Gas supply system and battery swapping station

Abstract

A gas supply system and a battery swapping station are disclosed. The gas supply system is used for supplying gas to a battery pack (20) in a battery compartment (10), and is characterized by comprising: a supply gas path (100) for supplying gas from the battery compartment (10) in which the battery pack (20) is located to the battery pack (20), and a pressure boosting apparatus (200), a cooling and dehumidifying unit located downstream of the pressure boosting apparatus (200), a pressure reducing apparatus (700) located downstream of the cooling and dehumidifying unit, and an on-off valve (400) located downstream of the pressure reducing apparatus (700), which are sequentially arranged along a gas flow direction in the supply gas path (100). The battery swapping station comprises the gas supply system. Using same can not only prevent condensation water from forming inside the battery pack, but also have the effect of cooling the battery pack.

Description

Gas supply system and battery swapping station Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of batteries, specifically to a gas supply system and a corresponding battery swapping station. Background Technology

[0002] A battery swapping station is a facility that provides battery replacement services for electric vehicles. It allows electric vehicles to quickly regain their range by rapidly replacing their batteries, significantly reducing refueling time and improving ease of use and operational efficiency. Furthermore, swapping stations enable centralized management and maintenance of batteries, including charging, discharging, testing, and maintenance, to ensure battery performance and lifespan. Therefore, a swapping station may include a battery compartment where the battery pack for the electric vehicle can be charged and discharged.

[0003] During battery pack charging, the cells inside the pack typically need cooling. If the humidity inside the pack is high at this time, condensation or water droplets can easily form, negatively impacting battery performance and safety. Therefore, the battery compartment of the battery swapping station needs to supply drying gas to the battery pack for drying or dehumidification. However, if the drying gas supplied by the gas supply system causes excessive pressure difference between the inside and outside of the battery pack, leading to bulging, this will also negatively affect battery performance and safety.

[0004] Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the above problems, this application provides a gas supply system for supplying gas to a battery pack in a battery compartment and a corresponding battery swapping station, which not only prevents condensation from forming inside the battery pack, but also provides auxiliary cooling for the battery pack. Furthermore, it can controllably or adjustably supply dry gas to the battery pack.

[0006] According to a first aspect, this application provides a gas supply system for supplying gas to a battery pack in a battery compartment, characterized in that the gas supply system includes: a supply gas path for supplying gas from the battery compartment where the battery pack is located to the battery pack, and a booster device, a cooling and dehumidifying unit located downstream of the booster device, a pressure reducing device located downstream of the cooling and dehumidifying unit, and a switching valve located downstream of the pressure reducing device, arranged sequentially along the gas flow direction in the supply gas path.

[0007] Therefore, in the technical solution of this application embodiment, by arranging a pressure boosting device, a cooling and dehumidifying unit, and a pressure reducing device in the supply gas path, low-temperature dry gas can be supplied to the battery pack. This not only avoids the formation of condensate inside the battery pack, but also helps to cool the battery pack.

[0008] In some embodiments, the gas supply system further includes a control system comprising a first detection device disposed between the pressure reducing device and the switching valve, and the control system controlling the switching valve and / or the cooling and dehumidifying unit and / or the pressure reducing device based on the state of the gas detected by the first detection device. Therefore, the dry gas provided by the gas supply system according to this disclosure can be supplied to the battery pack in a precisely controllable or adjustable manner.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first detection device includes a first pressure sensor, a first temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor. Therefore, the control system can monitor and regulate the humidity, pressure, and temperature of the supplied drying gas, thereby allowing the drying gas to be supplied to the battery pack with adjustable humidity, temperature, and pressure. That is, the gas supply system can supply the battery pack with gas whose humidity, temperature, and pressure are substantially constant. Therefore, it not only regulates the temperature of the battery pack but also prevents bulging caused by excessive internal and external pressure differences, ensuring battery performance and safety.

[0010] In some embodiments, the control system further includes a second detection device disposed between the pressure reducing device and the cooling and dehumidifying unit, and a three-way valve disposed between the second detection device and the pressure reducing device. The control system controls the three-way valve and / or the cooling and dehumidifying unit according to the state of the gas detected by the second detection device. This allows for preliminary detection of the supplied gas and corresponding control of the three-way valve and / or the cooling and dehumidifying unit, thereby enabling preliminary regulation of the supplied gas.

