Battery device and battery system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a battery device and a battery system, and relates to the technical field of battery temperature control. The battery device is used for the battery system, and the battery system comprises a battery management device. The battery comprises: a housing, wherein openings are formed in two sides of the housing along the vertical longitudinal direction; harmonica-shaped tubes are arranged on the two sides of the battery cell group in the vertical longitudinal direction; the fan is arranged on the side face, in the vertical transverse direction, of the shell, and the fan is electrically connected with a battery management device of the battery system and used for working according to a control signal output by the battery management device; wherein the pipe orifice of the harmonica-shaped pipe corresponds to the working direction of the fan. The utility model aims to improve the stability of the working temperature of the battery system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of battery temperature control, in particular to a battery device and a battery system. Background Art

[0002] The mainstream temperature control solutions on the market are mainly divided into liquid cooling and air cooling. For liquid cooling solutions, the temperature is mainly reduced by a liquid cooling plate at the bottom of the module, and the coolant medium flows through the liquid cooling plate to remove the heat from the battery cells themselves. However, since the battery cells generally contact the liquid cooling plate at the bottom, and the bottom of the battery cell is the smallest contact surface of the battery cell, the current energy storage system battery cell capacity is increasing, and the battery cells are also getting larger and larger. The large temperature difference between the bottom and top of the battery cell caused by the small contact surface at the bottom may affect the cycle life of the battery cell. For air cooling system solutions on the market, due to reasons such as air duct design and module air intake method, the temperature difference of all battery cells in a cluster system will vary greatly. Generally, the temperature difference within a single cluster of air cooling system solutions on the market is 7°C or more, and the temperature difference within the module is 3°C or more. Larger temperature differences in battery cells will lead to a decrease in cycle life. Utility Model Content

[0003] The main purpose of the utility model is to provide a battery device, aiming to improve the stability of the operating temperature of the battery system.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a battery device, which is used in a battery system. The battery system includes a battery management device; the battery includes:

[0005] A housing having openings on both sides thereof along a vertical longitudinal direction;

[0006] A battery cell group, wherein harmonica tubes are provided on both sides of the battery cell group along a vertical longitudinal direction;

[0007] a fan, the fan being disposed on a vertically lateral side of the housing, the fan being electrically connected to a battery management device of the battery system and configured to operate according to a control signal output by the battery management device;

[0008] Wherein, the mouth of the harmonica pipe corresponds to the working direction of the fan.

[0009] In one embodiment, a heat conducting medium is provided between the battery cell group and the harmonica tube.

[0010] In one embodiment, the fan is a controllable axial flow fan.

[0011] In one embodiment, the battery device further includes a connection interface of the battery management device, wherein the connection interface is provided on a vertical and horizontal side surface of the housing and is used for connecting the battery device to the battery management device.

[0012] In one embodiment, the battery device further includes a management module, a first end of the management module is electrically connected to the connection interface, a second end of the management module is electrically connected to the fan, and the management module is used to control the operation of the fan according to a control signal output by the battery management device.

[0013] In one embodiment, the management module includes a temperature detection circuit, an output end of the temperature detection circuit is electrically connected to the connection interface, and the temperature detection circuit is used to obtain and output a temperature detection signal of the battery cell group.

[0014] The present invention also provides a battery system, which includes a battery management device, an air conditioner, and a plurality of battery devices as described in any one of the above items.

[0015] In one embodiment, the battery management device includes:

[0016] Control module;

[0017] a first communication module, wherein a first end of the first communication module is communicatively connected to the air conditioner, a second end of the first communication module is communicatively connected to the control module, and the first communication module is used for communication between the air conditioner and the control module;

[0018] The second communication module has a first end connected to the control module for communication, and a second end connected to the plurality of fans for communication, and the second communication module is used for communication between the control module and the plurality of fans.

[0019] In one embodiment, the first communication module is an RS485 communication module.

[0020] In one embodiment, the second communication module is a CAN communication module.

[0021] This utility model improves the efficiency of gas flow within the battery device by providing openings on both sides of the battery device's housing along the vertical longitudinal direction. Furthermore, harmonica tubes positioned on either side of the battery cell pack facilitate heat exchange between the gas and the battery cell pack. To effectively control the operating temperature of the battery cell pack, fans positioned at the openings of the harmonica tubes are controlled to control the rate of heat exchange between the gas and the battery cell pack, thereby improving the stability of the battery system's operating temperature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a front view of the battery device of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is an internal side view of the battery device of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a top view of the interior of the battery device of the present invention.

[0026] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0027] 10. Casing; 20. Battery pack; 30. Fan; 40. Harmonica tube.

