Battery module capable of charging battery cells in turn by using large current

Abstract

The utility model discloses a battery module capable of charging battery cells in turn by using large current, which comprises N battery cells which are electrically connected in series to form a combination, and N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2; one charging wire is connected to the positive electrode on one side of the battery cell combination, the other charging wire is connected to the negative electrode on the other side of the battery cell combination, N-1 charging wires are respectively connected between the positive electrodes and the negative electrodes of two adjacent battery cells in the battery cell combination, and each charging wire is connected with a charging socket; and the charging socket is electrically connected with a relay module, and is in an on-off state through a relay in the relay module, so that the external power charges the battery cell through the relay module and the two charging wires at the two sides of the battery cell. In addition, after the battery cells are charged, the external power charges the different battery cells one by one in a large current manner by changing the connection and disconnection of a part of the relays. In addition, the battery box does not need to be disassembled during charging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a battery module which can charge electric cores in turn with a large current, and belongs to the technical field of rechargeable batteries. Background Art

[0002] Generally speaking, a car battery has a service life of two to three years, with the original battery in a new car lasting over three years. Car owners should perform routine maintenance on their batteries around two and a half years into their life cycle to prevent damage. However, many new car owners often experience rapid battery drain due to poor driving habits. Even experienced car owners can experience battery discharge if they park their car for extended periods or have too many electrical appliances running.

[0003] Batteries are the core components of electric vehicles. Their energy capacity, battery voltage, safety, range, and charging time are all factors that must be considered in practical applications. Battery charging time has always been a difficult problem to solve. To increase battery durability, battery management systems typically incorporate a battery pack voltage balancer to independently regulate the charge and discharge of each string of cells in the battery pack, minimizing capacity or voltage differences between cells. This approach involves utilizing energy storage elements such as capacitors and inductors to transfer energy between different strings of cells, or using power resistors to instantly discharge different strings of cells.

[0004] In order to solve the balance problem of battery cell charging and discharging, a known battery system, a control method for a voltage balancing program, and a method for calculating the balanced power are disclosed, such as the Chinese invention patent (publication number CN113541224B), which includes multiple unit battery packs, a communication bus, and a main control unit. Each unit battery pack includes multiple string cells, an isolation charger, a switch array circuit, a balancing slave switch, and a balancing slave controller. The main control unit includes a balancing master controller, a balancing master switch, and a system current and power measurement unit. When the error between the balance detection voltage calculated by each balancing slave controller and the balance detection voltage calculated by the balancing master controller is less than an error setting value, the balancing master switch and the specific balancing slave switch on the unit battery pack are turned on to charge the specific string of cells to achieve voltage balance.

[0005] Secondly, the Chinese invention patent (publication number CN114301130B) discloses the field of battery balanced charging technology. First, the voltage at each single cell end, the voltage difference between the highest voltage and the lowest voltage, and the total battery voltage are obtained; it is determined whether the voltage difference exceeds a first preset threshold value and whether the highest voltage exceeds a second preset threshold value. If so, the passive balancing circuit in the BMS system is controlled to start and discharge the single cell with the highest voltage. Otherwise, the following steps are performed to determine whether the battery is fully charged. If not, the voltage at each single cell end detected by the battery's BMS system at the current moment is obtained, and then the single cell with the lowest voltage is obtained. The single cell with the lowest voltage is charged. If it is fully charged, charging is automatically stopped.

[0006] Furthermore, the typical method for recharging battery cells requires disassembling the corresponding battery box and then using a charger to recharge the cells in need of recharging. If the charger electrodes cannot directly contact the battery cell electrodes, recharging must be performed via the voltage sampling lines of the battery management system (BMS). However, because the electrode sampling lines are typically very small, only very low currents can be used for recharging, which takes a long time. Furthermore, battery boxes are typically very heavy, weighing anywhere from tens to 200 to 300 kilograms, making them difficult to move. Furthermore, using low currents for recharging is time-consuming and makes it difficult to fully recharge all the cells. Utility Model Content

[0007] The utility model aims to provide a battery module which can charge cells in turn with a large current, and does not need to disassemble the battery box during charging.

[0008] In order to achieve the above purpose, the utility model adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] A battery module capable of charging cells in turn with a large current, for receiving external power through a relay module having multiple relays for high-current charging, comprising: N cells electrically connected in series to form a combination, wherein N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2; N+1 charging lines, wherein one of the charging lines is connected to the positive electrode on one side of the combination consisting of the N cells, another of the charging lines is connected to the negative electrode on the other side of the combination consisting of the N cells, and the remaining N-1 charging lines are respectively connected to the positive electrodes of two adjacent cells in the combination consisting of the N cells. between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the battery cell; a charging socket having N+1 electrical contacts, each of which is electrically connected to the N+1 charging lines, and each of the electrical contacts is electrically connected to the relay module; the relay in the relay module presents a path and a break state, so that the external power can pass through the relay module and the two charging lines on both sides of the battery cell to charge the battery cell, and after the battery cell is fully charged, the path and break state of some of the relays are changed to enable the external power to charge different battery cells one by one with a large current.

