Circuit breaker and energy storage system

Abstract

This application provides a circuit breaker and an energy storage system, relating to the field of low-voltage electrical equipment technology. The system includes a data acquisition unit for acquiring operating status parameters of the energy storage unit and sending them to a control unit; a control unit for determining battery management parameters of the energy storage unit based on the operating status parameters and sending the operating status parameters and battery management parameters to a communication unit; a communication unit for forwarding the operating status parameters and battery management parameters to external devices, receiving opening or closing control signals sent by external devices based on the operating status parameters, and sending these signals to the control unit; a control unit for generating opening or closing control commands and sending them to an opening / closing unit; and an opening / closing unit for performing opening or closing control. This system enables the circuit breaker to have both safety management functions and battery power management functions, improving its applicability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of low-voltage electrical technology, and in particular to a circuit breaker and energy storage system. Background Technology

[0002] An electromagnetic circuit breaker is a device that uses electromagnetic principles to protect circuits. The core components of an electromagnetic circuit breaker are an electromagnet and a tripping mechanism. When the current in the circuit exceeds a predetermined value, the electromagnet generates sufficient magnetic force to activate the tripping mechanism, thereby disconnecting the circuit.

[0003] In existing technologies, electric bicycles / motorcycles are often equipped with ordinary electromagnetic circuit breakers for current overload and short circuit protection of the battery pack.

[0004] It can be seen that existing electromagnetic circuit breakers only support current overload and short circuit protection functions, and do not have battery current management functions. Therefore, existing electromagnetic circuit breakers have poor applicability. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to address the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a circuit breaker and energy storage system that enables the circuit breaker to have both safety management functions and battery power management functions, thereby improving the applicability of the circuit breaker.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of this application are as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a circuit breaker, comprising: a data acquisition unit, a switching unit, and a communication unit that are electrically connected to the control unit;

[0008] The acquisition unit is used to acquire the operating status parameters of the energy storage unit and send them to the control unit. The operating status parameters include at least: power parameters.

[0009] The control unit is used to determine the battery management parameters of the energy storage unit based on the operating status parameters, and send the operating status parameters and the battery management parameters to the communication unit;

[0010] The communication unit is used to forward the operating status parameters and the battery management parameters to external devices, receive the tripping control signal or the closing control signal sent by the external devices according to the operating status parameters, and send them to the control unit.

[0011] The control unit is used to generate a tripping control command based on the tripping control signal, or to generate a closing control command based on the closing control signal, and send it to the tripping / closing unit.

[0012] The circuit breaker and closing unit is used to perform circuit breaker control according to the circuit breaker control command, or to perform circuit breaker control according to the circuit breaker closing command.

[0013] In an optional implementation, the operating status parameters further include at least one of the following: current parameters, voltage parameters, and temperature parameters;

[0014] The control unit is further configured to send an alarm signal to the communication unit and / or send a tripping control command to the tripping and closing unit if it is determined that the energy storage unit is in an abnormal state based on the operating status parameters.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the circuit breaker further includes an alarm unit, which is electrically connected to the control unit;

[0016] The control unit is further configured to send an alarm signal to the alarm unit and / or the communication unit if the power of the energy storage unit is determined to be less than a first preset power threshold according to the operating status parameters, wherein the alarm unit is configured to issue an alarm according to the alarm signal, and the communication unit is configured to forward the alarm signal to the external device.

[0017] If the energy storage unit's power is determined to be less than the second preset power threshold based on the operating status parameters, a tripping control command is sent to the tripping and closing unit, wherein the first preset power threshold is greater than the second preset power threshold.

[0018] In an optional implementation, the switching unit is in the closed state and the energy storage unit is in the charging state;

[0019] The control unit is further configured to send a tripping control command to the tripping and closing unit if it is determined from the operating status parameters that the charging voltage and / or charging current of the energy storage unit does not meet the preset charging requirements.

[0020] In an optional implementation, the switching unit is in the closed state and the energy storage unit is in the discharging state;

[0021] The control unit is further configured to send a tripping control command to the tripping and closing unit if it is determined from the operating status parameters that the discharge current of the energy storage unit does not meet the preset discharge requirements.

[0022] In an optional implementation, a preset monitoring interface electrically connected to the control unit is also included. The preset monitoring interface is located on the circuit breaker body, and the operating status parameters collected by the acquisition unit are sent to the control unit through the preset monitoring interface.

[0023] In an optional implementation, the battery management parameters include: battery health parameters;

[0024] The control unit is also used to calculate the current battery capacity of the energy storage unit based on the operating status parameters;

[0025] The battery health parameters of the energy storage unit are calculated based on the current battery capacity and the preset battery capacity of the energy storage unit.

