Device for contacting battery cells

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for contacting battery cells (40, 68) with at least one power electronics assembly (20) of a forming unit (10), the at least one power electronics assembly (20) being received individually or modularly in a forming chamber (12, 14) of the forming unit (10). The at least one power electronics assembly (20) is received by way of a contacting strip (24) on an exchangeable mainboard (26), to which the battery cells (40, 68) are connected, and which has a releasable electrical connection (16, 18) to a DC voltage supply. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of the device for contacting battery cells (40, 68) with at least one power electronics assembly (20) or modules (26) with a plurality of power electronics assemblies (20) for the forming of the battery cells (40, 68) in a forming unit (10).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] title

[0003] Technical area

[0004] The invention relates to a device for contacting battery cells with the power electronics of a forming unit, wherein the power electronics are accommodated individually or in modules in a forming chamber of the forming unit. Furthermore, the invention relates to a forming unit with a device for contacting battery cells and to the use of the device for contacting battery cells with at least one power electronics unit or modules of power electronics for forming the battery cells in a forming unit.

[0005] State of the art

[0006] DE 10 2014 208 225 A1 discloses a device for forming battery cells, comprising a forming stage or forming electronics comprising power electronics. The forming stage or forming electronics provides a regulated output voltage or a regulated output current for the serial or parallel forming of the battery cells to be formed. These comprise integrated power electronics with power semiconductors, at least one of which influences the forming current of the battery cells to be formed with integrated power electronics.

[0007] DE 10 2014 208 214 A1 discloses a device comprising a battery cell with a first cell terminal and a second cell terminal. The battery cell has at least one communication interface for data exchange with at least one forming stage. Furthermore, the battery cell has an integrated monitoring sensor system and an integrated battery condition detection sensor system with a memory for forming data of the battery cell. DE 10 2017 217 318 A1 relates to a charging device and a charging method for charging at least one battery cell, in particular a forming device, and a forming method with which a plurality of battery cells can be successively charged and discharged several times in one operation. A contact block electrically contacts the two terminals of the battery cell to be charged. A positioning device moves the received battery cell relative to the contact block into a charging position.A connector establishes an electrical connection between a voltage source and the contact block. A flexible and electrically conductive connecting element of a connector is electrically connected to the contact block and the voltage source. The flexible connecting element allows the connected contact block to be moved in any direction relative to the connected voltage source.

[0008] Disclosure of the invention

[0009] A device for contacting battery cells with at least one power electronics unit of a forming unit is proposed, wherein the power electronics units are accommodated individually or in modules in a forming chamber. At least one power electronics unit with a contacting pin strip is accommodated on a replaceable mainboard, to which the battery cells are connected and which has a detachable electrical connection to a DC supply voltage.

[0010] The solution proposed by the invention advantageously allows one and the same component, namely a mainboard, to serve as a voltage distributor to the power electronics, while simultaneously connecting the mainboard to the battery cells to be reformed, whether pouch cells or battery cells with a solid housing. The mainboard is advantageously easily removable from the reforming unit and can be removed without difficulty for maintenance or diagnostic purposes.

[0011] Advantageously, the device proposed according to the invention is designed such that the mainboard is connected to the DC supply voltage and is also connected to a central server and / or a central controller. The device proposed according to the invention is further characterized in that the DC supply voltage is more than 590 volts.

[0012] In the device proposed according to the invention, it is particularly provided that communication or data exchange between the at least one power electronics unit or the power electronics unit arranged in modules and the mainboard takes place via contact pin strips in their coupled, i.e., plugged-in, state. The contact pin strips represent an extremely robust electrical connection between the individual power electronics units and the replaceable mainboard.

[0013] Advantageously, the device proposed according to the invention is designed such that contact is made between the at least one power electronics unit or the modules with a plurality of power electronics units and the battery cells, in particular the battery cells to be formed, via at least one electrical connection which comprises a plug connector, a copper line and furthermore a cell contact.

[0014] The device proposed according to the invention further provides that the copper line is mechanically decoupled from the mainboard and fixed to a carrier plate. It is also possible to arrange an electrical interface between the high-current lines or the mainboard and the battery cells to be formed. By providing an electrical interface, it is possible to keep the arrangement of the individual power electronics for forming different battery types the same. However, by incorporating the electrical interface, it is possible to contact a wide variety of formats with the individual power electronics. For example, the proposed electrical interface could be connected to the mainboard via a plug-in connection.

