Battery replacement station measurement and control device and battery replacement station with same

Abstract

The utility model discloses a battery swap station measurement and control device and a battery swap station with the same and belongs to the field of battery swap stations. The testing and controlling device for the battery swap station comprises a servo gas circuit and a testing circuit, the servo gas circuit is arranged between a gas source and a cylinder in the battery swap station, and the testing circuit comprises a first testing circuit and a second testing circuit. The first testing circuit and the second testing circuit are used for being connected with a first sensor and a second sensor which are arranged at the first position and the second position of the air cylinder respectively, a first light-emitting part is arranged in the first testing circuit, and a second light-emitting part is arranged in the second testing circuit. The first light-emitting part and the second light-emitting part are respectively used for indicating the working states of the first sensor and the second sensor when the piston of the cylinder moves to the first position or the second position. The testing device has the characteristic of high testing efficiency. The battery swap station comprises an air source, an air cylinder, a first sensor, a second sensor and the battery swap station measurement and control device, and has the advantage of being high in safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of battery swapping station technology, and in particular relates to a battery swapping station monitoring and control device and a battery swapping station having the same. Background Technology

[0002] To ensure fire safety, battery swapping stations are typically equipped with fire-fighting facilities (such as fire extinguisher boxes) and servo mechanisms (such as cylinders) to extinguish batteries that have experienced thermal runaway. Thus, when a battery experiences thermal runaway, the servo mechanism pushes the runaway battery into a medium (such as water) within the fire-fighting facility, thereby isolating the runaway battery and extinguishing the fire.

[0003] However, before the operation of the battery swapping station, the testing of the servo mechanism is usually done manually, which is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also cannot meet the testing and verification requirements of electronic device functions because the battery swapping station does not have the conditions for partial or overall power-on. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a battery swapping station monitoring and control device and a battery swapping station having the same, so as to solve the problems of low efficiency and incomplete test items in the current testing process.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the first aspect of this utility model provides a battery swapping station monitoring and control device, including a servo air circuit and a testing circuit. The servo air circuit is located between an air source and a cylinder within the battery swapping station. The testing circuit includes a first testing circuit and a second testing circuit. The first testing circuit and the second testing circuit are used to connect to a first sensor and a second sensor respectively located at a first position and a second position of the cylinder. The first testing circuit is provided with a first light-emitting element, and the second testing circuit is provided with a second light-emitting element. The first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element are respectively used to indicate the working status of the first sensor and the second sensor when the piston of the cylinder moves to the first position or the second position.

[0006] In one embodiment, the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element are connected in parallel.

[0007] In one embodiment, the first light-emitting element is used to connect to the first sensor, and the second light-emitting element is used to connect to the second sensor.

[0008] In one embodiment, the test circuit further includes a switch disposed on the main circuit between the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element.

[0009] In one embodiment, the servo air circuit includes a reversing valve, which is connected to the air source and the cylinder via a connecting pipe.

[0010] In one embodiment, the number of connecting pipes is three, one of which is used to connect to the air source, and the other two of which are used to connect to the cylinder.

[0011] In one embodiment, the battery swapping station monitoring and control device further includes a housing, and the servo air circuit and the test circuit are disposed within the housing.

[0012] In one embodiment, the box body includes a lower box body and an upper cover, the upper cover being connected to the lower box body by a fastening element.

[0013] In one embodiment, both the lower box and the upper cover have a plurality of through holes.

[0014] The second aspect of this utility model provides a battery swapping station, including an air source, a cylinder, a first sensor, a second sensor, and the aforementioned battery swapping station monitoring and control device.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, this utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] This utility model discloses a design concept of setting a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element on different branches. By observing the light-emitting state of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element, the working state of the first sensor and the second sensor can be determined. This not only meets the functional testing and verification requirements of the first sensor and the second sensor, but also solves the problems of high work intensity and low testing efficiency caused by manually operating the cylinder due to the configuration of a servo air circuit for driving the cylinder. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the air circuit in a battery swapping station monitoring and control device when the servo air circuit is connected to the air source, cylinder, first sensor and second sensor, as provided in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0019] Figure 2 A circuit diagram of a test circuit in a battery swapping station monitoring and control device provided for an embodiment of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the casing of a battery swapping station monitoring and control device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from a first perspective.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the casing of a battery swapping station monitoring and control device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from a second perspective.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0023] 1. Servo air circuit; 2. Test circuit; 3. Housing; 4. Air source; 5. Cylinder; 6. First sensor; 7. Second sensor;

