Battery packs and automobiles

Abstract

A battery pack (100) and a vehicle (1) are disclosed that provide required electrical energy to a vehicle (1) in different operating conditions. The battery pack (100) includes a task manager (20), a first battery unit (11) and a second battery unit (12). The first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) provide required electrical energy in response to different operating conditions of a load, respectively, under the control of the task manager (20).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application is based on and claims priority from a Chinese patent application having application number 202111159489.3 and filing date September 30, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This application relates to the field of power supplies, and more particularly to battery packs and automobiles for power drive applications. [Background technology]

[0003] In the related art, the battery packs currently used in electric vehicles are generally made up of tens to hundreds of single cells connected in series, and are combined with a battery management system (BMS), a thermal management system, etc. to provide power to the electric vehicle. However, since the input and output electrical energy power of the battery pack required for the electric vehicle differs significantly under different operating conditions, a battery pack made up of batteries of the same type and specifications connected in series cannot quickly and accurately meet the different power requirements of the electric vehicle, and furthermore, the performance of the electric vehicle cannot be fully utilized. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, embodiments of the present application provide a battery pack that can quickly and accurately output different power ranges in response to different operating conditions of the vehicle, and a vehicle including the battery pack.

[0005] The battery pack includes a first battery unit and a second battery unit, the first battery unit outputs electrical energy in a first power range, and the second battery unit outputs electrical energy in a second power range, the second power range being higher than the first power range, and the first battery unit and the second battery unit are controlled by a task manager and are suitable for providing electrical energy required by the load respectively corresponding to different operating states of the load.

[0006] Under the control of the task manager, the electrical energy output of the first battery unit and the second battery unit is accurately controlled, and based on the power requirements of the current load, the task manager can quickly and flexibly control the electrical energy output of the first battery unit and the second battery unit to meet the power requirements of the current load.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first battery unit and the second battery unit are suitable for being electrically connected to a battery management system of the task manager, and the battery management system detects state parameters of the first battery unit and the second battery unit, and controls the power ranges of the input electrical energy and the output electrical energy of the first battery unit and the second battery unit based on the state parameters.

[0008] The battery management system can effectively monitor the power amount and operating status of the first battery unit and the second battery unit in real time, and can control the power ranges of the input and output electrical energy of the first battery unit and the second battery unit based on the power amount and operating status, thereby maintaining a good output state and continuously outputting electrical energy.

[0009] In some embodiments, the battery pack further includes a task bus, the first battery unit and the second battery unit are connected in parallel to the task bus, the task bus receives control instructions from the task manager and transmits them to the first battery unit and the second battery unit, the first battery unit or the second battery unit is adapted to be activated after receiving the control instructions to output electrical energy in the first power range or the second power range, and the control instructions correspond to different operating states of the load.

[0010] The task manager is electrically connected to the first battery unit and the second battery unit by the task bus, so that the control commands of the task manager can be quickly transmitted to the first battery unit and the second battery unit, effectively shortening the response time of the first battery unit and the second battery unit, and the first battery unit and the second battery unit can provide the electrical energy required for the current load at a very fast speed.

[0011] In some embodiments, when the power amount of the first battery unit is greater than a first threshold, the first battery unit is activated after receiving the control command and is suitable to provide electrical energy to the load.

[0012] In some embodiments, when the power amount of the first battery unit is less than a second threshold, the first battery unit is turned off after receiving the control command to stop outputting electrical energy, and the second battery unit is activated to provide electrical energy to the current load.

[0013] In some embodiments, when the power amount of the first battery unit is less than a first threshold and greater than a second threshold, the first battery unit and the second battery unit are both activated after receiving the control command and together provide electrical energy to the load, and the first threshold is greater than the second threshold.

[0014] The first battery unit and the second battery unit cooperate with each other to form different power supply modes, and the first battery unit and the second battery unit have strict electrical energy output control. By setting a power threshold, the first battery unit and the second battery unit can realize different electrical energy output combinations and efficiently cooperate with different loads under the control of the task manager.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first battery unit includes at least one sub-master pack, the sub-master pack including at least one first cell, the first cell having a first energy density and a first power density, the second battery unit includes at least one sub-slave pack, the slave pack including at least one second cell, the second cell having a second energy density and a second power density, the first energy density being greater than the second energy density and the first power density being less than the second power density.

[0016] The second cell of the sub-slave pack included in the second battery unit has a second energy density and a second power density, and the second power density is greater than the first power density of the first cell of the first battery unit. Therefore, the volume of the second battery unit is smaller than the volume of the first battery unit. The rational spatial layout of the first battery unit and the second battery unit can effectively reduce the volume of the battery pack, which can be adaptively adjusted based on the interior layout of the vehicle to save interior space of the vehicle.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first power range is 10-20 KW and the second power range is 50-100 KW, or the first energy range is 50-100 KWh and the second energy range is 10-30 KWh.

[0018] In some embodiments, the capacity of the second cell of the second battery unit is 30% of the capacity of the first cell of the first battery unit, and the power-to-weight ratio of the second battery unit is 1.5 times the power-to-weight ratio of the first battery unit.

