Battery devices and electrical appliances

Abstract

This application discloses a battery device and an electrical device. The battery device includes: a battery cell assembly, comprising a first battery cell group and a second battery cell group connected in series; a switch assembly is disposed between the first battery cell group and the second battery cell group; a first terminal of the second battery cell group is connected to the first terminal input terminal of a low-voltage load via a first switch, and a second terminal of the second battery cell group is connected to the second terminal input terminal of the low-voltage load; a battery management system, wherein a switch control terminal of the battery management system is connected to the switch assembly and the first switch, and the switch control terminal is used to output signals to control the opening and closing of the switch assembly and the first switch. The solution provided by this application can improve the electrical safety of the battery device in scenarios where a power battery is reused to provide emergency power to a low-voltage load.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a battery device and an electrical device. Background Technology

[0002] New energy vehicles typically include high-voltage and low-voltage loads, powered by a power battery and a low-voltage DC power supply, respectively. In the event of a DC power supply failure, the power battery can be reused as a low-voltage emergency power source to provide emergency power to the low-voltage load.

[0003] However, when reusing power batteries, there is a risk of electrical safety hazards due to grounding of the power battery. Therefore, how to improve the electrical safety of battery devices in vehicles is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides a battery device and an electrical device that can improve the electrical safety of the battery device in scenarios where a power battery is reused to provide emergency power to a low-voltage load.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a battery device, the method comprising: a battery cell assembly, the battery cell assembly including a first battery cell group and a second battery cell group connected in series; a switch assembly disposed between the first battery cell group and the second battery cell group; a first terminal of the second battery cell group being connected to a first terminal input terminal of a low-voltage load via a first switch, and a second terminal of the second battery cell group being connected to a second terminal input terminal of the low-voltage load; and a battery management system, the switch control terminal of the battery management system being connected to the switch assembly and the first switch, the switch control terminal being used to output a signal controlling the opening and closing of the switch assembly and the first switch.

[0006] In this embodiment, a switching assembly is installed between the first battery cell group used for normal operation and the second battery cell group for emergency operation within the battery cell assembly. This assembly, in conjunction with a battery management system, addresses the electrical safety hazards caused by high-voltage side grounding faults during the process of a battery cell in a reused battery cell assembly supplying power to a low-voltage load. When an emergency power supply is required due to a DC power supply anomaly, the switching assembly is disconnected to physically separate the second battery cell group from the first battery cell group, which may have a grounding short-circuit fault. The second battery cell group then supplies power to the low-voltage load. Thus, even if the first battery cell group short-circuits to the vehicle body due to a collision or other reasons, the low-voltage circuit of the second battery cell group will not form an unexpected electrical path through the vehicle body to the fault point because the switching assembly has been disconnected. This reduces the risk of short-circuit sparking or voltage drop, and improves the electrical safety of the battery device in the vehicle.

[0007] In some embodiments, the battery cell assembly includes the first to the Nth battery cells connected in series in sequence, and the second battery cell group includes the ith to the jth battery cells, where N is a positive integer greater than 1, and 1 ≤ i, j < N. In this way, not only can the line loss be reduced, but the integrity of the series-connected battery cells in the battery cell assembly will not be affected, and the safety of the second battery cell group for low-voltage emergency power supply can also be improved.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first battery cell group includes a first sub-battery cell group and a second sub-battery cell group, and the switching component includes a second switch and a third switch; the second switch is connected between the second pole of the first sub-battery cell group and the first pole of the second battery cell group, and the first pole of the first sub-battery cell group is connected to the first pole input end of the high-voltage load; the third switch is connected between the first pole of the second sub-battery cell group and the second pole of the second battery cell group, and the second pole of the second sub-battery cell group is connected to the second pole input end of the high-voltage load.

[0009] Setting the second battery cell group at the middle position of the battery cell assembly can improve the stability of the second battery cell group for supplying power to the low-voltage load. And setting a disconnecting switch between the second battery cell group and the first battery cell group can not only reduce the damage to personnel or equipment caused by high voltage passing through the low-voltage circuit, but also solve the problem of single-point grounding short-circuit sparking, and improve the safety of emergency power supply.

[0010] In some embodiments, the number of battery cells in the second battery cell group is adapted to the supply voltage required by the low-voltage load. In this way, when the low-voltage power supply cannot supply power to the low-voltage load, the second battery cell group can be directly used to supply power to the low-voltage load, without the need to increase a DCDC converter to transform the voltage of the battery cell assembly, nor the need to add an additional emergency power supply, thereby reducing the hardware cost and system complexity of the electrical device, and improving the safety and reliability of the battery device.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first pole is the positive pole, the second pole is the negative pole, and the positive bus bar of the first battery cell group is connected to the positive pole input end of the high-voltage load through the main positive relay; the negative bus bar of the first battery cell group is connected to the negative pole input end of the high-voltage load through the main negative relay.

[0012] By controlling the opening and closing of the main positive relay and the main negative relay through the battery management system, the switching between the normal power supply mode and the emergency power supply mode of the battery cell assembly can be realized, and the flexibility of the working mode of the battery device is improved.

[0013] In some embodiments, a first protection circuit is provided between the positive pole of the first battery cell group and the main positive relay.

[0014] By setting up a first protection circuit, the electrical connection between the battery cell assembly and the high-voltage load can be cut off when a short circuit or overload occurs in the high-voltage circuit, thereby reducing the risk of safety accidents such as fire and explosion.