[0024] 11. Reversing valve; 12. Connecting pipe;

[0025] 21. First light-emitting element; 22. Second light-emitting element; 23. Switch; 24. Power supply;

[0026] 31. Lower box body; 32. Upper lid;

[0027] 311. Air inlet; 312. Air outlet; 313. Socket; 314. Switch mounting port; 315. Charging port; 316. Exhaust port;

[0028] 321. Knob mounting hole; 322. First light-transmitting hole; 323. Second light-transmitting hole;

[0029] 51. Cylinder; 52. Piston; 53. Piston rod. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The specific embodiments of this utility model will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. Based on the description of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0031] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," and "connect," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] The terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” and “outer,” etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product is in use. They are used only for the convenience of description and simplification, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0033] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., are used merely to distinguish elements with similar properties, not to indicate or imply relative importance or a specific order.

[0034] The terms “include,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, which includes not only the elements listed but also other elements not expressly listed.

[0035] Currently, the power replenishment methods for new energy vehicles are generally divided into two types: charging with the vehicle and battery swapping. Compared with the charging time of charging with the vehicle, battery swapping stations that provide battery swapping services for users' vehicles can keep the swapping time within 5 minutes by storing electricity in advance and charging the battery at a constant temperature, which is more likely to meet users' strong demand for rapid power replenishment.

[0036] According to the inventor's understanding, to ensure fire safety during operation, battery swapping stations typically include fire-fighting facilities (such as fire extinguisher boxes) and servo mechanisms (such as cylinders) to extinguish batteries that have experienced thermal runaway. Thus, when a battery experiences thermal runaway, the servo mechanism pushes the runaway battery into a medium (such as water) within the fire-fighting facility, isolating the battery and extinguishing the fire. However, before the battery swapping station is operational, the servo mechanism is usually tested manually (e.g., first disconnecting the cylinder's inlet and outlet pipes to connect both the rod-side and rodless sides of the cylinder to the outside atmosphere, then manually pushing or pulling the cylinder piston rod within its stroke range to push the battery holder containing the battery into the fire extinguisher box, and finally reassembling the components). This method is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also, because battery swapping stations lack the conditions for partial and overall power supply, it cannot meet the functional testing and verification requirements for electronic devices (such as sensors).

[0037] To address the issues of low efficiency and incomplete test items in the current testing process, it is necessary to provide a battery swapping station monitoring and control device for improving or optimizing the testing of servo mechanisms and their matching electronic components.

[0038] Example 1

[0039] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2The first embodiment of this utility model provides a battery swapping station monitoring and control device, which includes a servo air circuit 1 and a test circuit 2. The servo air circuit 1 is connected between an air source 4 and a cylinder 5 in the battery swapping station. The test circuit 2 includes a first test circuit and a second test circuit. The first test circuit and the second test circuit are used to connect to a first sensor 6 and a second sensor 7 respectively installed at a first position and a second position of the cylinder 5. It should be noted that the gas source 4 mentioned here refers to the gas source that provides power to various equipment (such as cylinders) and systems (such as pneumatic systems); the cylinder 5 mentioned here refers to the servo mechanism or servo component in the battery swapping station used to push the thermal runaway battery into the fire-fighting facilities (such as fire boxes), which is mainly composed of cylinder 51, piston 52 and piston rod 53. The cylinder 51 is fixedly installed in the fire-fighting area of ​​the battery swapping station by a frame or bracket. The piston 52 is relatively movable and installed in the cylinder 51. The piston 52 is fixedly connected to one end of the piston rod 53, and the other end of the piston rod 53 opposite to the end where the piston 52 is fixed passes through the cylinder 51; the first position and the second position of the cylinder 5 mentioned here refer to the two extreme positions of the piston 52 in the cylinder 51, such as the retracted position (such as the stroke start position or stroke origin position) and the extended position (such as the stroke end position or stroke finish position); the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7 mentioned here refer to the switching devices that can sense the position of the piston 52 and are used to confirm the working state of the cylinder 5 (such as the extended state and the retracted state).

