, for scenarios with a compact internal structure of the battery pack, placing the on-board charger 44 outside the battery pack housing 10 further frees up space within the housing 10, thereby increasing the battery pack capacity or reducing the volume of the battery pack housing 10. The on-board charger 44 directly converts the AC power source 80 into high-voltage DC, and the DC-DC converter module 43 converts the high-voltage DC into low-voltage DC to power low-voltage loads, resulting in high conversion efficiency, faster charging speed, and shorter charging time. When the second battery pack 22 inside the box fails, an external on-board charger 44 can be connected through an external AC power source 80. The on-board charger 44 and DC-DC converter 43 convert the AC power into low-voltage DC power, which directly powers the low-voltage discharge interface 30, maintaining the normal operation of emergency lights, power steering, and on-board navigation, and ensuring emergency power supply.

[0040] It is also important to understand that placing the DC-DC converter module 43 and the on-board charger 44 externally facilitates maintenance, reduces maintenance costs, and improves maintenance efficiency.

[0041] Please see Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the on-board charger 44 and the DC-DC converter module 43 are integrated into one unit. By integrating the on-board charger 44 and the DC-DC converter module 43 into a single hardware unit, hardware resource utilization is improved, redundancy costs are reduced, size and weight are optimized, and energy consumption is reduced.

[0042] In some embodiments, when the on-board charger 44 and the DC-DC converter 43 are placed outside the housing 10, the on-board charger 44 and the DC-DC converter 43 are connected to independent liquid cooling interfaces.

[0043] This application also provides a vehicle including the battery pack described in the above embodiments. Therefore, it can possess all the technical features and effects of the aforementioned battery pack, which will not be repeated here.

[0044] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0045] The embodiments, implementation methods, and related technical features of this application can be combined and substituted for each other without conflict.

[0046] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application in any way. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of this application without departing from the scope of the technical solution of this application shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of this application.

Claims

1. A battery pack, characterized in that, include: Box (10); Battery assembly (20), the battery assembly (20) is disposed inside the housing (10), the battery assembly (20) includes a first battery pack (21) and a second battery pack (22) that are independent of each other, the first battery pack (21) is electrically connected to a low-voltage discharge port (30). The control component (40) includes a power distribution module (41) and a control module (42). Both the power distribution module (41) and the control module (42) are located inside the housing (10). The first power distribution terminal (411) of the power distribution module (41) is electrically connected to the second battery pack (22). The second power distribution terminal (412) of the power distribution module (41) is electrically connected to a high-voltage discharge interface (50). The control module (42) is electrically connected to the first battery pack (21).

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control component (40) includes a circuit board, which is disposed inside the housing (10). The power distribution module (41) and the control module (42) are both disposed on the circuit board.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control component (40) further includes a DC-DC converter module (43), the input terminal of which is electrically connected to the second power distribution terminal (412) of the power distribution module (41) and the high-voltage discharge interface (50), and the output terminal of which is electrically connected to the first battery pack (21) and the low-voltage discharge interface (30). The DC-DC converter module (43) is mounted on the circuit board and is electrically connected to the control module (42).

4. The battery pack according to claim 3, characterized in that, The control component (40) also includes an on-board charger (44), the output of which is connected to the input of the DC-DC converter (43) and the second power distribution terminal (412) of the power distribution module (41), respectively, and the input of the on-board charger (44) is connected to an AC interface (60). The on-board charger (44) is mounted on the circuit board and is electrically connected to the control module (42).

5. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The battery pack also includes a liquid cooling plate, on which both the battery assembly (20) and the control assembly (40) are mounted.

6. The battery pack according to claim 4, characterized in that, The control module (42) includes: a battery management unit, a DC-DC converter module (43) control unit, an on-board charger (44) control unit, a low-voltage power supply control unit, and a charging communication conversion unit.

7. The battery pack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control component (40) also includes a DC-DC converter module (43), which is located outside the housing (10). The input terminal of the DC-DC converter module (43) is connected to a DC source (70), and the output terminal of the DC-DC converter module (43) is connected to the low-voltage discharge interface (30).

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, characterized in that, The control component (40) also includes an on-board charger (44), which is located outside the housing (10). The input terminal of the on-board charger (44) is connected to an AC power source (80), and the output terminal of the on-board charger (44) is connected to the input terminal of the DC-DC converter module (43).

9. The battery pack according to claim 4 or 8, characterized in that, The on-board charger (44) and the DC-DC converter module (43) are integrated into one unit.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, Includes the battery pack as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images