[0010] In one embodiment, a box is further included for accommodating a combination of N battery cells, and the charging socket is exposed on a surface of the box.

[0011] In one embodiment, an electrode connecting plate is used to connect the negative electrode of one cell to the positive electrode of the other cell of two adjacent cells, so that the N cells are electrically connected in series. In addition, each electrode connecting plate is connected to a voltage detection line and a temperature detection line.

[0012] In one embodiment, a battery management unit is further included that is electrically connected to the two signal connection ports. Each of the voltage detection lines and each of the temperature detection lines is electrically connected to the battery management unit and outputs the voltage and temperature of each battery cell through the two signal connection ports. In addition, the two signal connection ports are exposed on the surface of the housing.

[0013] In one embodiment, each of the N+1 charging lines is electrically connected to at least one of the relays. By changing the relay's open and closed states, the high current of the external power sequentially enters different battery cells for high-current charging in turn.

[0014] In one embodiment, the charging line connected to the positive electrode on one side of the combination of N battery cells and the charging line connected to the negative electrode on the other side of the combination of N battery cells are each connected to a relay. The N-1 charging lines connected between the positive and negative electrodes of two adjacent battery cells are each used to connect two relays.

[0015] The advantages of the present invention are as follows: the battery module of the present invention solves the problems of the prior art, can provide large current balanced power replenishment, and does not require disassembling the battery box during charging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 This is a combined appearance diagram of the battery module and the box body of an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the series connection of the battery cells of the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the connection between the battery module, charging plug and signal line of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a circuit diagram of high current charging according to an embodiment of the present utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The various embodiments discussed below with reference to the accompanying drawings are intended solely for the purpose of illustrating the present invention. Furthermore, the descriptions provided with reference to the accompanying drawings are of preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the drawings and descriptions are for illustrative purposes only. For example, terms such as "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "first," and "second" are used to clearly illustrate the relative positions of components or mechanisms and are not intended to be limiting.

[0021] See also Figure 1 The figure shows a battery module 100, including N battery cells 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, and 108. The aforementioned value N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, and the battery module 100 shown in the figure includes 8 battery cells 101-108 for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting. Each of the battery cells 101-108 has a positive electrode and a negative electrode. These 8 battery cells 101-108 are juxtaposed, and the positive and negative electrodes of any two adjacent battery cells are connected by an electrode connecting piece 109a, 109b, 109c, 109d, 109e, 109f, and 109g. Accordingly, the combination of the battery cells 101-108 forms an electrical series connection. The negative electrode of the battery cell 101 on one side of the battery cell 101-108 combination is connected to a negative output line 110, and the positive electrode of the battery cell 108 on the other side of the battery cell 101-108 combination is connected to a positive output line 111. Thus, the combination of eight battery cells 101-108 can output power through the positive output line 111 and the negative output line 110.

[0022] Next, the battery module 100 further includes a housing 120 for mounting the aforementioned battery cells 101-108 therein, and the housing 120 is covered by a cover 121. The cover 121 has a plurality of openings 121a, 121b, 121c, 121d, 121e, 121f, 121g, 121h, and 121i. When the cover 121 is mounted on the housing 120, the positive and negative electrodes of the battery cells 101-108 can be accessed through the openings 121a-121i.

[0023] See also Figure 2 In this embodiment, each of the electrode connecting pieces 109a-109g is connected to a voltage detection line 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, 130e, 130f, 130g and a temperature detection line 131a, 131b, 131c, 131d, 131e, 131f, 131g to obtain the voltage and temperature of each battery cell 101-108.

[0024] See also Figure 2 、 Figure 3 The present invention further includes a battery management module 140, which is installed in the housing 120 and is connected to each combination of the battery cells 101 to 108. Specifically, the management module 140 includes a substrate 141, on which a battery management unit (BMU) 142 is disposed, electrically connected to two signal connection ports 143 and 144, and a charging socket 145. The two signal connection ports 143 and 144 of the battery management module 140 and the charging socket 145 are exposed on the surface of the housing 120. Next, each of the voltage detection lines 130a to 130g is electrically connected to the signal connection port 143, and each of the temperature detection lines 131a to 131g is electrically connected to the signal connection port 144. The charging socket 145 is connected to a wire used to charge the battery cells. In this way, the battery module 100 is connected to the management module 140.

