Controller for battery system and battery management system

Abstract

The utility model relates to a controller used for a battery system and a battery management system comprising the controller, the controller comprises a housing and at least one circuit board arranged in an inner cavity of the housing, the housing is provided with a plurality of electrical interfaces, the plurality of electrical interfaces are electrically connected to the at least one circuit board, and the at least one circuit board is electrically connected with the housing. The shell comprises a first shell part and a second shell part, the first shell part and the second shell part define the inner cavity, and the first shell part and the second shell part can be repeatedly and detachably connected in a sealed mode; and the at least one circuit board is in wireless communication connection with the battery system. According to the controller provided by the utility model, the situations of short circuit, continuous connection, open circuit and the like of the wire harness are reduced, the reliability of the BMS is improved, the failure rate of the battery pack is reduced, and meanwhile, the maintenance convenience of the controller is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of vehicles, and particularly to a battery system controller and a battery management system especially for electric vehicles. Background Art

[0002] A battery management system (BMS) is a management unit of a battery pack (PACK) system of a new energy vehicle, and is crucial for the safety, life, performance, etc. of the battery. As the top priority of a new energy vehicle, it is indispensable to have a stable and reliable BMS. In the field of vehicle systems, a common type is a wired BMS controller located inside the battery pack, which detects, collects, and preliminarily calculates real-time state parameters of the battery through different wire harnesses, and simultaneously controls the on / off of the power supply circuit according to the comparison relationship between the detected value and the allowable value.

[0003] However, such a wired BMS controller is limited in application scenarios that require a large-capacity battery pack. For example, in commercial bus applications, especially compared with passenger electric vehicles, a larger-capacity battery pack is required, which means a larger number of battery cells. Therefore, if the known wired controller technology in the prior art is adopted, it will result in a larger number of communication wire harnesses. If any of these wire harnesses experiences short circuit, continuous connection, open circuit, etc., it will lead to potential failure of the BMS. In addition, a large number of wire harnesses will also increase the cost of the BMS and cause an increase in the weight and volume of the BMS.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to propose an improved controller for a battery system that can solve at least one of the above problems and / or other problems existing in the prior art. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] The present utility model is proposed based on such a background, and its purpose is to propose a new type of controller for a battery system, which can reduce the occurrence of short circuit, continuous connection, open circuit, etc. in the wire harness, thereby improving the reliability of the BMS, reducing the failure rate of the battery pack, and at the same time facilitating the maintenance convenience of the controller.

[0006] To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present utility model, there is provided a controller for a battery system, which includes a housing and at least one circuit board arranged in the inner cavity of the housing. A plurality of electrical interfaces are provided on the housing, and the plurality of electrical interfaces are electrically connected to the at least one circuit board. The controller is provided with a wireless communication module for wireless communication connection with the battery system; the housing includes a first housing part and a second housing part that define the inner cavity, wherein a detachable and sealable connection can be achieved between the first housing part and the second housing part.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present utility model, the first housing part and the second housing part are hermetically and removably connected through an in-situ formed sealant.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present utility model, the first housing part and the second housing part are made of plastic materials.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present utility model, the at least one circuit board includes a first circuit board fixed to the first housing part and a second circuit board fixed above the first circuit board, and the first circuit board and the second circuit board are electrically connected to each other through a connecting device.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present utility model, the second circuit board is fixed above the first circuit board via a carrier board, and a window is provided on the carrier board to provide a passage for the connecting device to pass through.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present utility model, the first housing part is provided with a plurality of mounting bosses and a sunken part on the inner side, the first circuit board is fixed to the plurality of mounting bosses through connecting posts, and the sunken part is designed such that a free space is defined between the first circuit board and the first housing part.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present utility model, the connecting post includes a first length part having a first diameter and a second length part having a second diameter, wherein the second diameter is greater than the first diameter; the mounting boss is provided with a receiving hole to receive the first length part of the connecting post, and the first circuit board and the second circuit board are spaced apart from each other and held through the second length part of the connecting post.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present utility model, there is provided a battery management system, which includes a battery system and a controller for the battery system as described above.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present utility model, the controller is arranged outside the battery system.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present utility model, a wireless communication connection is adopted between the controller and the battery system.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the controller or battery management system according to the present utility model can achieve at least one of the following technical effects: by adopting wireless communication between the battery pack and the controller, the use of a large number of copper wire harnesses is reduced, and the risks of short circuit, continuous connection, open circuit, etc. of the wire harness are reduced, improving the reliability of the BMS; by arranging the controller outside the battery pack or battery system and enabling the controller to have a function of being repeatedly disassembled, it is more convenient for product maintenance and replacement of components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The features and advantages of the present utility model will be clearly understood from the following detailed description provided with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following drawings are merely schematic and not necessarily drawn to scale, and thus should not be considered as limiting the present utility model, where:

