Electric rail locomotive battery system

Abstract

An electric rail locomotive battery system. An auxiliary battery system and a power battery system are respectively provided in a carriage and a trailer; an electrical cabinet is used for transmitting the voltage output by each battery cluster in the power battery system to a combiner box; and the combiner box transmits the voltage output by each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system to an auxiliary load system for power supply, and transmits the voltage output by each battery cluster in the power battery system or the voltage output by each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system to a drive load system for power supply. The electric rail locomotive battery system can supply power to the drive load system by using the power battery system or the auxiliary battery system according to actual use scenario requirements, thereby ensuring the endurance mileage of the vehicle and improving the power supply reliability.

Description

Electric rail locomotive battery system

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese application No. 202422064805.4, filed on August 24, 2024, entitled "Electric Railcar Battery System". Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of power supply equipment technology, and in particular to a battery system for an electric railcar. Background Technology

[0003] With the rapid development of the new energy industry, the rail locomotive sector has also begun electrification reforms, switching from traditional fuel systems to lithium battery electric systems. Since these rail vehicles are primarily used for transportation operations, they have certain requirements for load capacity and range. To ensure that these requirements are met after the power system replacement, every available space is utilized to house the batteries during vehicle modification. Currently, the modification method for rail locomotives involves removing the fuel engine from the power compartment and using that space for the battery system. However, this method is insufficient to guarantee the vehicle's range and suffers from low power supply reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a battery system for electric rail locomotives that can improve power supply reliability in response to the above problems.

[0005] An electric railcar battery system, comprising:

[0006] The auxiliary battery system, located inside the carriage of the electric rail locomotive, consists of several battery clusters connected in parallel.

[0007] The power battery system is located inside the trailer of the electric railcar and consists of several battery clusters connected in parallel.

[0008] An electrical cabinet connects to each battery cluster in the power battery system; the electrical cabinet transmits the voltage output from each battery cluster in the power battery system to the combiner cabinet.

[0009] The combiner cabinet connects the electrical cabinet, the auxiliary load system of the electric railcar, the drive load system of the electric railcar, and each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system. The combiner cabinet supplies the voltage output from each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system to the auxiliary load system for power supply, and supplies the voltage output from each battery cluster in the power battery system, or the voltage output from each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system, to the drive load system for power supply.

[0010] The aforementioned electric railcar battery system utilizes auxiliary and power battery systems housed separately in the car and trailer. An electrical cabinet transmits the voltage output from each battery cluster in the power battery system to a combiner cabinet. The combiner cabinet then transmits the voltage output from each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system to the auxiliary load system for power supply, and also transmits the voltage output from either the power or auxiliary battery system to the drive load system for power supply. This allows for the use of either the power or auxiliary battery system to power the drive load system, depending on the specific application scenario, ensuring the vehicle's range and improving power supply reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 is a structural block diagram of the electric railcar battery system in one embodiment;

[0012] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electric rail locomotive battery system in one embodiment;

[0013] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of each battery cluster in an auxiliary battery system in one embodiment;

[0014] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the electric railcar battery system in another embodiment;

[0015] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the electrical cabinet and the circuit breaker of the combiner cabinet in one embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0017] Currently, many rail vehicle companies are still modifying existing fuel-powered models, primarily by removing the fuel engine from the power compartment and using that space to install the battery system. However, due to limited space, the battery capacity is generally low, insufficient to guarantee the vehicle's range. Therefore, many modified vehicles can only perform short-distance traction within stations. To solve this problem, a battery trailer can be added to the rear of the vehicle, thus ensuring its range. Since the two battery systems differ in placement and capacity, using them in parallel requires the vehicle and trailer to be used together; if one system malfunctions, the entire vehicle will be immobilized. Using them separately presents a series of control switching issues. How to rationally allocate the use of these two power sources is a technical problem that industry professionals need to explore.

[0018] Based on this, the electric railcar battery system provided in this application includes an auxiliary battery system and a power battery system installed separately in the car and trailer. An electrical cabinet transmits the voltage output from each battery cluster in the power battery system to a combiner cabinet. The combiner cabinet then transmits the voltage output from each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system to the auxiliary load system for power supply, and also transmits the voltage output from either the power battery system or the auxiliary battery system to the drive load system for power supply. This allows for the use of either the power battery system or the auxiliary battery system to power the drive load system, depending on the actual usage scenario, ensuring the vehicle's driving range and improving power supply reliability.