[0015] The device proposed according to the invention is designed such that, when the contact pin strips and the power electronics are plugged in, the mainboard is simultaneously electrically connected to a battery cell by means of a contacting device with pouch cells accommodated in a workpiece carrier. Furthermore, the device proposed according to the invention for contacting battery cells is characterized in that, in addition to providing a central power supply of up to approximately 600 volts, the mainboard forms a type of hub. This allows, for example, the merging of Ethernet / EtherCAT data lines, which has the advantage that a single line runs to a higher-level central server or to a higher-level central control device.

[0016] The invention further relates to a forming unit with at least one device for contacting battery cells, wherein the forming unit has a partition wall between a first forming chamber and a second forming chamber, which partition wall can be extended in a pull-out direction such that the at least one power electronics unit or modules with multiple power electronics units, including the mainboard, are freely accessible on a pull-out tray. Such a design of the forming unit enables not only very good accessibility to the top of the mainboard, but also rapid diagnosis or replacement of either individual power electronics units or power electronics modules or the mainboard.

[0017] The forming unit proposed according to the invention is further characterized in that it has a first forming chamber and a second forming chamber, which are separated from each other by the pull-out drawer comprising a separating plate and the mainboard.

[0018] The forming unit proposed according to the invention is further designed such that when the tray is pulled out in the pull-out direction, a connecting plug and a mating plug to the DC supply voltage are immediately de-contacted, and the mainboard is decoupled from the DC supply voltage and thus de-energized. This increases safety when handling the forming unit.

[0019] Furthermore, the forming unit proposed according to the invention is designed such that the at least one power electronics unit or modules with several power electronics units are electrically contacted on the top side of the mainboard and the battery cells are electrically contacted with the underside of the mainboard via the at least one electrical connection.

[0020] The forming unit proposed according to the invention also advantageously features decentralized intelligence, meaning that each of the forming stages has its own processing unit with logic. This allows each of the battery cells to be examined and evaluated separately, with subsequent data consolidation and evaluation in the central computer or chamber computer.

[0021] Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of the device for contacting battery cells with power electronics or modules with multiple power electronics for forming the battery cells within a forming unit.

[0022] Advantages of the invention

[0023] The device proposed according to the invention for contacting battery cells to be formed enables, on the one hand, a very compact design of a forming unit to be achieved. With the solution proposed according to the invention, a very short distance can be achieved between a power electronics unit and a battery cell coupled to it via the mainboard, resulting in a very low electrical resistance between the power electronics unit and the battery cell to be formed. The device proposed according to the invention for contacting power electronics and battery cells represents a central interface in the form of the mainboard, wherein several power electronics units or modules with several power electronics units can be accommodated on the top side of the mainboard.

[0024] In a unique manufacturing technique, the individual power electronics or modules with multiple power electronics can be manufactured without a housing and can be housed centrally in a forming chamber of the forming unit. This results in a spatial separation of the forming chamber, in which the battery cells to be formed are housed, from the forming chamber in which the power electronics or modules with multiple power electronics are housed within the forming unit. Furthermore, the solution proposed by the invention allows for a very maintenance- and repair-friendly design.

[0025] Since the power electronics modules can be manufactured without a housing, a relatively large space saving results, allowing a larger number of power electronics components to be accommodated in a forming chamber. Furthermore, the forming unit offers a very high degree of flexibility; modifications can be made very easily due to the high variability of the proposed arrangement. Furthermore, the costs for follow-up investments can be significantly reduced. In addition to the formation of battery cells with a housing made of, for example, a plastic material, the solution proposed according to the invention can also be used to form flexible pouch cells. These cells can be adapted to a wide variety of cell types, cell chemistries, and cell geometries, thus limiting the effort required.

[0026] In the solution proposed by the invention, the individual power electronics units or power electronics modules can be plugged onto the mainboard via a pin header. This can be directly connected to a DC supply voltage (DC grid > 590 volts), so that the individual power electronics units or modules with multiple power electronics units can be supplied via a plug header. The current required for forming can be drawn directly from the battery cell to be formed, for example, via a fork connector, a copper cable, and a cell contact.

[0027] The copper line is mechanically decoupled from the mainboard proposed by the invention, but is connected to the separating plate, which runs between the first forming chamber and the second forming chamber of the forming unit. The separating plate, together with the mainboard and the power electronics mounted on it, can be pulled out in one direction for maintenance, repair, and modification purposes. This provides a very simple way to replace the mainboard itself or the components mounted on its top. When the separating plate is pulled out, together with the mainboard, the mainboard is immediately disconnected from the DC power supply by separating the connector and mating connector.