[0028] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0031] In addition, the descriptions of "first," "second," etc. in this utility model are for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the fact that they can be implemented by ordinary technicians in this field. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this utility model.

[0032] The mainstream temperature control solutions on the market are mainly divided into liquid cooling and air cooling. For liquid cooling solutions, the temperature is mainly reduced by a liquid cooling plate at the bottom of the module, and the coolant medium flows through the liquid cooling plate to remove the heat from the battery cells themselves. However, since the battery cells generally contact the liquid cooling plate at the bottom, and the bottom of the battery cell is the smallest contact surface of the battery cell, the current energy storage system battery cell capacity is increasing, and the battery cells are also getting larger and larger. The large temperature difference between the bottom and top of the battery cell caused by the small contact surface at the bottom may affect the cycle life of the battery cell. For air cooling system solutions on the market, due to reasons such as air duct design and module air intake method, the temperature difference of all battery cells in a cluster system will vary greatly. Generally, the temperature difference within a single cluster of air cooling system solutions on the market is 7°C or more, and the temperature difference within the module is 3°C or more. Larger temperature differences in battery cells will lead to a decrease in cycle life.

[0033] Therefore, reference Figure 1 The present invention provides a battery device, wherein the battery system includes a battery management device; the battery includes:

[0034] The housing 10 is provided with openings on both sides of the housing 10 along a vertical longitudinal direction;

[0035] A battery cell group 20, wherein the battery cell group 20 is provided with harmonica tubes 40 along both sides of the vertical longitudinal direction;

[0036] a fan 30 , the fan 30 being disposed on a vertically lateral side of the housing 10 , the fan 30 being electrically connected to a battery management device of the battery system and configured to operate according to a control signal output by the battery management device;

[0037] The opening of the harmonica pipe 40 corresponds to the working direction of the fan 30 .

[0038] It should be understood that the battery system includes multiple battery devices, each of which includes a housing 10, a battery cell pack 20, and a fan 30. The battery system establishes communication connections with each of the multiple battery devices through a battery management device, thereby obtaining the operating status of the multiple battery devices and outputting corresponding control signals to the corresponding battery devices to ensure that the operating temperatures of the multiple battery devices are within a threshold range.

[0039] In this embodiment, the housing 10 can be made of a material such as an alloy or a composite material according to actual application requirements. In actual applications, it is necessary to consider various aspects of materials that meet the application requirements and select the corresponding processing technology to ensure that the battery device meets the application requirements.

[0040] In this embodiment, the battery device may include multiple cell groups 20. By connecting the cell groups 20 in series and in parallel, the multi-level power supply requirements can be effectively met. It is understood that when the cell group 20 is in operation, the current encounters resistance due to the internal resistance of the cells (including the positive and negative electrode materials, electrolyte, separator, etc.), thereby generating heat. Therefore, further temperature management of the battery pack is required. From a hardware structural perspective, the provision of harmonica tubes 40 on both sides of the cell group 20 along the vertical direction can effectively improve the temperature management of the cell group 20. Cells are typically columnar, and cylindrical or prismatic cell designs generally have higher energy density and a larger surface area to volume ratio, which facilitates heat dissipation. Furthermore, the harmonica tubes 40 are disposed on the sides of the cell group 20. By flowing the medium in the harmonica tubes 40, the heat generated by the cell group 20 during operation can be effectively removed. It is understood that the medium in the harmonica tubes 40 can be a flowing medium such as a liquid or gas. Liquid media have the problem of being heavy and requiring more power to move the liquid, but their temperature management effect is more significant than that of gaseous media. It is understandable that the temperature regulation achieved through the harmonica tube 40 is affected by factors such as the flow rate and specific heat capacity of the medium in the harmonica tube 40.

