Battery control circuit, method and power consumption device

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application provide a battery control circuit, a method, and a power consumption device, in which the battery control circuit includes a charging interface, a switch module, a first battery pack, a second battery pack, and a control module, in which the positive electrode of the second battery pack is connected to the negative electrode of the first battery pack, and when the control module detects that a charging signal from a low voltage platform is input to the charging interface, the control module controls the switch module to switch to a first connection state in which a target battery pack, which is the first battery pack or the second battery pack, and the charging interface are connected in series to form a first circuit, thereby forming a battery control circuit for charging the target battery pack.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of energy storage devices, and in particular to battery control circuits, methods and power consuming devices. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of new energy technologies, the application of batteries is becoming more and more widespread, especially in new energy vehicles. To realize fast battery charging, new energy vehicle manufacturers are gradually strengthening the construction of battery charging platforms, which has led to the emergence of high-voltage charging platforms. However, charging stations compatible with high-voltage charging platforms have not yet been fully adopted, so vehicle batteries need to be compatible with charging stations of various voltage platform specifications available on the market.

[0003] In related technology, when a boost module is specially added to a new energy vehicle and connected to a low-voltage platform, the boost module boosts the charging voltage input to the low-voltage platform to charge the battery, but this solution increases costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a battery control circuit, method, and power consumption device, thereby solving the problem in related art of specially adding a boost module to new energy vehicles to ensure normal battery charging, which increases costs.

[0005] The present application provides a battery control circuit including a charging interface, a switch module, a first battery pack, a second battery pack, and a control module. The positive electrode of the second battery pack is connected to the negative electrode of the first battery pack. When the control module detects that a charging signal from a low-voltage platform is input to the charging interface, the control module controls the switch module to switch to a first connection state in which the charging interface is connected in series with a target battery pack, which is the first or second battery pack, to form a first circuit, thereby charging the target battery pack.

[0006] In the above solution, a control module and a switch module are installed, and when the control module detects that a charging signal from a low-voltage platform is input to the charging interface, the control module controls the switch module to switch to a first connection state in which the target battery pack, which is the first or second battery pack, is connected in series with the charging interface to form a first circuit, thereby charging the target battery pack, thereby allowing either of the two battery packs to be charged separately, realizing adaptive connection of the charging signal from the low-voltage platform, and further ensuring normal charging of the battery packs, saving costs and solving the problem in the related art of increasing costs caused by the specialized addition of a boost module in new energy vehicles to normal charge the battery.

[0007] In addition, the battery can be normally charged simply by installing the control module and the switch module, which simplifies the structure and facilitates placement. Furthermore, since the negative electrode of the first battery pack is directly connected to the positive electrode of the second battery pack, the switch module can be installed separately from the battery packs, which is advantageous for maintenance and reduces the risk of battery pack disassembly.

[0008] In some embodiments, when the control module detects that a charging signal from the high-voltage platform is input to the charging interface, it controls the switch module to switch to a second connection state in which the charging interface, the first battery pack, and the second battery pack are connected in series to form a second circuit, thereby charging the first battery pack and the second battery pack.

[0009] In the above solution, the control module, based on the charging signal of the high-voltage and low-voltage platform received by the charging interface, forms a first circuit and a second circuit between the battery pack and the charging interface according to the changeover switch module, so that the power consumption device equipped with the battery pack can adaptively match different charging signals, and the charging method is flexible and highly adaptable.

[0010] In some embodiments, the switch module includes a first auxiliary circuit switching unit, a second auxiliary circuit switching unit, and a main switch unit.

[0011] The first auxiliary circuit switching unit is connected to the output terminal of the main switch unit, the positive electrode of the first battery pack, and the positive electrode of the second battery pack, and is used to turn on the connection between the output terminal of the main switch unit and the target battery pack when receiving a first trigger signal sent from the control module, where the first trigger signal is sent after the control module detects the charging signal of the low-voltage platform.

[0012] The main switch unit has its input end connected to the positive pole of the charging interface, and after the first auxiliary circuit switching unit is turned on, the control module triggers the main switch unit to turn on the connection between the positive pole of the charging interface and the output end of the main switch unit.

[0013] The second auxiliary circuit switching unit is connected to the negative pole of the first battery pack, the negative pole of the second battery pack and the negative pole of the charging interface, and is used to turn on the connection between the negative pole of the target battery pack and the negative pole of the charging interface by being triggered to turn on by the control module after the main switch unit is turned on.

[0014] In the above solution, the first auxiliary circuit switching unit, the main switch unit and the second auxiliary circuit switching unit are turned on in sequence to finally form the first circuit, which is advantageous for charging safety.