[0028] The contacting device proposed according to the invention, on the one hand, and the forming unit as such, on the other hand, can be very easily adapted to a wide variety of battery cell types, with only minor modifications being required, for example with regard to exchanging contacting devices for pouch cells in a workpiece carrier.

[0029] Short description of the drawings

[0030] Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the drawings and the following description.

[0031] They show:

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the structure of a forming unit with power electronics and a battery cell to be formed by this,

[0033] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a forming unit,

[0034] Figure 3 shows a representation of power electronics within a forming unit for forming battery cells inserted into a workpiece carrier, for example pouch cells,

[0035] Figure 4 shows a representation of pouch cells,

[0036] Figure 5 shows a forming unit with a pulled-out tray including the mainboard, on the top of which a number of power electronics modules are arranged and freely accessible,

[0037] Figure 6 a central control for several forming units and

[0038] Figure 7 shows a variant with an electrical interface between

[0039] Mainboard and battery to be formed. Embodiments of the invention

[0040] In the following description of the embodiments of the invention, identical or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals, whereby a repeated description of these elements is omitted in individual cases. The figures only schematically illustrate the subject matter of the invention.

[0041] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a forming unit 10, which schematically indicates a first forming chamber 12 and a second forming chamber 14 located underneath, separated by a separating plate 32. A mainboard 26 is mounted on the separating plate 32 and is movable in the pull-out direction 54, for example, by means of a pull-out drawer 52. This mainboard 26 comprises a connector 16 that electrically contacts a mating connector 18. Through the interconnected components of connector 16 and mating connector 18, the mainboard 26 can be connected, for example, to a DC supply voltage (DC grid) in the order of magnitude of > 590 volts. The mainboard 26 shown in Figure 1 has a contact pin strip 24 on its top side 28. As shown in Figure 1, this contact pin strip is connected to a complementary contact pin strip 24 of the power electronics 20 shown schematically here.This creates electrical contact between the mainboard 26 and its DC power supply and the power electronics 20. Furthermore, when the contact pin strips 24, 30 are plugged in, data exchange can be effected between the power electronics 20 and the mainboard 26, as shown in Figure 1.

[0042] The mainboard 26, which is accommodated on the separating plate 32 between the first forming chamber 12 and the second forming chamber 14 and is movable in a pull-out direction 54, is connected to a battery cell 40 accommodated in the second forming chamber 14 via electrical connections 34 penetrating the separating plate 32. The battery cell 40 shown in Figure 1 comprises a housing 48. The battery cell 40 can, by means of a handling mechanism not shown in detail here, execute both a travel path in the Z direction 44 and a travel path 46 extending in the X direction and can thus be positioned within the second forming chamber 14 against the power electronics 20 or against the electrical connection 34 to the power electronics 20.The electrical connection 34 accordingly comprises a copper line 36, which establishes an electrical connection 34 for cell contact 35 via plug connectors 22 directly to the at least one power electronics unit 20 arranged above the battery cell 40 to be formed in the first forming chamber 12. Via the power electronics 20, the battery cell 40 to be formed, which is connected to the at least one power electronics unit 20 in the second forming chamber 14, is now formed and conditioned via a central server 76 or a central controller 76 in accordance with the specifications.

[0043] Advantageously, the current required to form the battery cell 40 as shown in Figure 1 is conducted to the battery cell 40 via the connector 22, the copper line 36 and the cell contact 35, so that a low resistance results due to the short distance between the power electronics 20 and the battery cell 40. The mainboard 26 shown in Figure 1 represents a central interface for several power electronics 20 arranged in modules. These can be manufactured without a housing and thus be accommodated in the first forming chamber 12 in a space-saving manner, since the housing of the first forming chamber 12 shields the power electronics 20, whether arranged individually or in modules, from the environment.

[0044] The illustration in Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of a forming unit 10. A pull-out tray 52 is moved out of the first forming chamber 12 in the pull-out direction 54. On this pull-out tray 52, which comprises the mainboard 26 shown in section in Figure 1 as well as the separating plate 32, a plurality of power electronics units 20 arranged in modules 56 are accommodated. After the pull-out tray 52 has been pulled out in the pull-out direction 54 according to Figure 2, the top side 28 of the mainboard 26 is freely accessible. Now, either modules 56 of power electronics units 20 or individual power electronics units 20 or even the mainboard 26 itself can be replaced very easily, since the mainboard 26 or its top side 28 is freely accessible from all sides thanks to the pull-out tray 52.