[0040] In this first embodiment, the first sensor 6 is installed on the outer surface of the left end of the cylinder 51 to sense the retracted position of the piston 52 and output a feedback signal; the second sensor 7 is installed on the outer surface of the right end of the cylinder 51 to sense the extended position of the piston 52 and output a feedback signal. It is worth noting that, to ensure that the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7 can respectively sense the retracted and extended positions of the piston 52, the piston 52 is a magnetic component (such as a piston fitted with a magnetic ring made of magnetic materials such as silicon steel, nickel, or iron). Both the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7 are switching devices that can control the on / off state of a circuit using the principle of magnetic fields, such as a magnetic switch mainly composed of a magnet, a magnetically sensitive element (such as a Hall element, magnetoresistive element, or magnetic diode), and contacts (closed when the magnetic field is near; open when the magnetic field is far away). Thus, when the piston 52 is in the retracted position, the first sensor 6 can sense the magnetic field radiated by the piston 52, which enables the first test circuit connected to the first sensor 6 to conduct; when the piston 52 is in the extended position, the second sensor 6 can sense the magnetic field radiated by the piston 52, which enables the second test circuit connected to the second sensor 6 to conduct.

[0041] like Figure 1As shown, to address the issues of high workload and low testing efficiency caused by manually operating the cylinder 5, the servo air circuit 1 includes a reversing valve 11, which is connected to the air source 4 and the cylinder 5 via a connecting pipe 12. Preferably, the reversing valve 11 is a two-position five-way reversing valve, and it has a manual operation knob for switching the air circuit direction. The connecting pipe 12 includes an air pipe connector, a silencer, and a seal to ensure airtightness and reduce noise. In some embodiments, there can be multiple connecting pipes 12; in this embodiment, there are three connecting pipes 12. One of these three connecting pipes 12 is connected between the reversing valve 11 and the air source 4 for inputting compressed gas from the air source 4; the other two connecting pipes 12 are connected between the reversing valve 11 and the cylinder 5 for outputting compressed gas from the air source 4 and non-working gas from the cylinder 5. Thus, when the air source 4 is connected to the cylinder 5 and the reversing valve 11 is in the right valve position, the piston 52 and piston rod 53 move to the retracted position along the length of the cylinder 51 under the action of compressed gas; when the reversing valve 11 is in the left valve position, the piston 52 and piston rod 53 move to the extended position along the length of the cylinder 51 under the action of compressed gas, which helps to reduce the labor intensity of the workers.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, when the piston 52 of cylinder 5 moves to the retracted or extended position, in order to facilitate the determination of the working status of the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7, the first test circuit is equipped with a first light-emitting element 21, and the second test circuit is equipped with a second light-emitting element 22, so that the operator can test and verify the working status of the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7 based on the light emission status of the first light-emitting element 21 and the second light-emitting element 22. It should be noted that the first light-emitting element 21 and the second light-emitting element 22 mentioned here are electronic devices that can convert electrical energy into light energy, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs); the working status of the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7 mentioned here includes, but is not limited to, closed state, lit state, and output feedback.

[0043] Furthermore, the first light-emitting element 21 is used to connect to the first sensor 6, and the second light-emitting element 22 is used to connect to the second sensor 7. Preferably, the first light-emitting element 21 and the second light-emitting element 22 are connected in parallel.

[0044] Furthermore, to meet the functional testing and verification requirements of electronic devices (such as sensors, magnetic switches, photoelectric switches, and proximity switches), the test circuit 2 of the battery swapping station control device also includes a switch 23 and a power supply 24 located on the main circuit between the first light-emitting element 21 and the second light-emitting element 22. Preferably, the power supply 24 is a DC power supply matched to the rated voltage of the electronic device under test, such as a rechargeable lithium battery, and the lithium battery voltage is less than or equal to 36V, and the lithium battery capacity is greater than or equal to 2600mAh. Thus, when the first light-emitting element 21, the second light-emitting element 22, the switch 23, and the power supply 24 are connected by wires, in this embodiment, the first light-emitting element 21 is connected between the power supply 24 and the first sensor 6, and the second light-emitting element 22 is connected between the power supply 24 and the second sensor 7. Specifically, the input terminals of the first light-emitting element 21 and the second light-emitting element 22 are connected to the positive terminal of the power supply 24, the output terminal of the first light-emitting element 21 is used to connect to the output signal terminal of the first sensor 6, and the output terminal of the second light-emitting element 22 is used to connect to the output signal terminal of the second sensor 7. Switch 23 is connected to the negative input branch of power supply 24. The positive terminal of power supply 24 is used to connect to the positive terminals of the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7, and the negative terminal of power supply 24 is used to connect to the negative terminals of the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7.