[0015] In some embodiments, the control module is further configured to, after detecting that a charging signal from the low-voltage platform is input to the charging interface, send a first trigger signal to the first auxiliary circuit switching unit if the first auxiliary circuit switching unit and the second auxiliary circuit switching unit are normal, and terminate the charging flow of the target battery pack if a fault occurs in the first auxiliary circuit switching unit or the second auxiliary circuit switching unit. By detecting the auxiliary circuit switching unit that energizes the circuit of the target battery pack, fault detection can be performed before charging, thereby improving charging safety.

[0016] In some embodiments, the control module is further configured to, after sending a first trigger signal to the first auxiliary circuit switching unit, terminate the charging flow of the target battery pack if a fault occurs in the main switch unit, and to trigger the main switch unit to turn on by sending a second trigger signal if the main switch unit is normal, which is advantageous to determining whether the switch unit in the main circuit operates normally and improving charging safety.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first auxiliary circuit switching unit includes a first contactor having a first end connected to the output end of the main switch unit and a second end connected to the positive electrode of the first battery pack, and a second contactor having a first end connected to the output end of the main switch unit and a second end connected to the positive electrode of the second battery pack.

[0018] The second auxiliary circuit switching unit includes a third contactor having a first end connected to the negative electrode of the charging interface and a second end connected to the negative electrode of the first battery pack, and a fourth contactor having a first end connected to the negative electrode of the charging interface and a second end connected to the negative electrode of the second battery pack.

[0019] In the above solution, the connection structure of the first contactor to the fourth contactor is provided, which provides a selectable structural design for the first auxiliary circuit switching unit and the second auxiliary circuit switching unit, realizes flexible switching between the first circuit and the second circuit, and is further isolated from the first battery pack and the second battery pack, and is not directly connected between the first battery pack and the second battery pack, which is convenient for maintenance and reduces the risk of disassembly of the battery pack.

[0020] In some embodiments, the main switch unit includes a fifth contactor, a first end of the fifth contactor is connected to the positive electrode of the charging interface, and a second end of the fifth contactor is connected to the first end of the first contactor, and the contactor is used as the main switch unit, thereby achieving high reliability.

[0021] In some embodiments, the battery control circuit further includes a first current protection module and a second current protection module, the first current protection module being connected to the output terminal of the main switch unit and the first terminal of the first contactor, the first terminal of the second current protection module being connected to the negative terminal of the first battery pack and the positive terminal of the second battery pack, and the second terminal of the second current protection module being connected to the second terminal of the second contactor and the second terminal of the third contactor.

[0022] In the above solution, the first current protection module can protect the battery and the circuit with the battery when the current input to the charging interface is too large, and the second current protection module can provide multiple current protection when using different target battery packs.

[0023] In some embodiments, the battery control circuit further includes a high-voltage load and a bidirectional DC-DC module. The high-voltage load is connected between the output terminal of the main switch unit and the negative pole of the charging interface. The low-voltage side port of the bidirectional DC-DC module is connected to a low-voltage power supply, and the high-voltage side port of the bidirectional DC-DC module is connected to the high-voltage load. This ensures that the high-voltage load is always in a charging state, and reduces the number of pre-charge contactors and pre-charge resistors required in the circuit.

[0024] On the other hand, the present application further provides a power consumption device including the battery control circuit of the above aspect.

[0025] The present application also provides a battery control method applied to the battery control circuit of the above aspect, comprising: When detecting that a charging signal from the low-voltage platform is input to the charging interface, control the switch module to be connected in series with the target battery pack, which is the first battery pack or the second battery pack, to form a first circuit with the charging interface, and charge the target battery pack; Or, A battery control method is provided, which includes: when detecting that a charging signal from a high-voltage platform is input to the charging interface, controlling a switch module that is connected in series with the charging interface, a first battery pack, and a second battery pack to form a second circuit, thereby charging the first battery pack and the second battery pack.

[0026] The above description is merely an outline of the technical solution of the present application. In order to make the technical solution of the present application more clearly understandable, it can be implemented based on the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objectives, features and advantages of the present application more apparent, specific embodiments of the present application are given below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] In order to more clearly explain the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly describe the drawings necessary for the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can further obtain other drawings based on the drawings without any creative efforts. [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a module structure of a battery control circuit according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a module structure of a battery control circuit according to another embodiment of the present application. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a circuit configuration of a battery control circuit according to still another embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating charging of a first battery pack and a second battery pack in a battery control circuit according to still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a circuit configuration of a battery control circuit according to still another embodiment of the present application. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic diagram of a circuit configuration of a battery control circuit according to yet another embodiment of the present application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 10 Charging Interface 20 Switch Module 30 First Battery Pack 40 Second Battery Pack 50 Control Module 21 First auxiliary circuit switching unit 22 Main switch unit 23 Second auxiliary circuit switching unit K1 First Contactor K2 Second Contactor K3 Third Contactor K4 4th Contactor K5 5th Contactor 51 First current protection module 52 Second current protection module 61 High-voltage load 62 Bidirectional DC-DC Module DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] The following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following examples are provided to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and are therefore only provided as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application pertains. The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific examples only and are not intended to limit the present application. The terms "comprises," "includes," and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the description of the drawings above are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion.