[0025] See also Figure 4After the battery cells 101-108 of the present invention are connected in series, a charging cable 301 and a charging cable 309 are connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the battery cells 101 and 108 on both sides of the whole. Next, charging cables 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, and 308 are connected in sequence between the battery cells 101-108 that are connected in pairs. Each charging cable 301-309 of this embodiment is connected to an electrical contact 145a, 145b, 145c, 145d, 145e, 145f, 145g, 145h, and 145i of the charging socket 145. It is worth noting that each charging cable 301-309 has a wire diameter sufficient to withstand large currents (e.g., 20 amps). In other words, this embodiment can use American Wire Gauge (AWG) #12 wire, which has a wire diameter of approximately 2.05 mm and can carry an allowable current of 20 to 30 amperes, thereby directly charging / recharging with a large current.

[0026] Specifically, the figure shows the charging socket 145 of the battery module 100 of this embodiment connected to a charging plug 200. The charging plug 200 has a plurality of pins 200a, 200b, 200c, 200d, 200e, 200f, 200g, 200h, and 200i, which respectively connect to the electrical contacts 145a, 145b, 145c, 145d, 145e, 145f, 145g, 145h, and 145i of the charging socket 145. To provide high-current charging for each of the battery cells 101-108, this embodiment utilizes a relay module 310 connected to the charging plug 200, and an external power source 320 connected to the relay module 310.

[0027] In one feasible embodiment, the relay module 310 includes a plurality of relays R01-R16. Each of the charging cables 301-309 is electrically connected to at least one relay. For example, the number of relays shown in the figure corresponds to 2N of the battery cells. The charging cable 301 is connected to the relay R01 via the electrical contact 145a, the plug 200a, and a predetermined wire. The charging cable 302 is connected to the relay R02 and another relay R03 via the electrical contact 145b, the plug 200b, and a predetermined wire. Furthermore, the charging cable 303 is connected to the relay R04 and another relay R05 via the electrical contact 145c, the plug 200c, and a predetermined wire. Secondly, relays R01, R03, R05, R07, R09, R11, R13, and R15 connect to external power 320 and control the power's input path. Relays R02, R04, R06, R08, R10, R12, R14, and R16 connect to external power 320 and control the power's output path. Through the circuit configuration of relay module 310 and the open and closed states of different relays, the high current of external power 320 can be sequentially fed into different cells 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, and 108 for high-current charging in rotation.

[0028] like Figure 3 、 Figure 4 As shown, this embodiment can be used for charging when the battery module 100 is not depleted or in a low-energy state. In other words, this embodiment can be used for charging or replenishing power at any time or during general maintenance. During use, in addition to connecting the charging socket 145 to the charging plug 200, the signal connection port 143 connected to each of the voltage detection lines 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, 130e, 130f, and 130g is connected to a battery management system 400 via a signal line 330. The signal connection port 144 connected to each of the temperature detection lines 131a, 131b, 131c, 131d, 131e, 131f, and 131g is also connected to the battery management system 400 via another signal line 340. In addition, the battery management system 400 is electrically connected to the relay module 310.

[0029] By transmitting the voltage of each battery cell 101-108 to the battery management system 400 via the signal line 330, the difference between the current voltage (capacity) of each battery cell 101-108 and the rated full-load voltage (capacity) can be clearly understood. The battery management system 400 then controls a specific number of relays in the relay module 310 to open and close circuits, allowing the external power 320 to charge only the first battery cell 101. More specifically, when two relays R01 and R02 form a circuit, and the other relays R03-R16 are open circuited, the external current 310 charges the battery cell 101.

[0030] Since this embodiment uses a large current to charge a battery cell, it only takes a short time for the battery cell 101 to reach the rated voltage (capacity). At the same time, the voltage detection line 130a obtains the voltage status of the battery cell 101 and transmits it to the battery management system 400 via the signal line 330. The battery management system 400 then controls a specific number of relays in the relay module 310 to be connected and disconnected. For example, two relays R03 and R04 form a connection, while the other relays R01, R02, R05-R16 are disconnected. The second battery cell 102 forms a connection with the external power 320, and the external power 320 can charge the battery cell 102. At the same time, the signal line 330 returns the voltage of the battery cell 102 to the battery management system 400 until the battery cell 102 is fully charged. Similarly, the other battery cells 103 - 108 of this embodiment can be charged one by one in sequence by changing the circuit connection and disconnection of a specific number of relays in conjunction with the relay module 310 , thereby achieving the effect of charging the battery cells 101 - 108 in turn.

[0031] It is worth noting that the charging cables 301 - 309 of this embodiment have a larger wire diameter and are sufficient to carry a larger current. Therefore, the battery cells 101 - 108 are directly charged with a large current, which can shorten the overall charging time.

[0032] Secondly, the charging socket 145 of this embodiment is exposed on the surface of the housing 120, allowing the operator to directly connect to the charging plug 200. The external power 320 through the charging plug 200 and the charging socket 145 can directly charge the different battery cells 101-108 one by one with a large current. Therefore, the user does not need to disassemble the housing 120 or open the cover 121, nor does he need to use a clamp to clamp the electrodes of the battery cells one by one to charge. Therefore, the operation of this embodiment is significantly simpler than the traditional method.