[0045] When personnel need to inspect, repair, install, or debug the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7, they should first close switch 23, then drive cylinder 5 through servo pneumatic circuit 1 to retract piston 52. If the first light-emitting element 21 illuminates, it indicates that the first sensor 6 is working or functioning well. Then, drive cylinder 5 through servo pneumatic circuit 1 to extend piston 52. If the second light-emitting element 22 illuminates, it indicates that the second sensor 7 is working or functioning well. Conversely, if the first light-emitting element 21 does not illuminate or is off, it indicates that the first sensor 6 is not working or is faulty; if the second light-emitting element 22 does not illuminate or is off, it indicates that the second sensor 7 is not working or is faulty. Personnel should promptly perform maintenance operations on the first sensor 6 or the second sensor 7.

[0046] like Figure 3 , Figure 4As shown, to protect the servo air circuit 1 and the test circuit 2, the battery swapping station control device also includes a housing 3, with the servo air circuit 1 and the test circuit 2 installed inside the housing 3. Overall, the housing 3 is rectangular in shape, including a lower housing 31 and an upper cover 32. The upper cover 32 is connected to the lower housing 31 by fastening elements (such as fastening screws). In some embodiments, there may be multiple fastening elements; in this embodiment, there are four fastening elements. It should be noted that, to accommodate the servo air circuit 1 and the test circuit 2, the lower housing 31 has an upward-opening receiving space, and the upper cover 32 has a downward-opening receiving area. When the upper cover 32 and the lower housing 31 are installed together, the receiving space and the receiving area are in communication. Preferably, the lower housing 31 and the upper cover 32 are made of ABS plastic.

[0047] Furthermore, both the lower housing 31 and the upper cover 32 are provided with several through holes. The through holes on the lower housing 31 can be referred to as air inlet 311, air outlet 312, wire insertion hole 313, switch mounting port 314, charging port 315, and exhaust port 316, respectively. The through holes on the upper cover 32 can be referred to as knob mounting hole 321, first light-transmitting hole 322, and second light-transmitting hole 323, respectively. Specifically, the air inlet 311 is used to assemble a connecting pipe 12 between the reversing valve 11 and the air source 4; there are two air outlets 312, which are used to assemble two connecting pipes 12 between the reversing valve 11 and the cylinder 5; there are also two wiring holes 313, which are used to connect the wiring harness plugs of the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7 respectively; the switch mounting port 314 is used to install the switch 23 to control the power supply; the charging port 315 is used to connect to a power adapter compatible with the power supply 24; the exhaust port 316 is used to discharge gas, including but not limited to non-working gas in the cylinder 5 and the air exchange valve 11; the knob mounting hole 321 is used to install the knob for operating the reversing valve 11; the first light-transmitting hole 322 is used to observe the working status of the first light-emitting element 21; and the second light-transmitting hole 323 is used to observe the working status of the second light-emitting element 22.

[0048] To facilitate understanding of the design concept of this utility model, the specific operation process is explained as follows:

[0049] First, remove the battery swapping station monitoring and control device from the equipment storage area. Confirm that the switch 23 in the switch mounting port 314 and the knob of the reversing valve 11 are in the closed or reset state. Then, perform the connection operation. Connect the input port of the reversing valve 11 to the air source 4 through a connecting pipe 12, and connect the two output ports of the reversing valve 11 to the rod side and rodless side of the cylinder 5 through two connecting pipes 12, thus completing the connection of the servo air circuit 1. Then, insert the wiring harness plugs of the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7 into the two wiring holes 313, so that the first test circuit is connected to the first sensor 6 and the second test circuit is connected to the second sensor 7, thus completing the connection of the test circuit 2.

