Battery and / or battery pack and battery system formed thereby

Abstract

This invention relates to a battery pack and / or battery module based on cylindrical battery cells, wherein the battery cells are electrically connected to each other in series and parallel via a cell contact system, wherein the two electrodes of each battery cell (2) are in contact on the unoccupied top side (7) of the battery module or battery pack (1), and relates to a battery system thus constituted, which acts as a device for supplying and storing electrical energy. In order to provide a battery pack and / or battery module that can more easily and quickly achieve solutions for specific customers and / or applications without completely or at least largely redeveloping or redesigning the battery system thus constituted and without changing safety, it is proposed that a battery module and / or battery pack (1) consisting of one or more base battery packs having a fixed number of battery cells (2) is arranged in a spatially predefined manner and in contact with a base cell contact system (4a), wherein the electrical characteristics of the battery module and / or battery pack (1) are achieved by connecting several base cell contact systems (4a) of several base battery packs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a battery module and / or battery pack based on cylindrical or circular battery cells, wherein the battery cells are electrically connected to each other in series and parallel via a cell contact system, and to a battery system thus constituted, which serves as a device for releasing energy and storing electrical energy. Background Technology

[0002] According to existing technology, a battery system includes at least one battery module, and several battery modules can be combined into a battery pack. In principle, various cell specifications can be applied to the battery module. For example, based on US 10 347 894 B2, due to the relatively large number of connection electrodes in a relatively small area, and correspondingly many possible connection methods, this invention focuses only on the design of battery modules or battery packs constructed based on cylindrical or circular battery cells. Currently known common cell specifications are 18650, 21700, and 46800.

[0003] Current research focuses on battery modules with voltage levels tailored to specific applications, where cells are primarily connected in a spatially fixed layout. This results in a complex design and testing process leading to a dedicated cell contact system that is only applicable to predetermined voltage levels and cell connection methods. For battery modules and packs based on these cells, existing technologies are geared towards specific vehicle applications, and therefore typically have application-specific specifications, with the cells packed as tightly as possible. That is, these application-specific battery module or pack specifications are usually applied to only one application, and depending on the situation, only in one part of the relevant vehicle, where, to improve space utilization, they may be distributed throughout the vehicle as several battery modules. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the object of the present invention is to provide a battery module and / or a battery pack, thereby enabling solutions for specific customers and / or applications to be achieved with adjustable capacitance, current and / or voltage on external terminals without completely or at least largely redesigning or redeveloping the battery system and without changing safety.

[0005] Regarding battery modules and / or battery packs based on cylindrical battery cells, where the cells are electrically connected to each other in series and parallel via a cell contact system, wherein the two electrodes of each cell are in contact on the unoccupied top side of the battery module or battery pack, the present invention achieves the above objective through the features of claim 1: the battery module and / or battery pack, composed of one or more base battery packs having a fixed number of battery cells, is arranged in a spatially predefined manner and in contact with the base cell contact system, wherein the electrical characteristics of the battery module and / or battery pack are achieved by connecting several base cell contact systems. The solution of the present invention to achieve the above objective also lies in a battery system constructed in a corresponding manner.

[0006] The current trend is to increase flexibility, and thus more quickly adapt battery modules and battery packs to different systems based on electrical and / or spatial designs. As a corresponding solution, the battery module or battery pack of the present invention offers the advantage of high flexibility, specifically characterized by the ease with which the number, connection method, and / or layout of the basic energy storage cells connected to the basic cell contact system can be changed, as will be described in detail below. According to the present invention, the total cell contact system for achieving the required electrical parameters of the battery system is divided into a certain number of interconnected basic cell contact systems, thus allowing adaptation to different electrical characteristics by changing the connection method and / or adjusting the basic cell contact system and the number of basic energy storage cells connected to it. Therefore, the battery module or battery pack of the present invention has the characteristic of flexible adjustment, which in other cases can only be achieved within a narrower scope using a cell-to-pack system.

[0007] By using a basic cell contact system, individual cells are connected in parallel and / or series within a small sub-cell, thereby providing the required electrical characteristics at the interface of the basic cell contact system. Subsequently, by connecting such basic cell contact systems in series and / or parallel in a number that depends on a preset power, a total cell contact system with the required electrical characteristics for the battery module and / or battery pack is achieved.