[0015] In some embodiments, a second protection circuit is provided between the positive electrode of the second battery cell and the first switch.

[0016] By setting up a second protection circuit, the circuit can be cut off when a short circuit (e.g., wire harness damage to ground) or overload occurs in the low-voltage emergency circuit, thereby reducing the risk of wire harness fire and over-discharge damage to the second battery cell group.

[0017] In some embodiments, a first lead is provided between each two adjacent battery cells of the battery cell assembly, and the first lead is connected to the first switch via a fourth switch; the battery management system has a first switch control terminal for connecting to the fourth switch, and the first switch control terminal is used to output a signal to control the opening and closing of the fourth switch.

[0018] This method allows for compatibility with low-voltage loads with varying voltage requirements, enhancing the versatility and flexibility of emergency power supply. Furthermore, if a battery cell in the second battery pack fails, switching the fourth switch allows selection of another functioning battery cell from the same assembly as an emergency power source, further improving the reliability of emergency power supply.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first battery cell group includes a plurality of sub-battery cell groups; the number of second battery cell groups is plurality of, the plurality of second battery cell groups and the plurality of sub-battery cell groups are spaced apart, a second lead is provided between the second battery cell group and the sub-battery cell group, the second lead is connected to the first switch through a fifth switch; the battery management system has a second switch control terminal for connecting to the fifth switch, the second switch control terminal is used to output a signal to control the opening and closing of the fifth switch.

[0020] The above methods not only enable emergency power supply for low-voltage loads, but also improve the flexibility of emergency power supply solutions, and further enhance the safety and reliability of emergency power supply for low-voltage loads.

[0021] In some embodiments, the battery device further includes a voltage converter; the voltage converter includes a voltage input terminal, a voltage output terminal, and a voltage conversion unit connected between the voltage input terminal and the voltage output terminal, the voltage input terminal being connected to the charging interface of the battery cell assembly, the voltage output terminal being connected to the input terminal of a low-voltage load, and the voltage conversion unit being used to convert the output voltage of an external charging device into a charging voltage adapted to the second battery cell assembly or the low-voltage load.

[0022] By replenishing the battery cells used in emergency power supply before charging them with other power battery cells, the battery cell assembly can be balanced, thus extending the lifespan of the battery cell assembly.

[0023] Secondly, this application also provides an electrical device, such as the battery device of the first aspect.

[0024] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The features, advantages, and technical effects of exemplary embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of a battery device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a second schematic diagram of the structure of a battery device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a third schematic diagram of the structure of a battery device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a fourth schematic diagram of the structure of a battery device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 5 This is the fifth schematic diagram of the structure of a battery device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 7 This is the seventh schematic diagram of the structure of a battery device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 8 This is the eighth schematic diagram of the structure of a battery device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electrical device according to another embodiment of this application.

[0035] The accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0036] The reference numerals in the detailed embodiments are as follows:

[0037] 10. Battery cell assembly; 20. Battery management system; 30. Switch assembly; 40. First switch; 50. Low-voltage load; 60. High-voltage load; 70. Fourth switch; 80. Fifth switch;

[0038] 11. First battery cell group; 12. Second battery cell group;

[0039] 111. First sub-cell group; 112. Second sub-cell group;

[0040] 31. Second switch; 32. Third switch;

[0041] 91. Main positive relay; 92. Main negative relay; 93. First protection circuit; 94. Second protection circuit; 95. Voltage converter;

[0042] 100. Electrical device; 200. Battery device; 300. Controller; 400. Motor. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0044] It should be noted that, unless otherwise stated, the technical or scientific terms used in the embodiments of this application should have the ordinary meaning understood by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments of this application pertain.

[0045] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, 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 the embodiments of this application.

[0046] Furthermore, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0047] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; 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; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0048] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0049] Currently, new energy vehicles typically adopt a high- and low-voltage separation electrical architecture. The power battery (e.g., a 400V or 800V battery composed of multiple battery cells connected in series) supplies power to high-voltage loads and drives the vehicle. The low-voltage DC power supply (e.g., a 12V or 24V lead-acid battery or lithium battery) supplies power to low-voltage loads such as door controllers, body controllers, and vehicle controllers in the vehicle.

[0050] In the current electrical architecture that separates high and low voltage, under normal vehicle operating conditions, the DC power supply is charged by the on-board DC-DC (Direct Current-Direct Current) converter, thereby supplying power to the low-voltage load of the entire vehicle to maintain the stable operation of the vehicle's low-voltage network.

[0051] However, in the event of a collision or other abnormal situation, the high-voltage load of the vehicle is immediately cut off due to safety protection. At the same time, the DC power supply is damaged and fails due to the collision or other abnormal situation, which paralyzes the low-voltage system of the vehicle. This leads to malfunctions such as the inability to unlock the electronic door handles and the failure of the emergency rescue call system, which seriously hinders the escape of people inside the vehicle and external rescue, and exacerbates the safety risks to personnel.

[0052] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies involve installing an independent emergency power supply device in the vehicle. This device includes a small-capacity emergency power supply, a protective housing, a controller, and an interface. When a vehicle malfunction causes an abnormal power supply to a low-voltage load, this device provides power. However, this approach increases the vehicle's hardware costs, occupies vehicle space, and is susceptible to failure in the event of a collision, thus failing to fundamentally solve the problem.