[0050] Next, a test operation is performed. Switch 23 is closed, and the knob of the reversing valve 11 is repeatedly turned. By observing the extension and retraction of the piston rod 53 and the illumination status of the first light-emitting element 21 and the second light-emitting element 22, the working status of the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7 is confirmed. Specifically, when the cylinder 5 is in the retracted state, if the first light-emitting element 21 illuminates, it indicates that the first sensor 6 is working or functioning well; when the cylinder 5 is in the extended state, if the second light-emitting element 22 illuminates, it indicates that the second sensor 7 is working or functioning well. Conversely, if the first light-emitting element 21 does not illuminate or is off, it indicates that the first sensor 6 is not working or is faulty; if the second light-emitting element 22 does not illuminate or is off, it indicates that the second sensor 7 is not working or is faulty. The operator should promptly perform maintenance on the first sensor 6 or the second sensor 7, ensuring that the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7 illuminate at the retracted position and the extended position of the piston 52, respectively.

[0051] Finally, after completing the maintenance and testing, confirm that the knobs of switch 23 and reversing valve 11 in switch mounting port 314 are in the closed or reset state. Disconnect the connecting pipes 12 in air inlet 311 and two air outlets 312, as well as the wiring harness plugs of the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7 in two wiring holes 313. Put the power swapping station monitoring and control device back into the equipment storage area for reuse. It is convenient to use.

[0052] Example 2

[0053] The second embodiment of this utility model provides a battery swapping station, which includes an air source 4, a cylinder 5, a first sensor 6, a second sensor 7, and a battery swapping station monitoring and control device as described in the first embodiment above. The first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7 are mounted on the cylinder 5. The servo air circuit 1 of the battery swapping station monitoring and control device is connected between the air source 4 and the cylinder 5. The test circuit 2 of the battery swapping station monitoring and control device is electrically connected to the first sensor 6 and the second sensor 7, so that the battery swapping station has the characteristics of high safety.

[0054] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery swap station measurement and control device, characterized in that, The test circuit (2) comprises a first test circuit and a second test circuit, the first test circuit and the second test circuit are used for being connected with a first sensor (6) and a second sensor (7) arranged at a first position and a second position of the air cylinder (5) respectively, a first light emitting element (21) is arranged in the first test circuit, a second light emitting element (22) is arranged in the second test circuit, the first light emitting element (21) and the second light emitting element (22) are used for indicating working states of the first sensor (6) and the second sensor (7) respectively when a piston (52) of the air cylinder (5) moves to the first position or the second position.

2. The battery swap station measurement and control device of claim 1, wherein, The first light emitting element (21) and the second light emitting element (22) are connected in parallel. 3.The battery swap station measurement and control device of claim 1, wherein, The first light emitting element (21) is used for being connected with the first sensor (6), and the second light emitting element (22) is used for being connected with the second sensor (7). 4.The battery swapping station measurement and control device of claim 1, wherein, The test circuit (2) further comprises a switch (23) arranged on a trunk line between the first light emitting element (21) and the second light emitting element (22). 5.The battery swapping station measurement and control device of claim 1, wherein, The servo air circuit (1) comprises a reversing valve (11), the reversing valve (11) is connected with the air source (4) and the air cylinder (5) through a connecting pipe (12). 6.The battery swapping station measurement and control device of claim 5, wherein, The number of the connecting pipes (12) is three, one of the three connecting pipes (12) is used for being connected with the air source (4), and the other two of the three connecting pipes (12) are used for being connected with the air cylinder (5). 7.The battery swapping station measurement and control device of claim 1, wherein, The battery swap station measurement and control device further comprises a box body (3), the servo air circuit (1) and the test circuit (2) are arranged in the box body (3). 8.The battery swapping station measurement and control device of claim 7, wherein, The box body (3) comprises a lower box body (31) and an upper cover (32), the upper cover (32) is connected with the lower box body (31) through a fastening element. 9.The battery swapping station measurement and control device of claim 8, wherein, A plurality of through holes are arranged on the lower box body (31) and the upper cover (32).

10. A battery swap station, characterized by, The battery swap station measurement and control device comprises an air source (4), an air cylinder (5), a first sensor (6), a second sensor (7), and any one of the battery swap station measurement and control devices according to claims 1 to 9.

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