[0031] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first," "second," etc. are used merely to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, or implying the quantity, specific order, or primary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly and specifically limited, "plurality" means two or more.

[0032] When referring to an "embodiment" in this specification, it means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described with reference to the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the expression in each location in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or candidate embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. As those skilled in the art will understand, both explicitly and implicitly, the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0033] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" only describes the relationship between related objects, and three types of relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent the following three situations: A exists separately, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, in this specification, the character "" generally indicates that the related objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship.

[0034] In describing the embodiments of the present application, the term "plurality" refers to two or more (including two); similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more (including two sets); and "plurality" refers to two or more (including two).

[0035] In describing the embodiments of the present application, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by technical terms such as "center," "longitudinal direction," "lateral direction," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial direction," "radial direction," and "circumferential direction" are orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are intended only to facilitate the explanation of the embodiments of the present application and simplify the description. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, a specific orientation structure, or an operation, and should not be understood as limitations on the embodiments of the present application.

[0036] In describing the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified or limited, the technical terms "attached," "coupled," "connected," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and may refer to, for example, a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. They may be mechanically connected or electrically connected. They may be directly connected, indirectly connected via an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two elements or an interactive relationship between two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application based on specific circumstances.

[0037] In the new energy field, power batteries may be used as the main power source of power consumption devices (such as vehicles, ships, or spacecraft), and energy storage batteries may be used as charging sources for power consumption devices, and the importance of both goes without saying. For example, in some application scenarios, the power battery may be the battery in the power consumption device, and the energy storage battery may be the battery in the charging device. For ease of explanation, hereinafter, both power batteries and energy storage batteries may be collectively referred to as batteries.

[0038] Currently, most batteries on the market are rechargeable storage batteries, and lithium batteries such as lithium-ion batteries and lithium-ion polymer batteries are the most common. When a battery is installed in a power consumption device, it needs to be connected to a charging device to charge the battery when the remaining battery power is low.

[0039] In order to achieve fast charging of batteries, the higher the maximum voltage that can be supported by the battery charging platform currently installed, the better, for example, there is an 800-volt high-voltage charging platform for current power consumption devices. However, the construction of charging devices is in the process of gradually becoming more widespread, and in the commercial environment, the construction of charging devices that support high-voltage charging platforms is far behind the production of power consumption devices.

[0040] Therefore, after the power consumption device is connected to the charging device, the power consumption device and the charging device must match the charging voltage, and check whether the charging voltage of the charging device is lower than the minimum charging voltage of the battery in the power consumption device. If the charging voltage of the charging device is lower than the minimum charging voltage, the charging device cannot charge the power consumption device.

[0041] To solve this problem, in related art, a boost module is added to the power consumption device, and when the charging device supports a low-voltage charging platform, the charging voltage input to the charging device is boosted by the boost module and converted into a voltage signal compatible with the high-voltage platform, and then the battery is charged. However, this method increases the cost of the power consumption device. Therefore, in order to make the power consumption device compatible with all charging devices, the related art has a problem of adding a specialized boost module, which increases the cost of the power consumption device.

[0042] Based on this, the present application provides a battery control circuit, and in some embodiments, referring to FIG. 1 , the battery control circuit includes a charging interface 10, a switch module 20, a first battery pack 30, a second battery pack 40, and a control module 50.

[0043] The positive pole of the first battery pack 30 may be connected to the switch module 20, which is further connected to the positive pole of the charging interface 10 and the negative pole of the charging interface 10, respectively.

[0044] The positive electrode of the second battery pack 40 is connected to the negative electrode of the first battery pack 30. The negative electrode of the second battery pack 40 may be connected to the switch module 20.

[0045] The control module 50, which can be connected to the control end of the switch module 20, is used to control the switch module 20 to switch to a first connection state when the charging interface 10 detects a charging signal connected to the low-voltage platform, in which the charging interface 10 and a target battery pack, i.e., the first battery pack 30 or the second battery pack 40, are connected in series to form a first circuit to charge the target battery pack.