[0026] In an optional implementation, the control unit is specifically used to calculate the first current battery charge and the second current battery charge of the energy storage unit according to the open-circuit voltage method and the battery capacity integral method, respectively.

[0027] The current battery level of the energy storage unit is calculated based on the first current battery level, the second current battery level, and a preset weighting coefficient.

[0028] In an optional embodiment, the energy storage unit includes a battery pack, which includes multiple battery cells, and the operating status parameters include the operating status parameters of each battery cell.

[0029] Secondly, the present invention provides an energy storage system, including a circuit breaker and an energy storage unit as described in any of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the power supply terminal of the energy storage unit is connected to the input terminal of the circuit breaker, and the output terminal of the circuit breaker is connected to a load.

[0030] The beneficial effects of this application are:

[0031] The circuit breaker and energy storage system provided in this application includes: a data acquisition unit, a tripping and closing unit, and a communication unit electrically connected to the control unit; the data acquisition unit is used to acquire the operating status parameters of the energy storage unit and send them to the control unit, the operating status parameters including at least: power parameters; the control unit is used to determine the battery management parameters of the energy storage unit based on the operating status parameters, and send the operating status parameters and battery management parameters to the communication unit; the communication unit is used to forward the operating status parameters and battery management parameters to external devices, receive tripping control signals or closing control signals sent by external devices based on the operating status parameters, and send them to the control unit; the control unit is used to generate tripping control commands based on tripping control signals, or generate closing control commands based on closing control signals, and send them to the tripping and closing unit; the tripping and closing unit is used to perform tripping control based on tripping control commands, or perform closing control based on closing control commands, thus enabling the circuit breaker to have both safety management functions and battery power management functions, thereby improving the applicability of the circuit breaker. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the functional modules of a circuit breaker provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the functional modules of another circuit breaker provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the functional modules of another circuit breaker provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 4 A functional module diagram of an energy storage system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the functional modules of another energy storage system provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, 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. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0039] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0040] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0041] In the existing technology, electromagnetic circuit breakers are often installed in electric bicycles / motorcycles to achieve current overload and short circuit protection functions. However, these electromagnetic circuit breakers do not have battery current management functions. Therefore, existing electromagnetic circuit breakers have poor applicability.

[0042] In view of this, the present application provides a circuit breaker that not only has safety management functions but also battery power management functions, which can improve the applicability of the circuit breaker.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a functional module diagram of a circuit breaker provided in an embodiment of this application. Optionally, the circuit breaker 100 can be an electromagnetic mechanical circuit breaker (miniature circuit breaker), a hybrid solid-state circuit breaker, or a pure solid-state circuit breaker, and is not limited herein.

[0044] Optionally, if it is an electromagnetic mechanical circuit breaker, it can be used in vehicles such as electric cars, electric motorcycles, and sedans. It can also be used in small-scale home energy storage systems, which can serve as backup power to ensure basic household electricity needs during grid failures or power outages. Optionally, if it is a hybrid solid-state circuit breaker or a pure solid-state circuit breaker, it can be used in high-power applications such as energy storage power stations or backup energy storage power supplies for residential buildings. There are no limitations here; the choice can be flexible based on the actual application scenario. Taking its application in vehicles such as electric cars, electric motorcycles, and sedans as an example, this embodiment can promptly monitor battery depletion caused by overcharging and over-discharging, preventing fires caused by overheating or short circuits.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the circuit breaker 100 may include: a data acquisition unit 120, a switching unit 130, and a communication unit 140, which are electrically connected to the control unit 110.

[0046] The acquisition unit 120 is used to acquire the operating status parameters of the energy storage unit 150 and send them to the control unit 110. The operating status parameters include at least: power parameters. The control unit 110 is used to determine the battery management parameters of the energy storage unit 150 based on the operating status parameters and send the operating status parameters and battery management parameters to the communication unit 140. The communication unit 140 is used to forward the operating status parameters and battery management parameters to external devices, receive the tripping control signal or closing control signal sent by external devices based on the operating status parameters, and send them to the control unit 110. The control unit 110 is used to generate a tripping control command based on the tripping control signal, or generate a closing control command based on the closing control signal, and send it to the tripping / closing unit 130. The tripping / closing unit 130 is used to perform tripping control based on the tripping control command, or perform closing control based on the closing control command.

[0047] Optionally, such as Figure 1 As shown, when making specific connections, the power supply terminal of the energy storage unit 150 can be connected to the incoming terminal of the circuit breaker 100, and the outgoing terminal of the circuit breaker 100 can be connected to the load to supply power to the load.