[0019] By setting the cell configurations and parameters of the first battery unit and the second battery unit, the first battery unit and the second battery unit can effectively form an electrical energy output combination, and the task manager can accurately control the electrical energy output states of the first battery unit and the second battery unit for different loads and different power requirements. In addition, accurate parameter setting can accurately calculate the production consumption of the battery pack, thereby rationally reducing the production cost of the battery pack.

[0020] In some embodiments, the task manager of the present application controls a first battery unit and a second battery unit of a battery pack to respectively correspond to different operating states of a load, and controls the first battery unit and the second battery unit to provide the required electrical energy for the load.

[0021] In some embodiments, the task manager includes a battery management system, which is electrically connected to the first battery unit and the second battery unit and is adapted to detect state parameters of the first battery unit and the second battery unit, and control power ranges of input electrical energy and output electrical energy of the first battery unit and the second battery unit based on the state parameters.

[0022] In some embodiments, the task manager is adapted to send control commands to the first battery unit and the second battery unit via a task bus, and the control commands are adapted to control and activate the first battery unit or the second battery unit to output electrical energy in the first power range or the second power range, and the control commands correspond to different operating states of the load.

[0023] In some embodiments, the task manager outputs the control command when the power amount of the first battery unit is greater than a first threshold, and the control command activates the first battery unit to provide electrical energy to a load.

[0024] In some embodiments, when the power amount of the first battery unit is less than a second threshold, the task manager outputs the control command, which turns off the first battery unit to stop outputting electrical energy and starts the second battery unit to provide electrical energy to the current load.

[0025] In some embodiments, when the power amount of the first battery unit is less than a first threshold and greater than a second threshold, the task manager outputs the control command, and controls the first battery unit and the second battery unit to start up and together provide electrical energy to the load according to the control command, and the first threshold is greater than the second threshold.

[0026] In some embodiments, the present invention provides a vehicle that includes the battery pack or the task manager. Compared with the prior art, the battery pack of the present invention selectively activates the first battery unit or the second battery unit to provide electrical energy in different power ranges, thereby quickly and accurately providing electrical energy in different power ranges according to the current operating conditions of the vehicle, preventing delays in switching when battery packs of the same type and specifications output electrical energy with different power levels, and ensuring that the vehicle can accurately adapt to different operating conditions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] In order to more clearly describe the technical means in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings necessary for the description of the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a planar layout configuration of the battery pack shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a schematic diagram showing the steps of operation of the battery pack of the automobile 1 shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of a battery pack according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] To facilitate an understanding of the present application, the present application will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the associated drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the present application are shown. However, the present application may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to provide a more complete and thorough understanding of the present disclosure.

[0030] The following description of each embodiment is used to illustrate embodiments that may be implemented with reference to the accompanying drawings. The numerals attached to elements in this specification, such as "first" and "second," are merely used to distinguish between the objects being described and have no ordering or technical significance. The terms "connection" and "coupling" used in this specification include direct and indirect connections (couplings) unless otherwise specified. The directional terms used in this specification, such as "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," and "side," are merely directions based on the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are intended to make this specification easier and clearer to explain and understand, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or components in question have a specific orientation or should be constructed or operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this specification.

[0031] In the description of this application, unless otherwise clearly specified or limited, the terms "attached," "coupled," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, and may refer to, for example, a fixed connection, a detachable connection, an integral connection, a mechanical connection, a direct connection, a connection via an intermediate medium, or communication between two parts. A person skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific situation. In addition, the terms "first," "second," etc. in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects and not to describe a specific order.

[0032] Furthermore, the terms "comprise," "may include," "contain," or "may contain" as used herein indicate the presence of a corresponding disclosed feature, operation, component, etc., and are not intended to limit one or more other features, operations, components, etc. Furthermore, the terms "comprise" or "contain" indicate the presence of a corresponding feature, number, step, operation, element, member, or combination thereof disclosed in the specification, and are intended to cover the exclusive inclusion of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, members, or combinations thereof, and do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, members, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, when describing an embodiment of the present application, the term "may" refers to one or more embodiments of the present application. Furthermore, the term "exemplary" is intended to indicate an example or to explain by way of example.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terms used in the specification of the present application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting of the present application.

[0034] In the power system of an electric vehicle, the energy storage battery used in the electric vehicle typically comprises a plurality of single cells connected in series, each having the same or similar gravitational energy density, volumetric energy density, and power density. The battery is combined with a battery management system (BMS), a thermal management system, and the like to provide power to the electric vehicle. The power supply required for an electric vehicle, provided by the battery pack, varies significantly under different operating conditions. For example, stable running of an electric vehicle requires 10 to 20 kW of power, while acceleration, deceleration, and braking energy recovery require 50 to several hundred kW of power.

[0035] Regarding electric vehicle battery packs, research has found that the power supply required by an electric vehicle varies under different operating conditions, and a battery pack made of the same type of cells connected in series can obviously only provide one type of power supply, so the power supply provided by the battery pack cannot completely and accurately match the requirements of the electric vehicle, which prevents the performance of the electric vehicle from being fully utilized, and the battery pack made of the same type of cells connected in series takes up a large space.