[0011] In some embodiments, the second detection device includes a second pressure sensor and a second temperature sensor. The control system can thus perform preliminary monitoring and regulation of the pressure and temperature of the supplied dry gas.

[0012] In some embodiments, the control system further includes a flow meter disposed between the pressure reducing device and the switching valve, and the control system controls the flow meter according to the number of battery packs connected in the battery compartment. Therefore, the dry gas supplied by this gas supply system can also be supplied to the battery packs with precise control or adjustable flow rate.

[0013] In some embodiments, the pressure boosting device is configured as an air compressor, and / or the pressure reducing device is configured as an electronic pressure reducing valve. This allows for a simple implementation of the pressure boosting device and / or pressure reducing device.

[0014] In some embodiments, the cooling and dehumidification unit includes a primary air-cooling device and a secondary liquid-cooling device. The primary air-cooling device is arranged between the pressurization device and the secondary liquid-cooling device. The primary air-cooling device is configured as an air-to-air cooler, and the secondary liquid-cooling device is configured as an evaporator. This allows for a simple implementation of a two-stage cooling and dehumidification unit, thereby achieving highly effective cooling and dehumidification of high-pressure, high-temperature gases.

[0015] In some embodiments, an air storage tank is arranged between the primary air-cooling unit and the secondary liquid-cooling unit, and a pressure sensor and a pressure safety valve are arranged inside the air storage tank. This prevents the air compressor from operating continuously, thereby extending the service life of the air compressor.

[0016] In some embodiments, a gas-liquid separator is arranged between the cooling and dehumidification unit and the pressure reducing device. This allows for further dehumidification of the gas. Furthermore, this gas-liquid separator can also be considered a third-stage dehumidification device following the primary air cooling unit and the secondary liquid cooling unit.

[0017] In some embodiments, the battery pack is a battery pack for commercial vehicles. Because battery packs for commercial vehicles are more prone to condensation forming internally, for example, during charging, this gas supply system is particularly suitable for supplying gas to battery packs used in commercial vehicles, especially heavy-duty trucks.

[0018] According to a second aspect, this application provides a battery swapping station comprising a battery compartment and a gas supply system as described above according to the first aspect of this disclosure, the gas supply system being capable of supplying gas to the battery pack in the battery compartment.

[0019] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 is an exemplary schematic diagram of a gas supply system according to the prior art for supplying gas to a battery pack in a battery compartment;

[0022] Figure 2 is an exemplary schematic diagram of a gas supply system for supplying gas to a battery pack in a battery compartment according to some embodiments of this application.

[0023] The reference numerals in the detailed embodiments are as follows: Battery compartment 10; Battery pack 20; Pressure regulating valve 21; Exhaust valve 22; Air supply line 100; Air compressor 200; Air dryer 300; Switch valve 400; First detection device 40; Second detection device 50; Three-way valve 60; Flow meter 70; Timed electronic switch valve 80; Timed electronic switch valve 90; Secondary liquid cooling device 310; Compressor 311; Condenser 312; Filter 313; Expansion valve 314; Primary air cooling device 320; Blower 321; Air storage tank 500; Pressure sensor 501; Pressure safety valve 502; Gas-liquid separator 600; Pressure reducing device 700. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0026] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0027] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0028] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0029] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more (including two sets), and "multiple pieces" refers to two or more (including two pieces).

[0030] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0031] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] Currently, electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles, as a type of new energy vehicle, have gained widespread popularity in recent years. Electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles use onboard batteries as their power source, at least in part. The batteries used in electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles can be reused. Accordingly, electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles can maintain their range through charging (fast charging, slow charging) or battery swapping.

[0033] For example, in battery swapping stations, as mentioned earlier, battery swapping services can be provided for electric or hybrid vehicles, while large numbers of batteries can be centrally stored, charged, and distributed. The batteries (e.g., housed on battery racks within the swapping station) need to be kept within a relatively constant temperature range during charging. To address this requirement, liquid cooling systems, particularly water cooling systems, are typically installed in the swapping station to cool or warm the batteries. In this case, if the humidity inside the battery pack is high, the high-humidity, high-temperature gases inside are prone to condensation or water droplets, especially near the cold plates of the liquid cooling system (e.g., with temperatures <10°C), which can adversely affect battery performance and safety (e.g., insulation failure). Therefore, a gas supply system can be installed in the battery compartment of the swapping station to dry or dehumidify the corresponding battery packs.