[0048] In some embodiments, the energy storage unit 150 may include a battery pack, which may include at least one individual battery cell. Furthermore, depending on the actual application scenario, it may correspond to different loads; for example, in electric vehicles and electric motorcycles, the load may be a motor, an electric vehicle controller, an electric vehicle display screen, etc., and this is not limited to any particular type.

[0049] Optionally, the acquisition unit 120 may include a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a temperature sensor, etc., which are not limited here.

[0050] In some embodiments, the voltage sensor can be used to collect voltage parameters such as open-circuit voltage, discharge voltage, and charging voltage of the energy storage unit 150. The open-circuit voltage refers to the terminal voltage of the energy storage unit 150 under no-load (i.e., no current flows through) conditions. In some embodiments, the voltage sensor can be a voltage transformer, a digital voltage sensor, a capacitive voltage divider type voltage sensor, etc., which are not limited here.

[0051] In some embodiments, the current sensor can be used to collect current parameters such as charging current, discharging current, and self-discharging current of the energy storage unit 150. Optionally, the current sensor can be a Hall current sensor, a shunt, or the like.

[0052] In some embodiments, a temperature sensor can be used to collect the temperature rise of the energy storage unit 150. Optionally, the temperature sensor can be an NTC, PTC, thermocouple, or chip-type temperature sensor, etc., which is not limited here.

[0053] The working principle of the circuit breaker 100 in this application is as follows: the control unit 110 can collect the operating status parameters of the energy storage unit 150 through the acquisition unit 120, determine the battery management parameters of the energy storage unit 150 based on the operating status parameters, and send the operating status parameters and battery management parameters to external devices through the communication unit 140. Optionally, the battery management parameters may include: the current battery level of the energy storage unit 150, the battery health parameters of the energy storage unit 150, etc., wherein the current battery level of the energy storage unit 150 can be represented by the state of charge (SOC) to reflect the percentage of the remaining battery capacity in the energy storage unit 150 relative to the total capacity.

[0054] In some embodiments, the external device can be an external controller. Taking an electromagnetic mechanical circuit breaker 100 as an example, and an electric vehicle as an example, the external device can optionally be a main controller in an electric bicycle, where the main controller is primarily used for motor control. Optionally, the main controller can be electrically connected to an interactive device and the aforementioned communication unit 140.

[0055] Optionally, after receiving the battery management parameters, the external device can display them through the display unit so that the user can manage the energy storage unit 150 (e.g., repair or replace it) through the battery management parameters displayed on the display unit, thereby enabling the circuit breaker 100 to have battery power management function.

[0056] Optionally, upon receiving the operating status parameter, the external device can generate a tripping or closing signal based on the parameter. If the operating status parameter is abnormal, a tripping control signal can be generated; if the parameter is normal, a closing control signal can optionally be generated via an interactive device (e.g., a touchscreen, buttons, etc.) electrically connected to the external device. The generated tripping or closing control signal can then be further sent to the control unit 110.

[0057] The control unit 110 receives the tripping control signal and generates a tripping control command accordingly, which is then sent to the tripping and closing unit 130; or, it receives the closing control signal and generates a closing control command accordingly, which is then sent to the tripping and closing unit 130.

[0058] For the opening and closing unit 130, after receiving the opening control command, it can switch the circuit breaker 100 from the current closing state to the opening state, or after receiving the closing control command, it can switch the circuit breaker 100 from the current opening state to the closing state, thereby realizing flexible switching between opening and closing states and enabling the circuit breaker 100 to have safety management functions.

[0059] It should be noted that the aforementioned communication unit 140 may have optical isolation functionality; for example, it may employ an integrated isolation communication chip. Furthermore, it should be noted that, depending on the actual application scenario, the tripping control signal and / or closing control signal may also be generated remotely. For example, a user may generate the tripping control signal and / or closing control signal through a remote terminal and forward this signal to an external device via the communication unit. The specific control method is not limited here.

[0060] In summary, this application provides a circuit breaker comprising: a data acquisition unit, a tripping and closing unit, and a communication unit electrically connected to the control unit; the data acquisition unit is used to acquire operating status parameters of an energy storage unit and send them to the control unit, the operating status parameters including at least a power parameter; the control unit is used to determine battery management parameters of the energy storage unit based on the operating status parameters and send the operating status parameters and battery management parameters to the communication unit; the communication unit is used to forward the operating status parameters and battery management parameters to external devices, receive tripping control signals or closing control signals sent by external devices based on the operating status parameters, and send them to the control unit; the control unit is used to generate tripping control commands based on tripping control signals, or generate closing control commands based on closing control signals, and send them to the tripping and closing unit; the tripping and closing unit is used to perform tripping control based on tripping control commands, or perform closing control based on closing control commands, thereby enabling the circuit breaker to have both safety management functions and battery power management functions, improving the applicability of the circuit breaker.