[0036] The present application provides a battery pack that combines cells with different energy densities as a power source for an electric vehicle, thereby effectively meeting the power requirements of the vehicle in different operating conditions. The spatial structure between each battery pack within the battery pack can be adaptively designed based on the interior space of the vehicle, effectively resolving the problem of conventional battery packs taking up a large amount of space.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes a battery pack 100, a vehicle controller 200, and a motor 300. The battery pack 100 is electrically connected to the vehicle controller 200 and the motor 300, and provides driving electric energy to the motor 300. The vehicle controller 200 collects relevant signals from the battery pack 100, the motor 300, and other functional modules of the vehicle 1, and adaptively adjusts the operating states of the motor 300 and the battery pack 100 based on the collected signals so that the vehicle can be in a better operating state under the driving of the motor 300. The motor 300 performs corresponding power driving operations under the control of the battery pack 100, thereby enabling the vehicle 1 to be in different running or braking states.

[0038] In exemplary embodiments, motor 300 may be an induction motor, a permanent magnet synchronous motor, a switched reluctance motor, or other motors used in electric vehicles, and is not limited to this application.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 1, the battery pack 100 includes a battery unit 10 and a task manager 20. The battery unit 10 is an energy storage power device that provides the electrical energy required for the normal operation of each functional module or component of the automobile 1. The task manager 20 is electrically connected to the battery unit 10, the vehicle controller 200, and the motor 300, and performs signal exchange and transmission to detect the state of charge, voltage, current, temperature, etc. of the battery unit 10, and after performing corresponding calculations, judgments, and processing, the task manager 20 outputs control commands to control the charging and discharging of the battery unit 10, and also cooperates with the vehicle controller 200 to control the operating state of the motor 300.

[0040] The vehicle controller 200 collects relevant parameters of the task manager 20 and the motor 300, performs corresponding calculations and judgments, and then issues corresponding operation commands to the task manager 20. After receiving the commands, the task manager 20 controls the operating state of the battery unit 10 and controls the operation of the motor 300 in cooperation with the vehicle controller 200. The operating state of the battery unit 10 includes the charging state, voltage magnitude, current magnitude, temperature level, etc. of the battery unit 10.

[0041] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the planar layout configuration of the battery pack 100 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the first battery unit 11 may be provided with N sub-master packs according to the needs of the vehicle. The power densities and energy densities of the N sub-master packs may be set to be exactly the same or have a certain difference as needed, and this application is not limited thereto. The second battery unit 12 may be provided with M sub-slave packs according to the needs. The power densities and energy densities of the M sub-slave packs may be set to be exactly the same or have a certain difference as needed, and this application is not limited thereto. N and M are integers greater than or equal to 1.

[0042] The battery unit 10 includes a first battery unit 11, a second battery unit 12, and a task bus 13. In this embodiment, when N is 2 and M is 4, the first battery unit 11 includes a first sub-master pack 111 and a second sub-master pack 112, and the first sub-master pack 111 and the second sub-master pack 112 each include one first cell 11A, and the first cell 11A has a first energy density and a first power density, where the first energy density is in a first energy range and the first power density is in a first power range.

[0043] For ease of understanding and explanation, a coordinate system is created with the X-axis direction as the first direction and the Y-axis direction as the second direction, with the first direction X being perpendicular to the second direction Y. The first sub-master pack 111 and the second sub-master pack 112 are arranged side by side at a predetermined distance along the first direction X. The first battery unit 11 provides continuous electrical energy to the motor 300 when the automobile 1, as a load, is running stably.

[0044] The second battery unit 12 includes a first sub-slave pack 121, a second sub-slave pack 122, a third sub-slave pack 123, and a fourth sub-slave pack 124. The first sub-slave pack 121, the second sub-slave pack 122, the third sub-slave pack 123, and the fourth sub-slave pack 124 each include three second cells 12A, and each is formed by connecting three second cells 12A in series. The second cells 12A have a second energy density and a second power density, where the second energy density is in a second energy range and the second power density is in a second power range.

[0045] The first sub-slave pack 121 and the second sub-slave pack 122 are arranged side by side at a predetermined distance along the first direction X and are provided on one side of the first battery unit 11 along the second direction Y, and the third sub-slave pack 123 and the fourth sub-slave pack 124 are arranged side by side at a predetermined distance along the first direction X and are provided on the other side of the first battery unit 11 along the second direction Y.

[0046] In other words, the first sub-slave pack 121 and the second sub-slave pack 122 are each arranged adjacent to the outside of one of the sub-master packs along the second direction, and the third sub-slave pack 123 and the fourth sub-slave pack 124 are each arranged adjacent to the outside of the other sub-master pack along the second direction. The second battery unit 12 provides instantaneous high-power electrical energy output to the motor 300 when the automobile 1 is in a state of acceleration, deceleration, braking, etc. The sub-packs of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 are connected in parallel to the task bus 13.