[0034] However, current gas supply systems for supplying gas to the battery pack in the battery compartment typically use adsorption desiccants to dehumidify the gas. While this provides dry gas to the battery pack, it lacks the ability to precisely control or regulate the temperature and pressure of the supplied gas. In such cases, the dry gas supplied by the system may cause the battery pack to bulge due to excessive pressure differences between the inside and outside, thus adversely affecting battery performance and safety.

[0035] Referring, for example, to Figure 1, which is an exemplary schematic diagram of a gas supply system according to the prior art for supplying gas to a battery pack in a battery compartment. This gas supply system may include, for example, an air compressor 200, a polymer membrane air dryer 300, and a switching valve 400 in a supply air path 100 from the interior of the battery compartment 10 to the air inlet of the battery pack 20. For example, when the battery pack 20 is connected to the battery compartment 10, the corresponding supply air path to the battery pack 20 can be opened. The air compressor 200 of the gas supply system can then draw gas from the interior of the battery compartment 10. This gas can then be dried by the polymer membrane air dryer 300 and, after being pressurized by the open switching valve 400 and pressure-regulating valve 21 at the air inlet of the battery pack 20, enter the battery pack 20. Finally, the gas can be discharged into the battery compartment 10 via the exhaust valve 22 at the air outlet of the battery pack 20. Therefore, in this gas supply system according to the prior art, it is impossible to precisely control or regulate the temperature and pressure of the gas supplied to the battery pack; only the input pressure of the gas can be roughly controlled. Furthermore, the polymer membrane air dryer 300 requires regular maintenance, and the air compressor 200 requires continuous tooling, which adversely affects the service life of the system.

[0036] To address this, this disclosure proposes a gas supply system for supplying gas to a battery pack within a battery compartment. This gas supply system can supply gas with essentially constant humidity, temperature, and pressure to the battery pack. Therefore, on the one hand, the gas supply system can supply low-temperature, dry gas to the battery pack, thereby preventing condensation from forming inside the battery pack. On the other hand, the gas supplied by this gas supply system can be supplied to the battery pack with adjustable pressure and temperature, thus not only regulating the temperature of the battery pack, especially during charging, but also preventing bulging of the battery pack due to excessive pressure differences between the inside and outside.

[0037] The gas supply system disclosed in this application can be used for any battery pack placed in the battery compartment. It can be used not only to dehumidify the battery pack, but also to cool it.

[0038] For ease of explanation, the following embodiments use a gas supply system according to an embodiment of this application as an example.

[0039] Please refer to Figure 2, which is an exemplary schematic diagram of a gas supply system for supplying gas to a battery pack 20 in a battery compartment 10 according to some embodiments of this application. Similar to the prior art, any number, for example, 24 battery packs 20, can be connected within the battery compartment 10, and the battery packs 20 can be, for example, mounted on a battery rack. Each battery pack 20 has an air inlet and an air outlet; a pressure regulating valve 21 can be provided at the air inlet, and an exhaust valve 22 can be provided at the air outlet.

[0040] According to some embodiments of this application, a gas supply system is provided for supplying gas to a battery pack 20 in a battery compartment 10. The gas supply system may include: a supply gas path 100 for supplying gas from the battery compartment 10 containing the battery pack 20 to the battery pack 20; and a pressure boosting device 200, a cooling and dehumidifying unit located downstream of the pressure boosting device 200, a pressure reducing device 700 located downstream of the cooling and dehumidifying unit, and a switching valve 400 located downstream of the pressure reducing device 700, all sequentially arranged along the gas flow direction in the supply gas path 100.

[0041] The booster device 200 can be configured to convert gas in its initial state from the battery compartment 10 into gas in its first state. Therefore, in particular, the temperature and pressure of the gas in the first state can be higher than those of the gas in its initial state. In this embodiment, the gas in its initial state can be, for example, a gas at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, while the gas in its first state can be, for example, a gas at a high temperature and high pressure of 85°C and 10 bar.

