Battery system

Abstract

To provide a battery system.SOLUTION: A battery system includes: a first battery module; and a plurality of second battery modules coupled to the first battery module. The first battery module includes: a battery management system; and a plurality of first battery cells electrically coupled to each other. The first battery cells are electrically coupled to the battery management system and are managed by the battery management system. Each of the second battery modules includes a plurality of second battery cells electrically coupled to each other and the plurality of second battery cells are coupled to the battery management system of the first battery module to be managed by the battery management system. The battery management system is coupled to an external system and is used to transmit signals with the external system.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to battery systems, and more particularly to battery systems that combine different battery module architectures as energy storage devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, the pace of scientific and technological progress is extremely rapid, and various industries require stable and large-capacity power supplies. Large-scale battery or energy storage systems, such as container-type energy storage systems, have emerged to meet this demand. Such large-scale energy storage systems can store electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy, solving the problem of renewable energy variability and reducing dependence on fossil fuels and carbon emissions, and are an important technology for building a low-carbon economy. However, such large-scale energy storage systems are large and heavy, making them difficult to transport. Furthermore, assembly is quite inconvenient and dangerous, and it is difficult to optimize the use of the internal space of the cabinet. Furthermore, such battery or energy storage systems are typically designed for only a single application, meaning that it is difficult to adapt them to other application modes after designing the voltage and capacity specifications. Therefore, the prior art has many deficiencies, and a solution to these deficiencies is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present disclosure provides a battery system comprising: a first battery module including a battery management system and a plurality of first battery cells electrically coupled to each other and electrically coupled to the battery management system and managed by the battery management system; and a plurality of second battery modules coupled to the first battery module and each including a plurality of second battery cells electrically coupled to each other, the plurality of second battery cells being electrically coupled to the battery management system of the first battery module and managed by the battery management system, wherein the battery management system is coupled to an external system and is used to transmit signals to the external system.

[0004] The present disclosure further provides a battery system including a first housing, a battery management system, and a plurality of first battery cells electrically coupled to each other, wherein the battery management system and the plurality of first battery cells are housed in the first housing, and the plurality of first battery cells each include a first battery module electrically coupled to the battery management system and managed by the battery management system, and a second housing and a plurality of second battery cells coupled to the first battery module and electrically coupled to each other, and the plurality of second battery cells are housed in the plurality of second housings, respectively, and are electrically coupled to the battery management system of the first battery module and managed by the battery management system, wherein the first housing and the plurality of second housings have the same dimensions, and the number of the plurality of second battery cells in each of the plurality of second housings is greater than the number of the plurality of first battery cells in the first housing, thereby causing a voltage capacity of each of the plurality of second battery modules to be higher than the voltage capacity of the first battery module, and the battery management system is connected to an external system and is used for signal transmission with the external system.

[0005] It should be understood that the above description and the following detailed description exemplify the present application in embodiments and are used to aid in the interpretation and understanding of the inventive summary claimed by the present application. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] To make the above and other objects, features and embodiments of the present disclosure more clearly and comprehensibly, the drawings are described as follows: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the first battery module in FIG. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a second battery module in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different features of the present disclosure. Elements and configurations in specific examples are used in the following discussion to simplify the present disclosure. Any examples discussed are used for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope and meaning of the present disclosure or its examples. Where appropriate, the same reference numerals are used between drawings and in corresponding text descriptions to represent the same or similar elements.

[0008] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not meant to limit the application. As used herein, singular forms such as "an," "this," "this," "the," and "the" include plural forms as well. As used herein, "comprises," "contains," "has," "includes," and the like are all open terms, meaning including but not limited to.

[0009] Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery system 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the battery system 1 includes a first battery module 10 and at least one second battery module 12, both of which are coupled to each other. It should be noted that although FIG. 1 shows the second battery module 12, in practice, the number of second battery modules 12 may be increased according to demand. For example, the number of second battery modules 12 may be increased according to the total voltage capacity required.

[0010] Please refer to FIGS. 2A and 2B together. FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the first battery module 10 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the second battery module 12 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2A, the first battery module 10 includes a battery management system 100 and a plurality of first battery cells 102, each of which is electrically coupled to one another. In some embodiments, the first battery cells 102 are electrically coupled to one another in a series-connected manner, and the voltage capacity of the first battery module 10 can be determined based on the number of first battery cells 102. The battery management system 100 may be located on an inner side of the first housing 109 of the first battery module 10 and electrically coupled to the first battery cells 102 that are connected to one another in series, thereby managing each of the first battery cells 102. In practice, the battery management system 100 can monitor the voltage, current, temperature, etc. of each first battery cell 102, and further provide protection mechanisms for each first battery cell 102 against overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent, short circuit, overheating, etc.

