Battery module and equalization control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a battery module and a balancing control method thereof, and belongs to the battery field. The battery module is characterized in that each battery cell is integrated with a processing module, a storage module and a balancing module. The storage module is configured to store first information representing the state information of each battery cell in the battery pack. The processing module is configured to determine a first balancing strategy according to the first information, and control the balancing module to perform a first balancing operation according to the first balancing strategy, so as to balance the battery pack. The storage module of the master battery cell in each battery cluster is further configured to store second information representing the state information of each battery cluster. The processing module of the master battery cell is further configured to determine a second balancing strategy according to the second information, and control the processing module integrated in each battery cell of the battery cluster to perform a second balancing operation according to the second balancing strategy, so as to balance the battery clusters. The battery module can greatly improve the balancing efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, specifically to a battery module and its equalization control method. Background Technology

[0002] Battery modules are widely used in electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and other fields. A battery module typically consists of multiple battery clusters, each cluster contains multiple battery packs, and each pack contains multiple cells. Individual differences among cells and inconsistencies during use can easily lead to charge imbalances between the cells within a battery module, affecting the module's performance and lifespan. Therefore, battery balancing technology is crucial. However, current balancing control methods primarily rely on an additional battery management system (BMS). The BMS obtains the status information of all cells, makes unified decisions, and issues control commands, thus impacting balancing efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] A battery module and its equalization control method are provided to improve the equalization efficiency of the battery module.

[0004] In a first aspect, a battery module is provided, including multiple battery clusters, each battery cluster including multiple battery packs, each battery pack including multiple cells, and each cell integrating a processing module, a storage module and an equalization module; The storage module of the battery cell is configured to store first information, which is used to characterize the state information of each battery cell in the battery pack where the battery cell is located. The processing module of the battery cell is configured to determine a first balancing strategy based on the first information, and control the balancing module of the battery cell to perform a first balancing operation based on the first balancing strategy, so as to balance the battery pack. At least one cell in each battery cluster is determined to be a master control cell. The storage module of the master control cell is further configured to store second information, which is used to characterize the state information of each battery cluster. The processing module of the master control cell is further configured to determine a second balancing strategy based on the second information, and control the processing module integrated in each cell of the battery cluster to perform a second balancing operation based on the second balancing strategy, so as to balance the battery clusters.

[0005] In some embodiments, the storage module includes a first storage unit and a second storage unit; the processing module of the main control cell is configured to acquire the first information and the second information through the following steps: It interacts with the processing module of the other cells in the battery pack to obtain the first information and stores the first information in the first storage unit. It interacts with the processing module of the main control cell in the other battery clusters to obtain the second information and stores the second information in the second storage unit.

[0006] In some embodiments, the cell processing module is configured to determine a first equalization strategy based on the first information, including: Compare the state information of the battery cell itself with the state information of other battery cells in the same battery pack in the first information to determine the first comparison result; If the first comparison result meets the first preset condition, the first equilibrium strategy is determined to be passive equilibrium. If the first comparison result meets the second preset condition, the first equilibrium strategy is determined to be active equilibrium.

[0007] In some embodiments, the balancing module includes an active balancing controller and a passive balancing controller; the cell processing module is configured to control the cell's balancing module to perform a first balancing operation according to the first balancing strategy, including: When the first equalization strategy is passive equalization, the passive equalization controller is activated. When the first balancing strategy is active balancing, the active balancing controller is activated.

[0008] In some embodiments, the battery cell further includes a battery cell module, and the active balancing controller includes a switching unit and a bidirectional DC-DC converter. One end of the switching unit is connected to the battery cell module, and the other end of the switching unit is connected to one end of the bidirectional DC-DC converter. The other end of the bidirectional DC-DC converter is configured to be selectively connected to a balancing bus or a DC source. The switching unit and the bidirectional DC-DC converter are also respectively connected to the processing module.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first comparison result satisfies the first preset condition, including: The deviation between the state information of the battery cell itself and the state information of the other battery cells in the same battery pack in the first information is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold and less than a second preset threshold. The first comparison result satisfies the second preset condition, including: The deviation between the state information of the battery cell itself and the state information of the other battery cells in the same battery pack in the first information is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold.

[0010] In some embodiments, the processing module of the main control cell is further configured to determine a second equalization strategy based on the second information, including: The state information of the battery cluster containing the main control cell is compared with the state information of the other battery clusters to determine the second comparison result; If the second comparison result meets the third preset condition, the second equilibrium strategy is determined to be active equilibrium.

[0011] In some embodiments, the balancing module includes an active balancing controller; the processing module of the main control cell is further configured to control the processing module integrated in each cell of the battery cluster to perform a second balancing operation according to the second balancing strategy, including: When the second balancing strategy is active balancing, the active balancing controller of the main control cell is turned on, and a control command is sent to the processing module integrated in the other cells of the same battery cluster, so that the processing module integrated in the other cells of the same battery cluster responds to the control command and controls the corresponding active balancing controller to turn on.