[0042] The cooling and dehumidifying unit can be configured to transform a gas in a first state, for example, at high temperature and pressure, into a gas in a second state. Specifically, the temperature of the gas in the second state can be lower than the temperature of the gas in the first state. Therefore, using the cooling and dehumidifying unit, when the temperature drops below the dew point, water vapor in the gas can condense into liquid water, thereby releasing excess water vapor from the gas. Thus, the cooling and dehumidifying unit not only cools the gas but also dehumidifies it.

[0043] The pressure-reducing device 700 can be configured to convert the gas in the second state into a gas in the third state. Here, the pressure of the gas in the third state specifically meets the supply gas requirements of the battery pack 10. Therefore, in particular, the pressure of the gas in the third state can be lower than the pressure of the gas in the second state and higher than the pressure of the gas in the initial state, and the temperature and humidity of the gas in the third state can be lower than those of the gas in the initial state. In this embodiment, the gas in the third state can be, for example, a gas with a temperature less than 10°C, a relative humidity less than 15%, and a pressure in the range of 50–80 kPa. Furthermore, during the pressure reduction process, the temperature and relative humidity of the gas in the second state can be further reduced to meet the temperature and humidity requirements of the battery pack.

[0044] Therefore, by arranging a pressure boosting device, a cooling and dehumidifying unit, and a pressure reducing device in the gas supply line, the gas supply system according to this disclosure can supply low-temperature dry gas to the battery pack, thereby avoiding the generation of condensate inside the battery pack and also playing an auxiliary role in cooling the battery pack.

[0045] According to some embodiments of this application, the gas supply system may optionally include a control system, which may include a first detection device 40 disposed between the pressure reducing device 700 and the switching valve 400, and the control system may control the switching valve 400 and / or the cooling and dehumidifying unit and / or the pressure reducing device 700 based on the state of the gas detected by the first detection device 40.

[0046] Here, the gas state detected by the first detection device 40 is the third gas state, which is the state of the gas supplied to the battery pack 20. The control system can selectively open the switching valve 400 to supply gas to the battery pack 20 based on this gas state, or close the switching valve 400 and adjust the cooling and dehumidification unit and / or pressure reducing device 700. Therefore, the control system can control the opening or closing of the switching valve 400 and correspondingly adjust the cooling and dehumidification unit and / or pressure reducing device according to the gas state. That is, when the state of the gas processed by the gas supply system according to this disclosure meets the conditions required by the voltage pack 20, the control system can open the switching valve 400 to allow gas to be supplied to the battery pack 20. When the state of the processed gas does not meet the conditions required by the voltage pack, the control system can close the switching valve 400 and control the cooling and dehumidification unit and / or pressure reducing device 700 to adjust the state of the processed gas.

[0047] Here, the control system may, as is typically the case, include, for example, control devices and drive devices. The control device may be implemented as any type of computing device, computing circuit, or any type of processor or processing circuit capable of executing a series of instructions stored in memory. The control device may include multiple processors and / or multi-core central processing units (CPUs) and may include any type of processor, such as a microprocessor, digital signal processor, microcontroller, etc. The control device may also include memory to store data and / or algorithms for executing a series of instructions. The control device may also be implemented as a computer program product or software product.

[0048] Therefore, the gas supply system according to this disclosure can control the switching valve and / or the cooling and dehumidifying unit and / or pressure reducing device accordingly based on the state of the gas, thereby enabling it to supply dry gas to the battery pack in a controllable or adjustable manner. That is, the dry gas provided by the gas supply system according to this disclosure can be supplied to the battery pack in a precisely controllable or adjustable manner.

[0049] According to some embodiments of this application, optionally, the first detection device 40 may include a first pressure sensor, a first temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor, thereby detecting the pressure, temperature, and humidity of the gas as the state of the gas. Therefore, the control system can monitor and regulate the humidity, pressure, and temperature of the supplied drying gas, thereby supplying the drying gas to the battery pack with adjustable humidity, temperature, and pressure. Thus, the temperature of the drying gas supplied to the battery pack can be controlled to help regulate the temperature of the battery pack (especially for cooling during charging), and the pressure of the drying gas supplied to the battery pack can be controlled to prevent bulging of the battery pack due to excessive internal and external pressure differences. Therefore, using the gas supply system according to this disclosure, while preventing the formation of condensate, it can regulate the temperature of the battery pack and prevent bulging, thereby ensuring battery performance and lifespan.