[0053] To address the issue of existing technologies where backup power locks occupy vehicle space and increase hardware costs, related technologies utilize a portion of the battery cells from the mains battery to power low-voltage loads when a collision or other anomaly prevents the DC power supply from supplying power. In this solution, the negative terminal of the vehicle's low-voltage load is grounded. During a collision, the battery cells serving as emergency low-voltage power supplies power the loads. However, the emergency circuit formed by these emergency battery cells short-circuits with the faulty battery cell in the DC power supply, failing to provide emergency power and potentially causing a short circuit and sparking, thus reducing the electrical safety of the battery system.

[0054] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this application provides a battery device and an electrical device. In this embodiment, a first switch is provided between the second battery cell group and the low-voltage load. When the DC power supply cannot supply power to the low-voltage load, the battery management system sends a signal to close the first switch via the switch control terminal, thereby closing the first switch and establishing a connection between the second battery cell group and the low-voltage load. This enables the second battery cell group to supply power to the low-voltage load. This method eliminates the need for an additional emergency power supply, saving vehicle space and hardware costs. In addition, in this embodiment of the application, a switching assembly is provided between the second battery cell group (e.g., power battery) used as an emergency power source and the conventional first battery cell group. When the second battery cell group supplies power to a low-voltage load as an emergency power source, the switching assembly is turned off, realizing physical isolation between the first battery cell group and the second battery cell group. Thus, even if the first battery cell group short-circuits to the vehicle body due to a vehicle collision or other reasons, the first battery cell group and the second battery cell group are isolated because the switching assembly is turned off. The low-voltage circuit of the second battery cell group will not form an unexpected electrical path through the vehicle body and the fault point, reducing the risk of short-circuit sparking or voltage drop, and improving the electrical safety of the battery device in the vehicle.

[0055] The following describes the battery device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0056] In some embodiments, Figure 1 This paper shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1As can be seen, in the embodiments of this application, the battery device includes at least a battery cell assembly 10, a battery management system 20, a switch assembly 30, and a first switch 40.

[0057] In this embodiment of the application, the electrical device includes a battery device and an electrical load. The electrical device can be, but is not limited to, power equipment (such as electric vehicles, electric boats, spacecraft), electronic equipment (such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, bionic machines, digital cameras, electric toys, etc.), wearable devices (such as watches, bracelets, VR glasses, etc.), energy storage power stations, etc.

[0058] In this embodiment, the electrical load includes a high-voltage load 60 and a low-voltage load 50. The high-voltage load 60 may include, but is not limited to, a drive motor, an electric compressor, a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater, and a high-voltage distribution box. The low-voltage load 50 may include, but is not limited to, a door controller, a body controller, a vehicle controller, an air conditioning control system, an audio system, an instrument panel, an ignition switch, and ground.

[0059] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, high voltage and low voltage are relative concepts, meaning that high voltage involves a voltage higher than low voltage. Generally speaking, the difference between high voltage-related circuits or components and low voltage-related circuits or components is that high voltage-related circuits or components refer to circuits or components that can be directly or indirectly connected to the battery device. This is because the battery device includes several battery cells, providing a relatively high voltage.

[0060] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, high voltage generally refers to voltages greater than tens of volts, hundreds of volts, or higher. Circuits and components operating at voltages greater than tens of volts, hundreds of volts, or higher can be used or processed. For example, circuits and components with operating voltages greater than 30V AC (Alternating Current) RMS (Root Mean Square) and less than or equal to 1000VAC RMS, or greater than 60V DC and less than or equal to 1500V DC. Here, V represents volts, AC RMS represents the effective power in the AC waveform, and DC represents direct current.

[0061] Low voltage generally refers to voltages of tens of volts, 10 volts, or lower. Low-voltage related circuits or components refer to circuits and components that can use or handle voltages of tens of volts, 10 volts, or lower at most. For example, circuits and components with a maximum operating voltage of no more than 30V ACRMS or no more than 60V DC.

[0062] In this embodiment, the battery cell assembly 10 can be a power battery, which can be used to supply power to the high-voltage load in the electrical device, and the DC power supply can supply power to the low-voltage load in the electrical device.

[0063] like Figure 1 As shown, the battery cell assembly 10 includes a plurality of battery cells connected in series. In this embodiment, the battery cell assembly 10 may include a first battery cell group 11 and a second battery cell group 12 connected in series; a switch assembly 30 is provided between the first battery cell group 11 and the second battery cell group 12.

[0064] In this embodiment, the second battery cell group 12 is used as an emergency battery cell to supply power to the low-voltage load when the DC power supply cannot supply power to the low-voltage load.

[0065] In this embodiment, the battery cell assembly 10 includes at least one first battery cell group 11 and at least one second battery cell group 12. The first battery cell group 11 may include at least one battery cell. When there are multiple first battery cell groups 11, the number of battery cells included in each group may be the same or different. Similarly, the second battery cell group 12 may also include at least one battery cell. When there are multiple second battery cell groups 12, the number of battery cells included in each group may be the same or different.

[0066] In addition, the second battery cell group 12 can be disposed at both ends of the battery cell assembly 10 or in the middle of the battery cell assembly 10. When there are multiple second battery cell groups 12 and multiple first battery cell groups 11, the first battery cell groups 11 and the second battery cell groups 12 can be disposed alternately. For example, a first battery cell group 11 can be disposed between two second battery cell groups 12. Alternatively, the first battery cell groups 11 and the second battery cell groups 12 can be disposed together. For example, after all the first battery cell groups 11 and all the second battery cell groups 12 are connected in series, the series-connected first battery cell groups 11 and the series-connected second battery cell groups 12 are then connected in series.