[0012] In some embodiments, the second comparison result satisfies the third preset condition, including: The deviation between the state information of the battery cluster where the main control cell is located and the state information of the other battery clusters is greater than or equal to a third preset threshold.

[0013] In some embodiments, each of the battery cells further integrates a data acquisition module and a communication module. The data acquisition module is connected to the processing module and is configured to acquire the status information of the battery cell. The communication module is connected to the processing module and is configured to enable information interaction between the processing module and other processing modules.

[0014] In some embodiments, multiple cells in each battery cluster are identified as the master control cells, and the multiple master control cells have a preset priority. The master control cells with lower priority are configured to continue interacting with the master control cells of other battery clusters in the event of an anomaly in the master control cells with higher priority.

[0015] Secondly, a battery module equalization control method is also provided, applied to the processing module of the main control cell in the battery module as described in any of the first aspects; the equalization control method includes: A first balancing strategy is determined based on the first information stored in the storage module, and the balancing module of the battery cell is controlled to perform a first balancing operation based on the first balancing strategy to balance the battery pack. A second balancing strategy is determined based on the second information stored in the storage module, and the processing module integrated in each cell of the battery cluster is controlled to perform the second balancing operation according to the second balancing strategy, so as to balance the battery clusters.

[0016] In the battery module of this application embodiment, each cell integrates a processing module, a storage module, and a balancing module. The storage module of each cell stores the status information of other cells in its battery pack, enabling each cell to autonomously determine whether it needs balancing and perform corresponding operations based on the locally stored information, without relying on external controllers for data collection and decision-making. This simplifies the system architecture, improves the real-time performance of balancing response, and thus enhances the balancing efficiency of the battery module. Simultaneously, at least one cell in each battery cluster that is determined to be the master control cell also stores the status information of each battery cluster and controls all cells in its cluster to synchronously perform inter-cluster balancing operations based on this information. This allows inter-cluster balancing to be achieved directly at the cell level without the need for additional cluster-level controllers, further reducing system complexity and improving balancing efficiency. 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 accompanying 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] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery module; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the battery module provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example structure of the battery module provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an example structure of the active equalization controller provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the processing module obtaining first information provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the processing module obtaining the second information provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the active balancing between cells within a battery pack, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the active balancing between battery clusters provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the equalization control method for a battery module according to an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 10-Battery cluster; 20-Battery pack; 30-Battery cell; 31-Processing module; 32-Storage module; 321-First storage unit; 322-Second storage unit; 33-Battery equalization module; 331-Active equalization controller; 3311-Switching unit; 3312-Bidirectional DC-DC converter; 332-Passive equalization controller; 34-Acquisition module; 341-Temperature acquisition unit; 342-Voltage acquisition unit; 343-Pressure acquisition unit; 35-Communication module; 36-Battery cell module; 40-Battery equalization bus; 50-Battery pack controller. Detailed Implementation

[0020] 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 some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are used 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. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0022] "A and / or B" includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0023] The use of "applies to" or "configured to" in this application implies open and inclusive language, which does not exclude the applicability to or configuration to devices performing additional tasks or steps. Additionally, the use of "based on" implies openness and inclusivity, because processes, steps, calculations, or other actions "based on" one or more of the stated conditions or values ​​may in practice be based on additional conditions or values ​​beyond those stated.

[0024] In this application, the term "exemplary" is used to mean "used as an example, illustration, or description." Any embodiment described as "exemplary" in this application is not necessarily to be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments. The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this application. Details are set forth in the following description for purposes of explanation. It should be understood that those skilled in the art will recognize that this application can be made without using these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and processes are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the description of this application with unnecessary detail. Therefore, this application is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is consistent with the broadest scope of the principles and features disclosed in this application.

[0025] Battery modules are widely used in electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and other fields. A battery module typically consists of multiple battery clusters (Racks), each battery cluster includes multiple battery packs (Packs), and each battery pack contains multiple cells. Individual differences among the cells and inconsistencies during use can easily lead to power imbalances between the cells in a battery module, thus affecting the performance and lifespan of the battery module. Therefore, battery balancing technology is crucial.