[0050] According to some embodiments of this application, optionally, the control system may further include a second detection device 50 disposed between the pressure reducing device 700 and the cooling and dehumidifying unit, and a three-way valve 60 disposed between the second detection device 50 and the pressure reducing device 700, and the control system controls the three-way valve 60 and / or the cooling and dehumidifying unit according to the state of the gas detected by the second detection device 50.

[0051] Here, the gas state detected by the second detection device 50 is the second state of the gas, and it can be used to determine whether the gas meets the preliminary requirements. When the gas meets the preliminary requirements, the control system can use a three-way valve to allow the gas to continue flowing into the battery pack. When the gas does not meet the preliminary requirements, the control system can use the three-way valve to discharge the gas and adjust the cooling and dehumidification unit accordingly. This is particularly suitable for the initial stage when the gas supply system is turned on, in which the booster device and / or cooling and dehumidification unit may have difficulty quickly bringing the gas to the preliminary requirements.

[0052] According to some embodiments of this application, the second detection device 50 may optionally include a second pressure sensor and a second temperature sensor, thereby detecting the pressure and temperature of the gas as the state of the gas.

[0053] Optionally, according to some embodiments of this application, the control system may further include a flow meter 70 disposed between the pressure reducing device 700 and the switching valve 400, and the control system may control the flow meter 70 according to the number of battery packs 20 connected in the battery compartment 10. Thus, in the gas supply system according to this disclosure, real-time monitoring of the flow rate of the supplied dry gas can be achieved, while the gas flow rate can be adjusted according to the number of battery packs.

[0054] According to some embodiments of this application, optionally, the booster device 200 can be configured as an air compressor. The pressure reducing device 700 can be configured as an electronic pressure reducing valve. This allows for a simple implementation of both the booster device 200 and the pressure reducing device 700.

[0055] According to some embodiments of this application, optionally, the cooling and dehumidification unit may include a primary air cooling device 320 and a secondary liquid cooling device 310, wherein the primary air cooling device 320 may be arranged between the booster device 200 and the secondary liquid cooling device 310.

[0056] The primary air cooling device 320 can be configured as an air-to-air cooler. It is a heat dissipation device that uses air as a cooling medium and can reduce the temperature of the gas to be cooled through heat exchange between gases. Thus, the primary air cooling device 320 can, for example, use at least one blower 321 (two in this embodiment) to reduce the temperature of the gas in its first state, which has passed through the pressurization device 200 at high pressure and high temperature, for example, from 85°C to 50°C. Simultaneously, the condensate can settle at the bottom of the air-to-air cooler. Furthermore, a timed electronic switch valve can be connected downstream of the primary air cooling device 320, i.e., the air-to-air cooler. Here, a certain time period can be set to open this timed electronic switch valve to discharge the condensate using internal high pressure.

[0057] The secondary liquid cooling unit 310 can be configured as an evaporator. The heat exchange system (particularly an air conditioning system) containing this evaporator may include the evaporator, compressor 311, condenser 312, filter 313, and expansion valve 314. This heat exchange system can thus provide the evaporator with a cooling medium, for example, close to 0°C, allowing the secondary liquid cooling unit 310 to reduce the gas temperature from 50°C to below 10°C. Furthermore, a timed electronic switching valve 90 can be connected downstream of the secondary liquid cooling unit 310, i.e., the evaporator. Here, a set time period can be established to open the timed electronic switching valve 90 to discharge condensate using internal high pressure.

[0058] This allows for the simple implementation of a two-stage cooling and dehumidification unit, thereby achieving highly effective cooling and dehumidification of high-pressure, high-temperature gases. Furthermore, the control system can adjust the cooling and dehumidification unit based on gas pressure, temperature, etc. (e.g., adjusting the compressor speed, expansion valve opening, blower speed, etc.) until the supplied gas meets the requirements.