[0061] Furthermore, compared to existing methods that combine a Battery Management System (BMS) control board, existing circuit breakers, and controllers to achieve safety management and battery power management functions, this application can achieve miniaturization, thereby solving the problem of difficult installation and placement of BMS control boards and circuit breakers due to limited available space in some application scenarios (electric vehicle bodies), and can avoid setting up numerous wirings between boards, increasing the reliability of the system.

[0062] In an optional implementation, the operating status parameters further include at least one of the following: current parameters, voltage parameters, and temperature parameters, wherein the current parameters, voltage parameters, and temperature parameters can be acquired by the voltage sensor, current sensor, and temperature sensor described above, respectively.

[0063] Optionally, the control unit 110 is also configured to send an alarm signal to the communication unit 140 and / or send a tripping control command to the tripping and closing unit 130 if it is determined from the operating status parameters that the energy storage unit 150 is in an abnormal state.

[0064] The control unit 110 can determine whether the operating status of the energy storage unit 150 is normal based on the operating status parameters collected by the acquisition unit 120. Optionally, the abnormal status can be classified into overcharge, over-discharge, short circuit, overload, and over-temperature according to the different causes of the abnormality. If any abnormal status is determined, the control unit 110 can generate an alarm signal and forward the alarm signal to an external device through the communication unit 140 so that the user can know the operating status of the energy storage unit 150 through the external device. Alternatively, it can send a tripping control command to the tripping and closing unit 130 so that the tripping and closing unit 130 can perform tripping control according to the tripping control command to avoid the abnormal status from deteriorating and causing a fire or seriously affecting the battery performance.

[0065] It should be noted that, depending on the actual application scenario, an alarm signal can be sent to the communication unit 140 while simultaneously sending a tripping control command to the tripping and closing unit 130. This allows the tripping and closing unit 130 to promptly perform tripping control based on the tripping control command, enabling users to monitor the operating status of the energy storage unit 150 through this external device while performing safety management, thus improving the applicability of the circuit breaker 100. Of course, this application does not limit the specific control strategy; it can be flexibly configured according to the actual application scenario.

[0066] Specifically, when judging abnormal states, if the operating status parameters indicate that the charging voltage of the energy storage unit 150 exceeds the charging termination voltage, it is judged as overcharge; if the operating status parameters indicate that the battery voltage is lower than the discharge cutoff voltage after the energy storage unit 150 discharges, it is judged as over-discharge; if the operating status parameters indicate that the discharge current of the energy storage unit 150 during the discharge process is greater than the preset maximum discharge current, it is judged as overload; if the operating status parameters indicate that the discharge current of the energy storage unit 150 during the discharge process is greater than the preset short-circuit current, it is judged as short circuit; if the operating status parameters indicate that the temperature of the energy storage unit 150 is greater than the preset temperature threshold, it is judged as over-temperature.

[0067] Figure 2 This is a functional module diagram of another circuit breaker 100 provided in an embodiment of this application. Optionally, as... Figure 2 As shown, the circuit breaker 100 also includes an alarm unit 160, which is electrically connected to the control unit 110. Optionally, the alarm unit 160 may be an indicator light alarm or an audible alarm, which is not limited here.

[0068] The control unit 110 is further configured to send an alarm signal to the alarm unit 160 and / or the communication unit 140 if the energy storage unit 150 is determined to be less than a first preset energy threshold based on the operating status parameters, wherein the alarm unit 160 is configured to issue an alarm based on the alarm signal, and the communication unit 140 is configured to forward the alarm signal to an external device; and to send a tripping control command to the tripping and closing unit 130 if the energy storage unit 150 is determined to be less than a second preset energy threshold based on the operating status parameters, wherein the first preset energy threshold is greater than the second preset energy threshold.

[0069] During the discharge process of the energy storage unit 150, considering that the energy storage unit 150 may have a low charge level, if the discharge continues, the battery capacity may gradually decrease, the internal resistance may increase, and the battery life may be shortened. In particular, if the battery is not charged at this time and continues to discharge, the energy storage unit 150 may undergo deep discharge, making the battery unusable.

