Detachable Battery Pack With Master-Slave BMS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery systems for electric and hybrid vehicles require batteries to be charged while installed in the vehicle, limiting convenience and flexibility, especially for lightweight vehicles that need to be parked near a commercial power supply for charging.
Innovation Solution
A detachable battery pack system with a battery management system (BMS) that allows independent charging and communication, enabling the battery pack to be easily removed, carried, and reinstalled, with a master/slave configuration for information exchange and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the battery size is increased to achieve sufficient output and range, then the vehicle performance is improved, but the battery weight increases and becomes difficult to detach and carry by hand
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is divided into multiple detachable battery packs, each with its own BMS. This segmentation allows the total battery capacity to be distributed across several manageable units that can be easily attached and detached from the vehicle, resolving the contradiction between achieving sufficient power output and maintaining ease of operation.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the battery is charged while installed in the vehicle, then the charging function is achieved, but the vehicle must be parked near a commercial power supply which limits flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The charging function is extracted from the vehicle context and transferred to the battery pack itself. Each battery pack includes its own BMS capable of independent charging control, allowing the battery to be charged separately from the vehicle. This enables users to charge battery packs at home or any location with power access, then transport and install them in the vehicle, thereby achieving charging functionality while maintaining complete parking flexibility.
3Duration of action of moving object
If multiple battery packs are used to achieve sufficient range, then the travel distance is extended, but the complexity of information communication and control between multiple BMS increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple battery packs with identical BMS configurations are merged into a coordinated system. Each BMS operates independently but can communicate with others through standardized interfaces. The master/slave discrimination mechanism allows automatic coordination where one BMS takes the lead role for system-wide communication while others follow, simplifying the overall control architecture while enabling extended travel range through multiple packs.
4Ease of operation
If the battery pack is made detachable for easy handling, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of electrical connection between battery and vehicle may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connection system is designed with preliminary preparation for frequent detachment and reattachment. Connectors are engineered with alignment features, contact protection, and secure locking mechanisms that ensure reliable electrical connections are established before use. The BMS includes preliminary checks and initialization routines that execute automatically upon connection, ensuring system reliability is maintained despite the detachable nature of the battery packs.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is provided a vehicle which can install a plurality of detachable battery packs that accommodates a rechargeable battery module and a battery management system (BMS) in a case. In a state where the battery pack is installed in the vehicle, the BMS can perform information communication with another BMS, and one BMS is a master and can communicate with another BMS which is a slave and combine information of another battery pack. In a state where the battery pack is detached from the vehicle, a control of a charging state is independently performed by the BMS with respect to the rechargeable battery module.