[0047] Alternatively, in other embodiments of the present application, the number of sub-master packs of the first battery unit 11, the number of first cells 11A of the sub-master pack, the number of sub-slave packs of the second battery unit 12, and the number of second cells 12A of the sub-slave pack can be adjusted according to the actual needs of the automobile 1, including, but not limited to, the capacity of the second cell being 30% of the capacity of the first cell.

[0048] The first power range is 10 to 20 KW, the second power range is 50 to 100 KW, the first energy range is 50 to 100 KWh, and the second energy range is 10 to 30 KWh. The first cell 11A and the second cell 12A may be set so that the first and second power ranges and the first and second energy ranges are all within the aforementioned numerical ranges, or only the first and second power ranges may be set within corresponding numerical ranges, or only the first and second energy ranges may be set within corresponding numerical ranges, or may be set according to the actual needs of the automobile 1, and the present application is not limited thereto.

[0049] Furthermore, the second energy range is approximately 30% of the first energy range, i.e., the energy density of the second battery unit 12 is approximately 30% of the energy density of the first battery unit 11, and the energy density is the energy contained per unit volume. The first power density is a 5-second discharge capacity of 5 to 10C, and the second power density is a 5-second discharge capacity of 10C (charge / discharge current / rated capacity) or more, i.e., the first battery unit 11 has a 5-second discharge capacity of 5 to 10C, and the second battery unit 12 has a 5-second discharge capacity of 10C or more.

[0050] By setting the cell configurations and parameters of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12, the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 can effectively form an electrical energy output combination, and for different loads and different power requirements, the task manager 20 can accurately control the electrical energy output states of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12. In addition, accurate parameter setting allows the production consumption of the battery pack to be accurately calculated, which can rationally reduce the production cost of the battery pack.

[0051] At least two sub-slave packs of the second battery unit 12 output electrical energy of different power levels within the second power range, so that the different sub-slave packs can be combined to accurately and quickly switch to output electrical energy of different power levels in response to operating conditions requiring large instantaneous output power, such as acceleration, deceleration, and braking of the automobile 1. For example, the first sub-slave pack 121 and the second sub-slave pack 122 work together to output electrical energy of power within the second power range required for an acceleration operating condition, the third sub-slave pack 123 outputs electrical energy of power within the second power range required for a deceleration operating condition, and the fourth sub-slave pack 124 outputs electrical energy of power within the second power range required for a braking operating condition.

[0052] Alternatively, in other embodiments of the present application, the first sub-slave pack 121, the second sub-slave pack 122, the third sub-slave pack 123, and the fourth sub-slave pack 124 can be combined in various ways according to actual needs to output electrical energy with a large instantaneous power within the second power range, and are not limited to the above examples.

[0053] In an exemplary embodiment, the materials of the cells of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 may be lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, lead-acid batteries, and zinc-air batteries according to the needs of the automobile 1, and are not limited to the embodiments of the present application.

[0054] In the exemplary embodiment, the first battery unit 11 has a high energy density and can provide the automobile 1 with a long driving range. The second battery unit 12 has a high power density and can provide instantaneous high power output when the automobile 1 is in operating conditions such as braking and accelerating. The high energy density of the first battery unit 11 and the high power density of the second battery unit 12 of the battery unit 10 are combined to provide electrical energy to the motor 300 when the automobile 1 is in different operating conditions such as acceleration, braking, and stable driving, thereby meeting the corresponding power requirements. As a result, the battery pack 100 can output different amounts of electrical energy using sub-packs with different energy and power densities, thereby meeting the motive power and power requirements of the automobile 1 in different operating conditions.

[0055] In an exemplary embodiment, the 5C rate characteristic of the first battery unit 11 is less than 70%, and the 5C rate characteristic of the second battery unit 12 is greater than 70%, and the power density of the first battery unit 11 and the power density of the second battery unit 12 have a certain proportional relationship. In some embodiments, the average power-to-weight ratio of the second battery unit 12 is 1.5 times the average power-to-weight ratio of the first battery unit 11. The power-to-weight ratio is the ratio of the maximum power of the motor 300 to the total weight of the vehicle 1, and is expressed in W / kg. The average power-to-weight ratio can be calculated as follows: At room temperature, a battery with a 100% state of charge (SOC) is discharged at a current of 1C for 30 minutes, then discharged for 10 seconds at a specified maximum discharge current to obtain the 10-second discharge power-to-weight ratio. After leaving the battery to stand for 30 minutes, it is charged for 10 seconds at a specified maximum charge current to obtain the 10-second charge power-to-weight ratio. The average of the 10-second discharge power-to-weight ratio and the 10-second charge power-to-weight ratio is calculated to obtain the average power-to-weight ratio.

[0056] Alternatively, in another embodiment of the present application, when N is 1 and M is 2, that is, when the first battery unit 11 includes one sub-master pack and the second battery unit 12 includes two sub-slave packs, 100 In this example, the sub-master pack of the first battery unit 11 has an upper limit of charge / discharge capacity, i.e., a power range, of 0.5 to 1C, using an energy density of 60KWh. The sub-slave packs of the second battery unit 12 are a sub-slave pack with an upper limit of charge / discharge capacity of 30KWh at 3C, and a sub-slave pack with an upper limit of charge / discharge capacity of 10KWh at 10C. Battery pack 100 The total power is 100KWh, and the continuous output power is 60*1+30*3+10*10=250KW, which exceeds the upper limit of the continuous power of a battery pack made of the same cell material. Therefore, the battery pack 100 of the present application not only ensures that the automobile 1 has a long driving range, but also meets the instantaneous high-power electrical energy output requirements of the automobile 1, that is, it can flexibly meet the power requirements of the automobile 1 in different operating conditions.