[0046] In this embodiment, a control module 50 is provided for controlling the switch module 20 to switch to a first connection state when the charging interface 10 detects a charging signal connected to the low-voltage platform, in which the charging interface 10 is connected in series with a target battery pack, i.e., the first battery pack 30 or the second battery pack 40, to form a first circuit and charge the target battery pack. This allows either one of the two battery packs to be charged separately, realizes corresponding connection of the charging signal of the low-voltage platform, and further ensures normal charging of the battery packs, saving costs and solving the problem in the related art of adding a dedicated boost module in new energy vehicles to ensure normal battery charging, which increases costs. Furthermore, normal battery charging can be achieved by simply installing the control module 50 and the switch module 20, resulting in a simple structure and advantageous installation.

[0047] In addition, the negative electrode of the first battery pack 30 is directly connected to the positive electrode of the second battery pack 40, which allows the switch module 20 to be installed in isolation from the battery packs, making maintenance easier and reducing the risk of the battery packs being disassembled.

[0048] In some alternative examples, the charging interface 10 is a DC charging interface 10, and the power consumption device with a battery can be electrically connected to a charging device via the charging interface 10. The charging device may be, for example, a charging station.

[0049] The first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 are connected in series, so that the cells included in the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 may be installed in series. Here, the negative electrode of the first battery pack 30 is directly electrically connected to the positive electrode of the second battery pack 40. Optionally, the battery capacities of the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 are close to each other, and further, the battery capacities of the two battery packs are the same.

[0050] The control module 50 may be a battery management unit or an independent charging control chip, which can detect the voltage magnitude corresponding to the charging signal input to the charging interface 10 and determine whether the charging signal is a low-voltage platform charging signal based on the voltage magnitude.

[0051] Alternatively, when the charging interface 10 is connected to a charging device, the control module 50 may obtain a charging protocol fed back from the charging device, and determine whether the charging signal belongs to the low-voltage platform based on the charging protocol.

[0052] The switch module 20 is connected to the positive terminal of the first battery pack 30, the negative terminal of the second battery pack 40, and the common terminal of the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40, respectively. The common terminal is a node where the negative terminal of the first battery pack 30 and the positive terminal of the second battery pack 40 are connected. The switch module 20 may be a combination of one or more switch elements, and the switch elements may be relays and / or contactors, or may be other switch chips or other switch elements suitable for battery pack charging control. The specific number and structure of the switch modules 20 are not limited to those in this embodiment, as long as they can achieve first circuit switching adjustment in the first connection state based on the charging signal received by the control module 50.

[0053] Specifically, the first circuit is a charging circuit in which the switch module 20 is in a first connection state and the charging interface 10 is formed in series with one of the battery packs. After the first circuit is formed, the charging signal of the low-voltage platform to which the charging interface 10 is connected flows to the target battery pack connected to the first circuit, thereby charging the target battery pack.

[0054] The low-voltage platform is relative to the high-voltage platform, and both the charging signal from the low-voltage platform and the charging signal from the high-voltage platform are high-level signals that support battery charging. For example, the high-voltage platform is an 800V charging platform, and the low-voltage platform is a 400V charging platform.

[0055] Whether the target battery pack is the first battery pack 30 or the second battery pack 40 can be determined based on the remaining charge of the battery pack. For example, a battery pack with a low amount of power may be preferentially selected as the target battery pack, and when the amount of power of the target battery pack exceeds a certain value of the amount of power of the other battery packs, the target battery pack may be switched, i.e., the target battery pack may be an uncharged battery pack, and charging can be alternated between the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40, ensuring a balance in the amount of power of the two battery packs.

[0056] For example, it is further possible to detect whether a battery failure has occurred in the first battery pack 30, the second battery pack 40, and their circuits. If a failure occurs in any of the battery packs or their circuits, the battery pack that has not experienced a failure is charged individually, and at this time, the battery pack that has not experienced a failure is the target battery pack.

[0057] In another example, when the remaining power levels of the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 are the same or close to each other, the battery pack with the shortest most recent charging time may be set as the target battery pack.

[0058] In a specific example, the high-voltage platform is still an 800V charging platform and the low-voltage platform is a 400V charging platform. The charging equipment equipped with the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 is an 800V pure electric vehicle, and the voltage magnitude of the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 is 400V. When the control module 50 detects that a charging signal from the 400V low-voltage platform is input to the charging interface 10, it determines the first battery pack 30 with the lowest remaining capacity as the target battery pack and controls the switch module 20 to switch the setting to a first connection state. In this connection state, the first battery pack 30 and the charging interface 10 are connected in series to form a first circuit, thereby realizing charging of the first battery pack 30.