[0070] Based on the above description, optionally, the control unit 110 can determine the power level of the energy storage unit 150 in real time according to the operating status parameters. If the power level is less than or below a first preset power threshold, it indicates that the current power level of the energy storage unit 150 is low, and the control unit 110 can send an alarm signal to the alarm unit 160 and / or the communication unit 140. The alarm unit 160 can provide a light and / or sound alarm based on the alarm signal. After receiving the alarm signal, the communication unit 140 can further forward the alarm signal to an external device. Optionally, after receiving the alarm signal, the external device can display a reminder through the display unit. It is understood that at this time, the user can know that the current power level of the energy storage unit 150 is low through the alarm unit 160 and / or the display unit, and can charge it in time.

[0071] Optionally, if the power level is less than or below the second preset power threshold, it indicates that the current power level of the energy storage unit 150 is very low. If the discharge continues, the battery may become unusable. In this scenario, the control unit 110 can send a trip control command to the trip unit 130. After receiving the trip control command, the trip unit 130 can perform a trip operation in a timely manner. It is understood that tripping the circuit breaker at this time can prevent the energy storage unit 150 from undergoing deep discharge, protect battery performance, and extend battery life.

[0072] In an optional implementation, when the circuit breaker unit 130 is in the closed state and the energy storage unit 150 is in the charging state, the control unit 110 is further configured to send a circuit breaker control command to the circuit breaker unit 130 if it is determined from the operating state parameters that the charging voltage and / or charging current of the energy storage unit 150 does not meet the preset charging requirements.

[0073] When the circuit breaker unit 130 is in the closed state and the energy storage unit 150 is in the charging state, the control unit 110 can monitor the charging process. For example, if an unsuitable charging device is used or the charging time is too long and causes overcharge, the control unit 110 can determine that the charging voltage and / or charging current of the energy storage unit 150 does not meet the preset charging requirements (not within the normal allowable charging range) based on the operating status parameters. Optionally, the control unit 110 can send a circuit breaker control command to the circuit breaker unit 130 to realize the circuit breaker operation and protect the battery from overcharge damage.

[0074] Of course, it should be noted that if it is determined that the charging voltage and / or charging current of the energy storage unit 150 does not meet the preset charging requirements, in some scenarios, the control unit 110 can also send an alarm signal to the alarm unit 160 and / or the communication unit 140 to achieve synchronous alarm.

[0075] In an optional implementation, when the closing / opening unit 130 is in the closed state and the energy storage unit 150 is in the discharging state, the control unit 110 is further configured to send a closing control command to the closing / opening unit 130 if it is determined from the operating state parameters that the discharge current of the energy storage unit 150 does not meet the preset discharge requirements.

[0076] When the circuit breaker unit 130 is in the closed state and the energy storage unit 150 is in the discharging state, if an abnormality occurs at the load end (such as a short circuit or motor stall current overload) causing the battery discharge current to be too large and not meet the preset discharge requirements, the control unit 110 can send a circuit breaker control command to the circuit breaker unit 130 to realize the circuit breaker operation through the circuit breaker unit 130, thereby achieving overload and short circuit protection.

[0077] Optionally, the circuit breaker 100 may further include a storage unit electrically connected to the control unit 110, wherein the storage unit can be used to store relevant protection strategies and operating status parameters, and periodically record and store charging and discharging events, abnormal protection, and operating status logs during the operation of the circuit breaker 100, so that users can manage and analyze the long-term use of the battery.

[0078] Optionally, the storage unit can be a non-volatile storage device (such as EEPROM, FRAM, FLASH, etc.), so that the stored data will not be lost when the circuit breaker 100 is powered off and then powered on again.

[0079] Figure 3 This is a functional module diagram of another circuit breaker 100 provided in an embodiment of this application. In optional implementations, such as... Figure 3As shown, it also includes a preset monitoring interface 101 that is electrically connected to the control unit 110. The preset monitoring interface 101 is set on the circuit breaker 100 body, and the operating status parameters collected by the acquisition unit 120 are sent to the control unit 110 through the preset monitoring interface 101.

[0080] Optionally, the acquisition unit 120 may include a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor, a current sensor, etc.

[0081] Taking a temperature sensor as an example, the temperature sensor can be installed on the body of the energy storage unit 150 and connected to the preset monitoring interface 101 via a temperature monitoring line. Optionally, the connection method between the monitoring interface and the acquisition unit 120 can be pin-type, screw-type, spring-type, etc., which is not limited here and can be flexibly set according to the actual application scenario.

[0082] Understandably, at this time, the temperature parameters of the energy storage unit 150 collected by the temperature sensor can be sent to the control unit 110 through the preset monitoring interface 101, and over-temperature protection can be performed in accordance with the over-temperature protection strategy described above.