[0057] In an exemplary embodiment, the charging time of the battery unit 10 is much shorter than that of a battery pack having a single energy parameter, and the battery unit 10 can charge 10 kWh + 30% * 30 kWh + 10% * 60 kWh = 25 kWh of power in 6 minutes, whereas a 100 kWh battery pack having a single energy parameter and a 1.5 C fast charging capability can only charge 0.15 * 100 kWh = 15 kWh of power. Therefore, the battery pack 100 of the present application has the ability to be instantaneously charged faster than conventional battery packs.

[0058] 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the task manager 20 specifically includes a DC converter 21, a BMS 22, and an electronic control device 23. The DC converter 21 is electrically connected to the task bus 13, and converts the high-voltage DC output from the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 into low-voltage DC, which is supplied to the vehicle's low-voltage electronic devices.

[0059] The BMS 22 is electrically connected to the battery unit 10 and the vehicle controller 200 to realize signal transmission and detects parameters such as the state of charge, temperature, and voltage of each sub-pack of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 in real time. The BMS 22 then calculates, judges, and processes the detected parameters and sends the processing results to the vehicle controller 200. Based on the processing results, the BMS 22 controls the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 to perform corresponding self-protection operations, such as overcharge protection, over-discharge protection, and over-temperature protection. The BMS 22 selectively charges and discharges each sub-pack of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 via the DC converter 21 and the task bus 13, and allocates the power amounts of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12.

[0060] The electronic control device 23 is electrically connected to the battery unit 10, the BMS 22, the vehicle controller 200, and the motor 300 to realize signal transmission, receives command signals from the vehicle controller 200 and battery detection signals transmitted from the BMS 22, and processes the received signals to control the discharge power of the battery unit 10 to the motor 300, thereby controlling the operation of the motor 300.

[0061] In an exemplary embodiment, the DC converter 21 is a bidirectional DC converter that can control current to flow in both directions, and the task bus 13 is electrically connected to the first sub-master pack 111 and the second sub-master pack 112 of the first battery unit 11, and the first sub-slave pack 121, the second sub-slave pack 122, the third sub-slave pack 123, and the fourth sub-slave pack 124 of the second battery unit 12, so that the DC converter 21 can accurately control the electrical energy input and output by the first sub-master pack 111 and the second sub-master pack 112 of the first battery unit 11, and the first sub-slave pack 121, the second sub-slave pack 122, the third sub-slave pack 123, and the fourth sub-slave pack 124 of the second battery unit 12 via the task bus 13.

[0062] In an exemplary embodiment, when the automobile 1 is in a task mode with large instantaneous output power, such as acceleration, deceleration, and braking, the task manager 20 can control the specific power supply methods of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 based on the power requirements of the various task modes of the automobile 1. In an exemplary embodiment, when providing electrical energy to the automobile 1, the battery pack 100 has at least the following three types of power supply methods under the control of the task manager 20:

[0063] In the power supply system 1, when the power amount of the first battery unit 11 is greater than the first threshold and the automobile 1 operates at a constant speed with low power, the required power range is 10 to 20 kW. In this case, the task manager 20 outputs a control command via the task bus 13, and the control command is used only to start the first battery unit 11 and provide electrical energy to an electrical energy-driven module such as the motor 300 as the current load. In this embodiment, the first threshold may be set to 70% of the total power amount of the first battery unit 11. Of course, the first threshold may be adjusted to, for example, 60% to 95% of the total power amount according to actual needs, and is not limited here.

[0064] In power supply method 2, when the power amount of the first battery unit 11 is smaller than the second threshold and the automobile 1 operates on low power, its power requirement range is 10 to 20 kW, and the task manager 20 outputs a control command via the task bus 13 to turn off the first battery unit 11 to stop outputting electrical energy and start the second battery unit 12, so that the second battery unit 12 provides electrical energy to an electrical energy-driven module such as the motor 300 as the current load. In this embodiment, the second threshold may be set to 20% of the total power amount of the first battery unit 11, and of course, the second threshold may be adjusted to, for example, 10% to 30% of the total power amount according to actual needs, and is not limited here.

[0065] In power supply method 3, when the power amount of the first battery unit 11 is smaller than the first threshold and larger than the second threshold, i.e., the remaining power amount of the first battery unit is between 20% and 70%, and the automobile 1 is in a high-power operating state, its power requirement range is 50 to 100 kW. At this time, the first battery unit 11 cannot alone meet the high power requirement of the current operating situation, and the task manager 20 outputs a control command via the task bus 13, which activates both the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12, so that both the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 provide electrical energy to the electrical energy driving module such as the motor 300 as the current load, thereby meeting the high power requirement of the current load such as the motor of the automobile 1.