[0026] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a battery module. As a preamble to this application, a battery module is described, comprising a battery pack 20, an active balancing controller 331, and a battery pack controller 50. One end of the active balancing controller 331 is connected to the battery pack 20, and the other end is connected to the balancing bus 40. The battery pack controller 50 can be located in a Battery Management System (BMS). The active balancing scheme of this battery module mainly relies on the battery pack controller 50. After acquiring the status information of all cells, the battery pack controller 50 completes data comparison, balancing decisions, and uniformly issues control commands, thus affecting balancing efficiency. Furthermore, this battery module requires additional data acquisition harnesses and communication interfaces, resulting in multiple system layers, high hardware costs, and control response limited by the processing power and communication bandwidth of the battery pack controller 50. During balancing, it typically only achieves overall balancing between battery clusters 10 or the battery pack 20, with a relatively coarse granularity.

[0027] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a battery module and its equalization control method. By employing intelligent cells integrating processing, storage, and equalization modules, each cell can autonomously determine whether it needs equalization and perform corresponding operations based on locally stored information, without relying on external controllers for data collection and decision-making. This simplifies the system architecture, improves the real-time performance of equalization response, and thus enhances the equalization efficiency of the battery module. Simultaneously, at least one cell in each battery cluster 10, which is determined to be the master control cell, stores the state information of each battery cluster 10 and controls all cells in the cluster to synchronously perform inter-cluster equalization operations based on this information. This enables inter-cluster equalization to be directly implemented at the cell level without the need for additional cluster-level controllers, further reducing system complexity and improving equalization efficiency. This solves at least one of the aforementioned technical problems.

[0028] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the battery module provided in the embodiment of this application. The battery module includes multiple battery clusters 10, each battery cluster 10 includes multiple battery packs 20, each battery pack 20 includes multiple battery cells 30, and each battery cell 30 integrates a processing module 31, a storage module 32, and an equalization module 33.

[0029] The storage module 32 of the cell 30 is configured to store first information, which is used to characterize the state information of each cell 30 in the battery pack 20 where the cell 30 is located. The processing module 31 of the cell 30 is configured to determine a first balancing strategy based on the first information, and control the balancing module 33 of the cell 30 to perform a first balancing operation based on the first balancing strategy, so as to balance the battery pack 20 where the cell 30 is located.

[0030] At least one cell 30 in each battery cluster 10 is determined to be the master control cell. The storage module 32 of the master control cell is also configured to store second information, which is used to characterize the state information of each battery cluster 10. The processing module 31 of the master control cell is also configured to determine a second equalization strategy based on the second information, and control the processing module 31 integrated in each cell 30 of the battery cluster 10 to perform the second equalization operation according to the second equalization strategy, so as to equalize the battery clusters 10.

[0031] For example, the state information of cell 30 includes at least one of voltage, temperature, pressure, and SOC (State of Charge). The state information of battery cluster 10 may include the state information of each cell 30 in battery cluster 10. Battery clusters 10 are connected in parallel, and multiple battery packs 20 in each battery cluster 10 are connected in series. Multiple cells 30 in each battery pack 20 can be connected in series. Each cell 30 is a smart cell with functions such as information storage, processing, and balancing. One or more cells 30 in each battery pack 20 can be predefined as master control cells. In addition to storing the first information, the master control cells can also store second information.

[0032] It is understood that the battery cell 30 mentioned in the embodiments of this application includes a main control battery cell, and the main control battery cell refers to one or more of the battery cells 30. The main control battery cell also possesses the processing logic of the battery cells 30, but the other battery cells 30 may not possess the processing logic of the main control battery cell. In the battery module, each battery cell 30 may store both first information and second information simultaneously, or only the main control battery cell may store both first information and second information simultaneously, while other battery cells 30 besides the main control battery cell may only store the first information. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit this.

[0033] Through the above technical solution, the cells 30 within the battery pack 20 can determine whether they need balancing by communicating with and storing the status information of other cells 30 within the pack, instead of sending all cell 30 data to the battery pack 20 controller for calculation and comparison of cell 30 health status before issuing balancing control signals. This simplifies the system architecture, improves the real-time performance of balancing response, and enhances the balancing efficiency of the battery module. Simultaneously, the master cells in different clusters can exchange information to determine whether a cluster needs balancing. When balancing is required, a command is issued to all cells 30 in that cluster to perform balancing operations simultaneously, thereby achieving balancing for that cluster. This allows inter-cluster balancing to be achieved directly at the cell 30 level without the need for additional cluster-level controllers, further reducing system complexity and improving balancing efficiency.

[0034] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example structure of the battery module provided in an embodiment of this application. In some examples, each cell 30 also integrates a data acquisition module 34 and a communication module 35. The data acquisition module 34 is connected to the processing module 31 and is configured to acquire the status information of the cell 30. The communication module 35 is connected to the processing module 31 and is configured to enable information interaction between the processing module 31 and other processing modules 31.