[0059] In the above solution, the control module 50 detects the charging signal and switches the switch module 20 to form a first circuit, so that the power consumption device with two battery packs connected in series, i.e., the power consumption device supporting the high-voltage platform, can split the battery pack into two battery packs corresponding to the two low-voltage platforms and charge independently according to the charging signal of the low-voltage platform, reducing the cost of installing a boost module to adapt to the charging of the low-voltage platform, thereby solving the problem in the related art of increasing the cost of the power consumption device due to the dedicated addition of a boost module to properly charge the battery.

[0060] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1 , based on the above embodiment, in another embodiment, the control module 50 is further used to control the switch module 20 to switch to a second connection state when detecting a charging signal from a high-voltage platform connected to the charging interface 10, in which the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 are connected in series to form a second circuit, thereby charging the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40.

[0061] It is understood that when a charging signal from the low-voltage platform is input, a single target battery pack can be charged. When a charging signal from the high-voltage platform is input, the battery originally divided into two by the power consumption device can be restored, and the control module 50 controls and switches the switch module 20 so that the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 enter the second circuit in series, forming a second circuit that supports charging of the high-voltage charging platform, and achieving adaptive charging of the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40.

[0062] In this embodiment, the control module 50 switches the switch module 20 according to the charging signals of the high and low voltage platforms received by the charging interface 10, thereby forming a first circuit and a second circuit between the battery pack and the charging interface 10, so that the power consumption device equipped with the battery pack can be adaptively matched with different charging signals, and the charging method is flexible and highly adaptable.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 2, based on the above embodiment, in another embodiment, the switch module 20 can include a first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21, a second auxiliary circuit switching unit 23 and a main switch unit 22.

[0064] The first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21 is connected to the output terminal of the main switch unit 22, the positive electrode of the first battery pack 30, and the positive electrode of the second battery pack 40. The first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21 may be used to turn on the connection between the output terminal of the main switch unit 22 and the target battery pack upon receiving a first trigger signal sent from the control module 50. The first trigger signal is sent after the control module 50 detects a charging signal of the low-voltage platform.

[0065] The input end of the main switch unit 22 is connected to the positive pole of the charging interface 10. The main switch unit 22 may be triggered to be turned on by the control module 50 after the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21 is turned on, to turn on the connection between the positive pole of the charging interface 10 and the output end of the main switch unit 22.

[0066] The second auxiliary circuit switching unit 23 is connected to the negative pole of the first battery pack 30, the negative pole of the second battery pack 40, and the negative pole of the charging interface 10. After the main switch unit 22 is turned on, the second auxiliary circuit switching unit 23 may be triggered to be turned on by the control module 50 to turn on the connection between the negative pole of the target battery pack and the negative pole of the charging interface 10.

[0067] Here, the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21 can control the main switch unit 22 to connect to the positive electrode of any battery pack, and the second auxiliary circuit unit can control the negative electrode of the charging interface 10 to connect to the negative electrode of any battery pack. The main switch unit 22 can control the battery pack to connect the charging signal for charging.

[0068] Specifically, for example, when a charging signal from the low-voltage platform is input to the charging interface 10, the control module 50, upon detecting that the charging signal is input to the charging interface 10, sends a first trigger signal to the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21, causing the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21 to turn on the main switch unit 22 and the positive pole of the target battery pack. When the control module 50 detects that the line between the main switch unit 22 and the target battery pack is turned on, it controls the line between the positive pole of the charging interface 10 and the main switch unit 22 to be turned on, and finally, the control module 50 triggers the second auxiliary circuit switching unit 23 to turn on the negative pole of the target battery pack and the negative pole of the charging interface 10, forming a first circuit.

[0069] In the above solution, the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21, the main switch unit 22 and the second auxiliary circuit switching unit 23 are turned on in sequence to finally form the first circuit, which is advantageous for charging safety.

[0070] In some optional examples, after detecting that a charging signal from the low-voltage platform is input to the charging interface 10, the control module 50 can further detect whether the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21 and the second auxiliary circuit switching unit 23 are normal before turning on the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21.

[0071] When it detects that the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21 and the second auxiliary circuit switching unit 23 are normal, it sends a first trigger signal to the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21. When it detects that a failure has occurred in the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21 or the second auxiliary circuit switching unit 23, it terminates the charging flow of the target battery pack.

[0072] For example, a voltage measurement method can be used to detect whether the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21 and the second auxiliary circuit switching unit 23 are normal. If a fault occurs in either auxiliary circuit switching unit, it indicates that the switch module 20 connected to the circuit of the target battery pack is faulty, and the charging flow of the target battery pack must be terminated. By detecting the auxiliary circuit switching unit that energizes the circuit of the target battery pack, fault detection can be performed before charging, improving charging safety.

[0073] In some alternative examples, the control module 50 may further be used to terminate the charging flow of the target battery pack when a fault occurs in the main switch unit 22 after sending a first trigger signal to the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21.