[0041] Furthermore, using air as the medium flowing through the harmonica tube 40 requires effective control of the flow rate of the gas in the harmonica tube 40, thereby controlling the temperature of the battery pack 20. In this embodiment, by providing a fan 30, with the working direction of the fan 30 corresponding to the opening of the harmonica tube 40, the flow rate of the gas in the harmonica tube 40 is effectively controlled. The fan 30 is disposed on the side of the housing 10 along the vertical transverse direction, at a 90° angle to the openings provided on both sides of the housing 10 along the vertical longitudinal direction and the harmonica tube 40 provided on both sides of the battery pack 20 along the vertical longitudinal direction, thereby effectively utilizing external air to regulate the temperature of the battery pack 20. The battery management device of the battery system includes a data acquisition circuit for obtaining the operating status of the battery device. The fan 30 is electrically connected to the battery management device. The battery management device can control the operating status of the fan 30 through the acquisition signal output by the data acquisition circuit, thereby achieving the technical effect of closed-loop control. Furthermore, the battery management device in the battery system is configured with a temperature threshold range for the operation of the cell group 20. The battery management device uses a temperature detection circuit and a fan 30 to limit the operating temperature of the cell group 20 within the temperature threshold range (25-35°C). Specifically, the operating temperature threshold range for the cell group 20 includes a minimum operating temperature and a maximum operating temperature. When the temperature of the cell group 20 in a particular battery device exceeds the maximum operating temperature, the battery management device controls the fan 30 in that device to increase its speed, thereby accelerating the flow of gas in the harmonica tube 40 and limiting the temperature of the cell group 20 in that device to below the maximum operating temperature. The temperature of the cell group 20 in the battery device is further categorized. For example, when the temperature of the cell group 20 exceeds the maximum operating temperature by 10°C, the fan 30 speed is controlled to 100%; when the temperature of the cell group 20 exceeds the maximum operating temperature by 8°C, the fan 30 speed is controlled to 90%; and when the temperature of the cell group 20 exceeds the maximum operating temperature by 6°C, the fan 30 speed is controlled to 80%. Similarly, when the temperature in the battery pack 20 is lower than the minimum operating temperature, the battery management device will also control the speed of the fan 30. However, the battery management device will also control air temperature control equipment such as air conditioners, thereby effectively achieving temperature control of the battery pack 20.

[0042] In this embodiment, openings are provided on both sides of the battery device's housing 10 along the vertical longitudinal direction to improve the efficiency of gas circulation within the battery device. Furthermore, heat exchange between the gas and the battery cell group 20 is achieved through harmonica tubes 40 disposed on both sides of the battery cell group 20. To effectively control the operating temperature of the battery cell group 20, the heat exchange rate between the gas and the battery cell group 20 is controlled by controlling fans 30 disposed at the openings of the harmonica tubes 40, thereby improving the stability of the battery system's operating temperature.

[0043] In one embodiment of the present invention, a heat conducting medium is provided between the battery pack 20 and the harmonica tube 40 .

[0044] In this embodiment, the thermally conductive medium can be implemented using thermally conductive silicone, thermally conductive gel, thermally conductive gasket, thermally conductive paste, phase change material, or the like. For example, thermally conductive silicone is used as the thermally conductive medium. Thermally conductive silicone, primarily composed of a silicone rubber matrix and thermally conductive fillers, effectively fills the tiny gaps between battery cells and structural components, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency and helping to control the battery pack's temperature. Specifically, thermally conductive silicone exhibits excellent thermal conductivity, effectively transferring heat generated by the battery cells from their surfaces to the harmonica tube 40. This allows the heat to be rapidly transferred to the harmonica tube 40, where it is then removed by the cooling gas flowing within the tube 40, thereby reducing the cell temperature. Furthermore, thermally conductive silicone exhibits a certain degree of flexibility and compressibility, allowing it to fill the gap between the battery cells and the harmonica tube 40, eliminating air gaps and reducing thermal resistance. This ensures sufficient contact area between the battery cells and the harmonica tube 40, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency. Furthermore, in addition to its excellent thermal conductivity, thermally conductive silicone also possesses excellent electrical insulation properties. While improving thermal management efficiency, it also ensures electrical isolation between the battery cell and the harmonica tube 40, preventing the risk of short circuits. It's important to note that thermally conductive silicone with appropriate thermal conductivity must be selected to match the battery pack's thermal management requirements. This ensures the selected material remains stable over the expected lifespan of the battery pack and doesn't lose performance due to aging. Also ensure the thermally conductive silicone layer is of appropriate thickness; excessive thickness can increase thermal resistance.

[0045] In an embodiment of the present invention, the fan 30 is a controllable axial flow fan 30 .

[0046] It should be understood that the main differences between controllable axial fans 30 and ordinary fans are their control methods, energy efficiency and noise levels. From the perspective of control methods, controllable axial fans 30 usually support pulse width modulation (PWM) or other forms of speed control. This means that the battery system can adjust the speed of the fan 30 as needed, thereby reducing noise and power consumption when a large amount of airflow is not required. Most ordinary fans run at a fixed speed or only provide limited gear adjustment, which makes them less flexible than controllable axial fans 30 in controlling airflow. From the perspective of energy efficiency, the controllable axial fan 30 can adjust the speed as needed. Therefore, when full speed operation is not required, electricity can be saved and energy efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, the controllable axial fan 30 is provided with a communication circuit that can monitor the actual speed of the fan 30 and send the data to the control module so that the control module can make further adjustments based on the data fed back by the fan 30, thereby achieving flexible and accurate control of the temperature in the battery device.