[0059] Optionally, according to some embodiments of this application, a gas storage tank 500 may be arranged between the primary air cooling device 320 and the secondary liquid cooling device 310, and a pressure sensor 501 and a pressure safety valve 502 may be arranged within the gas storage tank 500. Thus, the saturated air from the primary air cooling device 320 after passing through the cooling and dehumidification unit can be stored in the gas storage tank 500. The pressure sensor 501 may be configured to monitor the pressure status of the gas storage tank 500. For example, the upper pressure limit of the gas storage tank 500 may be set to 10 bar. When the pressure of the gas storage tank 500 reaches this upper limit, the control system can stop the pressure boosting device 200 from operating. Furthermore, if a pressure sensor malfunctions or the pressure boosting device malfunctions, causing the pressure of the gas storage tank 500 to abnormally exceed 10 bar, the pressure safety valve 502 of the gas storage tank 500 can automatically release pressure to maintain the system's pressure safety. Additionally, depending on the system's gas requirements, when the pressure of the gas storage tank 500 decreases to, for example, 8 bar, the pressure boosting device 200 can restart operation. In addition, a timed electronic switch valve 80 can be connected downstream of the gas storage tank 500. Here, a certain time period can be set to open the timed electronic switch valve 80 to discharge condensate using internal high pressure.

[0060] This prevents the continuous operation of the booster device 200, thereby extending the service life of the booster device 200, especially the air compressor.

[0061] According to some embodiments of this application, optionally, a gas-liquid separator 600 may be arranged between the cooling and dehumidification unit and the pressure reducing device 700. The gas-liquid separator 600 can, for example, precipitate moisture by adsorption. A drain pipe can be connected downstream of the gas-liquid separator 600, and the gas-liquid separator 600 can automatically discharge water from its outlet through the drain pipe according to its water level. Thus, the gas can undergo further water-gas separation through the gas-liquid separator 600. This is particularly suitable for situations with high gas flow rates, because in such cases, the gas may still carry some water vapor after passing through the cooling and dehumidification unit, and this water vapor can be precipitated through the gas-liquid separator 600.

[0062] Optionally, according to some embodiments of this application, the battery pack is for commercial vehicles, particularly heavy-duty trucks. Battery packs for commercial vehicles typically have elongated, cylindrical, high-density cells. Therefore, a cold plate is needed to supply a lower-temperature cooling medium to the battery pack, making it more prone to condensation formation inside. Therefore, the gas supply system according to this disclosure is particularly suitable for supplying gas to battery packs for commercial vehicles, particularly heavy-duty trucks.

[0063] According to some embodiments of this application, this application also provides a battery swapping station, which includes a battery compartment 10 and a gas supply system according to this disclosure as described above, the gas supply system being capable of supplying gas to the battery pack 20 in the battery compartment 10.