[0074] The control module 50 may further be used to trigger the main switch unit 22 to turn on by sending a second trigger signal when the main switch unit 22 is normal.

[0075] It can be seen that detecting a fault in the main switch unit 22 serves to determine whether the main line between the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 is operating normally after they are connected in series. After detecting that a fault has occurred in the main switch unit 22, the control module 50 of the battery control circuit can exit the charging / discharging flow of the battery packs, feed back the fault location to the master of the power consumption device, and wait for maintenance personnel to inspect the line, thereby ensuring the safety of battery charging control.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 3, in the battery control circuit provided in the above embodiment, in another embodiment, the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21 can include a first contactor K1 and a second contactor K2.

[0077] A first end of the first contactor K1 is connected to the output end of the main switch unit 22, and a second end of the first contactor K1 is connected to the positive electrode of the first battery pack 30.

[0078] A first end of the second contactor K2 is connected to the output end of the main switch unit 22, and a second end of the second contactor K2 is connected to the positive electrode of the second battery pack 40.

[0079] The second auxiliary circuit switching unit 23 may include a third contactor K3 and a fourth contactor K4.

[0080] A first end of the third contactor K3 is connected to the negative pole of the charging interface 10, and a second end of the third contactor K3 is connected to the negative pole of the first battery pack 30.

[0081] A first end of the fourth contactor K4 is connected to the negative pole of the charging interface 10, and a second end of the fourth contactor K4 is connected to the negative pole of the second battery pack 40.

[0082] That is, each auxiliary circuit switching unit is connected to one end of one battery pack by two contactors, and only one of the two contactors in each auxiliary circuit switching unit can be turned on at the same time in order to smoothly connect the target battery pack or to simultaneously charge the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40.

[0083] By switching the four contactors in the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21 and the second auxiliary circuit switching unit 23 to different on states, the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 can be charged individually using the charging signal supplied from the charging interface 10, or the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 can be connected in series and charged simultaneously, thereby realizing flexible switching between the first circuit and the second circuit.

[0084] In addition, the connection structures of the first contactor K1 to the fourth contactor K4 are isolated from the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 and are directly connected between the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40, which is useful for maintenance and reduces the risk of disassembly of the battery packs.

[0085] The third contactor K3 and the fourth contactor K4 are directly connected to the charging interface 10 and are DC charging positive and negative contactors, and the first contactor K1 and the second contactor K2 are auxiliary contactors.

[0086] When the target battery pack is charged individually, the normal / failure status of the first auxiliary circuit switching unit 21 and the second auxiliary circuit switching unit 23 is detected, and whether a failure has occurred in the contactor connected to the target battery pack is detected.

[0087] Still taking the example of charging the first battery pack 30 as a specific example, when the control module 50 switches the switch module 20, it turns on the first contactor K1 and the third contactor K3 and turns off the second contactor K2 and the fourth contactor K4, so as to connect the first battery pack 30 to the first circuit as the target battery pack.

[0088] Specifically, when the control module 50 receives a charging signal from the low-voltage platform, it can use a voltage measurement method to detect whether the voltages of the first contactor K1 and the third contactor K3 are within a preset range. If the voltages of the first contactor K1 and / or the third contactor K3 are not within the normal range, it indicates that the auxiliary circuit switching unit associated with the first battery pack 30 is faulty, which subsequently prevents the first battery pack 30 from being charged, and indicates that a fault has occurred in the auxiliary charging line of the first battery pack 30. Before the fault is repaired, only the charging and discharging of the second battery pack 40 can be turned on.

[0089] If the voltage is within the normal range, the control module 50 sends a first trigger signal to the first contactor K1 to turn on the first contactor K1. Then, it detects whether a fault has occurred in the main switch unit 22. If no fault has occurred in the main switch unit 22, it turns on the main switch and the third contactor K3 according to the charging flow, thereby forming a first circuit for charging the first battery pack 30.

[0090] The charging control procedure for the second battery pack 40 is similar to that for the first battery pack 30 as the target battery pack, and can be set forth by reference, and will not be described again here.

[0091] Referring to FIG. 4, for example, when the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 are being charged, when the charging signal of the voltage platform is input to the charging interface 10, the first contactor K1 and the fourth contactor K4 can be detected. If a fault occurs in the first contactor K1, the charging flow will be interrupted and the first contactor K1 will not be turned on until further inspection. Instead, the second contactor K2 in the same auxiliary circuit switching unit will be used, so that the battery control circuit can still realize charging or discharging of the battery packs even if a contactor fault occurs.

