Modular battery pack system with series and parallel charging and propulsion modes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10500980-B2
Application number	US-201815920899-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2018
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A modular battery pack system includes a battery pack and controller. The battery pack has first and second battery modules interconnected via electrical cables, with each module having a battery cell string. The pack has first, second, and third electrical connectors and four switches that selectively connect the strings to one or more of the electrical connectors. A DC charging connector is electrically connected to one of the cables between the first electrical connectors of the battery modules, and electrically connects the pack to an off-board DC fast-charging station. In response to input signals corresponding to a requested mode, the controller commands an open/closed state of each of the switches, via switching control signals, to establish a series charge mode, a parallel charge mode, and one or more of a series and/or parallel drive mode of the battery pack. A motor vehicle includes the system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A modular battery pack system comprising:
a battery pack having:
a plurality of electrical cables;
first and second battery modules electrically interconnected to each other via the plurality of electrical cables, the first and second battery modules having respective battery cell strings, first, second, and third electrical connectors, and first, second, third, and fourth switches that selectively connect the respective battery cell strings to one or more of the first, second, and third electrical connectors; and
a direct current (DC) charge connector electrically connected to one of the electrical cables between the first electrical connectors of the first and second battery modules, the DC charge connector being configured to electrically connect the battery pack to an off-board DC fast-charging station; and
a controller in communication with the first, second, third, and fourth switches of the first and second battery modules, the controller being programmed to execute a series charge mode, a parallel charge mode, and one or more of a series drive mode and a parallel drive mode of the battery pack, wherein the controller is configured to receive input signals indicative of a requested operating mode of the battery pack, and, in response to the input signals, to select an open/closed state of each of the first, second, third, and fourth switches of the first and second battery modules, via a set of switching control signals, to thereby establish the series charge mode, the parallel charge mode, and the one or more of the series drive mode and parallel drive mode of the battery pack.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second battery modules have a respective voltage capacity of 400-500 VDC such that the battery pack has a voltage capacity of 800-1000 VDC when operating in the series drive mode and the series charge mode.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second switches of the first and second battery modules, when in a closed state, connect the respective battery cell strings of a respective one of the first and second battery modules to the second and third electrical connectors of the first and second battery modules, respectively; and
the third and fourth switches of the first and second battery modules, respectively, when in a closed state, connect the respective battery cell strings of a respective one of the first and second battery modules to the first electrical connector of the first and second battery modules, respectively.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the series charge mode includes at least first and second series charge modes, and wherein the controller is configured, responsive to a threshold divergence in a state of charge of the first and second battery modules, to alternate between the first and second series charge modes by changing the open or closed states of the first and second switches of the first and second battery modules.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: first and second traction power inverter modules (TPIMs) directly connected to the third electrical connector of the first and second battery modules, respectively, and first and second electric machines connected to the first and second TPIMs, respectively.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the modular battery pack system is used aboard a motor vehicle having front and rear drive wheels respectively connected to front and rear drive axles, the front and rear drive axles being driven by the first and second battery modules, respectively.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second battery modules respectively includes a fourth electrical connector in parallel with the third electrical connector, the system further comprising:
first and second accessory circuits directly connected to the fourth electrical connector of the first and second battery modules, respectively.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second battery modules have a respective first surface to which the electrical connectors of the respective first and second battery modules are connected, and a second surface positioned opposite the first surface and characterized by an absence of the electrical connectors, and wherein the first and second battery modules are arranged in the battery pack such that the second surfaces are positioned immediately adjacent to one another.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to selectively establish a power-down mode in which the first, second, third, and fourth switches of the first and second battery modules are opened via the set of switching control signals.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to detect a fault mode in which a fault is present in the first or second battery modules, and to enter a default drive or charging mode using the first or second battery module that is not experiencing the fault.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one switch of the first, second, third, and fourth switches of the first and second battery modules includes one or more of a solid-state switch and a diode.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one switch of the first, second, third, and fourth switches of the first and second battery modules is an electro-mechanical contactor.

13. A motor vehicle comprising:
front and rear drive axles;
front and rear drive wheels connected to the front and rear drive wheels, respectively;
front and rear traction power inverter modules (TPIMs);
front and rear electric machines connected to and driven by the front and rear TPIMs, respectively; and
a modular battery pack system comprising:
a battery pack connected to the front and rear TPIMs, and having:
a plurality of electrical cables;
first and second battery modules, electrically interconnected to each other via the plurality of electrical cables, each of the first and second battery modules having a respective battery cell string, first, second, and third electrical connectors, and first, second, third, and fourth switches that selectively connect the respective battery cell strings to one or more of the first, second, and third electrical connectors, the front and rear TPIMs being directly connected to the second electrical connector of the first and second battery modules, respectively; and
a direct current (DC) charging connector electrically connected to one of the electrical cables between the first electrical connectors of the first and second battery modules, the DC charging connector being configured to electrically connect the battery pack to an off-board DC fast-charging station; and

a controller in communication with the first, second, third, and fourth switches of the first and second battery modules, the controller being programmed to execute a series charge mode, a parallel charge mode, and one or more of a series drive mode and a parallel charge mode of the battery pack, wherein the controller is configured to receive input signals indicative of a requested operating mode of the battery pack, and, in response to the input signals, to select an open/closed state of each of the first, second, third, and fourth switches of the first and second battery modules, via a set of switching control signals, to thereby establish the series charge mode, the parallel charge mode, and the one or more of the series drive mode and parallel drive mode of the battery pack.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to execute the series drive mode, and wherein the first and second battery modules have a respective voltage capacity of 400-500 VDC such that th

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Conlon Brendan M
• Freedman Martin M

Classifications

• H02J2105/37

  exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] · CPC title

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• B60L53/11 Primary

  DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4 · CPC title

• B60L3/0046

  relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors · CPC title