[0066] Furthermore, the task manager 20 can control each sub-slave pack of the second battery unit 12 to output electrical energy of different powers in the second power range, respectively, based on the power requirements in various task modes of the automobile 1. For example, when the automobile 1 is in an acceleration task mode, the task manager 20 outputs a control command, which activates the first sub-slave pack 121 and the second sub-slave pack 122 to output electrical energy of corresponding power to the motor 300, thereby providing electrical energy to the automobile 1 in the acceleration task mode, i.e., the instantaneous high-power electrical energy required for accelerating the automobile 1 is entirely output from the first sub-slave pack 121 and the second sub-slave pack 122, without involving other sub-packs.

[0067] The task manager 20 outputs a control command, which can activate the third sub-slave pack 123 and the fourth sub-slave pack 124 to provide electrical energy to the vehicle 1 in the task mode of deceleration and braking, i.e., the high power output required for deceleration and braking of the vehicle 1 is entirely dependent on the third sub-slave pack 123 and the fourth sub-slave pack 124, without involving other sub-packs. The allocation method of the electrical energy output of each sub-pack in a specific task mode can be determined based on the power requirements of the vehicle 1, and the present application is not limited thereto.

[0068] In an exemplary embodiment, the task manager 20 further performs one or more of the following functions: a function of establishing or interrupting a connection between the sub-packs of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12; a function of automatically equalizing the mutual charging and discharging between the sub-packs of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12; a function of dynamically and quickly (response time < 1 s) switching and adjusting the output current of the sub-packs of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12; a function of dynamically adjusting the load, input current, and output current of the sub-packs of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 based on specific operating conditions such as acceleration, power recovery, and stable driving; and a function of controlling the charging order of the sub-packs of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 during charging, and controlling the current to replenish different sub-packs at a certain rate.

[0069] 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the vehicle controller 200 is electrically connected to the DC converter 21, the BMS 22, and the electronic control device 23 to realize signal transmission, and collects signals from the DC converter 21, the BMS 22, the electronic control device 23, and other components of the vehicle, then performs comprehensive calculations and judgments and issues corresponding commands to the DC converter 21, the BMS 22, and the electronic control device 23. By controlling the DC converter 21, the BMS 22, and the electronic control device 23 and controlling the charging and discharging of the battery unit 10, the operating power of the motor 300 is adjusted, and the DC converter 21, the BMS 22, the electronic control device 23, and other components of the vehicle 1 work together to adjust the operating status of the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 operates in a good state.

[0070] Under the control of the task manager 20, the electrical energy output of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 is accurately controlled, and based on the power requirements of the current load, the task manager 20 can quickly and flexibly control the electrical energy output of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 to meet the power requirements of the current load.

[0071] Battery Management System can effectively and in real time monitor the power amount and operating status of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12, and control the power range of the input electrical energy and output electrical energy of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 based on the power amount and operating status, so as to maintain a good output state and continuously output electrical energy.

[0072] The task manager 20 is electrically connected to the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 via the task bus 13, so that the control commands of the task manager 20 can be quickly transmitted to the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12, effectively shortening the response time of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12, and allowing the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 to provide the electrical energy required for the current load at a very fast speed.

[0073] The first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 cooperate with each other to form different power supply modes, and the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 have appropriate electrical energy output control. By setting the power threshold, the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 can realize different electrical energy output combinations and efficiently cooperate with different loads of the automobile 1 under the control of the task manager 20.

[0074] In the battery unit 10, the positions of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 follow the rule that the battery pack with a higher power density is positioned closer to the motor 300, and the sub-pack with a lower power density is positioned farther from the motor 300 than the battery pack with a higher power density. In this embodiment, the first battery unit 11 and the motor 300 are positioned a first distance D1 apart, and the second battery unit 12 and the motor 300 are positioned a second distance D2 apart. Since D1 is greater than D2, the second battery unit 12 is positioned closer to the motor 300 than the first battery unit 11, and the current transmission path from the second battery unit 12 to the motor 300 is shorter.

[0075] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the operation process of the battery pack 100 of the automobile 1 shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 3, the operation steps are specifically as follows.

[0076] In step S101, the operating status of the automobile 1 is detected and the current operating status is output. The detected operating status of the automobile 1 includes commands input by the user and autonomous detection by detection devices such as sensors. The commands input by the user include related operation commands such as braking, accelerating, and turning on / off the eco-control.

[0077] In step S102, the task manager outputs a control command based on the current operating status. In some embodiments, the task manager 20 receives the current operating status of the automobile 1, and then the BMS 22 processes and judges the operating status, and then transmits the processing result to the DC converter 21 and the electronic control unit 23 inside the task manager 20. Based on the processing result, the DC converter 21 converts the high-voltage DC output from the battery unit 10 into low-voltage DC and supplies it to the vehicle's low-voltage electronic devices, and the electronic control unit 23 controls the operation of the motor 300 based on the command.