[0035] For example, the acquisition module 34 includes a temperature acquisition unit 341, a voltage acquisition unit 342, and a pressure acquisition unit 343. The temperature acquisition unit 341 is used to acquire the temperature of the battery cell 30, the voltage acquisition unit 342 is used to acquire the voltage of the battery cell 30, and the pressure acquisition unit 343 is used to acquire the pressure of the battery cell 30. The acquisition module 34 may also include other parameter acquisition units, which can be set according to actual needs. The communication module 35 may adopt, but is not limited to, wireless communication. Each battery cell 30 may also integrate other functional modules such as a voltage warning module.

[0036] In some examples, the storage module 32 of each battery cell 30 includes a first storage unit 321 and a second storage unit 322. The first storage unit 321 is used to store first information, and the second storage unit 322 is used to store second information. In other examples, the storage module 32 of the main control battery cell includes a first storage unit 321 and a second storage unit 322, while the storage module 32 of other battery cells 30 besides the main control battery cell includes a first storage unit 321. The specific configuration can be determined according to actual needs.

[0037] In some examples, the balancing module 33 includes an active balancing controller 331 and a passive balancing controller 332. The active balancing controller 331 is used to actively balance the battery cell 30, and the passive balancing controller 332 is used to passively balance the battery cell 30.

[0038] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an example structure of the active balancing controller provided in an embodiment of this application. In some examples, the battery cell 30 further includes a battery cell module 36 for energy storage. The active balancing controller 331 includes a switching unit 3311 and a bidirectional DC-DC converter 3312. One end of the switching unit 3311 is connected to the battery cell module 36, and the other end of the switching unit 3311 is connected to one end of the bidirectional DC-DC converter 3312. The other end of the bidirectional DC-DC converter 3312 is configured to be selectively connected to the balancing bus 40 or a DC source. The bidirectional DC-DC converter 3312 of the switching unit 3311 is also connected to the processing module 31. When the control switch unit 3311 of the processing module 31 is in the closed state, the battery cell module 36 can exchange energy with the balancing bus 40 or the DC source through the bidirectional DC-DC converter 3312. That is, excess electrical energy is released through the balancing bus 40 or the DC source, and insufficient electrical energy is supplemented through the balancing bus 40 or the DC source. When the control switch unit 3311 of the processing module 31 is in the open state, the battery cell module 36 cannot exchange energy with the balancing bus 40 or the DC source. For example, the DC source can be an energy storage device.

[0039] In some examples, the passive equalization controller 332 includes a power-dissipating resistor and a corresponding switch. One end of the switch is connected to the battery cell module 36, and the other end of the switch is connected to one end of the power-dissipating resistor, the other end of which is grounded. When the processing module 31 controls the switch to be closed, the electrical energy of the battery cell module 36 can be released through the power-dissipating resistor.

[0040] The processing logic of the processing module 31 of the battery cell 30 will be described in detail below.

[0041] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the processing module obtaining first information according to an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, taking the storage module 32 as an example, which includes a first storage unit 321 and a second storage unit 322, the processing module 31 of the main control cell is configured to obtain the first information through the following steps: It interacts with the processing module 31 of the other cells 30 in the battery pack 20 to obtain first information and stores the first information in the first storage unit 321.

[0042] Specifically, the status information of the nth cell 30 is identified as M. n n is the number of battery cells 30 in the battery pack 20, and is a positive integer. The processing module 31 of each battery cell 30 interacts with the processing modules 31 of the other battery cells 30 in the same battery pack 20 via the communication module 35 to obtain the status information of the other battery cells 30 in the same battery pack 20, i.e., the first information M1, M2, ..., M... n And the first information M1, M2, ..., M n Stored in the first storage unit 321.

[0043] It is understandable that the processing module 31 of the other cells 30 besides the main control cell also uses the above steps to obtain the first information, which will not be repeated here.

[0044] Please see Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the processing module obtaining second information according to an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, the processing module 31 of the main control cell is configured to obtain second information through the following steps: It interacts with the processing module 31 of the main control cell in the remaining battery cluster 10 to obtain second information and stores the second information in the second storage unit 322.

[0045] Specifically, the state information of the t-th battery cluster 10 is identified as N. tt represents the number of battery clusters 10, which is a positive integer. The processing module 31 of the main control cell in each battery cluster 10 interacts with the processing modules 31 of the main control cells in the other battery clusters 10 via the communication module 35 to obtain the status information of each battery cluster 10, namely the second information N1, N2, ..., N... t And the second information N1, N2, ..., N t Stored in the second storage unit 322.

[0046] It is understandable that the processing module 31 of the other cells 30 besides the main control cell can only obtain the first information and not store the second information, which will not be elaborated here.