[0011] 2B , the second battery module 12 includes a plurality of second battery cells 122 electrically coupled to each other and located in a second housing 129 of the second battery module 12. In some embodiments, these second battery cells 122 are electrically coupled to each other in a series connection, and the voltage capacity of the second battery module 12 can be determined based on the number of second battery cells 122. In some embodiments, the first housing 109 and the second housing 129 of the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12 are the same size, and the second battery module 12 does not include a battery management system and only includes the second battery cells 122. Therefore, compared to the first battery module 10, there is more space inside the second battery module 12 to accommodate more battery cells. That is, the number of second battery cells 122 may be greater than the number of first battery cells 102. In some embodiments, the first battery module 10 may include six or seven first battery cells 102, and the second battery module 12 may include nine or more second battery cells 122, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. As a result, the voltage capacity of the second battery module 12 may be designed to be greater than the voltage capacity of the first battery module 10. For example, the voltage capacity of the first battery module 10 may be 22.4 volts, and the voltage capacity of the second battery module 12 may be 28.8 volts. Therefore, using the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12, a 48-51.2 volt system commonly used in industry can be achieved.

[0012] In some embodiments, the dimensions of the first housing 109 and the second housing 129 of the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12 may be 250*266*560 (mm), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Also, in some embodiments, the weights of the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12 are 55 kilograms and 65 kilograms, respectively, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Therefore, the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12 are not too large or heavy to be difficult to transport, and are easy to assemble manually.

[0013] The housing dimensions of the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12 are designed to be easy to assemble and save space when assembled into a large battery or energy storage system. For example, the dimensions of the first housing 109 and the second housing 129 can be designed according to a container or an energy storage cabinet with different dimensions, so that the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12 can be easily packed into the energy storage cabinet without leaving any small space.

[0014] Please also refer to FIG. 3 , which is a schematic diagram of a battery system 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3 , the battery system 1 includes one first battery module 10 and two second battery modules 12 coupled to each other. In the embodiment of FIG. 3 , one side of the first battery module 10 has a battery management display interface 104 connected to the battery management system 100 inside the first battery module 10 and a first communication interface 106 connected to the first battery cell 102 inside the first battery module 10. On the other hand, one side of the second battery module 12 has a second communication interface 126 connected to the second battery cell 122 inside the second battery module 12. The first communication interface 106 may be interconnected to each of the second communication interfaces 126 to achieve the function of transmitting signals between the first battery module 10 and each of the second battery modules 12. The side of the first battery module 10 further includes a first power interface 108 connected to the first battery cell 102 inside the first battery module 10 to output (discharge) or input (charge) power. The side of the second battery module 12 further includes a second power interface 128 connected to the second battery cell 122 inside the second battery module 12 to output (discharge) or input (charge) power.

[0015] 3 , the first battery module 10 and the plurality of second battery modules 12 are connected to the communication bus 2 via the first communication interface 106 and the second communication interface 126, respectively. Therefore, the first battery module 10 and the plurality of second battery modules 12 are signal-connected via the communication bus 2, and further, the second battery cells 122 in the second battery module 12 are connected to the battery management system 100 of the first battery module 10 via the second communication interface 126, the communication bus 2, and the first communication interface 106. In this way, the battery management system 100 of the first battery module 10 can also manage the second battery cells 122 of the second battery module 12.

[0016] The battery management display interface 104 of the first battery module 10 is connected to the battery management system 100 and is used to display the status of the batteries managed by the battery management system 100. In the embodiment of Fig. 3, the battery management display interface 104 displays the battery status of one first battery module 10 and two second battery modules 12 managed by the battery management system 100, and further displays the status of the first battery cell 102 and the second battery cell 122 of the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12.

[0017] Furthermore, the battery management system 100 of the first battery module 10 may further be connected to an external system E via a battery management display interface 104 for signal transmission with the external system E. In some embodiments, the external system E may be part of a larger energy storage system, such as a power regulation system, a control system, or an energy management system, thereby achieving various control functions, such as power regulation or energy management functions, for the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12 by the external system E.

