Dual Battery Pack Architecture for EV Range and Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles require flexible and customizable battery systems to address issues of energy storage capacity and range anxiety, as existing battery packs have limitations in weight, current capacity, and operating voltage, necessitating a supplementary system for enhanced performance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a dual battery system comprising a main battery pack and a secondary battery pack, with integrated control circuitry and contactors, allowing for parallel connection and communication to manage state of charge and power distribution, enabling flexible energy storage supplementation and redundancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a single battery pack is used in electric vehicles, then the system structure is simple, but the energy storage capacity and range are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is divided into a main battery pack and a secondary battery pack, each with independent control circuitry. This segmentation allows the system to achieve greater total energy storage capacity while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design and independent management of each battery unit.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the battery pack capacity is increased to extend range, then the range anxiety is reduced, but the weight and volume of the battery system increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the battery system into two separate packs, the weight is distributed throughout the vehicle structure rather than concentrated in one location. This allows for optimized weight distribution and potential use of lighter individual battery packs that together provide the required total capacity for extended range.
3Quantity of substance
If a dual battery system is implemented to supplement energy storage, then the energy storage capacity is enhanced, but the system complexity and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each battery pack is equipped with its own independent control circuitry, which simplifies the overall control architecture by distributing control functions rather than requiring a complex centralized control system. This modular control approach manages complexity while enabling coordinated operation of both battery packs.
Solution Approach 2:
The control circuitry includes switching mechanisms that act as intermediaries to manage power flow between the main battery pack, secondary battery pack, and vehicle loads. These switches enable flexible power distribution and coordination between the two battery packs without requiring complex direct control of all possible power paths.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the secondary battery pack is electrically coupled to the switched DC bus via contactors, then the flexibility and customization options are improved, but the reliability and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
Contactors are introduced as intermediary switching devices between the secondary battery pack and the switched DC bus. These contactors provide electrically isolated control points that enable flexible connection and disconnection of the secondary battery pack while maintaining system safety through controlled power flow management and isolation capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery system of a vehicle may include a main battery pack, a secondary battery pack, and one or more secondary contactors. The main battery pack is integrated into the vehicle and includes a first plurality of battery cells, a first DC bus coupled to the first plurality of battery cells, and main contactors coupled to the first DC bus to form a switched DC bus. The secondary battery pack includes a second plurality of battery cells, and a second DC bus coupled to the second plurality of battery cells. The second DC bus of the secondary battery pack is electrically coupled to the switched DC bus of the main battery pack via the secondary contactors. In some embodiments, the main battery pack includes control circuitry configured to communicate with control circuitry of the secondary battery pack to manage or monitor coupling of the battery packs.