Battery Pack Capacity Adjusting Device Thermal Management
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery pack capacity adjustment methods are inefficient due to excessive heat emission from bypass resistors, which can lead to delayed capacity adjustments and potential overheating of electronic components, as they do not adequately consider the cooling effect of the cooling device and heat emission from the resistors.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack capacity adjusting device with a control circuit board that determines the number of secondary cells to adjust based on the relationship between the heat radiation amount of the control circuit board and the heat emission amount of the capacity adjusting section, allowing for simultaneous adjustments while ensuring the cooling capacity is not exceeded, thereby optimizing the capacity adjustment process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If capacity adjustment discharging is executed through a large number of capacity adjustment bypass resistors, then the capacity adjustment speed is improved, but the heat emission amount becomes excessive and may adversely affect electronic components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the battery pack into multiple groups, with each group having dedicated bypass resistors. The control unit selectively activates resistors based on group needs, preventing simultaneous operation of all resistors and thus controlling total heat emission while maintaining adjustment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit dynamically selects and activates bypass resistors based on real-time temperature conditions and capacity adjustment requirements. This dynamic control allows the system to optimize between adjustment speed and heat management by activating only the necessary number of resistors.
2Reliability
If the temperature of the circuit board exceeds a threshold value, then electronic components are protected from heat damage, but the capacity adjustment of cells with non-excessive uneven charge capacities is prohibited, delaying capacity uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments capacity adjustment into group-level operations rather than individual cell adjustments. When temperature exceeds threshold, the system can still perform group-level adjustments for cells with non-excessive unevenness, maintaining some adjustment capability while protecting components.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit changes the adjustment parameters based on temperature conditions. When temperature is high, it adjusts the number of cells adjusted simultaneously and selects which groups to adjust, allowing capacity adjustment to proceed at reduced but non-zero efficiency while maintaining component protection.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the capacities of individual cells are adjusted to be uniform by discharging cells with larger capacity through bypass resistors, then cell capacity uniformity is improved, but the time required for capacity adjustments is extended due to excessive heat emission limitations
Solution Approach 1:
By organizing cells into groups with shared bypass resistors, the system can efficiently manage heat emission while maintaining the ability to adjust multiple cells simultaneously. This segmentation allows optimized parallel adjustment operations that reduce total adjustment time compared to sequential individual cell adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit activates only the necessary number of bypass resistors based on temperature conditions and adjustment needs, rather than activating all resistors simultaneously. This partial action approach maintains sufficient adjustment speed while preventing excessive heat generation that would force system shutdowns.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for faster and more efficient capacity adjustments of secondary cells, reducing the time required for uniform capacity distribution without overheating the control circuit board or its components, thus enhancing the battery pack's service life.
Implementation Method 1
the amount of emitted heat from the resistors can become excessive
Implementation Method 2
heat radiation amount of the control circuit board
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack capacity adjusting device for adjusting a capacity of a battery pack having a plurality of secondary cells includes a control circuit board and a control section. The control circuit board is installable in the battery pack, and includes a capacity adjusting section to be electrically connected to the secondary cells to adjust a capacity of each of the secondary cells. The control section is configured to determine a number of the secondary cells whose capacities are adjustable together based on a relationship between a heat radiation amount of the control circuit board and a heat emission amount of the capacity adjusting section, and to control the capacity adjusting section to adjust the capacities of the number of the secondary cells that were determined to be adjustable together.