[0083] It should be noted that the configuration of other types of acquisition units 120 can be flexibly set according to the actual application scenario. Understandably, by setting the preset monitoring interface, it is convenient to collect various operating status parameters, thereby improving the applicability and flexibility of the method in this application.

[0084] In an optional implementation, the battery management parameters include: battery health parameters; the control unit 110 is also used to calculate the current battery capacity of the energy storage unit 150 based on the operating status parameters; and to calculate the battery health parameters of the energy storage unit 150 based on the current battery capacity of the energy storage unit 150 and the preset battery capacity of the energy storage unit 150.

[0085] The preset battery capacity of the energy storage unit 150, also known as the factory-installed battery capacity, can be obtained from the factory specifications of the battery pack in the energy storage unit 150.

[0086] The current battery capacity of energy storage unit 150, that is, the battery capacity of energy storage unit 150 during the current working period, can be understood to have different battery capacities during different working periods depending on the usage of energy storage unit 150. Optionally, the current battery capacity of energy storage unit 150 can be determined based on the amount of electricity released by the battery pack in energy storage unit 150 from a fully charged state to a fully discharged state, or it can be determined based on the amount of electricity charged by the battery pack in energy storage unit 150 from 0% to a fully charged state; there is no limitation on this.

[0087] The battery health parameters of an energy storage unit can characterize the battery health level of the energy storage unit. The calculation of the battery health parameters of an energy storage unit can be found in the following formula:

[0088]

[0089] Among them, Q C Q represents the current battery capacity of the energy storage unit. r This indicates the preset battery capacity of the energy storage unit, and SOH indicates the battery health parameter of the energy storage unit.

[0090] Optionally, after calculating the battery health parameters of the energy storage unit according to the above calculation formula, the battery health level of the battery pack in the energy storage unit can be determined accordingly. Optionally, if SOH < 60%, the corresponding battery health level is "requires repair"; if 60% ≤ SOH < 70%, the corresponding battery health level is "poor"; if 70% ≤ SOH < 80%, the corresponding battery health level is "fair"; if 80% ≤ SOH, the corresponding battery health level is "good". Of course, the classification of battery health levels is not limited to these.

[0091] For example, if the preset battery capacity of an energy storage unit is 20AH, and the energy storage unit is charged at a current of 3A for 6 hours, reaching the open circuit voltage of a fully charged battery, then the battery capacity at this time is: 3A*6H=18AH, and the battery health is: 18AH / 20AH=90%. At this time, the battery is in good condition and does not need to be replaced.

[0092] It should be noted that in some scenarios, temperature can affect battery capacity, and different battery capacities correspond to different temperature rise zones. Therefore, optionally, the calculated current battery capacity can be corrected based on the current battery temperature to ensure the accuracy of the estimation results.

[0093] In an optional implementation, the control unit is specifically configured to calculate the first current battery capacity and the second current battery capacity of the energy storage unit according to the open-circuit voltage method and the battery capacity integral method, respectively; and to calculate the current battery capacity of the energy storage unit according to the first current battery capacity, the second current battery capacity and a preset weighting coefficient.

[0094] The following formula can be used for specific calculations:

[0095] SOC = K1 × SOC1 + K2 × SOC2

[0096] Wherein, SOC1 represents the first current battery capacity of the energy storage unit in a fully charged state, calculated according to the open-circuit voltage method; SOC2 represents the second current battery capacity of the energy storage unit in a fully charged state, calculated according to the battery capacity integral method; K1 represents the first preset weighting coefficient; K2 represents the second preset weighting coefficient; K1 and K2 can be any numbers between 0 and 1, and the sum of K1 and K2 is equal to 1.

[0097] Optionally, the values ​​of K1 and K2 can be set based on empirical values, limited to those that can calculate a relatively accurate current battery capacity.

[0098] As can be seen from the formula, the calculation of the current battery capacity of the energy storage unit not only utilizes the open-circuit voltage method, but also combines the battery capacity integration method. Therefore, the advantages of the two methods can be fully utilized to obtain a more accurate current battery capacity through comprehensive calculation.

[0099] Specifically, the two methods can be combined to avoid the problem of inaccurate battery capacity calculations when using only the open-circuit voltage method, which is affected by the consistency of individual cell characteristics in the battery pack and the battery operating environment (such as temperature). It can also avoid the problem of inaccurate battery capacity calculations when using only the battery capacity integration method, which is affected by the cumulative error caused by inaccurate current measurement, sampling interval, and other issues.