[0067] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1 As shown, a switch assembly 30 is provided between the first battery cell group 11 and the second battery cell group 12. The switch assembly 30 includes at least one switch, and the type of switch may include, but is not limited to, an electromagnetic relay, a metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor, an insulated gate bipolar transistor, a solid-state relay, a contactor, etc.

[0068] In this embodiment, the number of switches included in the switch assembly 30 can be determined by the position of the second battery cell group 12 within the battery cell assembly 10. For example, in Figure 1In the case where the second battery cell group 12 is located in the middle of the battery cell assembly 10, the switch assembly 30 includes two switches; when the second battery cell group 12 is located at both ends of the battery cell assembly 10, the switch assembly 30 may include one switch.

[0069] It should be noted that when the switch assembly 30 includes multiple switches, the switch types of the multiple switches can be the same or different. To improve the stability of battery cell control, switches of the same type are preferred for the switch assembly 30.

[0070] It is worth noting that in scenarios where the electrical device is a vehicle, the negative terminal of the vehicle's low-voltage circuit is grounded. During a collision, a single battery cell in the DC power supply may fail, short-circuiting to a single point of ground with the battery casing. In this situation, if the second battery cell group 12 is connected to the low-voltage load 50, the emergency circuit formed by the second battery cell group 12 and the low-voltage load 50 will short-circuit with the faulty battery cell in the DC power supply, thus preventing emergency power supply to the low-voltage load 50 and potentially causing a short circuit and sparking. To address this, in this embodiment, a switch assembly 30 is provided between the first battery cell group 11 and the second battery cell group 12 to achieve high and low voltage isolation. When the DC power supply cannot supply power to the low-voltage load 50, the switch assembly 30 is disconnected. This prevents the low-voltage circuit formed by the second battery cell group 12 from forming an unexpected electrical path through the vehicle body to the fault point, reducing the risk of short circuits, sparking, or voltage drops, and improving the electrical safety of the battery devices in the vehicle.

[0071] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1 As shown, the battery device also includes a first switch 40 disposed between the second battery cell group 12 and the low-voltage load 50. Specifically, the first terminal of the second battery cell group 12 is connected to the first terminal input terminal of the low-voltage load 50 through the first switch 40, and the second terminal of the second battery cell group 12 is connected to the second terminal input terminal of the low-voltage load 50.

[0072] The first switch 40 mentioned above may include, but is not limited to, an electromagnetic relay, a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor, an insulated gate bipolar transistor, a solid-state relay, a contactor, etc. The first switch 40 may be a switch of the same type as the switch assembly 30, or it may be a switch of a different type.

[0073] In this embodiment of the application, when the DC power supply cannot supply power to the low-voltage load 50, the first switch 40 is closed, so that the second battery cell group 12 and the low-voltage load 50 form a low-voltage circuit. Then, the second battery cell group 12 can be used as an emergency power supply to supply power to the low-voltage load 50, so as to ensure the normal operation of the low-voltage load 50.

[0074] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1As shown, the battery device also includes a battery management system 20, which can be integrated into the battery device or into an electrical device, such as in a vehicle or vehicle chassis; it can also be integrated into a charging device, such as in a charging device or a battery swapping device.

[0075] In this embodiment of the application, the battery management system 20 has a switch control terminal ( Figure 1 (Not shown in the image), the switch control terminal is connected to the switch assembly 30 and the first switch 40, and the switch control terminal is used to output signals to control the opening and closing of the switch assembly 30 and the first switch 40.

[0076] For example, the battery management system may include a sampling circuit, a reference voltage source, a comparator, and a drive circuit. The sampling circuit can be connected to a first battery cell group, a second battery cell group, and a DC power supply to output an analog signal characterizing the battery voltage. The reference voltage source can provide a preset voltage threshold. The first input terminal of the comparator is connected to the output terminal of the sampling circuit, and the second input terminal is connected to the reference voltage source. The input terminal of the drive circuit is connected to the output terminal of the comparator, and the output terminal of the drive circuit serves as a switch control terminal connected to a switch assembly and a first switch.

[0077] For example, in the event of a DC power supply failure supplying the low-voltage load 50, the battery management system 20 shuts off the switch assembly 30 to disconnect the connection between the second battery cell group 12 and the first battery cell group 11; and closes the first switch 40 to connect the second battery cell group 12 to the low-voltage load 50, so that the second battery cell group 12 can serve as an emergency power source to supply power to the low-voltage load 50.

[0078] As described above, in this embodiment, a switching assembly is installed between the first battery cell group used for normal operation and the second battery cell group for emergency operation within the battery cell assembly. This, combined with a battery management system, addresses the electrical safety hazards caused by high-voltage side grounding faults during the process of a battery cell in a reused battery cell assembly supplying power to a low-voltage load. When an emergency power supply is required due to a DC power supply anomaly, the switching assembly is disconnected to physically separate the second battery cell group from the first battery cell group, which may have a grounding short-circuit fault. The second battery cell group then supplies power to the low-voltage load. Thus, even if the first battery cell group short-circuits the vehicle body due to a collision, the low-voltage circuit of the second battery cell group will not form an unexpected electrical path through the vehicle body to the fault point because the switching assembly is disconnected. This reduces the risk of short-circuit sparking or voltage drops, improving the electrical safety of the battery device in the vehicle.