[0018] Figure 1 is an exploded view of a controller for a battery system according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a perspective view of a first housing part (i.e., the lower housing part) in the housing of the controller shown in ;

[0020] Figure 3a and Figure 3b are respectively Figure 1 a perspective view of a second housing part (i.e., the upper housing part) in the housing of the controller shown in and a bottom view showing the internal structure of the second housing part;

[0021] Figure 4 is Figure 1 a perspective view of a carrier plate for carrying a second circuit board inside the controller shown in ; and

[0022] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a connecting column for realizing the mutual connection between the first housing part, the first circuit board and the second circuit board. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Embodiments of the present utility model will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to enable those skilled in the art to more fully understand and implement the present utility model. However, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that some of these specific details may not be required for the implementation of the present utility model. In addition, it should be understood that the present utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments described. On the contrary, the present utility model can be implemented by any combination of the features and elements described below, regardless of whether they relate to different embodiments. Therefore, the following aspects, features, embodiments and advantages are for illustrative purposes only and should not be regarded as elements or limitations of the claims, unless expressly recited in the claims.

[0024] In the following text, terms such as "first" and "second" are used to describe the components of the present application. These terms are only used to distinguish each component, rather than to limit the nature, order or number of these components. The terms "comprising" and "having" are used to express an open inclusive meaning, and mean that there may be additional elements / components in addition to the listed elements / components.

[0025] Figure 1 is an exploded view of a controller for a battery system according to an embodiment of the present utility model. This controller is particularly applied in the battery management system of an electric vehicle (such as an electric commercial bus). The battery management system generally includes a battery system or a battery pack (not shown in the figure) and a controller, where the controller is used to control an energy storage device (i.e., the battery system, which generally stacks a plurality of battery cells in series or in parallel). As Figure 1 shown, the controller 1 includes a housing 10 and at least one circuit board disposed in the inner cavity of the housing 10. The housing 10 includes a first housing portion 11 (corresponding to Figure 1 the lower housing portion in Figure 1 ), and a second housing portion 12 (corresponding to

[0026] the upper housing portion or the upper cover portion in Figure 1 ). A plurality of electrical interfaces 111 are provided on the first housing portion 11. The plurality of electrical interfaces 111 can be used, for example, to connect to internal power supply, BMS cooling valve drive, and CSM module, etc.

[0027] According to the specific embodiment shown in

[0028] In addition, the second circuit board 22 can be a specially calibrated monitoring circuit board module, which can be electrically connected to the low-voltage circuit board below through a connecting device, so as to complete functions such as power supply, internal temperature measurement, software monitoring and upgrade, and reset from the second circuit board 22 to the first circuit board 21 through the electrical interface 111.

[0029] Continue to refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4 , the second circuit board 22 is fixed above the first circuit board 21 via a plastic carrier board 23, and a window 231 is provided on the carrier board 23 to provide a passage for the connecting device (such as a connecting wire harness) to pass through.

[0030] In addition, the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 12 can be hermetically and removably connected, for example, through a formed-in-place gasket (FIPG) 40, and have the functions of waterproofing and dustproofing (for example, it can reach the IP67 waterproof and dustproof level). In addition, a seal (not specifically shown in the figure) is also provided at each electrical interface 111 to ensure the sealing performance when the controller 1 is connected to other electrical components or modules.

[0031] Different from the controller arranged in the battery pack in the prior art, the controller of the present invention is arranged outside the battery system or the battery pack. Thanks to this arrangement, and at the same time because the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 12 allow repeated disassembly, it is more convenient to replace the failed components in the controller housing, thus reducing the maintenance cost.

[0032] According to an advantageous embodiment, the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 12 are made of plastic material, which can further reduce the weight and facilitate the lightweight design of the product.

[0033] Continue to refer to FIG. 2, which shows Figure 1 a perspective view of the first housing part (i.e., the lower housing part) of the housing of the controller shown in Figure 2As can be seen, a plurality of mounting bosses 112 and sunken portions 113 are provided on the inner side of the first housing part 11. The first circuit board 21 is fixed to the plurality of mounting bosses 112 of the first housing part through a plurality of connecting posts 30. The sunken portion 113 defines a free space between the first circuit board 21 and the first housing part 11. Due to this free space, it is convenient for the user to disassemble the components inside the controller 1, facilitating maintenance. For example, a disassembly tool can extend into the free space and thereby remove the circuit board without causing any undesired damage to the circuit board. Two mounting brackets 114 are also provided on the outer side of the first housing part 11. A plurality of mounting holes are provided on the mounting brackets 114, aiming to fix the controller 1 to, for example, the vehicle frame using these mounting holes.