[0092] If the fourth contactor K4 fails, it will be removed from the charging flow and will not be turned on until it is inspected. Instead, the third contactor K3 in the same auxiliary circuit switching unit will be used. This allows the battery control circuit to still charge or discharge the battery pack when a contactor failure occurs, and the vehicle can be driven at reduced power to a maintenance point or safety zone.

[0093] If the first contactor K1 and the fourth contactor K4 are normal, the first contactor K1, the fourth contactor K4 and the main switch unit 22 can be turned on, allowing the charging signal of the high-voltage platform to charge the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 through the charging interface 10.

[0094] In the above embodiment, by performing fault detection on the contactor, a faulty line can be detected when charging the battery pack, and if there is no fault, the control module 50 will trigger the switch units to turn on sequentially to ensure safe charging.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 5 , in addition to the above embodiment, in yet another embodiment, the main switch unit 22 includes a fifth contactor, a first end of the fifth contactor is connected to the positive electrode of the charging interface 10, and a second end of the fifth contactor is connected to the first end of the first contactor K1.

[0096] Here, the fifth contactor may be a DC charging positive / negative contactor, since it is directly connected to the charging interface 10. By using a contactor as the main switch unit 22, high reliability is achieved.

[0097] In yet another embodiment, referring to FIG. 6 , in addition to the above embodiment, the battery control circuit may further include a first current protection module 51 connected to the output terminal of the main switch unit 22 and a first terminal of the first contactor K1, and a second current protection module 52 having a first terminal connected to the negative terminal of the first battery pack 30 and the positive terminal of the second battery pack 40, and a second terminal connected to the second terminal of the second contactor K2 and the second terminal of the third contactor K3.

[0098] The first current protection module 51 and the second battery protection module may both be fuses. The first current protection module 51 can protect the battery and the circuit to which the battery is connected when the current connected to the charging interface 10 is too large. The second current protection module 52 can provide multiple current protection when using different target battery packs.

[0099] Continuing to refer to FIG. 6 , based on the above embodiment of the battery control circuit, in yet another embodiment, the battery control circuit further includes a high-voltage load 61 and a bidirectional DC-DC module 62. The high-voltage load 61 is disposed between the output terminal of the main switch unit 22 and the negative pole of the charging interface 10. The low-voltage port of the bidirectional DC-DC module 62 is connected to a low-voltage power source, for example, a low-voltage battery, whose voltage may be 12 volts. The high-voltage port of the bidirectional DC-DC module 62 is connected to the high-voltage load 61.

[0100] The high-voltage load 61 can include a main circuit load and a main circuit capacitor, and the main circuit load can include power consumption devices such as an engine and an air conditioning system. The main circuit load can be connected in parallel with the main circuit capacitance. The connection setting of the bidirectional DC-DC module 62 can ensure that the main circuit capacitor in the high-voltage load 61 is always in a charged state, thereby reducing the need for a pre-charge contactor or pre-charge resistor in the circuit.

[0101] 6, the following description will be given taking the example of the first battery pack 30 individually supplying power to the high-voltage load 61. If a failure occurs in the second battery pack 40 or the line contactor, the first battery pack 30 alone can supply power at a reduced power level. If the power consumption device is a vehicle, the vehicle can drive to a repair point or a safety belt using the first battery pack 30 at a reduced power level. At this time, the first contactor K1 and the third contactor K3 are turned on, and the second contactor K2, the fourth contactor K4, and the fifth contactor are turned off. The first battery pack 30 can supply power to the high-voltage load 61 and also charge the low-voltage power source via the bidirectional DC-DC module 62.

[0102] When the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 supply power to the outside, the first battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 are connected in series, the first contactor K1 and the fourth contactor K4 are turned on, and the second contactor K2, the third contactor K3 and the fifth contactor are turned off, so that the battery pack 30 and the second battery pack 40 can discharge to the high-voltage load 61 as a high-voltage platform.

[0103] An embodiment of the present application further provides a power consuming device, which may be a vehicle, a ship, a spacecraft, etc., and which includes the battery control circuit of the above embodiment, and therefore has all the beneficial effects of the battery control circuit of the above embodiment.

[0104] According to the battery control circuit of the above embodiment, a battery control method according to an embodiment of the present application includes: When detecting that a charging signal from the low-voltage platform is input to the charging interface, control the switch module to switch the target battery pack, which is the first battery pack or the second battery pack, into a series connection with the charging interface, thereby charging the target battery pack that forms a first circuit; or When detecting that a charging signal from the high-voltage platform is input to the charging interface, controlling the switch module to switch the charging interface, the first battery pack, and the second battery pack to a series connection to form a second circuit, thereby charging the first battery pack and the second battery pack.