[0008] Preferably, all basic cell contact systems are of the same type and arranged in the same direction, wherein these basic cell contact systems have a basic orientation. However, in one embodiment of the invention, at least some of the basic cell contact systems connected to the basic energy storage cells are rotated by 90° and / or 180° relative to this basic orientation, so as to utilize the shortest possible electrical connectors to form a higher-level connection between the relevant cell contact systems, including a subgroup of cell contact systems, for example, in series rather than in parallel.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a cell monitoring circuit or CSC element is connected to the basic cell contact system, such that a cell monitoring circuit is connected to a predetermined number of series-connected basic energy storage cells, particularly to 12 basic energy storage cells.

[0010] When using the CSC type described above, the advantageous configuration of the base cell contact system for the 12 connectors of the CSC is as follows: a certain number of energy storage cells connected in series are arranged in a base cell contact system, which are 3, 4, 6, or 12, all of which are divisible by 12. This allows for the most efficient use of the cell monitoring circuit, thereby minimizing its total number.

[0011] Preferably, the basic cell contact system adopts a 6sl2p, 12sl2p, or 6s6p connection method. These structural forms can be optimally matched with known CSC components, thereby achieving a large bandwidth for different battery modules or battery packs with different structures and electrical characteristics.

[0012] In other words, when implementing the solution of this invention, suitable connection methods can be freely selected at the cell and battery module levels with minimal cost, thereby constructing a matched battery system. Within the scope of this invention, particularly due to the presence of a large number of electrodes at the cell level, the degrees of freedom at the cell level can be optimally utilized to achieve the classification of electrical characteristics. Thus, the only component of the battery module or battery pack that requires adjustment according to specific preset electrical characteristics (i.e., voltage level, rated current, and power) is the cell contact system, because according to this invention, it is constructed by connecting a large number of basic cell contact systems with a single structural form.

[0013] In summary, the solution based on this invention enables the creation of battery modules and packs composed of cylindrical lithium-ion batteries, tailored to specific customer or application requirements, without requiring complete redevelopment or significant redesign. Particularly in the passenger vehicle sector, the design for a specific customer is determined by the available structural space. Using a base cell contact system connected to similar energy storage cells as the basis for adjusting electrical characteristics is highly advantageous, as this allows for significant cost advantages with minimal difficulty, while reasonably grading electrical characteristics by adjusting the number of base cell contacts. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The following description, with reference to drawings and embodiments, illustrates further features and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention. Wherein: Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of a tray that serves as the base of a battery pack or battery module, having a bottom element and an outer frame attached to the edge and extending into the end-side seal. Figure 2 For the tray and Figure 1 The corresponding schematic diagram shows the gradual filling of basic cylindrical energy storage cells arranged in a parallel and vertical manner. Figure 3 A schematic top view of a number of individual cells arranged in a parallel and vertical manner that come into contact with a base cell contact system. Figure 4 This schematically illustrates several based on Figure 3 The basic cell contact system forms the first connection method for battery modules or battery packs; Figure 5 This schematically illustrates several based on Figure 3 The basic cell contact system forms the second connection method of battery module or battery pack, and Figure 6 Several bases are illustrated schematically. Figure 3 The third connection method of the basic cell contact system, which is Figure 5 Alternatives to the embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0015] In the accompanying drawings, the same elements are always indicated by the same reference numerals. Without limiting the invention, a flat carrier, a cubic body used only in embodiments of the invention, is shown and described below for application in battery modules containing cylindrical cells designed for electric vehicles. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that adjustments can also be made to other spatial shapes, such as using polygonal or even curved carriers instead of flat ones, thereby making better use of existing structural space. Furthermore, adjustments can be easily made for applications beyond land vehicles, particularly for applications in static storage devices.

[0016] In the series of figures described below, the battery module and / or battery pack 1 is constructed based on a certain number of cylindrical battery cells 2, wherein these cells 2 are electrically connected to each other in series and / or parallel in a carrier 3 via a cell contact system 4.

[0017] Figure 1This is a perspective view of a carrier 3, which is a tray-like structure for implementing a battery module or battery pack 1. The carrier is subsequently filled with individual battery cells 2 and sealed by a battery contact system 4. The carrier 3 is equipped with seals 6 extending along the edges 5 of a frame structure. The carrier 3 primarily provides mechanically load-bearing support for a predetermined number of cylindrical basic energy storage cells 2, arranged vertically in the carrier 3, via supports and reinforcing elements. In the cell 2 mounting position, the two electrodes N and P of each individual cell 2 are in contact with the unoccupied top side 7 of the battery module or battery pack 1. The height H of the carrier 3 is matched to the length of the cylindrical battery cells 2 to be embedded, creating an unoccupied top side 7 of the battery module or battery pack 1 after the cells 2 are filled.