[0019] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG1, an electric railcar battery system is provided, including an auxiliary battery system 100, a power battery system 200, an electrical cabinet 300, and a combiner cabinet 400. The auxiliary battery system 100 is disposed in the carriage of the electric railcar and includes several battery clusters connected in parallel. The power battery system 200 is disposed in the trailer of the electric railcar and includes several battery clusters connected in parallel. The electrical cabinet 300 connects to each battery cluster in the power battery system 200 and is used to transmit the voltage output by each battery cluster in the power battery system 200 to the combiner cabinet 400. The combiner cabinet 400 connects the electrical cabinet 300, the auxiliary load system of the electric railcar, the drive load system of the electric railcar, and each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system 100. The combiner cabinet 400 is used to transmit the voltage output by each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system 100 to the auxiliary load system for power supply, and to transmit the voltage output by each battery cluster in the power battery system 200, or the voltage output by each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system 100, to the drive load system for power supply. The number of battery clusters in the auxiliary battery system 100 and the power battery system 200 is not unique and can be set according to actual needs. The electrical cabinet 300 can be located in the trailer or other places, and the combiner cabinet 400 can be located in the carriage or other places.

[0020] Furthermore, the electric railcar battery system may also include a control module 500. The control module 500 is connected to the electrical cabinet 300 and the combiner cabinet 400. The control module 500 communicates data with both the combiner cabinet 400 and the electrical cabinet 300, for example, detecting battery information such as current, voltage, and temperature of each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system 100 and the power battery system 200. Based on the collected battery information, the control module 500 can also control the power supply to the auxiliary battery system 100 and the power battery system 200 through the combiner cabinet 400 and the electrical cabinet 300. The control module 500 can be an on-board controller, such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), or it can be a separate controller.

[0021] The load system of an electric railcar is mainly divided into an auxiliary load system and a drive load system. The drive load system mainly includes the drive motor, while the auxiliary load system includes auxiliary equipment on the vehicle, such as air compressors, air conditioners, ventilation equipment, monitoring equipment, lighting, and three-phase equipment. The cumulative power of these load devices is high, and the vehicle's own auxiliary battery has limited capacity, insufficient to support the long-term operation of these electrical devices. Therefore, by placing the auxiliary battery system 100 and the power battery system 200 in the car body and trailer of the electric railcar respectively, and connecting the two battery systems together via power cables, the two battery systems are functionally differentiated as follows: 1. The power battery system 200 is mainly used to provide power output. For example, during long-range operation, the entire vehicle's power comes solely from this system, while the auxiliary power system 100 is only used to power auxiliary equipment. The two battery systems operate independently and do not interfere with each other; 2. For short-distance, low-load traction, only the auxiliary battery system 100 can be used. In this case, the entire vehicle has only one power source, and the auxiliary battery system 100 simultaneously supplies power to both the drive auxiliary and auxiliary loads. Depending on the actual usage scenario, the power battery system 200 or the auxiliary battery system 100 can be used to power the drive load system. The control module 500 controls the combiner cabinet 400 and the electrical cabinet 300 to perform corresponding power supply control on the auxiliary battery system 100 and the power battery system 200, thereby realizing management and control functions. It can be applied to multiple scenarios, and can give full play to the role of the battery, whether it is short-distance traction or long-distance operation.

[0022] Specifically, each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system 100 includes an auxiliary high-voltage box and several auxiliary battery boxes. These auxiliary battery boxes are connected in series to the auxiliary high-voltage box, which is then connected to the combiner cabinet 400. Each auxiliary battery box contains battery cells and a slave control unit (BCU) for monitoring the voltage and temperature of the battery cells. Each battery cluster in the power battery system 200 includes a power high-voltage box, a DC / DC module, and several power battery boxes. These power battery boxes are connected in series to the power high-voltage box, which is then connected to the electrical cabinet 300 via the DC / DC module. Each power battery box also contains battery cells and a slave control unit (BCU) for monitoring the voltage and temperature of the battery cells. The DC / DC module is used to adjust the voltage of the battery clusters to ensure that the output voltage of each battery cluster remains consistent. As shown in Figure 2, the auxiliary battery system 100 includes battery cluster-1, battery cluster-2, ..., battery cluster-N. The battery boxes in each battery cluster are connected in series and then connected to the combiner cabinet 400 via the corresponding high-voltage box. The power battery system 200 includes battery clusters-1,-2, ...,-N. The battery boxes in each cluster are connected in series and then connected to the electrical cabinet 300 via corresponding high-voltage boxes and DC / DC modules. Furthermore, the electric railcar battery system also includes a frequency converter 600. A combiner cabinet 400 is connected to the drive load system via the frequency converter 600. A control module 500 is connected to the frequency converter 600 and controls the frequency converter 600 to convert the DC power output from the combiner cabinet 400 into AC power for output to the drive load system.