[0079] The following describes the various parts of the battery device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0080] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the battery cell assembly 10 includes the first to the Nth battery cells connected in series in sequence, and the second battery cell group 12 includes the ith to the jth battery cells, where N is a positive integer greater than 1, and 1 ≤ i, j < N. That is, in the embodiments of the present application, the battery cells included in the second battery cell group 12 used as an emergency power source are continuous in the physical position in the battery cell assembly 10. This method can reduce line loss and does not affect the integrity of the series-connected battery cells in the battery cell assembly 10. In addition, the second battery cell group 12 used as an emergency power source is located inside the battery cell assembly 10 and is protected by a highly safe battery box structure, which improves the safety of the second battery cell group 12 for low-voltage emergency power supply.

[0081] In some embodiments, the number of battery cells in the second battery cell group 12 is adapted to the supply voltage required by the low-voltage load 50.

[0082] It should be noted that usually, the supply voltage required by the low-voltage load 50 is 12V or 24V. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in the second battery cell group 12 can be determined according to the actual supply voltage required by the low-voltage load 50 in the electrical device. For example, for lithium iron phosphate battery cells, if the supply voltage required by the low-voltage load 50 is 12V, 4 power battery cells connected in series in sequence can be selected as the emergency power source for the low-voltage load 50; if the supply voltage required by the low-voltage load 50 is 24V, 8 power battery cells connected in series in sequence can be selected as the emergency power source for the low-voltage load 50.

[0083] In the embodiments of the present application, since the number of battery cells in the second battery cell group 12 is matched with the supply voltage required by the low-voltage load 50, when the low-voltage power supply cannot supply power to the low-voltage load 50, the second battery cell group 12 can be directly used to supply power to the low-voltage load 50 without adding a DCDC converter to convert the voltage of the battery cell assembly 10, nor adding an additional emergency power source, thereby reducing the hardware cost and system complexity of the electrical device and improving the safety and reliability of the battery device.

[0084] In some embodiments, Figure 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of a battery management system, as Figure 2 shown, a first lead wire is provided between every two adjacent battery cells of the battery cell assembly 10, and the first lead wire is connected to the first switch 40 through the fourth switch 70; the battery management system 20 has a first switch control end for connecting to the fourth switch 70 ( Figure 2 not shown in the figure), and the first switch control end is used to output a signal for controlling the opening and closing of the fourth switch 70.

[0085] In the above embodiment, since a lead wire is provided between two adjacent battery cells in the battery cell assembly 10, and a fourth switch 70 is provided on the lead wire, the battery management system 20 can flexibly select battery cells from the battery cell assembly 10 as emergency power sources based on the actual power demand of the low-voltage load 50 and / or the performance parameters of the battery cells in the battery cell assembly 10. For example, when the DC power supply cannot supply power to the low-voltage load 50, the battery management system 20 can select a battery cell that can meet the power demand of the low-voltage load 50 as an emergency power source based on the output voltage of the battery cells in the battery cell assembly 10, instead of selecting a battery cell with a lower output voltage as an emergency power source.

[0086] It should be noted that, because a fourth switch 70 is installed between two adjacent battery cells in the battery cell assembly 10, the battery management system 20 can selectively choose the battery cells in the battery cell assembly 10 according to actual needs to determine the battery cells to be used as emergency power sources. Furthermore, to further improve the safety and reliability of emergency power supply, a switch assembly can also be installed between two adjacent battery cells in the battery cell assembly 10 to achieve physical isolation between the emergency battery cells used as emergency power sources and the regular battery cells.

[0087] In addition, since a fourth switch 70 is provided between two adjacent battery cells in the battery cell assembly 10, in this embodiment of the application, the second battery cell group serving as an emergency power source can include battery cells connected in series or battery cells spaced apart, further improving the flexibility of the emergency power supply scheme.

[0088] This method allows for compatibility with low-voltage loads with varying voltage requirements, enhancing the versatility and flexibility of emergency power supply. Furthermore, this solution enables the selection of other functioning battery cells in the battery cell assembly as an emergency power source by switching the fourth switch when a battery cell in the second battery cell group 12 fails, further improving the reliability of emergency power supply.

[0089] In some embodiments, the first battery cell group 11 includes multiple sub-battery cell groups; the number of second battery cell groups 12 is multiple. In this scenario, such as Figure 3 As shown, multiple second battery cell groups 12 and multiple sub-battery cell groups are spaced apart, and a second lead is provided between the second battery cell groups 12 and the sub-battery cell groups. The second lead is connected to the first switch 40 through a fifth switch 80; the battery management system 20 has a second switch control terminal for connection with the fifth switch 80. Figure 3 (Not shown in the image), the second switch control terminal is used to output a signal to control the opening and closing of the fifth switch 80.

[0090] In the above embodiments, the output voltage of each second battery cell group 12 can meet the power demand of the low-voltage load 50. For example, the number of battery cells contained in different second battery cell groups 12 can be different. In practical applications, the battery management system 20 can select a second battery cell group from multiple second battery cell groups 12 that matches the power demand of the low-voltage load 50 as an emergency power source according to the actual power demand of the low-voltage load 50.