[0078] In step S103, the task bus 13 transmits the control command to the battery pack. 100 After issuing the control command, the task manager 20 transmits the control command to the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 of the battery unit 10 of the battery pack 100 via the task bus 13 .

[0079] In step S104, the battery unit 10 selects the first battery unit 11 or the second battery unit 12 to input or output electrical energy based on the control command. In some embodiments, the first battery unit 11 or the second battery unit 12 of the battery unit 10 is activated by the control command and cooperates with the DC converter 21 to input or output electrical energy of the corresponding power.

[0080] In step S105, the motor 300 performs corresponding power output based on the electrical energy provided by the battery unit 10, and the motor 300 is driven and operated by the electrical energy output of the corresponding power of the battery unit 10 in cooperation with the electronic control device 23 of the task manager 20 based on the control command.

[0081] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , in the battery pack 100, by accurately identifying the current operating status of the automobile 1, the BMS 22 can accurately control the current input / output status between the first sub-master pack 111 and the second sub-master pack 112 of the first battery unit 11 and the first sub-slave pack 121, the second sub-slave pack 122, the third sub-slave pack 123, and the fourth sub-slave pack 124 of the second battery unit 12 through the DC converter 21 and the task bus 13. That is, based on the current operating status, the first battery unit 11 or the second battery unit 12 can be accurately selected and activated to provide electrical energy in different power ranges, and the battery pack 100 The BMS 22 can realize functions such as automatic equalization and self-heating. By identifying the current high-power operating status of the automobile 1, it can accurately control the different sub-slave packs of the second battery unit to be combined to meet the different current high-power electrical energy output requirements of the automobile 1. In addition, the BMS 22 monitors in real time the state of charge, current, voltage, temperature, etc. of the first sub-master pack 111 and the second sub-master pack 112 of the first battery unit 11 and the first sub-slave pack 121, the second sub-slave pack 122, the third sub-slave pack 123, and the fourth sub-slave pack 124 of the second battery unit 12, and communicates signals with the electronic control unit 23 and the vehicle controller 200 in real time, transmitting the status of the battery unit 10 to the electronic control unit 23 and the vehicle controller 200 in the form of signals.

[0082] Furthermore, after receiving the signal transmitted from the BMS 22, the electronic control unit 23 analyzes and judges the same, and then performs corresponding control on the motor 300. The vehicle controller 200 collects the relevant parameter signals of the BMS 22, the electronic control unit 23, and other components of the automobile 1, and then performs comprehensive calculations, judgments, and processing, and issues corresponding adjustment control commands to the BMS 22, the electronic control unit 23, and other components of the automobile 1, so that the automobile 1 operates in a good state.

[0083] In an exemplary embodiment, the battery pack 100 may be used in not only battery electric vehicles but also hybrid vehicles. The configuration of the battery pack used in the battery electric vehicles may be the configuration shown in FIG. 2, and the configuration of the battery pack used in the hybrid vehicle may be adaptively adjusted, but the internal control principle remains the same.

[0084] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a battery pack 100′ according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the battery pack 100′ is similar to the battery unit 10 shown in FIG. 2, and differs only in the layout of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 of the battery unit 10′.

[0085] In this embodiment, when N is 2 and M is 2, the first battery unit 11 includes a first sub-master pack 111 and a second sub-master pack 112, each of which includes one first cell 11A, the first cell 11A having a first energy density and a first power density, the first energy density being in a first energy range, and the first power density being in a first power range. With the X-axis direction as the first direction and the Y-axis direction as the second direction, the first sub-master pack 111 and the second sub-master pack 112 are arranged side by side adjacent to each other at a central position of the battery unit 10 along the second direction.

[0086] The second battery unit 12 includes a first sub-slave pack 121 and a second sub-slave pack 122. Each of the first sub-slave pack 121 and the second sub-slave pack 122 includes two second cells 12A, each of which is formed by connecting two second cells 12A in series. The second cells 12A have a second energy density and a second power density, where the second energy density is in a second energy range and the second power density is in a second power range. The first sub-slave pack 121 and the second sub-slave pack 122 are arranged in parallel on both sides of the first battery unit 11 along the second direction, spaced a predetermined distance from the first battery unit 11. In other words, the two sub-slave packs are arranged adjacent to the outsides of the two sub-master packs along the second direction, and the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 are connected in parallel to the task bus 13.

[0087] When the hybrid vehicle 1 is short of fuel or switches to the power supply mode, the battery unit 10' provides sufficient electrical energy to the motor 300, saving the vehicle's energy and ensuring normal running. The specific operating principles and methods of the first battery unit 11 and the second battery unit 12 of the battery unit 10' are the same as those of the battery unit 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2, and will not be described in this embodiment.

[0088] In an exemplary embodiment, the battery unit 10 designed herein is constructed by combining a small number of cell types, and the combination arrangement can be adaptively adjusted based on the spatial layout, significantly reducing the space occupied by the battery pack. Furthermore, the cells of the battery pack of the present invention do not require dozens of different product models, but only a small number of product models can meet the energy and power requirements of most battery packs, significantly improving the continuous production capacity of cell manufacturing production lines and reducing production costs.