[0033] In addition, the two electrodes of each battery cell 101-108 of this embodiment are connected to a charging cable, and the charging cables 302-308 of the positive and negative electrodes of each battery cell 102-107 located in the middle position can be shared. Therefore, compared with the traditional form of connecting an external charging cable to the positive and negative electrodes of each battery cell, this embodiment can not only accurately charge or replenish the power of each battery cell 101-108, but also has the effect of clearly reducing the number of wires used, reducing the inconvenience caused by wiring, and having less line loss and voltage difference.

[0034] In this embodiment, each of the battery cells 101-108 is connected to a temperature detection line 131a, 131b, 131c, 131d, 131e, 131f, and 131g to obtain the battery cell temperature during charging. The obtained battery cell temperature is then transmitted to the battery management system 400 via the signal connection port 134 and the signal line 340. Once a temperature abnormality is detected, the relay module can be controlled, eliminating the need to worry about temperature runaway during charging. In addition, each of the battery cells 101-108 in this embodiment connects the voltage detection lines 130a-130g and the temperature detection lines 131a-131g to the battery management unit 142 over a relatively short distance, converting the voltage information into digital information. This helps to accurately replenish the battery cells and precisely monitor temperature runaway during charging.

[0035] The positive output line 110 and the negative output line 111 shown in the embodiment of the present invention are separate from the charging lines 301 and 309 on either side. This allows the positive output line 110 and the negative output line 111 to be used for discharging, and the charging lines 301 and 309 to be used for charging. The positive output line 110 and the negative output line 111 can be used to connect to an electrical device or apparatus, similar to the use of a typical battery, and will not be further described here.

[0036] The above is a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the technical principles used therein. For those skilled in the art, any obvious changes such as equivalent transformations, simple replacements, etc. based on the technical solution of the present invention, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery module capable of charging cells in turn with a large current, characterized in that: The invention is used to receive external power through a relay module having multiple relays to perform high current charging, including: N battery cells are electrically connected in series to form a combination, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2; N+1 charging lines, one of which is connected to the positive electrode on one side of the combination of the N battery cells, another of which is connected to the negative electrode on the other side of the combination of the N battery cells, and the remaining N-1 charging lines are respectively connected between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of two adjacent battery cells in the combination of the N battery cells; a charging socket having N+1 electrical contacts, each electrically connected to the N+1 charging cables, and each electrical contact electrically connected to the relay module; By making the relay in the relay module present the state of passage and disconnection, the external power can pass through the relay module and the two charging lines on both sides of the battery cell to charge the battery cell. After the battery cell is fully charged, the passage and disconnection of some of the relays are changed to allow the external power to charge different battery cells one by one with a large current.

2. The battery module capable of charging cells in turn with a large current as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The invention also includes a box body for accommodating a combination of N battery cells, and the charging socket is exposed on the surface of the box body.

3. The battery module capable of charging cells in turn with a large current as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The negative electrode of one of the two adjacent battery cells is connected to the positive electrode of the other battery cell via an electrode connecting sheet, so that N battery cells are electrically connected in series.

4. The battery module capable of charging cells in turn with a large current as claimed in claim 1, wherein: It also includes a battery management unit electrically connected to a signal connection port, and N-1 voltage detection lines respectively connected between two battery cells connected in series in the combination of the N battery cells. Each voltage detection line is electrically connected to the battery management unit and outputs the voltage of each battery cell through the signal connection port.

5. The battery module capable of charging cells in turn with a large current as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The invention also comprises a box body for accommodating a combination of N battery cells, and the signal connection port is exposed on the surface of the box body.

6. The battery module capable of charging cells in turn with a large current as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a battery management unit electrically connected to a signal connection port, and N-1 temperature detection lines respectively connected between two battery cells connected in series in the combination of the N battery cells. Each temperature detection line is electrically connected to the battery management unit and outputs the temperature of each battery cell through the signal connection port.

7. The battery module capable of charging cells in turn with a large current as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The invention also comprises a box body for accommodating a combination of N battery cells, and the signal connection port is exposed on the surface of the box body.

8. The battery module capable of charging cells in turn with a large current as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the N+1 charging lines is electrically connected to at least one of the relays. By changing the relay's open and closed states, the large current of the external power sequentially enters different cells for large-current charging in turn.

9. The battery module capable of charging cells in turn with a large current as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The charging line connected to the positive electrode on one side of the combination of the N battery cells, and the charging line connected to the negative electrode on the other side of the combination of the N battery cells, are each connected to one of the relays.

10. The battery module capable of charging cells in turn with a large current as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The N-1 charging lines connected between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of two adjacent battery cells are all used to connect two relays.

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