[0023] Furthermore, each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system 100 also includes an auxiliary thermal management unit and an auxiliary fire suppression control unit. The auxiliary thermal management unit is used to maintain the cells in each auxiliary battery box within a set temperature range. The auxiliary fire suppression control unit is used to pump fire extinguishing media to the corresponding auxiliary battery box when a fire occurs in the auxiliary battery box, thereby controlling the fire through the fire extinguishing media. Each battery cluster in the power battery system 200 also includes a power thermal management unit and a power fire suppression control unit. The power thermal management unit is used to maintain the cells in each power battery box within a set temperature range. The power fire suppression control unit is used to pump fire extinguishing media to the corresponding power battery box when a fire occurs in the power battery box, thereby controlling the fire through the fire extinguishing media.

[0024] The auxiliary battery system 100, installed inside the vehicle compartment, consists of several battery clusters connected in parallel, while each battery cluster is composed of several auxiliary battery boxes connected in series. In addition, as shown in Figure 3, each battery cluster also includes an auxiliary high-voltage box, an auxiliary thermal management unit, and an auxiliary fire suppression control unit. The auxiliary fire suppression control unit, which can be a water-cooled unit, is located at the top. Its main function is to provide thermal management for the battery boxes within a single cluster, ensuring that the cells operate within a reasonable temperature range. The auxiliary high-voltage box is located on the second-to-last layer from the bottom. It contains various relays, fuses, resistors, and a battery management system (BMS). Its main function is to control the current output or input of a single cluster, and it also monitors the voltage and temperature of each cell in the cluster, as well as the overall charging and discharging current. The auxiliary fire suppression control unit is located at the bottom layer and is designed with fire extinguishing media and a pump. When a fire occurs in a battery box within a battery cluster, the fire suppression control unit pumps the fire extinguishing media to that battery box to control the fire, thus achieving the fire suppression function. Several battery clusters within the auxiliary battery system 100 are connected in series and then fed into a combiner cabinet 400 in the vehicle compartment. The combiner cabinet 400 houses several disconnecting circuit breakers, miniature circuit breakers, and other actuators. It also contains a three-level master control system (BMCU), which serves as the upper-level control unit for the secondary battery management system (BMS) in each battery cluster's auxiliary high-voltage box. The voltage output from the combiner cabinet 400 is input to the frequency converter 600, which converts DC power to AC power to drive the load motor.

[0025] The power battery system 200, located within the trailer, is arranged similarly to the trailer itself, as is the arrangement of the battery clusters. The difference lies in the larger number of battery clusters within the trailer. To prevent system malfunction due to issues with a single cluster, a DC / DC module is added to the output of the high-voltage power box for each cluster. This DC / DC module primarily adjusts the voltage of each battery cluster, ensuring consistent output voltage across all clusters, thereby reducing voltage differences and circulating currents between clusters. Furthermore, the DC / DC module can control the charging and discharging current of each cluster based on its charge level, enabling individual cluster management and reducing the tolerance for variations between clusters within the system, thus significantly improving overall system efficiency. The current output from the DC / DC module flows into the electrical cabinet 300. The electrical cabinet 300 is similarly arranged to the combiner cabinet 400. The voltage output from the electrical cabinet 300 is fed into the combiner cabinet 400. By controlling the isolating switch within the combiner cabinet 400, it is possible to select which battery system circuit is connected to the power supply circuit driving the load system.

[0026] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the combiner cabinet 400 includes circuit breakers QS1, QS2, and QS4, and a central control system BMCU-1 (not shown). The electrical cabinet 300 includes circuit breaker QS3 and a central control system BMCU-2 (not shown). In the auxiliary battery system 100, each battery cluster is connected to the first terminal of circuit breaker QS1 and the auxiliary load system. The second terminal of circuit breaker QS1 is connected to the first terminal of circuit breaker QS4. In the power battery system 200, each battery cluster is connected to the first terminal of circuit breaker QS3. The second terminal of circuit breaker QS3 is connected to the first terminal of circuit breaker QS2. The second terminal of circuit breaker QS2 is connected to the first terminal of circuit breaker QS4. The second terminal of circuit breaker QS4 is connected to the drive load system, specifically via a frequency converter 600. Connections: The main control system BMCU-1 connects to the control terminals of circuit breakers QS1, QS2, and QS4; the main control system BMCU-2 connects to the control terminal of circuit breaker QS3; the control module 500 communicates with the main control systems BMCU-1 and BMCU-2 to control the on / off states of circuit breakers QS1, QS2, QS4, and QS3, and to provide power supply range control for the auxiliary battery system 100 and the power battery system 200.