[0018] Figure 2 For carrier 3 and Figure 1 In the corresponding view, the carrier is progressively filled with more than 500 basic cylindrical energy storage cells 2 arranged in the same parallel and unidirectional vertical manner. For clarity, the central area of ​​the carrier 3 is shown without the energy storage cells 2 assembled. In the next step, the electrical characteristics of this battery module or battery pack 1 are defined by the connection method of the individual cell 2, which is defined by the cell contact system 4 connected to the connectors of the basic energy storage cells 2.

[0019] According to existing technology, whenever the electrical characteristics or external spatial shape of the battery module or battery pack 1 change, for example due to changes in spatial conditions under use, at least a redesign is required, even if the cell contact system 4 is not completely redeveloped and subsequently verified and tested. The embodiments below illustratively demonstrate and describe a flexible adjustment scheme without redesigning or redeveloping the cell contact system 4.

[0020] Accordingly, Figure 3 This is a top view of 72 basic energy storage cells 2 arranged in a parallel and unidirectional vertical configuration, connected by a basic cell contact system 4a. As shown by the zigzag dashed lines s, six energy storage cells 2 are connected in series through this basic cell contact system 4a, with twelve such series branches connected in parallel, indicated by dashed lines p. Thus, using classic 21700 round cells, this basic cell contact system 4a yields a 6sl2p unit as a subgroup, with a power output of 1.25 kWh when a 24V voltage is applied to the connection electrode 8. This will... Figure 2 The number of basic energy storage cells 2 shown are divided into subgroups by the basic cell contact system 4a. After the basic cell contact system 4a is connected into the total cell contact system 4, the total of these subgroups has the required electrical characteristics of the battery module or battery pack 1.

[0021] Figure 4 Showing several based on Figure 3 The first connection method for forming a battery module or battery pack 1, which is composed of basic cell contact systems 4a connected to energy storage cells 2, is as follows: The battery module or battery pack here includes six basic cell contact systems 4a. Therefore, two basic cell contact systems 4a are connected along... Figure 3 The basic orientation shown is connected in series, and this structure is combined with two identical structures to form a battery module or battery pack 1 containing a total of 432 energy storage cells 2, as shown by... Figure 4 As indicated by the three arrows. When using 21700 round cells, this battery module or battery pack 1 with a 12s36p connection provides 7.3 kWh of power at an output voltage of 48V.

[0022] Figure 5 Showing six according to Figure 3 The basic cell contact system 4a forms the second connection method for a battery module containing 432 21700 energy storage cells. Here, the two basic cell contact systems 4a are also connected in series, wherein... Figure 4 The difference in the embodiment is that, prior to contact, the second series-connected base cell contact system 4a is rotated 180° relative to the basic orientation of the structure consisting of 2 x 72 energy storage cells 2. This causes the polarity of the two base cell contact systems 4a to be reversed, as... Figure 5 As shown by the arrow in the diagram. In this way, a 36sl2p connection is achieved in the series connection of the 3x2 basic cell contact system 4a connected to the energy storage cell 2, wherein the electrode of the battery module or battery pack 1 is 150V, and for example, there is no need to change the layout of the 432 energy storage cells, nor is there any need to change the components.

[0023] As Figure 5 Alternatives to the embodiments, in Figure 6 In the embodiments, six according to Figure 3 The basic cell contact system 4a adopts a third connection method, in which all six basic cell contact systems 4a and their corresponding 72 basic energy storage cells 2 are rotated by 90°. Since all basic cell contact systems 4a are in the same direction, a 36sl2p connection method is also achieved in series. Figure 6 The drawing shows Figure 5 The shape of the battery module or battery pack 1 shows that, based on a unified structure, with all basic cell contact systems 4a rotated 90° in the same direction, Figure 6 In the embodiments, a narrower, but slightly elongated, profile is achieved for the battery module or battery pack 1. Therefore, such profile changes can also be easily implemented within the scope of the present invention, thereby enabling excellent adaptation to specific available structural spaces.

[0024] Use according to Figure 3 The connection includes the basic cell contact system 4a of the energy storage cell 2, which enables a 24s24p connection of 576 basic energy storage cells 2 for a 100V circular cell battery module with a power of 10 kWh. This is not further illustrated here. For this purpose, two series circuits, each consisting of four basic cell contact systems 4a, are connected in parallel.