[0100] The open-circuit voltage method determines the battery's capacity based on its open-circuit voltage. Generally, there is a correlation between the open-circuit voltage and the remaining capacity of the battery pack. Optionally, this correlation can be represented as a State of Charge-Open Circuit Voltage (SOC-OCV) curve, where the open-circuit voltage decreases as the battery's discharge capacity increases. Optionally, this correlation can be provided by the battery manufacturer or obtained through self-measurement.

[0101] It is understandable that when calculating the first current battery capacity of the energy storage unit 150 in a fully charged state according to the open circuit voltage method, the terminal voltage (Open Circuit Voltage, OCV) of the energy storage unit 150 under no-load conditions can be collected by the acquisition unit 120, and combined with the SOC-open circuit voltage curve, the first current battery capacity SOC1 of the energy storage unit 150 in a fully charged state can be estimated by interpolation.

[0102] The capacity integration method accumulates the current flowing into or out of the battery pack per unit time to obtain the amount of electricity that the battery pack can release in each discharge cycle, and thus determines the change in battery capacity.

[0103] When calculating the second current battery capacity of the energy storage unit in a fully charged state using the battery capacity integral method, if the energy storage unit is in a charging state, the second current battery capacity of the energy storage unit in a fully charged state can be calculated using the following formula:

[0104]

[0105] Where SOC2 represents the second current battery capacity of the energy storage unit calculated by the battery capacity integral method when it is fully charged, SOC0 represents the battery capacity when the energy storage unit starts charging, i represents the charging current of the energy storage unit at time t, and T represents the charging time of the energy storage unit.

[0106] In an optional embodiment, the energy storage unit 150 includes a battery pack, which includes a plurality of battery cells 151, and the operating status parameters include the operating status parameters of each battery cell 151.

[0107] This application does not limit the connection relationship between multiple battery cells 151. Optionally, the connection relationship between multiple battery cells 151 may include series and / or parallel connection, which may vary depending on the actual application scenario.

[0108] Accordingly, optionally, the above-mentioned operating status parameters may include: the operating status parameters of each battery cell 151, such as, but not limited to: the voltage parameters, current parameters, temperature parameters, etc. of each battery cell 151.

[0109] Optionally, the present invention provides an energy storage system, including a circuit breaker 100 and an energy storage unit 150 according to any of the foregoing embodiments. The power supply terminal of the energy storage unit 150 can be connected to the input terminal of the circuit breaker 100, and the output terminal of the circuit breaker 100 can be connected to a load. Optionally, this energy storage system can be applied to vehicles such as electric vehicles, electric motorcycles, and cars; or it can be applied to small-scale home energy storage systems; or it can be applied to high-power application scenarios such as energy storage power stations or backup energy storage power supplies for residential buildings, etc., without limitation.

[0110] Figure 4 This is a functional module diagram of an energy storage system provided in an embodiment of this application. Optionally, as... Figure 4 As shown, the energy storage system can be applied to electric vehicles, electric motorcycles, cars and other vehicles. The energy storage unit 150 may include multiple battery cells 151 connected in series. The energy storage unit 150 is used to supply power to the electric vehicle controller 210 and the electric vehicle motor 220.

[0111] Optionally, such as Figure 4As shown, the acquisition unit 120 may include a temperature sensor and a voltage sensor. When monitoring the temperature of each battery cell 151, a temperature sensor can be installed on each battery cell 151. Optionally, each temperature sensor can be installed on each battery cell 151 and connected to the preset monitoring interface 101 of the circuit breaker 100 via a temperature monitoring line. Understandably, the control unit 110 can then read the temperature parameters of each battery cell 151 through the preset monitoring interface 101. Optionally, when monitoring the voltage of each battery cell 151, a corresponding voltage monitoring line can be installed on each battery cell 151. The voltage monitoring line is connected to the preset monitoring interface 101 of the circuit breaker 100, and the preset monitoring interface 101 is connected to a voltage sensor. The relevant voltage parameters of each battery cell can then be acquired through the voltage sensor.

[0112] In addition, such as Figure 4 As shown, a communication interface 102 can also be provided on the circuit breaker 100 body. The communication interface 102 is electrically connected to the communication unit 140. The communication unit 140 can send operating status parameters and battery management parameters to external devices (electric vehicle controller 210) through the communication interface 102. The opening and closing unit 130 can include an opening and closing switch 103. In specific control, the opening or closing control can be performed through the opening and closing switch 103.

[0113] The circuit breaker 100 has been made capable of both safety management and battery power management. The specific control process can be found in the aforementioned description and will not be repeated here.