[0047] In one embodiment of the present invention, the battery device further includes a connection interface of the battery management device. The connection interface is provided on a vertical and horizontal side surface of the housing 10 and is used for connecting the battery device to the battery management device.

[0048] In this embodiment, the battery system includes multiple battery devices, and the battery management system in the battery system is electrically connected to the fan 30 in the battery device, thereby enabling the battery system to control the battery devices. Each battery device is provided with a connection interface to facilitate electrical connection to the battery management system. It is understood that the connection interface is provided on a vertical and horizontal side of the housing 10, preferably on the same side as the fan 30 to reduce the complexity of wiring.

[0049] In one embodiment of the present invention, the battery device also includes a management module, a first end of the management module is electrically connected to the connection interface, and a second end of the management module is electrically connected to the fan 30, and the management module is used to control the operation of the fan 30 according to the control signal output by the battery management device.

[0050] In this embodiment, the management module can be implemented using a battery management unit (BMU). The BMU focuses on direct battery monitoring and maintenance. It is responsible for collecting key parameters such as current, voltage, and temperature for each battery cell in the battery pack and transmitting this data to the battery control unit (BCU) in the battery management unit. The BMU also participates in battery status estimation, implements battery balancing to maintain consistency among battery cells, and triggers alarms or takes protective measures when an anomaly is detected. As can be seen from the above, the fan 30 is a controllable axial flow fan 30, whose control signal is a PWM control signal. This control signal is transmitted by the BMU, which is electrically connected to the battery management unit via a connection interface. The BMU receives the PWM control signal output by the battery management unit and outputs it to the controllable axial flow fan 30, thereby controlling the speed of the fan 30.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present invention, the management module includes a temperature detection circuit, the output end of the temperature detection circuit is electrically connected to the connection interface, and the temperature detection circuit is used to obtain and output a temperature detection signal of the battery cell group 20.

[0052] In this embodiment, the temperature detection circuit can be implemented using a detection circuit based on a thermistor, such as a resistor divider circuit based on an NTC resistor or NTC probe, or a resistor divider circuit based on a PTC resistor or PTC probe. Alternatively, the temperature detection circuit can also be implemented using a temperature sensor, such as an infrared temperature sensor or a thermocouple temperature sensor. The temperature detection circuit can be implemented using a detection circuit based on a thermistor, such as a resistor divider circuit based on an NTC resistor or NTC probe, or a resistor divider circuit based on a PTC resistor or PTC probe. Alternatively, the temperature detection circuit can also be implemented using a temperature sensor, such as an infrared temperature sensor or a thermocouple temperature sensor. There can be multiple temperature detection circuits, and the multiple temperature detection circuits can be located at different locations within the battery device. The collected temperature detection signals are output to a control module in the battery system via a connection interface. The control module can determine multiple temperature values ​​based on the multiple temperature detection signals and calculate the actual ambient temperature using a preset temperature algorithm, such as an average value or weighted calculation, thereby improving the accuracy of temperature detection in the battery device.

[0053] This utility model also provides a battery system comprising a battery management device, an air conditioner, and a plurality of battery devices as described above. It is worth noting that, because the battery system of this utility model is based on the aforementioned battery devices, the embodiments of the battery system of this utility model include all technical solutions of all embodiments of the aforementioned battery devices, and the technical effects achieved are identical, and therefore will not be further elaborated here.

[0054] In one embodiment of the present invention, the battery management device includes:

[0055] Control module;

[0056] a first communication module, wherein a first end of the first communication module is communicatively connected to the air conditioner, a second end of the first communication module is communicatively connected to the control module, and the first communication module is used for communication between the air conditioner and the control module;

[0057] The second communication module, the first end of the second communication module is communicatively connected to the control module, the second end of the second communication module is communicatively connected to the multiple fans 30 respectively, and the second communication module is used for the communication connection between the control module and the multiple fans 30.

[0058] It is understandable that in a battery system, a BMS (Battery Management System) is usually provided, and the control module in the BMS is a BCU (Battery Control Unit). Therefore, in this embodiment, the control module in the battery management device can be understood as a BCU. Furthermore, the BCU can be implemented using, for example, a DSP (Digital Signal Process), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an MCU (Microcontroller Unit), a SOC (System-on-Chip), etc. The BCU is responsible for the overall control and management of the battery system. It receives data from the BMU (Battery Management Unit) and other sensors, makes decisions based on this data, and issues control instructions to ensure the safety, performance, and efficiency of the battery system. Among them, the work of the BCU involves monitoring the battery status, managing the charging and discharging process, executing fault diagnosis and protection measures, and exchanging information with other systems.