[0047] Please see Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating active balancing among the cells in a battery pack provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, the processing module 31 of the cell 30 is configured to determine a first balancing strategy based on first information, which can be implemented in the following ways: Compare the state information of the battery cell 30 itself with the state information of the other battery cells 30 in the same battery pack 20 in the first information to determine the first comparison result; If the first comparison result meets the first preset condition, the first equilibrium strategy is determined to be passive equilibrium. If the first comparison result meets the second preset condition, the first equilibrium strategy is determined to be active equilibrium.

[0048] For example, the first comparison result satisfies a first preset condition, including: The deviation between the state information of the battery cell 30 itself and the state information of the other battery cells 30 in the same battery pack 20 in the first information is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold and less than the second preset threshold.

[0049] The first comparison result satisfies the second preset condition, including: The deviation between the state information of the cell 30 itself and the state information of the other cells 30 in the same battery pack 20 in the first information is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold.

[0050] For example, the first preset threshold can be set to be greater than or equal to 15mV and less than or equal to 20mV, such as any one of 15mV, 16mV, 17mV, 18mV, 19mV, and 20mV, or a range of any two. The second preset threshold can be set to be greater than 20mV and less than or equal to 30mV, such as any one of 21mV, 22mV, 23mV, 24mV, 25mV, 26mV, 27mV, 28mV, 29mV, and 30mV, or a range of any two.

[0051] Specifically, the balancing method in this application embodiment combines active and passive balancing. When comparing the state information of cell 30 itself with the state information of other cells 30 in the same battery pack 20 in the first information, the voltage of cell 30 itself can be compared with the voltage of other cells 30 in the same battery pack 20 in the first information. The comparison method can be quite flexible. For example, cell 30 itself can be compared with the cell 30 with the lowest voltage in the same battery pack 20, or it can be compared with the cell 30 with the highest voltage in the same battery pack 20. Alternatively, a reference cell in the same battery pack 20 can be arbitrarily specified, and then cell 30 itself can be compared with the reference cell. In addition, besides one-to-one comparison, cell 30 itself can also be compared with multiple other cells 30 in the same battery pack 20 simultaneously. This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0052] by Figure 5 Taking the first cell 30 (i.e., identified as cell 1) as an example, the processing module 31 of the first cell 30 (i.e., identified as cell 1) processes the first information M1, M2, ..., M... n If it is found that the voltage difference between itself and other cells 30 is 15mV~20mV, then the first comparison result is determined to meet the first preset condition, and the first balancing strategy is determined to be passive balancing; if it is found that the voltage difference between itself and other cells 30 is more than 20mV, then the first comparison result is determined to meet the second preset condition, and the first balancing strategy is determined to be active balancing.

[0053] In some embodiments, the processing module 31 of the battery cell 30 is configured to control the equalization module 33 of the battery cell 30 to perform a first equalization operation according to a first equalization strategy, which can be implemented in the following ways: When the first equalization strategy is passive equalization, the passive equalization controller 332 is turned on. When the first balancing strategy is active balancing, the active balancing controller 331 is activated.

[0054] Specifically, if the first equalization strategy is determined to be passive equalization, the processing module 31 can send a control command to the passive equalization controller 332 to turn on the switch in the passive equalization controller 332, and consume energy through the energy-consuming resistor to maintain the stability of SOC, voltage, temperature, etc. If the first equalization strategy is determined to be active equalization, the processing module 31 can send a control command to the active equalization controller 331 to turn on the switch unit 3311 in the active equalization controller 331, and maintain the stability of SOC, voltage, temperature, etc. by interacting with the equalization bus 40 or DC source.

[0055] Through the above scheme, after the data between the cells 30 interacts with each other, the active balancing architecture can be changed, and the external battery information acquisition and battery pack 20 controller can be removed. Only the cells 30 themselves need to issue judgment and control commands to perform active balancing, and quickly balance with the bus voltage of the balancing bus 40 or the external DC source, so that excess power can be released through the balancing bus 40 or the external DC source, and power can be replenished in time when it is insufficient, thereby achieving balancing between different cells 30 in a battery pack 20.

[0056] Please see Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of active balancing between battery clusters provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, the processing module 31 of the main control cell is further configured to determine a second balancing strategy based on the second information, which can be implemented in the following ways: Compare the state information of the battery cluster 10 where the main control cell is located with the state information of the other battery clusters 10 to determine the second comparison result; If the second comparison result meets the third preset condition, the second equilibrium strategy is determined to be active equilibrium.

[0057] For example, the second comparison result satisfies the third preset condition, including: The deviation between the state information of the main control cell in the battery cluster 10 and the state information of the other battery clusters 10 is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold.

[0058] For example, the third preset threshold can be set to be greater than or equal to 50mV.