[0027] Each circuit breaker can be a disconnecting switch circuit breaker, a miniature circuit breaker, etc. The first terminal of circuit breaker QS1 is specifically connected to the auxiliary high-voltage box in each battery cluster of the auxiliary battery system 100, and the first terminal of circuit breaker QS3 is specifically connected to the DC / DC module in each battery cluster of the power battery system 200. Furthermore, the main control system BMCU-2 can also connect to the circuit breakers in the combiner cabinet 400 for on / off control, or the main control system BMCU-2 can control the on / off of the circuit breakers in the combiner cabinet 400 by communicating with the main control system BMCU-1.

[0028] In one embodiment, in the auxiliary battery system 100, the auxiliary battery box of each battery cluster includes auxiliary cells and an auxiliary slave control unit, and the auxiliary high voltage box of each battery cluster includes an auxiliary battery management system; the auxiliary slave control unit monitors the voltage and temperature of the auxiliary cells, generates acquisition signals and feeds them back to the auxiliary battery management system of the battery cluster, and the auxiliary battery management system of each battery cluster is connected to the main control system BMCU-1, and reports the battery information in the cluster to the main control system BMCU-1 according to the received acquisition signals. In the power battery system 200, the power battery box of each battery cluster includes power cells and a power slave control unit, and the power high voltage box of each battery cluster includes a power battery management system. The power slave control unit monitors the voltage and temperature of the power cells and generates acquisition signals to be fed back to the power battery management system of the battery cluster. The power battery management system of each battery cluster is connected to the main control system BMCU-2 and reports the battery information in the cluster to the main control system BMCU-2 according to the received acquisition signals. The DC / DC module of each battery cluster is connected to the main control system BMCU-2 and controls the charging and discharging current of the battery cluster according to the battery information of the battery cluster collected by the main control system BMCU-2.

[0029] Figure 4 shows the layout of the various control units within the entire battery system. The auxiliary battery system 100 and the power battery system 200 are controlled by the main control system BMCU-1 in the combiner cabinet 400 and the main control system BMCU-2 in the electrical cabinet 300, respectively. The inverter 600 is controlled by the vehicle controller PLC. Additionally, each battery box contains a slave control unit (BCU), whose main function is to monitor the voltage and temperature of the battery cells and feed back the collected signals to the battery management system (BMS) of that cluster. The BMS then reports the battery information within the cluster to the three-level main control system BMCU. The DC / DC module within each cluster in the power battery system 200 also communicates with the main control system BMCU-2. After the main control system BMCU-2 collects the battery information from each cluster, the DC / DC module actively acquires the battery information for that cluster and then controls the charging and discharging current of that cluster.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the output of the electrical cabinet 300 is controlled by circuit breaker QS3. The output current is collected through the power connection cable to the input busbar in the combiner cabinet 400, and then flows into the main busbar through circuit breaker QS2. The output of the auxiliary battery system 100 flows into the main busbar through circuit breaker QS1. The current on the main busbar then flows into the output busbar through circuit breaker QS4, thereby outputting the voltage of the battery system to drive the load system. The auxiliary load system is directly connected to the front end of circuit breaker QS1. As long as the auxiliary battery system 100 has an output, the auxiliary load system can work normally.

[0031] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0032] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery system for an electric railcar, characterized in that, include: An auxiliary battery system (100) is installed inside the carriage of an electric railcar and includes several battery clusters connected in parallel. The power battery system (200) is installed in the trailer of the electric railcar and includes several battery clusters connected in parallel; An electrical cabinet (300) connects to each battery cluster in the power battery system (200); a combiner cabinet (400) connects the electrical cabinet (300), the auxiliary load system of the electric railcar, the drive load system of the electric railcar, and each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system (100); the electrical cabinet (300) transmits the voltage output from each battery cluster in the power battery system (200) to the combiner cabinet (400); The combiner cabinet (400) supplies the voltage output from each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system (100) to the auxiliary load system for power supply, and supplies the voltage output from each battery cluster in the power battery system (200), or the voltage output from each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system (100), to the drive load system for power supply.