[0034] See Figure 3a and 3b , which respectively show a perspective view and a bottom view of the second housing part 12 (i.e., the upper housing part). It can be seen that criss-crossing reinforcing ribs 121 are provided on the inner side of the second housing part 12 to improve the strength of the second housing part 12, so as to avoid undesired deformation of the housing due to external forces, which may affect the effectiveness of the components inside the controller.

[0035] Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the connecting post 30 for realizing the mutual connection between the first housing part 11, the first circuit board 21, and the second circuit board 22. The connecting post 30 includes a first length portion 31 having a first diameter and a second length portion 32 having a second diameter, where the second diameter is greater than the first diameter. With reference to Figure 2 and Figure 5 , threaded holes are provided on the mounting bosses 112 on the inner side of the first housing part 11 to receive the first length portion 31 of the connecting post 30, thereby fixing the first circuit board 21 to the first housing part 11 at one end of the connecting post 30. In addition, the second length portion 32 of the connecting post 30 can serve as a spacer to arrange the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 spaced apart from each other to avoid interference between the carrier plate 23 of the second circuit board 22 and the electrical components on the first circuit board 21. Threaded holes are provided at the second end of the connecting post 30 for receiving threaded fasteners to fixedly hold the carrier plate and thus the second circuit board 22 relative to the first circuit board 21.

[0036] With the wireless battery management system controller of the present utility model, by reducing the number of communication wiring harnesses, any failures caused by wiring harness short - circuiting, continuity, short - circuit, etc. are avoided, and the reliability of the controller is improved. By designing the controller with a plastic housing, the weight of the controller can be further reduced. In the battery management system, the controller is arranged outside the battery pack and designed to have a function of being repeatedly disassembled and meet high - level waterproof and dust - proof requirements. At the same time, by setting a sunken structure on the inner side of the housing for easy disassembly, it is more convenient for users to maintain the controller and disassemble the failed parts, greatly improving the maintenance convenience of the product.

[0037] For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments disclosed above without departing from the scope or spirit of the present utility model. Based on the practice of the present utility model disclosed in this specification, other embodiments of the present utility model will be obvious to those skilled in the art. This specification and its disclosed examples should be considered illustrative only, and the true scope of the present utility model is designated by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A controller for a battery system, comprising a housing (10) and at least one circuit board arranged in an inner cavity of the housing (10), wherein the housing (10) is provided with a plurality of electrical interfaces (111), wherein the plurality of electrical interfaces are electrically connected to the at least one circuit board, wherein: The controller is provided with a wireless communication module to wirelessly connect with the battery system; the shell (10) includes a first shell part (11) and a second shell part (12) defining the inner cavity, wherein a reusable and detachable sealed connection can be achieved between the first shell part (11) and the second shell part (12).

2. The controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The removable sealed connection between the first shell part (11) and the second shell part (12) is achieved by forming a sealant in situ.

3. The controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first shell part (11) and the second shell part (12) are made of plastic material.

4. The controller according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The at least one circuit board comprises a first circuit board (21) fixed to the first housing portion (11) and a second circuit board (22) fixed above the first circuit board (21), and the first circuit board and the second circuit board are electrically connected to each other via a connecting device.

5. The controller according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second circuit board (22) is fixed to the top of the first circuit board (21) via a carrier plate (23), and a window (231) is provided on the carrier plate to provide a passage for the connecting device to pass through.

6. The controller according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first shell part (11) is provided with a plurality of mounting bosses (112) and a sinking part (113) on the inner side, the first circuit board (21) is fixed to the plurality of mounting bosses (112) via a connecting column (30), and the sinking part (113) is designed to define a free space between the first circuit board (21) and the first shell part (11).

7. The controller according to claim 6, characterized in that: The connecting column (30) includes a first length portion (31) having a first diameter and a second length portion (32) having a second diameter, wherein the second diameter is larger than the first diameter; a receiving hole is provided on the mounting boss (112) to receive the first length portion (31) of the connecting column, and the first circuit board (21) and the second circuit board (22) are maintained spaced apart from each other by the second length portion (32) of the connecting column (30).

8. A battery management system, characterized in that: The battery management system comprises a battery system and a controller (1) for the battery system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The battery management system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The controller (1) is arranged outside the battery system.

10. The battery management system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The controller (1) is connected to the battery system via wireless communication.

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