[0064] According to some embodiments of this application, referring to FIG2, this application provides a gas supply system for supplying gas to a battery pack 20 in a battery compartment 10. The system includes a supply gas path 100 for supplying gas from inside the battery compartment 10 where the battery pack 20 is located to the battery pack 20, and a booster device 200, a cooling and dehumidifying unit located downstream of the booster device 200, a pressure reducing device 700 located downstream of the cooling and dehumidifying unit, and a switching valve 400 located downstream of the pressure reducing device 700, which are sequentially arranged in the supply gas path 100 along the gas flow direction. The cooling and dehumidifying unit includes a primary air-cooling device 320 and a secondary liquid-cooling device 310. The primary air-cooling device 320 is arranged between the pressurization device 200 and the secondary liquid-cooling device 310. The primary air-cooling device 320 is configured as an air-to-air cooler, and the secondary liquid-cooling device 310 is configured as an evaporator. A gas storage tank 500 is arranged between the primary air-cooling device 320 and the secondary liquid-cooling device 310, and a gas-liquid separator 600 is arranged between the cooling and dehumidifying unit and the pressure reducing device 700. The gas supply system also includes a control system, which includes a first detection device 40 arranged between the pressure reducing device 700 and the switching valve 400. The control system controls the switching valve 400 and / or the cooling and dehumidifying unit and / or the pressure reducing device 700 based on the gas state detected by the first detection device 40. The first detection device 40 includes a first pressure sensor, a first temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor. The control system further includes a second detection device 50 disposed between the pressure reducing device 700 and the cooling and dehumidifying unit, and a three-way valve 60 disposed between the second detection device 50 and the pressure reducing device 700. The control system controls the three-way valve 60 and / or the cooling and dehumidifying unit according to the state of the gas detected by the second detection device 50, wherein the second detection device 50 includes a second pressure sensor and a second temperature sensor. The control system also includes a flow meter 70 disposed between the pressure reducing device 700 and the switching valve 400, and the control system controls the flow meter 70 according to the number of battery packs 20 connected in the battery compartment 10. Therefore, the cooling and dehumidifying unit according to this disclosure achieves two-stage cooling and dehumidification, while the cooling and dehumidifying unit and the gas-liquid separator 600 achieve three-stage dehumidification. Furthermore, according to this disclosure, the gas supplied by the air supply system may, for example, have a temperature of less than 10°C, a relative humidity of less than 15%, and a pressure in the range of 50 to 80 kPa, and the low-temperature dry air may enter the battery pack under certain flow rate conditions (e.g., 4 to 10 L / min). This not only dries the battery pack but also cools it down. Furthermore, since the air supply system draws air from the battery compartment, the dry gas supplied by the system passes through the battery and, after reducing the humidity inside the battery, is discharged into the battery compartment, thus helping to reduce the humidity within the battery compartment.

[0065] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of this application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A gas supply system for supplying gas to a battery pack (20) in a battery compartment (10), characterized in that, The gas supply system includes: a supply gas path (100) for supplying gas from the battery compartment (10) where the battery pack (20) is located to the battery pack (20); a booster device (200) arranged sequentially along the gas flow direction in the supply gas path (100); a cooling and dehumidifying unit located downstream of the booster device (200); a pressure reducing device (700) located downstream of the cooling and dehumidifying unit; and a switching valve (400) located downstream of the pressure reducing device (700).

2. The gas supply system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gas supply system also includes a control system, which includes a first detection device (40) disposed between the pressure reducing device (700) and the switching valve (400), and the control system controls the switching valve (400) and / or the cooling and dehumidifying unit and / or the pressure reducing device (700) based on the state of the gas detected by the first detection device (40).

3. The gas supply system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first detection device (40) includes a first pressure sensor, a first temperature sensor and a humidity sensor.

4. The gas supply system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The control system further includes a second detection device (50) disposed between the pressure reducing device (700) and the cooling and dehumidifying unit, and a three-way valve (60) disposed between the second detection device (50) and the pressure reducing device (700), and the control system controls the three-way valve (60) and / or the cooling and dehumidifying unit according to the state of the gas detected by the second detection device (50).

5. The gas supply system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The second detection device (50) includes a second pressure sensor and a second temperature sensor.

6. The gas supply system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The control system also includes a flow meter (70) disposed between the pressure reducing device (700) and the switching valve (400), and the control system controls the flow meter (70) according to the number of battery packs (20) connected in the battery compartment (10).

7. The gas supply system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The boosting device (200) is configured as an air compressor, and / or the pressure reducing device (700) is configured as an electronic pressure reducing valve.

8. The gas supply system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling and dehumidification unit includes a primary air-cooling device (320) and a secondary liquid-cooling device (310). The primary air-cooling device (320) is arranged between the booster device (200) and the secondary liquid-cooling device (310). The primary air-cooling device (320) is configured as an air-to-air cooler and the secondary liquid-cooling device (310) is configured as an evaporator.

9. The gas supply system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, An air storage tank (500) is arranged between the primary air cooling device (320) and the secondary liquid cooling device (310), and a pressure sensor (501) and a pressure safety valve (502) are arranged inside the air storage tank (500).

10. The gas supply system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, A gas-liquid separator (600) is arranged between the cooling and dehumidification unit and the pressure reducing device (700).

11. The gas supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The battery pack (20) is a battery pack used in commercial vehicles.

12. A battery swapping station, characterized in that, The battery swapping station includes a battery compartment (10) and a gas supply system as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, the gas supply system being capable of supplying gas to the battery pack (20) in the battery compartment (10).

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