[0059] Specifically, when comparing the state information of the battery cluster 10 containing the main control cell with the state information of the other battery clusters 10, the voltage of the battery cluster 10 containing the main control cell can be compared with the voltage of the other battery clusters 10 in the second information. The comparison method can be quite flexible. For example, the battery cluster 10 containing the main control cell can be compared with the battery cluster 10 with the lowest voltage among the other battery clusters 10, or the battery cluster 10 containing the main control cell can be compared with the battery cluster 10 with the highest voltage among the other battery clusters 10. Alternatively, a reference battery cluster can be arbitrarily specified among the other battery clusters 10, and then the battery cluster 10 containing the main control cell can be compared with the reference battery cluster. In addition, besides one-to-one comparison, the battery cluster 10 containing the main control cell can also be compared with multiple other battery clusters 10 simultaneously. This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0060] by Figure 6 Taking the main control cell 1 in the battery cluster 1 as an example, the processing module 31 of the main control cell 1 processes the second information N1, N2, ..., N tIf it is found that the voltage difference between the battery cluster 10 and other battery clusters 10 exceeds 50mV, then the second comparison result is determined to meet the third preset condition, and the second equalization strategy is determined to be active equalization.

[0061] In some embodiments, the processing module 31 of the main control cell is configured to control the processing module 31 integrated in each cell 30 of the battery cluster 10 to perform a second balancing operation according to the second balancing strategy. Specifically, this can be achieved in the following ways: When the second balancing strategy is active balancing, the active balancing controller 331 of the main control cell is turned on, and a control command is sent to the processing module 31 integrated in the other cells 30 of the battery cluster 10, so that the processing module 31 integrated in the other cells 30 of the battery cluster 10 responds to the control command and controls the corresponding active balancing controller 331 to turn on.

[0062] Specifically, when the second balancing strategy is determined to be active balancing, the processing module 31 of the main control cell of the battery cluster 10 can send a control command to the active balancing controller 331 to activate the switching unit 3311 in the active balancing controller 331 of the main control cell. This allows for energy interaction with the balancing bus 40 or a DC source, thereby maintaining the stability of the main control cell's SOC, voltage, and temperature. Furthermore, the main control cell of the battery cluster 10 also sends control commands to the processing modules 31 integrated in the other cells 30 of the same battery cluster 10 to activate the switching units 3311 in the active balancing controllers 331 of the other cells 30 of the same battery cluster 10. This allows for energy interaction with the balancing bus 40 or a DC source, maintaining the stability of the other cells 30's SOC, voltage, and temperature, thereby achieving stability of the SOC, voltage, and temperature of the entire battery cluster 10.

[0063] Through the above scheme, when the battery cluster 10 finds that there is a large difference in voltage, temperature, SOC and other parameters compared with other battery clusters 10, the main control cell of the battery cluster 10 will issue a control command and synchronously send it to the other cells 30 in the battery cluster 10, controlling all cells 30 of the battery cluster 10 to synchronously start active balancing, thereby achieving the balance between the battery cluster 10 and other battery clusters 10.

[0064] In some embodiments, multiple cells 30 in each battery cluster 10 are determined to be master control cells. There is a preset priority among the multiple master control cells. The master control cell with lower priority is configured to continue to interact with the master control cells of other battery clusters 10 in the event of an anomaly of the master control cell with higher priority.

[0065] Specifically, in each battery cluster 10, only one master control cell interacts with the master control cells of other battery clusters 10 at a time. If the master control cell is abnormal, the next master control cell will take over the current master control cell in order of priority from high to low and continue to interact with the master control cells of other battery clusters 10.

[0066] It is understood that in the battery module of this application embodiment, each cell 30 integrates a processing module 31, a storage module 32, and an equalization module 33. The storage module 32 of each cell 30 stores the status information of other cells 30 in its battery pack 20, enabling each cell 30 to autonomously determine whether it needs equalization and perform corresponding operations based on the locally stored information, without relying on external controllers for data collection and decision-making. This simplifies the system architecture, improves the real-time performance of equalization response, and thus enhances the equalization efficiency of the battery module. At the same time, the master control cell not only stores cell 30 data but also cluster-level cell 30 data, and controls all cells 30 in its cluster to synchronously perform inter-cluster equalization operations based on this information. This allows inter-cluster equalization to be directly implemented at the cell 30 level without the need for additional cluster-level controllers, further reducing system complexity and improving equalization efficiency.

[0067] Accordingly, this application embodiment also provides a battery module equalization control method, which is applied to the processing module 31 of the main control cell in the battery module of this application embodiment.

[0068] Please see Figure 9 , Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the battery module balancing control method according to an embodiment of this application. The balancing control method specifically includes the following steps: Step 901: Determine the first balancing strategy based on the first information stored in the storage module 32, and control the balancing module 33 of the cell 30 to perform the first balancing operation according to the first balancing strategy, so as to balance the battery pack 20 in which it is located. Step 902: Determine the second balancing strategy based on the second information stored in the storage module 32, and control the processing module 31 integrated in each cell 30 of the battery cluster 10 to perform the second balancing operation according to the second balancing strategy, so as to balance the battery clusters 10.