[0045] Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of the device proposed according to the invention for contacting battery cells 40, 68.

[0046] Figure 3 shows that in this embodiment, the power electronics 20 are also accommodated in the first forming chamber 12 of the forming unit 10. Here, too, the power electronics 20, in the plugged-in state 50, is connected to the mainboard 26 by contact pin strips 24, 30. The mainboard 26, in turn, is accommodated on the separating plate 32, which in turn can be moved in the pull-out direction 54. Analogous to the illustration in Figure 1, the mainboard 26 is connected to a DC supply voltage via the connection plug 16 and the mating plug 18 contacted therewith. On the underside of the separating plate 32, which separates the first forming chamber 12 from the second forming chamber 14 of the forming unit 10, pairs of contacting devices 62 and pouch cells 68, plugged into a workpiece carrier 60, are electrically connected to the mainboard 26 via electrical connection elements 66.Thus, in contrast to the illustration in Figure 1, not only battery cells 40 having a rigid housing 48 but also flexible pouch cells 68, which are inserted into a workpiece carrier 60, can be connected to the power electronics 20 by means of the contacting devices 62 located in their inserted position 64. The forming unit 10 is thus characterized in that, with relatively minor modifications (cf. illustrations in Figures 1 and 3), a wide variety of battery cell types can be formed, namely both pouch cells 38 according to Figure 3 and battery cells 40 having a rigid housing 48. The electrical current required to form the battery cells, according to Figure 3 the pouch cells 68, is distributed via the DC supply voltage, which is applied to the mainboard 26 via the plug connection 16, 18.In the embodiment variant according to Figure 3, the power electronics 20 can also be accommodated individually or in modules 56 and can be designed without a housing, so that a relatively large number of power electronics 20 can be accommodated within the first forming chamber 12.

[0047] In Figure 3 it is indicated that the workpiece carrier 60, which holds a number of pouch cells 68, contacted via contacting devices 62, can be positioned against the separating plate 32 in both the Z direction 44 and the X direction 46, so that a robust electrical connection is produced via electrical connecting elements 66.

[0048] The illustration in Figure 4 schematically shows pouch cells 68, which have a substantially rectangular geometry and each have a contact tab 70 along their short side. A length of the pouch cells 68 is designated by reference numeral 72, and a width of the pouch cells 68 is designated by reference numeral 74.

[0049] The pouch cells 68 shown in perspective in Figure 4 are inserted into the workpiece carrier 60 in an upright position as shown in Figure 3, each contacted via a circuit board-shaped contacting device 62, into individual compartments of the workpiece carrier 60, so that a plurality of pouch cells 68 inserted in an upright position can be formed in the workpiece carrier 60.

[0050] Figure 5 schematically shows the forming unit 10, whose first forming chamber 12 and second forming chamber 14 are accessible. For example, the extendable drawer 52 is pulled out of the first forming chamber 12 in the pull-out direction 54. This results in very good accessibility to the top side 28 of the mainboard 26, whereby only a few power electronics 20 or, as shown in Figure 5, power electronics 20 combined as modules 56 can be located on the top side 28 of the mainboard 26. These can be removed from the top side 28 of the mainboard 26 either as modules 56 or as individual power electronics 20. In the pulled-out position of the extendable drawer 52 shown in Figure 5, it offers very good accessibility to all components accommodated thereon. Both the mainboard 26 and the components accommodated thereon, in the form of the power electronics 20, can be replaced.As soon as the pull-out tray 52 is pulled out of the first forming chamber 12 of the forming unit 10 in the pull-out direction 54, the connection between the connection plug 16 and the mating plug 18, ie the DC supply voltage connection, is interrupted, so that the pull-out tray 52 or the components accommodated thereon, such as the mainboard 26 and the power electronics 20, are separated from the high voltage.

[0051] Figure 6 shows an embodiment of a central controller 76 for a plurality of forming units 10. As shown in Figure 6, data lines 78 run from a central server or a central controller 76 to each group of forming units 10. Combined data is transmitted via the individual data lines 78 via Ethernet or EtherCAT to the central server or central controller 76. Advantageously, for example, in the case of forming units 10 grouped in groups of two, only one data line 78 per pair of forming units 10 can run to the central server 76. A plurality of power electronics units 20 can be connected to the respective mainboards 26. A number of battery cells 40, 68 to be formed, corresponding to the number of power electronics units 20, is connected to the underside of each mainboard 26 via the electrical connections 34.