[0091] It is worth noting that since the output voltage of the second battery cell group can meet the power demand of low-voltage loads, when one of the second battery cell groups used as emergency power fails, the battery management system can switch other second battery cell groups as emergency power by controlling the opening and closing of the fifth switch. This method improves the reliability of emergency power supply.

[0092] In addition, in this embodiment, multiple second battery cell groups are spaced apart and distributed at different locations in the battery cell assembly. Thus, during emergency discharge, the battery management system can switch between multiple second battery cell groups according to the temperature distribution of the battery cell assembly, thereby dispersing heat to the entire battery cell assembly and reducing thermal runaway problems caused by local overheating of the battery.

[0093] Therefore, the above embodiments not only enable emergency power supply for low-voltage loads, but also improve the flexibility of emergency power supply solutions, and further enhance the safety and reliability of emergency power supply for low-voltage loads.

[0094] In some embodiments, Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a battery device is shown, such as Figure 4 As shown, the first battery cell group 11 includes a first sub-battery cell group 111 and a second sub-battery cell group 112, and the switch assembly 30 includes a second switch 31 and a third switch 32.

[0095] The second switch 31 is connected between the second terminal of the first sub-cell group 111 and the first terminal of the second sub-cell group 12, and the first terminal of the first sub-cell group 111 is connected to the first terminal input terminal of the high-voltage load 60; the third switch 32 is connected between the first terminal of the second sub-cell group 112 and the second terminal of the second sub-cell group 12, and the second terminal of the second sub-cell group 112 is connected to the second terminal input terminal of the high-voltage load 60.

[0096] In the above embodiment, the second battery cell group 12 is disposed between the two sub-battery cell groups, that is, the second battery cell group 12 used as an emergency power source is disposed in the middle position of the battery cell assembly 10. This method can reduce the impact of the external environment on the performance of the battery cell, so that the battery cell used as an emergency power source can supply power to the low-voltage load more stably.

[0097] In addition, in the above embodiment, when the DC power supply cannot supply power to the low-voltage load 50, the second switch 31 and the third switch 32 connected to the second battery cell group 12 are disconnected to achieve physical isolation between the low-voltage emergency power supply circuit and the high-voltage circuit. This can not only reduce the damage to personnel or equipment caused by high-voltage electricity passing through the low-voltage circuit, but also solve the problem of single-point grounding short circuit arcing and improve the safety of emergency power supply.

[0098] By placing the second battery cell group in the middle of the battery cell assembly through the above embodiments, the stability of the second battery cell group in supplying power to low-voltage loads can be improved. In addition, setting an isolating switch between the second battery cell group and the first battery cell group can not only reduce the damage to personnel or equipment caused by high voltage electricity passing through the low-voltage circuit, but also solve the problem of single-point grounding short circuit arcing, thereby improving the safety of emergency power supply.

[0099] In some embodiments, the first electrode is the positive electrode and the second electrode is the negative electrode. For example... Figure 5 The battery device shown also includes a main positive relay 91 and a main negative relay 92.

[0100] like Figure 5 As shown, the positive bus of the first battery cell group 11 is connected to the positive input terminal of the high-voltage load 60 through the main positive relay 91; the negative bus of the first battery cell group 11 is connected to the negative input terminal of the high-voltage load 60 through the main negative relay 92.

[0101] For example, in a scenario where the DC power supply can normally supply power to the low-voltage load, all the battery cells in the battery cell assembly 10 are connected in series to the high-voltage bus via the main positive relay 91 and the main negative relay 92. The lead wires of the second battery cell group 12 are in an open circuit or floating state. At this time, the switch assembly (i.e., the second switch 31 and the third switch 32) connected to the second battery cell group 12 is closed, so that the second battery cell group 12, as part of the high-voltage battery cell assembly, normally participates in the power supply of the high-voltage load 60 of the electrical device.

[0102] In a scenario where a DC power supply failure prevents normal power supply to the low-voltage load, the main positive relay 91 and the main negative relay 92 disconnect. Simultaneously, the second switch 31 and the third switch 32, connected to the second battery cell group 12, also disconnect, and the first switch 40 closes. This disconnects the second battery cell group 12 from the series connection of the battery cells in the battery cell assembly 10, creating a separate emergency power supply capable of powering the low-voltage load 50. This control process may include the following steps S11 to S16:

[0103] Step S11: The vehicle controller detects the vehicle status and the voltage of the low-voltage bus.

[0104] Step S12: If the voltage of the low-voltage bus is lower than the preset voltage threshold, it can be determined that the low-voltage load power supply is abnormal and an emergency control signal is generated.

[0105] In step S13, the battery management system receives an emergency control signal from the vehicle controller and controls the main positive relay 91, the main negative relay 92, the second switch 31, and the third switch 32 to disconnect in order to improve the high voltage safety of the vehicle. In order to improve the power safety of the battery device, the battery management system first disconnects the main positive relay 91 and the main negative relay 92, and then disconnects the second switch 31 and the third switch 32.

[0106] In step S14, the battery management system closes the first switch 40 connecting the second battery cell group 12 and the low-voltage load 50 to conduct the low-voltage emergency circuit.

[0107] In step S15, the second battery cell group 12 supplies power to the low-voltage bus through the low-voltage emergency circuit, supporting key functions such as door unlocking, BMS communication, and hazard lights.

