Switching configuration for a battery module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12308473-B2
Application number	US-202017097509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2020
Priority date	Nov 14, 2019
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A cell having a galvanic cell. The galvanic cell has a first and a second electrode connection. The first electrode connection is connected to a first cell connection and the second electrode connection is connected to a second cell connection. The battery cell has a third and a fourth cell connection and at least four semiconductor switching elements, by which the electrode connections, depending on a respective switching state of the semiconductor switching elements, can each be electrically coupled to the third or the fourth of the cell connections. These are primarily used to remove and add individual battery cells from or to the system and/or to connect cells in parallel, independently of the (activation or deactivation) state of the preceding and following cells.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery module having a plurality of battery cells and a control unit, each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells comprising:
battery terminals configured to be directly connected to a three-phase asynchronous machine;
a first cell connection electrically coupled directly to a first potential connection;
a second cell connection electrically coupled directly to a second potential connection;
a third cell connection electrically coupled directly to a second potential connection; and
a fourth cell connection electrically coupled directly to a first potential connection;
a galvanic cell, wherein the galvanic cell has electrode connections including:
a first electrode connection and
a second electrode connection connected to the second cell connection;
at least four semiconductor switching elements, via which the electrode connections, depending on a respective switching state of the semiconductor switching elements, can each be electrically coupled to the third cell connection or the fourth cell connection; and
a first semiconductor switching element connected between the first cell connection and the third cell connection, a second semiconductor switching element connected between the second cell connection and the fourth cell connection, a third semiconductor switching element connected between the first cell connection and the fourth cell connection, and a fourth semiconductor switching element connected between the second cell connection and the third cell connection;
wherein the control unit is connected to the semiconductor switching elements; and the control unit controls the respective switching states of the semiconductor switching elements such that, based on a desired number of active battery cells or a desired output voltage level of the battery module, the battery cells are connected in series or in parallel to each other.

2. The battery module according to claim 1 , the battery cell further comprising:
a cell housing, in which at least the first and the second semiconductor switching element are arranged and which has at least one connection contact for each of the cell connections, wherein each connection contact is electrically isolated.

3. The battery module according to claim 2 , wherein the galvanic cell is detachably arranged on or in the cell housing.

4. The battery module according to claim 1 , further comprising four module connections for electrically coupling module connections of further battery modules and the battery terminals of a battery comprising the battery module.

5. A battery having a plurality of battery modules arranged adjacent to one another and each having at least two module connections, wherein each battery module comprises at least one battery cell, wherein the battery modules are designed according to claim 4 .

6. A motor vehicle having a vehicle electrical system that comprises an electrical machine as the drive device and a battery, wherein the battery is designed according to claim 5 and the electrical machine is connected directly to the battery.

7. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein:
the first cell connection and the third cell connection are directly connected via a single semiconductor switching element, which is the first semiconductor switching element;
the second cell connection and the fourth cell connection are directly connected via a single semiconductor switching element, which is the second semiconductor switching element;
the first cell connection and the fourth cell connection are directly connected via a single semiconductor switching element, which is the third semiconductor switching element; and
the second cell connection and the third cell connection are directly connected via a single semiconductor switching element, which is the fourth semiconductor switching element.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Hinterberger Michael
• Stöttner Julia
• Terbrack Christoph
• Endisch Christian

Classifications

• H02J7/855

  with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery · CPC title

• H01M10/425 Primary

  Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00) · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M2010/4271

  Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing · CPC title

• B60L50/64

  Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title