2. The electric railcar battery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system (100) includes an auxiliary high-voltage box and several auxiliary battery boxes. Each of the auxiliary battery boxes is connected in series with the auxiliary high-voltage box, and the auxiliary high-voltage box is connected to the combiner cabinet (400).

3. The electric railcar battery system according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each battery cluster in the auxiliary battery system (100) further includes an auxiliary thermal management unit and an auxiliary fire control unit; the auxiliary thermal management unit is used to maintain the cells in each of the auxiliary battery boxes within a set temperature range, and the auxiliary fire control unit is used to transfer the fire extinguishing medium to the corresponding auxiliary battery box through a pump when a fire occurs in the auxiliary battery box, thereby controlling the fire through the fire extinguishing medium.

4. The electric railcar battery system according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each battery cluster in the power battery system includes a power high-voltage box, a DC / DC module, and several power battery boxes. Each power battery box is connected in series to the power high-voltage box. The power high-voltage box is connected to the electrical cabinet (300) through the DC / DC module. The DC / DC module is used to adjust the voltage of the battery clusters so that the voltage output by each battery cluster is consistent.

5. The electric railcar battery system according to claim 4, characterized in that, Each battery cluster in the power battery system (200) also includes a power thermal management unit and a power fire control unit; the power thermal management unit is used to maintain the cells in each power battery box within a set temperature range, and the power fire control unit is used to transfer the fire extinguishing medium to the corresponding power battery box through a pump when a fire occurs in the power battery box, and control the fire through the fire extinguishing medium.

6. The electric railcar battery system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The combiner cabinet (400) includes circuit breakers QS1, QS2, QS4 and a main control system BMCU-1, and the electrical cabinet (300) includes circuit breaker QS3 and a main control system BMCU-2; In the auxiliary battery system (100), each battery cluster is connected to the first terminal of the circuit breaker QS1 and the auxiliary load system. The second terminal of the circuit breaker QS1 is connected to the first terminal of the circuit breaker QS4. In the power battery system (200), each battery cluster is connected to the first terminal of the circuit breaker QS3. The second terminal of the circuit breaker QS3 is connected to the first terminal of the circuit breaker QS2. The second terminal of the circuit breaker QS2 is connected to the first terminal of the circuit breaker QS4. The second terminal of the circuit breaker QS4 is connected to the drive load system. The main control system BMCU-1 is connected to the control terminal of the circuit breaker QS1, the control terminal of the circuit breaker QS2, and the control terminal of the circuit breaker QS4. The main control system BMCU-2 is connected to the control terminal of the circuit breaker QS3.

7. The electric railcar battery system according to claim 6, characterized in that, In the auxiliary battery system (100), the auxiliary battery box of each battery cluster includes an auxiliary cell and an auxiliary slave control unit, and the auxiliary high voltage box of each battery cluster includes an auxiliary battery management system; the auxiliary slave control unit monitors the voltage and temperature of the auxiliary cell, generates a collection signal and feeds it back to the auxiliary battery management system of the battery cluster, and the auxiliary battery management system of each battery cluster is connected to the main control system BMCU-1, and reports the battery information in the cluster to the main control system BMCU-1 according to the received collection signal.

8. The electric railcar battery system according to claim 6, characterized in that, In the power battery system, each battery cluster's power battery box includes power cells and a power slave control unit, and each battery cluster's power high-voltage box includes a power battery management system. The power slave control unit monitors the voltage and temperature of the power cells, generates acquisition signals, and feeds them back to the power battery management system of the battery cluster. The power battery management system of each battery cluster is connected to the central control system BMCU-2 and reports the battery information within the cluster to the central control system BMCU-2 based on the received acquisition signals. The DC / DC module of each battery cluster is connected to the central control system BMCU-2 and controls the charging and discharging current of the battery cluster based on the battery information collected by the central control system BMCU-2.

9. The electric railcar battery system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, It also includes a frequency converter, through which the combiner cabinet (400) is connected to the drive load system; the frequency converter converts the DC power output from the combiner cabinet (400) into AC power and outputs it to the drive load system.

10. The electric railcar battery system according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes a control module (500) that connects to the electrical cabinet (300), the combiner cabinet (400), and the frequency converter.

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