[0108] Step S16: After the fault is cleared or the low-voltage load is powered by an external backup power source, the battery management system disconnects the first switch 40, and after closing the second switch 31 and the third switch 32, closes the main positive relay 91 and the main negative relay 92 to restore the standby state of the high-voltage system.

[0109] In the above embodiments, by controlling the opening and closing of the main positive relay and the main negative relay through the battery management system, the switching between the normal power supply mode and the emergency power supply mode of the battery cell can be realized, thereby improving the flexibility of the battery device's operating mode.

[0110] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the battery device also includes a first protection circuit 93. (As indicated...) Figure 6 As shown, a first protection circuit 93 is provided between the positive terminal of the first battery cell group 11 and the main positive relay 91. The first protection circuit 93 may include, but is not limited to, overcurrent or short circuit protection circuits (e.g., fuses, circuit breakers), overvoltage protection circuits (e.g., varistors), precharge protection circuits (e.g., precharge relays, precharge resistors), reverse connection protection circuits (e.g., diodes), insulation detection circuits (e.g., insulation resistance detection modules), etc.

[0111] In this embodiment of the application, by setting a first protection circuit, the electrical connection between the battery cell assembly and the high-voltage load can be cut off when a short circuit or overload occurs in the high-voltage circuit, so as to reduce the risk of safety accidents such as fire and explosion.

[0112] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, the battery device also includes a second protection circuit 94. (As indicated...) Figure 7As shown, a second protection circuit 94 is provided between the positive terminal of the second battery cell group 12 and the first switch 40. The second protection circuit 94 may include, but is not limited to, a self-resetting fuse, a current limiting protection circuit (e.g., a current limiter, a PTC), and a temperature protection circuit (e.g., a temperature fuse, a thermistor).

[0113] In this embodiment of the application, by setting a second protection circuit, the circuit can be cut off when a short circuit (e.g., wire harness damage to ground) or overload occurs in the low-voltage emergency circuit, so as to reduce the risk of wire harness fire and over-discharge damage to the second battery cell group.

[0114] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, the battery device also includes a voltage converter 95.

[0115] In this embodiment, the voltage converter 95 can be a DC-DC converter, which includes a voltage input terminal, a voltage output terminal, and a voltage conversion unit connected between the voltage input terminal and the voltage output terminal. The voltage input terminal is connected to the charging interface of the battery cell assembly 10, and the voltage output terminal is connected to the input terminal of the low-voltage load 50. The voltage conversion unit is used to convert the output voltage of the external charging device into a charging voltage that is compatible with the second battery cell assembly 12 or the low-voltage load 50.

[0116] In this embodiment, during an emergency power supply scenario, the second battery cell group 12 serves as an emergency power source for the low-voltage load 50. During this process, the second battery cell group 12 discharges externally, causing a voltage drop. After the DC power supply can normally supply power to the low-voltage load or set up a backup power source for the low-voltage load, the voltage difference between the second battery cell group 12 and the first battery cell group 11 in the battery cell assembly 10 is large, resulting in an imbalance among the battery cells within the battery cell assembly 10. To address this issue, in this embodiment, when the battery management system detects that an external charging device is charging the device, the battery management system controls the main positive relay 91, the main negative relay 92, the second switch 31, and the third switch 32 to open, and closes the first switch 40, thereby allowing the voltage converter 95 to replenish the second battery cell group 12 with a small current. When the voltage difference between the second battery cell group 12 and the first battery cell group 11 is less than a set threshold (e.g., 50mV), the battery management system determines that the second battery cell group 12 has been fully charged, closes the main positive relay 91, the main negative relay 92, the second switch 31, and the third switch 32, and opens the first switch 40, so that the external charging equipment can charge the entire battery cell group 10.

[0117] Through the above embodiments, by replenishing the battery cells participating in emergency power supply and then charging them with other power battery cells, the balance of battery cell components can be achieved, and the life of battery cell components can be extended.

[0118] The control process in the above embodiments may include the following steps S21 to S26:

[0119] Step S21: When an external charging device is detected charging the power-consuming device, the battery management system performs a self-check of the voltage difference between the battery cells in the second battery cell group 12 and the battery cells in the first battery cell group 11.

[0120] In step S22, if the voltage of a single battery cell in the second battery cell group 12 is lower than the first voltage threshold (e.g., 120mV) and the voltage difference is higher than the second voltage threshold (e.g., 50mV), the battery management system determines that the second battery cell group 12 is in a low-voltage state and issues a warning.

[0121] In step S23, the battery management system controls the first switch 40 to close.

[0122] In step S24, the battery management system requests a small current from the charging device to replenish the second battery cell group 12 through the voltage converter 95.

[0123] In step S25, if the voltage difference between the battery cells in the second battery cell group 12 and the battery cells in the first battery cell group 11 is less than the second voltage threshold, the battery management system determines that the second battery cell group 12 has been fully charged.

[0124] In step S26, the battery management system disconnects the first switch 40, closes the main positive relay 91, the main negative relay 92, the second switch 31, and the third switch 32, and requests a large current from the charging equipment to charge the individual battery cells.