[0018] As described above, the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12 have a first power interface 108 and a second power interface 128, respectively, for outputting and receiving power. The first power interface 108 and the second power interface 128 each have a positive terminal and a negative terminal, such as the B+ terminal and B- terminal in FIG. 3 , through which the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12 can be connected in series or in parallel according to different power supply needs. In some embodiments, the B+ terminal of the first power interface 108 of the first battery module 10 in FIG. 3 may be connected to the B- terminal of the second power interface 128 of the adjacent second battery module 12, and the B+ terminal of the second power interface 128 of this second battery module 12 may further be connected to the B- terminal of the second power interface 128 of the next second battery module 12, thereby analogously forming a series connection between the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12. In some other embodiments, the B+ terminals of the first power interface 108 of the first battery module 10 and the second power interface 128 of the second battery module 12 may all be connected to one power bus (not shown), and the B- terminals of the first power interface 108 and the second power interface 128 may all be connected to a second power bus (not shown), thereby forming a parallel connection between the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12.

[0019] Please refer to Fig. 3 again. As shown in Fig. 3, handles H are provided on all sides of the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12. As described above, the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12 have small dimensions and light weight compared to large energy storage systems (e.g., container-type energy storage systems), and can be easily transported and assembled. Therefore, the handles H can be grasped to transport and assemble the battery modules.

[0020] Please refer to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a battery system 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the first communication interface 106 and the second communication interface 126 of the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 12 are not connected to the communication bus 2 but are connected to each other in a daisy chain. In particular, the first communication interface 106 of the first battery module 10 is connected to the second communication interface 126 of the adjacent second battery module 12, and the second communication interface 126 of this second battery module 12 is connected to the second communication interface 126 of the next second battery module 12, and so on.

[0021] A large-scale energy storage system may require many battery modules to meet the voltage capacity demands of the energy storage system. Therefore, the large-scale energy storage system may be configured with a plurality of first battery modules 10, and each first battery module 10 may be further connected to a plurality of second battery modules 12, so that the total voltage capacity meets the demands of the large-scale energy storage system. In addition, each first battery module 10 or second battery module 12 has at least one battery management system 100 for managing its battery status. The first housings 109 of the plurality of first battery modules 10 and the second housings 129 of the plurality of second battery modules 12 may be designed to have the same dimensions according to the space of the large-scale energy storage system (for example, the internal space of the container of a container-type energy storage system), so that they can be packed into the space of the large-scale energy storage system without leaving any small space when assembled.

[0022] As described above, the first battery module 10 has a battery management system 100 that can self-manage multiple first battery cells 102, so that they can be used independently or connected in series or parallel to each other, and all battery cells can be managed without the need for any additional control device.

[0023] Please refer to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a battery system 3 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, the battery system 3 includes a plurality of interconnected first battery modules 30. It should be noted that although the number of first battery modules 30 in the embodiment of FIG. 5 is three, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. When the number of first battery modules 30 is one, the first battery module 30 is used alone. The structure and function of the first battery module 30 are the same as those of the first battery module 10 in the above-described specific embodiment, and therefore will not be further described. Each first battery module 30 may be connected to the communication bus 2 via its battery management and display interface 304 to communicate with each other via the communication bus 2. The battery management and display interface 304 of one first battery module 10 may be connected to an external system E to transmit signals thereto.

[0024] Please refer to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a battery system 3 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 6, the battery system 3 includes a plurality of first battery modules 30 connected to each other. The embodiment of FIG. 6 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 5 in that the plurality of first battery modules 30 of the battery system 3 are connected to each other in a daisy chain configuration without a communication bus 2. Specifically, the battery management display interface 304 of the first first battery module 30 (the first battery module 30 on the far left in the drawing) in FIG. 6 is connected to the battery management display interface 304 of the next adjacent first battery module 30, and the battery management display interface 304 of this next first battery module 30 is further connected to the battery management display interface 304 of the next next first battery module 30, by analogy. The battery management display interface 304 of the first first battery module 30 is connected to an external system E for signal transmission therewith.