[0114] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the functional modules of another energy storage system provided in an embodiment of this application. Optionally, as shown... Figure 5 As shown, this energy storage system can be applied to small-scale home energy storage systems, wherein, as described above Figure 4 The difference lies in that the external device in this application embodiment is an energy management system 260, and the load is a lighting system 280. Optionally, in some embodiments, an inverter 270 can also be set to convert the stored DC voltage into household AC voltage (e.g., AC220V), so that the circuit breaker can have both safety management function and battery power management function. The specific control process can be found in the foregoing description, and will not be repeated here.

[0115] These modules can be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), one or more microprocessors, or one or more Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Alternatively, when a module is implemented using processing element scheduler code, the processing element can be a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or other processor capable of calling program code. Furthermore, these modules can be integrated together as a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0116] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0117] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0118] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software functional units.

[0119] The integrated units implemented as software functional units described above can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. These software functional units, stored in a storage medium, include several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute some steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0120] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0121] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations are possible for those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need further definition and explanation in subsequent figures. The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations are possible for those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A circuit breaker characterized by, include: The control unit is electrically connected to the acquisition unit, the circuit breaker opening and closing unit, and the communication unit, respectively. The acquisition unit is used to acquire the operating status parameters of the energy storage unit and send them to the control unit. The operating status parameters include at least: power parameters. The control unit is used to determine the battery management parameters of the energy storage unit based on the operating status parameters, and send the operating status parameters and the battery management parameters to the communication unit; The communication unit is used to forward the operating status parameters and the battery management parameters to external devices, receive the tripping control signal or the closing control signal sent by the external devices according to the operating status parameters, and send them to the control unit. The control unit is used to generate a tripping control command based on the tripping control signal, or to generate a closing control command based on the closing control signal, and send it to the tripping / closing unit. The circuit breaker and closing unit is used to perform circuit breaker control according to the circuit breaker control command, or to perform circuit breaker control according to the circuit breaker closing command.

2. The circuit breaker of claim 1, wherein, The operating status parameters also include at least one of the following: current parameters, voltage parameters, and temperature parameters; The control unit is further configured to send an alarm signal to the communication unit and / or send a tripping control command to the tripping and closing unit if it is determined that the energy storage unit is in an abnormal state based on the operating status parameters.

3. The circuit breaker of claim 2, wherein, The circuit breaker also includes an alarm unit, which is electrically connected to the control unit; The control unit is further configured to send an alarm signal to the alarm unit and / or the communication unit if the power of the energy storage unit is determined to be less than a first preset power threshold according to the operating status parameters, wherein the alarm unit is configured to issue an alarm according to the alarm signal, and the communication unit is configured to forward the alarm signal to the external device. If the energy storage unit's power is determined to be less than the second preset power threshold based on the operating status parameters, a tripping control command is sent to the tripping and closing unit, wherein the first preset power threshold is greater than the second preset power threshold.

4. The circuit breaker of claim 1, wherein, When the circuit breaker unit is in the closed state and the energy storage unit is in the charging state; The control unit is further configured to send a tripping control command to the tripping and closing unit if it is determined from the operating status parameters that the charging voltage and / or charging current of the energy storage unit does not meet the preset charging requirements.

5. The circuit breaker of claim 1, wherein, When the circuit breaker unit is in the closed state and the energy storage unit is in the discharging state; The control unit is further configured to send a tripping control command to the tripping and closing unit if it is determined from the operating status parameters that the discharge current of the energy storage unit does not meet the preset discharge requirements.

6. The circuit breaker of claim 1, wherein, It also includes a preset monitoring interface that is electrically connected to the control unit. The preset monitoring interface is located on the circuit breaker body, and the operating status parameters collected by the acquisition unit are sent to the control unit through the preset monitoring interface.

7. The circuit breaker of claim 1, wherein, The battery management parameters include: battery health parameters; The control unit is also used to calculate the current battery capacity of the energy storage unit based on the operating status parameters; The battery health parameters of the energy storage unit are calculated based on the current battery capacity and the preset battery capacity of the energy storage unit.

8. The circuit breaker of claim 1, wherein, The control unit is specifically used to calculate the first current battery charge and the second current battery charge of the energy storage unit according to the open-circuit voltage method and the battery capacity integral method, respectively. The current battery level of the energy storage unit is calculated based on the first current battery level, the second current battery level, and a preset weighting coefficient.

9. The circuit breaker of any of claims 1-8, wherein, The energy storage unit includes a battery pack, which includes multiple individual battery cells, and the operating status parameters include the operating status parameters of each individual battery cell.

10. An energy storage system characterized by, The circuit breaker and energy storage unit as described in any one of claims 1-9 are included, wherein the power supply terminal of the energy storage unit is connected to the input terminal of the circuit breaker, and the output terminal of the circuit breaker is connected to the load.

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