[0069] In some embodiments, the equalization control method further includes the following steps: It interacts with the processing module 31 of the other cells 30 in the battery pack 20 to obtain first information and stores the first information in the first storage unit 321; It interacts with the processing module 31 of the main control cell in the remaining battery cluster 10 to obtain second information and stores the second information in the second storage unit 322.

[0070] In some embodiments, step 901 specifically includes the following steps: Compare the state information of the battery cell 30 itself with the state information of the other battery cells 30 in the same battery pack 20 in the first information to determine the first comparison result; If the first comparison result meets the first preset condition, the first equilibrium strategy is determined to be passive equilibrium. If the first comparison result meets the second preset condition, the first equilibrium strategy is determined to be active equilibrium.

[0071] In some embodiments, step 901 further includes the following steps: When the first equalization strategy is passive equalization, the passive equalization controller 332 is turned on. When the first balancing strategy is active balancing, the active balancing controller 331 is activated.

[0072] In some embodiments, the first comparison result satisfies a first preset condition, including: The deviation between the state information of the cell 30 itself and the state information of the other cells 30 in the same battery pack 20 in the first information is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold and less than the second preset threshold. The first comparison result satisfies the second preset condition, including: The deviation between the state information of the cell 30 itself and the state information of the other cells 30 in the same battery pack 20 in the first information is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold.

[0073] In some embodiments, step 902 specifically includes the following steps: Compare the state information of the battery cluster 10 where the main control cell is located with the state information of the other battery clusters 10 to determine the second comparison result; If the second comparison result meets the third preset condition, the second equilibrium strategy is determined to be active equilibrium.

[0074] In some embodiments, step 902 further includes the following steps: When the second balancing strategy is active balancing, the active balancing controller 331 of the main control cell is turned on, and a control command is sent to the processing module 31 integrated in the other cells 30 of the battery cluster 10, so that the processing module 31 integrated in the other cells 30 of the battery cluster 10 responds to the control command and controls the corresponding active balancing controller 331 to turn on.

[0075] In some embodiments, the second comparison result satisfies a third preset condition, including: The deviation between the state information of the main control cell in the battery cluster 10 and the state information of the other battery clusters 10 is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold.

[0076] In the battery module balancing control method of this application embodiment, each cell 30 can autonomously determine whether it needs balancing and perform corresponding operations based on locally stored information, without relying on external controllers for data collection and decision-making. This simplifies the system architecture, improves the real-time performance of balancing response, and thus enhances the balancing efficiency of the battery module. At the same time, the master control cell in each battery cluster 10 can also control all cells 30 in its cluster to synchronously perform inter-cluster balancing operations based on the status information of each battery cluster 10. This allows inter-cluster balancing to be directly implemented at the cell 30 level without the need for additional cluster-level controllers, further reducing system complexity and improving balancing efficiency.

[0077] It should be noted that, in the data processing stage, the technical solution of this application has strictly limited the scope of data collection to the minimum necessary to achieve the technical objectives, preventing the acquisition of irrelevant information. For any user information to be collected, the data subject will be clearly informed and their consent obtained. Furthermore, technologies such as encrypted storage and access control are employed to strengthen data security and ensure the security and compliance of the entire data processing process. The technical model and decision-making mechanism are based on objective technical parameters and do not introduce unnecessary parameters such as gender or age that may lead to discrimination, resolutely eliminating algorithmic discrimination and upholding public order and good morals. In addition, the specification fully describes the technical implementation methods, application scenarios, and compliance protection details. The claims are consistent with the content of the specification, key compliance designs are clear and verifiable, and the overall technical design is guided by the protection of public interests and adherence to social ethics, without any circumstances that harm public interests or violate public order and good morals.

[0078] 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.

[0079] The battery module and its equalization control method provided in the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A battery module, characterized in that, It includes multiple battery clusters (10), each battery cluster (10) includes multiple battery packs (20), each battery pack (20) includes multiple cells (30), and each cell (30) integrates a processing module (31), a storage module (32) and an equalization module (33). The storage module (32) of the battery cell (30) is configured to store first information, which is used to characterize the state information of each battery cell (30) in the battery pack (20) where the battery cell (30) is located. The processing module (31) of the battery cell (30) is configured to determine a first balancing strategy based on the first information, and control the balancing module (33) of the battery cell (30) to perform a first balancing operation based on the first balancing strategy to balance the battery pack (20) where the battery cell (30) is located. At least one of the cells (30) in each of the battery clusters (10) is determined to be the master control cell. The storage module (32) of the master control cell is also configured to store second information, which is used to characterize the state information of each of the battery clusters (10). The processing module (31) of the master control cell is also configured to determine a second balancing strategy based on the second information, and control the processing module (31) integrated in each cell (30) of the battery cluster (10) to perform a second balancing operation to balance the battery clusters (10).

2. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage module (32) includes a first storage unit (321) and a second storage unit (322); the processing module (31) of the main control cell is configured to obtain the first information and the second information through the following steps: Interact with the processing module (31) of the other cells (30) in the battery pack (20) to obtain the first information and store the first information in the first storage unit (321). It interacts with the processing module (31) of the main control cell in the remaining battery cluster (10) to obtain the second information and stores the second information in the second storage unit (322).

3. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The processing module (31) of the battery cell (30) is configured to determine a first equalization strategy based on the first information, including: The state information of the cell (30) itself is compared with the state information of the other cells (30) in the same battery pack (20) in the first information to determine the first comparison result; If the first comparison result meets the first preset condition, the first equilibrium strategy is determined to be passive equilibrium. If the first comparison result meets the second preset condition, the first equilibrium strategy is determined to be active equilibrium.

4. The battery module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The equalization module (33) includes an active equalization controller (331) and a passive equalization controller (332); the processing module (31) of the battery cell (30) is configured to control the equalization module (33) of the battery cell (30) to perform a first equalization operation according to the first equalization strategy, including: When the first equalization strategy is passive equalization, the passive equalization controller (332) is turned on; When the first balancing strategy is active balancing, the active balancing controller (331) is turned on.

5. The battery module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The battery cell (30) also includes a battery cell module (36). The active balancing controller (331) includes a switching unit (3311) and a bidirectional DC-DC converter (3312). One end of the switching unit (3311) is connected to the battery cell module (36), and the other end of the switching unit (3311) is connected to one end of the bidirectional DC-DC converter (3312). The other end of the bidirectional DC-DC converter (3312) is configured to be selectively connected to the balancing bus (40) or a DC source. The switching unit (3311) and the bidirectional DC-DC converter (3312) are also connected to the processing module (31) respectively.

6. The battery module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first comparison result satisfies the first preset condition, including: The deviation between the state information of the cell (30) itself and the state information of the other cells (30) in the same battery pack (20) in the first information is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold and less than the second preset threshold. The first comparison result satisfies the second preset condition, including: The deviation between the state information of the cell (30) itself and the state information of the other cells (30) in the same battery pack (20) in the first information is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold.

7. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The processing module (31) of the main control cell is further configured to determine a second equalization strategy based on the second information, including: The state information of the battery cluster (10) where the main control cell is located is compared with the state information of the other battery clusters (10) to determine the second comparison result; If the second comparison result meets the third preset condition, the second equilibrium strategy is determined to be active equilibrium.

8. The battery module according to claim 7, characterized in that, The balancing module (33) includes an active balancing controller (331); the processing module (31) of the main control cell is further configured to control the processing module (31) integrated in each cell (30) of the battery cluster (10) to perform a second balancing operation according to the second balancing strategy, including: When the second balancing strategy is active balancing, the active balancing controller (331) of the main control cell is turned on, and a control command is sent to the processing module (31) integrated in the other cells (30) of the battery cluster (10) so that the processing module (31) integrated in the other cells (30) of the battery cluster (10) responds to the control command and controls the corresponding active balancing controller (331) to turn on.

9. The battery module according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second comparison result satisfies the third preset condition, including: The deviation between the state information of the battery cluster (10) where the main control cell is located and the state information of the other battery clusters (10) is greater than or equal to a third preset threshold.

10. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the battery cells (30) also integrates a data acquisition module (34) and a communication module (35). The data acquisition module (34) is connected to the processing module (31) and is configured to acquire the status information of the battery cell (30). The communication module (35) is connected to the processing module (31) and is configured to realize information interaction between the processing module (31) and other processing modules (31).

11. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, In each of the battery clusters (10), a plurality of cells (30) are identified as the master control cells. The plurality of master control cells have a preset priority. The master control cells with lower priority are configured to continue to interact with the master control cells of other battery clusters (10) in the event of an anomaly in the master control cells with higher priority.

12. A method for equalization control of a battery module, characterized in that, The processing module (31) is applied to the main control cell in the battery module as described in any one of claims 1 to 11; the equalization control method includes: The first balancing strategy is determined based on the first information stored in the storage module (32), and the balancing module (33) of the cell (30) is controlled to perform the first balancing operation based on the first balancing strategy to balance the battery pack (20). The second balancing strategy is determined based on the second information stored in the storage module (32), and the processing module (31) integrated in each cell (30) of the battery cluster (10) is controlled to perform the second balancing operation based on the second balancing strategy, so as to balance the battery clusters (10).

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