[0052] Each power electronics unit 20 has decentralized intelligence, meaning that each forming stage has its own computer and logic, allowing each battery cell 40, 68 to be viewed and evaluated separately. The correspondingly determined data are then subsequently consolidated and evaluated via data lines 78 in the central server or central control unit 76.

[0053] The illustration in Figure 7 shows a variant of a forming unit 10 with an electrical interface 90. In the variant shown in Figure 7, an electrical interface 90 is accommodated between the mainboard 26 and the electrical connections 34 to the battery cell 40 to be formed or to its housing 48. This electrical interface 90 makes it possible to keep the arrangement of the power electronics 20 identical for different battery types to be formed and not to modify it. By interposing the electrical interface 90, a wide variety of formats of battery cells 40, 68 can be contacted with the respective power electronics 20. The electrical interface 90 can be connected, for example, to the mainboard 26 arranged above it via a plug-in connection 22.Analogous to the illustration according to Figures 1 and 3, the mainboard 26 is provided with a contact pin strip 30 which is connected to a contact pin strip 24 of the power electronics 20 arranged above the mainboard 26.

[0054] Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of the device with at least one power electronics unit 20 or modules 56 of multiple power electronics units 20 for forming battery cells 40, 68 within forming chambers 12, 14 of a forming unit 10. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described here and the aspects highlighted therein. Rather, a multitude of modifications are possible within the scope specified by the claims, which are within the scope of one skilled in the art.

Claims

Claims 1 . Device for contacting battery cells (40, 68) of at least one power electronics unit (20) of a forming unit (10), wherein the at least one power electronics unit (20) is accommodated individually or in modules in a forming chamber (12, 14) of the forming unit (10), characterized in that the at least one power electronics unit (20) is accommodated on an exchangeable mainboard (26) to which the battery cells (40, 68) are connected and which has a detachable electrical connection (16, 18) to a DC supply voltage.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the mainboard (26) is connected to the DC supply voltage and to a central server (76) and / or a central controller (76) and data and signals of the at least one power electronics unit (20) and the battery cells (40, 68) to be formed are combined and transmitted to the central controller (76).

3. Device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the DC supply voltage is more than 590 volts 4. Device according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that communication / data exchange between the at least one power electronics unit (20) and the mainboard (26) takes place via contact pin strips (24, 30) in the plugged-in state (50) of the contact pin strips (24, 30).

5. Device according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that contact is made between the at least one power electronics unit (20) and the battery cells (40, 68) via at least one electrical connection (34) comprising a plug connector (22), a copper line (36) and a cell contact (35).

6. Device according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the copper line (36) is mechanically decoupled from the mainboard (26) and fixed to a separating plate (32) 7. Device according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the mainboard (26) is electrically connected in the plugged-in state (50) of the contact pin strips n (24, 30) either to a battery cell (40) or by means of a contacting device (62) to pouch cells (68) accommodated in a workpiece carrier (60).

8. Device according to claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the mainboard (26) ensures a merging of data lines (78), in particular Ethernel / Ethercat, and a data line (78) runs from the mainboard (26) to the higher-level central control (76) 9. Forming unit (10) with at least one device according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a separating plate (32) between a first forming chamber (12) and a second forming chamber (14) is pulled in a pull-out direction (54), so that the at least one power electronics unit (20) or modules (56) with a plurality of power electronics units (20) including the mainboard (26) are freely accessible on a pull-out drawer (52).

10. Forming unit (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that it has a first forming chamber (12) and a second forming chamber (14) which are separated from each other by the pull-out drawer (52) which has a separating plate (32) and the mainboard (26).

11. Forming unit (10) according to claims 9 and 10, characterized in that when the extendable drawer (52) is pulled out in the pull-out direction (54), a connection plug (16) and a mating plug (18) are de-contacted and the mainboard (26) is decoupled from the DC supply voltage.

12. Forming unit (10) according to claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the power electronics (20) or modules (56) with several power electronics (20) on a top side (28) of the mainboard (26) and the battery cells (40, 68) are electrically contacted via the at least one electrical connection (34) with an underside of the mainboard (26).

13. Use of the device for contacting battery cells (40, 68) according to one of claims 1 to 8 with at least one power electronics unit (20) or modules (56) of several power electronics units (20) for forming the battery cells (40, 68) in a forming unit (10).

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