[0125] This concludes the introduction to the battery device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0126] Based on the above, it can be seen that in this embodiment, there is no need to add an additional low-voltage emergency power supply to the electrical device; only a wiring harness and relay are needed, reducing the hardware cost of the electrical device and saving space. In this embodiment, the battery cells serving as the emergency power supply are derived from battery cell modules. These modules typically retain power for several months, and the capacity of the power battery cells is sufficient to meet the power requirements of the low-voltage load. Furthermore, the power battery cells can be recharged normally through the battery charging system, reducing the risk of battery depletion. In addition, in this embodiment, the battery cells serving as the emergency power supply are located inside the battery pack, protected by a highly secure battery casing structure. Their location is flexible, allowing selection of battery cells within the safe area of ​​the battery pack, ensuring high safety and maximizing the safety of the low-voltage emergency power supply unit.

[0127] This application also provides an electrical device, such as Figure 9 The diagram shows the structure of an electrical device 100, which includes the aforementioned battery device 200.

[0128] The electrical device includes a battery device and an electrical load. The electrical device can be, but is not limited to, power equipment (such as electric vehicles, electric boats, spacecraft), electronic equipment (such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, bionic machines, digital cameras, electric toys, etc.), wearable devices (such as watches, bracelets, VR glasses, etc.), energy storage power stations, etc.

[0129] Taking a vehicle as an example, which is an electrical appliance, see [link / reference]. Figure 9 The vehicle is equipped with a battery device 200, which can be located at the bottom, front, or rear of the vehicle. The battery device 200 can be used to power the vehicle; for example, it can serve as the vehicle's operating power source.

[0130] The vehicle may also include a controller 300 and a motor 400, the controller 300 being used to control the battery device 200 to supply power to the motor 400, for example, for the power needs of the vehicle during starting, navigation and driving.

[0131] In this embodiment, the battery device 200 can not only serve as the operating power source for the vehicle, but also as the driving power source for the vehicle, replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power for the vehicle.

[0132] This concludes the introduction to the electrical device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0133] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of this application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A battery device, characterized in that, include: A battery cell assembly (10) includes a first battery cell group (11) and a second battery cell group (12) connected in series; a switch assembly (30) is provided between the first battery cell group (11) and the second battery cell group (12). The first terminal of the second battery cell group (12) is connected to the first terminal input terminal of the low-voltage load (50) through the first switch (40), and the second terminal of the second battery cell group (12) is connected to the second terminal input terminal of the low-voltage load (50); A battery management system (20) is provided, wherein the switch control terminal of the battery management system (20) is connected to the switch assembly (30) and the first switch (40), and the switch control terminal is used to output a signal to control the opening and closing of the switch assembly (30) and the first switch (40).

2. The battery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery cell assembly (10) includes the first to Nth battery cells connected in series, and the second battery cell group (12) includes the i-th to j-th battery cells, where N is a positive integer greater than 1, and 1 ≤ i, j <N。 3. The battery device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first battery cell group (11) includes a first sub-battery cell group (111) and a second sub-battery cell group (112), and the switch assembly (30) includes a second switch (31) and a third switch (32). The second switch (31) is connected between the second pole of the first sub-battery cell group (111) and the first pole of the second battery cell group (12), and the first pole of the first sub-battery cell group (111) is connected to the first pole input terminal of the high voltage load (60); The third switch (32) is connected between the first pole of the second sub-battery cell group (112) and the second pole of the second sub-battery cell group (12), and the second pole of the second sub-battery cell group (112) is connected to the second pole input terminal of the high voltage load (60).

4. The battery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of battery cells in the second battery cell group (12) is adapted to the supply voltage required by the low-voltage load (50).

5. The battery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first electrode is the positive electrode, the second electrode is the negative electrode, and the positive bus of the first battery cell group (11) is connected to the positive input terminal of the high voltage load (60) through the main positive relay (91); The negative bus of the first battery cell group (11) is connected to the negative input terminal of the high-voltage load (60) through the main negative relay (92).

6. The battery device according to claim 5, characterized in that, A first protection circuit (93) is provided between the positive terminal of the first battery cell group (11) and the main positive relay (91).

7. The battery device according to claim 5, characterized in that, A second protection circuit (94) is provided between the positive terminal of the second battery cell group (12) and the first switch (40).

8. The battery device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, A first lead wire is provided between each two adjacent battery cells of the battery cell assembly (10), and the first lead wire is connected to the first switch (40) through the fourth switch (70). The battery management system (20) has a first switch control terminal for connecting to the fourth switch (70), the first switch control terminal being used to output a signal to control the opening and closing of the fourth switch (70).

9. The battery device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first battery cell group (11) includes multiple sub-battery cell groups; the number of the second battery cell groups (12) is multiple, and the multiple second battery cell groups (12) and the multiple sub-battery cell groups are arranged at intervals. A second lead wire is provided between the second battery cell group (12) and the sub-battery cell groups. The second lead wire is connected to the first switch (40) through a fifth switch (80). The battery management system (20) has a second switch control terminal for connecting to the fifth switch (80), the second switch control terminal being used to output a signal to control the opening and closing of the fifth switch (80).

10. The battery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery device also includes a voltage converter (95). The voltage converter (95) includes a voltage input terminal, a voltage output terminal, and a voltage conversion unit connected between the voltage input terminal and the voltage output terminal. The voltage input terminal is connected to the charging interface of the battery cell assembly (10), and the voltage output terminal is connected to the input terminal of the low-voltage load (50). The voltage conversion unit is used to convert the output voltage of the external charging device into a charging voltage that is compatible with the second battery cell assembly (12) or the low-voltage load (50).

11. An electrical appliance, characterized in that, Includes the battery device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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