[0025] Furthermore, the structure connected to the cell monitoring circuit (CSC), which is the upper-level system of the basic cell contact system 4a, is designed so that the same CSC can be used in the battery module or battery pack. Accordingly, one CSC is provided for each 12s branch or for every twelve interconnected basic energy storage cells 2, where, for widely used CSC types, this 12s branch corresponds to the maximum value of the basic energy storage cells to be monitored. For two 6s sub-branches, the maximum 12s also occupy one CSC. Accordingly, two CSCs are required for the 24s branch, and three CSCs are required for the 36s branch. For the aforementioned basic cell contact system with 72 basic energy storage cells using the 6sl2p connection method, a total of six CSCs are optimally used. In this way, only one CSC type is used in the battery module or battery pack, where each CSC is optimally utilized.

[0026] However, as an alternative to the 6sl2p basic cell contact system 4a example shown and described above, other basic sizes of the basic cell contact system 4a can also be used, which also means other connection methods, such as 12sl2p or 6s6p. Furthermore, as an alternative to the classic 21700 circular cell of interest in the above embodiments, other cell specifications, such as 46800 or 46120, can also be used, thereby increasing the power output of each basic energy storage cell 2.

[0027] The preceding text describes, in conjunction with various embodiments, a flexible and versatile basic cell contact system 4a, which achieves other electrical connection methods through different orientations and positions of the basic energy storage cell 2.

[0028] Its key feature is that the basic cell contact system can also be rotated 90° or 180° and can be installed in battery modules or battery packs in series or parallel to form a total cell contact system. In this way, different battery module connection methods can be achieved by using a specific number, orientation, and connection method of the basic cell contact systems 4a, which are essentially identical in structure. Therefore, within the scope of this invention, in particular, specific battery modules can be achieved in terms of output voltage and power by pre-defined hierarchical structures based on the basic cell contact system 4a, significantly reducing verification difficulty and optimizing component utilization, without requiring redevelopment or redesign. Thus, the basic cell contact system 4a lays the foundation for greater freedom in battery module structure, allowing for adjustments based on specific conditions and requirements. The solution using this invention can even achieve flexible cell-to-pack solutions.

[0029] Appendix Label Table 1. Battery module and / or battery pack 2. Cylindrical battery cell 3. Carrier / Frame 4. Cell contact system 4a Basic cell contact system 5. Edge 6. Seals 7. Unoccupied top side of the carrier (3) of the battery module / battery pack (1) 8. Connection pole of basic cell contact system 4a CSC Cell Supervision Circuit The height of the edge (5) of carrier (3) parallel connection of basic energy storage cell 2 s series connection of basic energy storage cell 2

Claims

1. A battery module and / or battery pack (1) based on cylindrical energy cells (2), wherein the energy cells (2) are arranged upright and are electrically connected to each other in series and parallel by means of an energy cell contact system (4), wherein two electrodes of each energy cell (2) are contacted on an unoccupied top side (7) of the battery module or battery pack (1), characterized in that the battery module and / or battery pack (1) is composed of more than one basic battery pack with a fixed number of energy cells (2), which are arranged in a spatially predefined manner and contacted with a basic energy cell contact system (4a), wherein the electrical properties of the battery module and / or battery pack (1) are achieved by connecting the basic energy cell contact systems (4a) of the number of basic battery packs.

2. The battery module and / or battery pack according to the preceding claim, characterized in that The total energy cell contact system (4) with the required electrical properties of the battery module and / or battery pack (1) is achieved by connecting the number of basic energy cell contact systems (4a) in series and / or in parallel, which is determined by a predefined electrical power.

3. The battery module and / or battery pack according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that At least one individual basic energy cell contact system (4a) is arranged in a manner rotated by 90° and / or rotated by 180° with respect to the basic orientation of the basic energy cell contact system (4a) to which the basic energy storage cells (2) are connected.

4. The battery module and / or battery pack according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that An energy cell monitoring circuit (CSC) is connected to the basic energy cell contact system (4a) in such a way that one energy cell monitoring circuit (CSC) is connected to a predefined number of series-connected basic energy storage cells (2), in particular to 12 basic energy storage cells (2).

5. The battery module and / or battery pack according to the preceding claim, characterized in that In the case of an energy cell monitoring circuit designed to monitor 12 basic energy storage cells (2), a number of 2, 3, 4, 6 or 12 series-connected energy storage cells (2) are provided in one basic energy cell contact system (4a).

6. The battery module and / or battery pack according to the preceding claim, characterized in that Basic energy cell contact systems (4a) are provided which are connected in the manner of 6sl2p, 12sl2p or 6s6p.

7. A battery system, which serves as a device for supplying and storing electrical energy, characterized in that the battery system comprises a number of battery packs and / or battery modules (1) as claimed in any of the preceding claims, which are electrically connected to each other in series and / or in parallel.

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