[0059] In this embodiment, the first communication module can be implemented using a communication module such as RS484 or RS232. Furthermore, the first communication module uses an RS485 communication module to achieve a communication connection between the control module and the air conditioner. The control module can quickly and accurately output a control signal to the air conditioner via the RS485 communication module, causing the air conditioner to activate cooling or heating mode and accurately control the cooling or heating temperature of the air conditioner according to a preset logic. For example, if the temperature detection signal collected by the management module in a battery device is determined by the control module to be higher than a preset temperature, a control signal is output to the air conditioner to activate cooling mode and adjust the cooling temperature to a preset temperature, so that the temperature inside the box remains at the preset temperature. The RS485 communication module uses differential signal transmission, which can significantly reduce the impact of common-mode noise and improve communication stability. Furthermore, the hardware cost of the RS485 communication module is relatively low, and there are a large number of mature products available on the market. It also supports simultaneous communication with up to 32 nodes (or up to 256 nodes in some cases), meaning that multiple air conditioners or other devices can be easily connected to the control module.

[0060] In this embodiment, the first communication module can be implemented using a communication module such as CAN or LIN. Furthermore, the second communication module utilizes CAN communication to establish communication between the management modules in multiple battery devices and the control module in the battery system. Through CAN communication, each management module can effectively feed back its collected data to the control module in the battery system, enabling the control module to output corresponding control signals to the battery devices based on the collected data. For example, if the temperature detection signal collected by the management module in a battery device is determined by the control module to be above a preset temperature, a control signal is output to the management module in the corresponding battery device, allowing the management module to further control the operation of the fan 30, such as controlling the fan's speed or turning it on or off. The use of a CAN communication module offers high reliability. The CAN bus communication module uses differential signaling to transmit data, meaning the voltage difference between two signal lines represents a logical "1" or "0." This differential signaling significantly reduces the impact of common-mode noise. When external electromagnetic interference affects both signal lines simultaneously, the voltage changes on both lines are identical. Therefore, the receiving end can identify and ignore such changes. In addition, the CAN communication module also supports priority arbitration, allowing important messages to be sent first, ensuring the system's real-time responsiveness and facilitating timely adjustments to the battery system's status. Furthermore, the CAN communication module supports simultaneous connection of multiple nodes, making it easy to add new management modules (such as the BMU) without affecting the existing system. Because each management module can communicate independently with the control module, the system can be easily expanded or modified as needed, effectively improving the flexibility and scalability of the connection between each battery device and the control module in the battery system.

[0061] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery device, used in a battery system, characterized in that: The battery system includes a battery management device; the battery includes: A housing having openings on both sides thereof along a vertical longitudinal direction; A battery cell group, wherein harmonica tubes are provided on both sides of the battery cell group along a vertical longitudinal direction; a fan, the fan being disposed on a vertically lateral side of the housing, the fan being electrically connected to a battery management device of the battery system and configured to operate according to a control signal output by the battery management device; Wherein, the pipe opening of the harmonica pipe is arranged corresponding to the working direction of the fan.

2. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein: A heat conducting medium is provided between the battery core group and the harmonica tube.

3. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein: The fan is a controllable axial flow fan.

4. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein: The battery device further comprises a connection interface of the battery management device, wherein the connection interface is arranged on a vertical and horizontal side surface of the housing and is used for connecting the battery device with the battery management device.

5. The battery device according to claim 4, wherein: The battery device also includes a management module, a first end of the management module is electrically connected to the connection interface, and a second end of the management module is electrically connected to the fan. The management module is used to control the operation of the fan according to the control signal output by the battery management device.

6. The battery device according to claim 5, wherein: The management module includes a temperature detection circuit, an output end of the temperature detection circuit is electrically connected to the connection interface, and the temperature detection circuit is used to obtain and output a temperature detection signal of the battery cell group.

7. A battery system, characterized in that: The battery system includes a battery management device, an air conditioner, and a plurality of battery devices according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The battery system according to claim 7, wherein: The battery management device comprises: Control module; a first communication module, wherein a first end of the first communication module is communicatively connected to the air conditioner, a second end of the first communication module is communicatively connected to the control module, and the first communication module is used for communication between the air conditioner and the control module; The second communication module has a first end connected to the control module for communication, and a second end connected to the plurality of fans for communication, and the second communication module is used for communication between the control module and the plurality of fans.

9. The battery system according to claim 8, wherein: The first communication module is an RS485 communication module.

10. The battery system according to claim 8, wherein: The second communication module is a CAN communication module.

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