[0105] In the above solution, the control module can form a first circuit / second circuit according to the connection state of the switch module based on the detected charging signal of the low-voltage platform / high-voltage platform input to the charging interface, so that the battery pack can be adapted to high and low voltage platforms, and the charging is flexible and highly adaptable.

[0106] Although the present application has been described with reference to alternative embodiments, various modifications may be made thereto and equivalents may be substituted for components therein without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural contradiction, any of the technical features recited in each embodiment may be combined in any manner. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions encompassed by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. a charging interface, a switch module, a first battery pack, a second battery pack, and a control module; the positive electrode of the second battery pack is connected to the negative electrode of the first battery pack; When the control module detects that a charging signal from a low-voltage platform is input to the charging interface, the control module controls the switch module to switch to a first connection state in which a target battery pack, which is the first battery pack or the second battery pack, and the charging interface are connected in series to form a first circuit, which is used to charge the target battery pack; The control module further controls the switch module to switch to a second connection state in which the charging interface, the first battery pack, and the second battery pack are connected in series to form a second circuit when detecting that a charging signal from a high-voltage platform is input to the charging interface, and is used to charge the first battery pack and the second battery pack; The switch module includes a first auxiliary circuit switching unit, a second auxiliary circuit switching unit and a main switch unit; the first auxiliary circuit switching unit is connected to the output terminal of the main switch unit, the positive electrode of the first battery pack, and the positive electrode of the second battery pack, and is used to turn on the connection between the output terminal of the main switch unit and the target battery pack when receiving a first trigger signal sent from the control module, the first trigger signal being sent after the control module detects a charging signal of the low-voltage platform; the main switch unit has an input end connected to the positive pole of the charging interface, and is used to turn on the connection between the positive pole of the charging interface and the output end of the main switch unit by triggering the control module to turn on after the first auxiliary circuit switching unit is turned on; the second auxiliary circuit switching unit is connected to the negative pole of the first battery pack, the negative pole of the second battery pack and the negative pole of the charging interface, and is triggered by the control module to turn on after the main switch unit is turned on, thereby turning on the connection between the negative pole of the target battery pack and the negative pole of the charging interface; Battery control circuit.

2. The control module is further configured to, after detecting that a charging signal from a low-voltage platform is input to the charging interface, send the first trigger signal to the first auxiliary circuit switching unit if the first auxiliary circuit switching unit and the second auxiliary circuit switching unit are normal, and terminate the charging flow of the target battery pack if a fault occurs in the first auxiliary circuit switching unit or the second auxiliary circuit switching unit. The battery control circuit of claim 1 .

3. The control module is further configured to terminate the charging flow of the target battery pack if a fault occurs in the main switch unit after sending the first trigger signal to the first auxiliary circuit switching unit, and to trigger the main switch unit to turn on by sending a second trigger signal if the main switch unit is normal. The battery control circuit of claim 1 .

4. The first auxiliary circuit switching unit includes: a first contactor having a first end connected to the output end of the main switch unit and a second end connected to the positive electrode of the first battery pack; a second contactor having a first end connected to the output end of the main switch unit and a second end connected to the positive electrode of the second battery pack; The second auxiliary circuit switching unit includes: a third contactor, the first end of which is connected to the negative terminal of the charging interface and the second end of which is connected to the negative terminal of the first battery pack; a fourth contactor having a first end connected to the negative terminal of the charging interface and a second end connected to the negative terminal of the second battery pack; The battery control circuit of claim 1 .

5. The main switch unit includes a fifth contactor, the first end of which is connected to the positive electrode of the charging interface and the second end of which is connected to the first end of the first contactor; 5. The battery control circuit of claim 4.

6. The battery control circuit a first current protection module connected to an output end of the main switch unit and a first end of the first contactor; a second current protection module having a first end connected to the negative electrode of the first battery pack and the positive electrode of the second battery pack and a second end connected to the second end of the second contactor and the second end of the third contactor; 5. The battery control circuit of claim 4.

7. The battery control circuit a high-voltage load disposed between the output terminal of the main switch unit and the negative electrode of the charging interface; a bidirectional DC-DC module having a low-voltage side port connected to a low-voltage power supply and a high-voltage side port connected to the high-voltage load; The battery control circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A battery control circuit comprising the battery control circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 7. Power consumption equipment.

9. A battery control method that is applied to the battery control circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising: When detecting that a charging signal from a low-voltage platform is input to the charging interface, controlling the switch module to be connected in series with the target battery pack, which is the first battery pack or the second battery pack, and the charging interface to form a first circuit, thereby charging the target battery pack; Or, When detecting that a charging signal from a high-voltage platform is input to the charging interface, controlling the switch module to be connected in series with the charging interface, the first battery pack, and the second battery pack to form a second circuit, thereby charging the first battery pack and the second battery pack.

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