[0089] It should be noted that the application of the present application is not limited to the above examples, and a person skilled in the art may make improvements or modifications based on the above description, and all such improvements and modifications should fall within the scope of protection of the claims attached hereto.

Claims

1. A battery pack (100) including a first battery unit (11) and a second battery unit (12), The first battery unit (11) outputs electrical energy in a first power range; the second battery unit (12) outputs electrical energy in a second power range; The second power range is higher than the first power range, and the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) are controlled by a task manager (20) to provide the electric energy required for the load according to different operating states of the load, respectively; The second battery unit (12) has a first sub-slave pack and a second sub-slave pack that output different electrical energies within the second power range, the task manager selects a first sub-slave pack in response to an operating state of a first load to provide electrical energy required for the first load, and selects a second sub-slave pack in response to an operating state of a second load different from the first load to provide electrical energy required for the second load; A battery pack (100) characterized by:

2. 2. The battery pack (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) are electrically connected to each other to accommodate a battery management system of the task manager (20), and the battery management system detects state parameters of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12), and controls the power ranges of the input electrical energy and the output electrical energy of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) based on the state parameters.

3. 2. The battery pack according to claim 1, further comprising a task bus (13), wherein the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) are connected in parallel to the task bus (13), the task bus (13) receives control commands from the task manager (20) and transmits the control commands to the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12), the first battery unit (11) or the second battery unit (12) is activated after receiving the control command to output electrical energy in the first power range or the second power range, and the control commands correspond to different operating states of the load.

4. The battery pack (100) of claim 3, characterized in that, when the amount of power of the first battery unit (11) is greater than a first threshold, the first battery unit (11) is activated after receiving the control command to provide electrical energy to the load.

5. The battery pack (100) of claim 3, characterized in that if the amount of power of the first battery unit (11) is less than a second threshold, the first battery unit (11) is turned off after receiving the control command to stop outputting electrical energy, and the second battery unit (12) is activated to provide electrical energy to a current load.

6. 4. The battery pack (100) of claim 3, wherein when the amount of power of the first battery unit (11) is smaller than a first threshold and larger than a second threshold, the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) are both activated after receiving the control command and both provide electrical energy to the load, and the first threshold is larger than the second threshold.

7. The first battery unit (11) includes at least one sub-master pack, the sub-master pack includes at least one first cell (11A), the first cell (11A) having a first energy density and a first power density; the first or second sub-slave pack includes at least one second cell (11A), the second cell (12A) having a second energy density and a second power density; 10. The battery pack (100) of claim 1, wherein the first energy density is greater than the second energy density and the first power density is less than the second power density.

8. the first power range is 10-20 kW and the second power range is 50-100 kW; or 8. The battery pack (100) of claim 7, wherein the first energy density is 50 to 100 KWh and the second energy density is 10 to 30 KWh.

9. The capacity of the second cell of the second battery unit (12) is 30% of the capacity of the first cell of the first battery unit (11); The battery pack (100) according to claim 7, wherein the power-to-weight ratio of the second battery unit (12) is 1.5 times the power-to-weight ratio of the first battery unit (11).

10. A task manager (20) controls a first battery unit (11) and a second battery unit (12) of a battery pack (100) to respectively correspond to different operating states of a load, and controls the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) to provide electrical energy required by the load, The second battery unit (12) has a first sub-slave pack and a second sub-slave pack that output different electrical energies within the second power range, The task manager (20) is characterized in that, in response to an operating state of a first load, the task manager selects a first sub-slave pack to provide the electrical energy required for the first load, and in response to an operating state of a second load different from the first load, the task manager selects a second sub-slave pack to provide the electrical energy required for the second load.

11. The task manager (20) of claim 10, characterized in that the task manager (20) includes a battery management system, which is electrically connected to the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12), detects state parameters of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12), and controls the power ranges of input electrical energy and output electrical energy of the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) based on the state parameters.

12. 11. The task manager (20) of claim 10, wherein the task manager (20) sends control commands to the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) via a task bus (13), and the control commands control and activate the first battery unit (11) or the second battery unit (12) to output electrical energy in a first power range from the first battery unit (11) or in a second power range higher than the first power range from the second battery unit (12), and the control commands correspond to different operating states of the load.

13. The task manager (20) of claim 12, characterized in that, when the amount of power of the first battery unit (11) is greater than a first threshold, the task manager (20) outputs the control command, and the control command activates the first battery unit (11) to provide electrical energy to a load.

14. The task manager (20) of claim 12, characterized in that when the amount of power of the first battery unit (11) is less than a second threshold, the task manager (20) outputs the control command, which turns off the first battery unit (11) to stop outputting electrical energy and starts the second battery unit (12) to provide electrical energy to a current load.

15. The task manager (20) of claim 12, wherein the task manager (20) outputs the control command when the amount of power of the first battery unit (11) is smaller than a first threshold and larger than a second threshold, and controls the first battery unit (11) and the second battery unit (12) to start up and provide electrical energy to the load together by the control command, and the first threshold is larger than the second threshold.

16. A motor vehicle (1) comprising a battery pack (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 or a task manager (20) according to any one of claims 10 to 15.

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