[0025] 5 and 6 may be connected to the B- terminal of the first power interface 308 of the next first battery module 30 via the B+ terminal of the first power interface 308, and the first battery modules 30 may be connected in series with each other. In other embodiments, the B+ terminals of the first power interfaces 308 of all the first battery modules 30 in FIGS. 5 and 6 are all connected to a first power bus (not shown), and the B- terminals of the first power interfaces 308 of all the first battery modules 30 are all connected to a second power bus (not shown), and the first battery modules 30 are connected in parallel with each other. In practice, the first battery modules 30 are connected in series or parallel with each other depending on the power supply demand of the large-scale energy storage system composed of these first battery modules 30, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0026] As mentioned above, the second battery module does not have a battery management system compared to the first battery module, but can accommodate more battery cells, so if a larger voltage capacity is required, multiple second battery modules may be combined to provide power.

[0027] Please refer to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a battery system 4 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 7, the battery system 4 includes a plurality of second battery modules 42 and a control box 44 connected to the second battery modules 42. Because the second battery modules 42 only include second battery cells and do not have a battery management system, the control box 44 is required to control and manage the charging and discharging of the second battery cells in the second battery modules 42. The control box 44 has a battery management system function. It should be noted that although the number of second battery modules 42 in the embodiment of FIG. 7 is three, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure and function of the second battery modules 42 are both similar to those of the second battery modules 12 in the above-described specific embodiments, and therefore will not be further described.

[0028] 7 , each second battery module 42 may be connected to the communication bus 2 via its second communication interface 426, and the control box 44 may also be connected to the communication bus 2, thereby communicating with each second battery module 42 via the communication bus 2 to control and manage the discharging and charging of the second battery cells in each second battery module 42. The control box 44 may be connected to an external system E for signal transmission with the external system E.

[0029] Please refer to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a battery system 4 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 8, the battery system 4 includes a plurality of second battery modules 42 and a control box 44 that are connected to each other. The embodiment of FIG. 8 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 7 in that the plurality of second battery modules 42 and the control box 44 of the battery system 4 are connected to each other in a daisy chain configuration rather than via a communication bus 2. Specifically, the control box 44 in FIG. 8 is connected to the second communication interface 426 of an adjacent second battery module 42, and the second communication interface 426 of this second battery module 42 is further connected to the second communication interface 426 of the next second battery module 42, by analogy.

[0030] 7 and 8 may be connected to the B- terminal of the second power interface 428 of the next second battery module 42 via the B+ terminal of the second power interface 428, and the second battery modules 42 may be connected in series with each other. The B- terminal of the second power interface 428 of the first second battery module 42 (the leftmost second battery module 42 in FIGS. 7 and 8) and the B+ terminal of the second power interface 428 of the last second battery module 42 (the rightmost second battery module 42 in FIGS. 7 and 8) are connected to the control box 44, so that the control box 44 can receive and output power from all second battery modules 42, or receive power from the external system E and input power to all second battery modules 42 to charge the second battery cells.

[0031] 7 and 8, the B+ terminals of the second power interfaces 428 of all the second battery modules 42 are connected to a first power bus (not shown), and the B- terminals of the second power interfaces 428 of all the second battery modules 42 are connected to a second power bus (not shown), and the second battery modules 42 are connected in parallel with each other. Also, the control box 44 is connected to the first power bus and the second power bus, thereby receiving and outputting power from all the second battery modules 42, or receiving power from the external system E and inputting it to all the second battery modules 42 to charge the second battery cells.

[0032] In practice, the second battery modules 42 in the embodiments of Figures 7 and 8 are connected in series or parallel to each other depending on the power supply demand of the large-scale energy storage system consisting of these second battery modules 42, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0033] As described above, the battery system of the present disclosure may include one or more first battery modules and multiple second battery modules interconnected to each other. The first battery module may include multiple first battery cells and a battery management system for managing the first battery cells, and the second battery module may include multiple second battery cells. The multiple second battery modules may be electrically connected to the first battery module, so that the second battery cells of the second battery module can also be managed by the battery management system of the first battery module. The housings of the first battery module and the second battery module may be designed to have the same dimensions so that the first battery module and the second battery module have different voltage capacities. The dual-module design of the battery system of the present disclosure offers advantages such as easy transportation, easy assembly, low risk, avoidance of small spaces, and ease of designing for various different voltage capacities.

[0034] Although the present application is disclosed as above in detailed examples, the present application does not exclude other possible embodiments, and therefore the scope of protection of the present application should not be limited by the above examples, but should be based on the scope of the subsequent patent application.

[0035] Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. All modifications and improvements made to the present application based on the above embodiments also fall within the scope of protection of the present application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1, 3, 4: Battery system 10, 30: First battery module 12, 42: Second battery module 100: Battery management system 102: First battery cell 122: Second battery cell 109: First cabinet 129: Second cabinet 104, 304: Battery management display interface 106, 306: First communication interface 108, 308: First power interface 126, 426: Second communication interface 128, 428: Second power interface 2: Communication bus E: External system H: Handle 44: Control box

Claims

1. 1. A battery system comprising: a first battery module including a battery management system and a plurality of first battery cells electrically coupled to each other and electrically coupled to the battery management system and managed by the battery management system; a plurality of second battery modules coupled to the first battery module, each including a plurality of second battery cells electrically coupled to each other, wherein the plurality of second battery cells are electrically coupled to the battery management system of the first battery module and managed by the battery management system; Equipped with The battery management system is a battery system that is coupled to an external system and is used to transmit signals to the external system.

2. 2. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the first battery module includes a first communication interface, and the second battery modules each include a second communication interface, and the first communication interface is interconnected with the second communication interfaces so as to transmit signals between the first battery module and the second battery modules.

3. The battery system according to claim 2 , wherein the first communication interface and the plurality of second communication interfaces are connected to a communication bus and are connected to each other via the communication bus.

4. 3. The battery system according to claim 2, wherein the first communication interface is connected to a plurality of the second communication interfaces in a daisy chain configuration.

5. 2. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the first battery module comprises a first housing; and a battery management display interface located in the first housing, connected to the battery management system, and configured to display multiple battery statuses of the first battery module and the multiple second battery modules received from the battery management system.

6. 2. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the first battery module includes a first power interface, and the second battery modules each include a second power interface, and the first power interface and the second power interfaces are used by the first battery cells and the second battery cells to output or charge power.

7. 7. The battery system according to claim 6, wherein the first power interface and the plurality of second power interfaces each have a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and the first battery module and the plurality of second battery modules are connected in series with each other via the plurality of positive terminals and the plurality of negative terminals.

8. 7. The battery system of claim 6, wherein the first power interface and the plurality of second power interfaces each have a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the plurality of positive terminals are connected to a first power bus, and the plurality of negative terminals are connected to a second power bus, thereby connecting the first battery module and the plurality of second battery modules in parallel with each other.

9. 2. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the first battery module has a first housing for accommodating the battery management system and the plurality of first battery cells, and the plurality of second battery modules each have a second housing for accommodating the plurality of second battery cells, and the first housing and the plurality of second housings have the same dimensions.

10. 2. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein the number of the second battery cells in each of the second battery modules is greater than the number of the first battery cells, and the voltage capacity of each of the second battery modules is higher than the voltage capacity of the first battery module.

11. 1. A battery system comprising: a first battery module including a first housing, a battery management system, and a plurality of first battery cells electrically coupled to each other, the battery management system and the plurality of first battery cells being housed in the first housing, and the plurality of first battery cells being electrically coupled to the battery management system and managed by the battery management system; a plurality of second battery modules coupled to the first battery module and each including a second housing and a plurality of second battery cells electrically coupled to each other, the plurality of second battery cells being housed in the second housings respectively, and being electrically coupled to the battery management system of the first battery module and being managed by the battery management system; Equipped with The first housing and the plurality of second housings have the same dimensions, the number of the plurality of second battery cells in each of the plurality of second housings is greater than the number of the plurality of first battery cells in the first housing, the voltage capacity of each of the plurality of second battery modules is higher than the voltage capacity of the first battery module, and the battery management system is coupled to an external system and is used to transmit signals to the external system.

12. 12. The battery system of claim 11, wherein the first battery module includes a first communication interface, and the second battery modules each include a second communication interface, and the first communication interface and the second communication interfaces are interconnected to transmit signals between the first battery module and the second battery modules.

13. The first battery module includes: The battery system of claim 11, further comprising a battery management display interface located in the first housing, connected to the battery management system, and configured to display multiple battery statuses of the first battery module and the multiple second battery modules received from the battery management system.

14. 12. The battery system of claim 11, wherein the first battery module includes a first power interface, and the second battery modules each include a second power interface, and the first power interface and the second power interfaces are used by the first battery cells and the second battery cells to output or charge power.

15. 15. The battery system of claim 14, wherein the first power interface and the plurality of second power interfaces each have a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and the first battery module and the plurality of second battery modules are connected in series or parallel to each other via the plurality of positive terminals and the plurality of negative terminals.

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