Vehicle energy-storage systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017005371-A1
Application number	US-201615192947-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 24, 2016
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Jan 5, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for storing energy for use by an electric vehicle are disclosed. Systems can include an electric vehicle battery pack including a rack configured to couple a plurality of independently removable battery strings to the vehicle, the battery strings configured to be selectively coupled in parallel to a vehicle power bus. The battery strings may include a housing, a plurality of electrochemical cells disposed within the housing, a circuit for electrically connecting the electrochemical cells, a positive high-voltage connector, a negative high-voltage connector, a switch within the housing, and a string control unit configured to control the switch. Each battery string can include a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet configured to couple with and sealingly uncouple from an external coolant supply conduit and an external coolant return conduit, and an auxiliary connector configured to couple with an external communications system and/or an external low-voltage power supply.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electric vehicle battery pack comprising:
a rack configured to couple a plurality of independently removable battery strings to the vehicle, the battery strings configured to be selectively coupled in parallel to a vehicle power bus, the battery strings comprising:
an individual battery string housing;
a plurality of electrochemical cells disposed within the housing;
a circuit for electrically connecting the plurality of electrochemical cells, the circuit having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
a positive high-voltage connector located on an exterior surface of the housing, the positive high-voltage connector electrically coupled to the positive terminal;
a negative high-voltage connector located on an exterior surface of the housing, the negative high-voltage connector electrically coupled to the negative terminal;
a switch disposed within the housing and electrically connected in series with at least the positive high-voltage connector; and
a string control unit disposed within the housing, the string control unit electrically coupled to and configured to control the switch.

2 . The electric vehicle battery pack of claim 1 , wherein each battery string further comprises:
a coolant inlet located on an exterior surface of the housing and configured to couple with and sealingly uncouple from an external coolant supply conduit; a coolant outlet located on an exterior surface of the housing and configured to couple with and sealingly uncouple from an external coolant return conduit; and an auxiliary connector located on an exterior surface of the housing and configured to couple with at least one of an external communications system and an external low-voltage power supply.

3 . The electric vehicle battery pack of claim 2 , wherein the auxiliary connector comprises a CAN bus connector configured to couple with a CAN bus.

4 . The electric vehicle battery pack of claim 2 , further comprising one or more thermal barriers configured to at least partially insulate adjacent battery strings.

5 . The electric vehicle battery pack of claim 1 , wherein each battery string comprises a plurality of battery modules connected in series, each battery module comprising a plurality of electrochemical cells.

6 . The electric vehicle battery pack of claim 5 , wherein each battery string further comprises a plurality of module monitoring boards, each module monitoring board communicatively coupled to one of the plurality of battery modules and configured to monitor at least one of a current, a voltage, and a temperature associated with the one battery module.

7 . The electric vehicle battery pack of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of module monitoring boards are communicatively coupled to the string control unit, and wherein the string control unit is configured to control the switch based at least in part on data received from one or more of the module monitoring boards.

8 . The electric vehicle battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the switch comprises a magnetic contactor configured to be in a disconnected position when the magnetic contactor is not energized.

9 . An electric vehicle battery pack comprising:
a rack configured to couple a plurality of independently removable battery strings to the vehicle, the battery strings configured to be selectively coupled in parallel to a vehicle power bus, the battery strings comprising: an individual battery string housing; a plurality of electrochemical cells disposed within the housing; a circuit for electrically connecting the plurality of electrochemical cells, the circuit having a positive terminal and a negative terminal; a positive high-voltage connector located on an exterior surface of the housing, the positive high-voltage connector electrically coupled to the positive terminal; a negative high-voltage connector located on an exterior surface of the housing, the negative high-voltage connector electrically coupled to the negative terminal; a coolant inlet located on an exterior surface of the housing and configured to couple with and sealingly uncouple from an external coolant supply conduit; a coolant outlet located on an exterior surface of the housing and configured to couple with and sealingly uncouple from an external coolant return conduit; and an auxiliary connector located on an exterior surface of the housing and configured to couple with at least one of an external communications system and an external low-voltage power supply.

10 . The electric vehicle battery pack of claim 9 , wherein each battery string further comprises a switch disposed within the housing and electrically connected in series with at least the positive terminal.

11 . The electric vehicle battery pack of claim 10 , wherein each battery string further comprises a string control unit disposed within the housing, the string control unit electrically coupled to and configured to control the switch.

12 . The electric vehicle battery pack of claim 11 , wherein the auxiliary connector is configured to couple with the external low-voltage power supply, and wherein the string control unit is configured to draw electrical power from the auxiliary connector.

13 . The electric vehicle battery pack of claim 9 , wherein the auxiliary connector comprises a CAN bus connector configured to connect to a CAN bus.

14 . The electric vehicle battery pack of claim 9 , wherein each battery string comprises a plurality of battery modules connected in series, each battery module comprising a plurality of electrochemical cells.

15 . The electric vehicle battery pack of claim 14 , wherein each battery string further comprises a plurality of module monitoring boards, each module monitoring board communicatively coupled to one of the plurality of battery modules and configured to monitor at least one of a current, a voltage, and a temperature associated with the one battery module.

16 . The electric vehicle battery pack of claim 9 , further comprising one or more thermal barriers configured to at least partially insulate adjacent battery strings.

17 . A method of servicing an electric vehicle, the method comprising:
uncoupling a coolant supply conduit of the electric vehicle from a coolant inlet of a first battery string located within a chassis of the electric vehicle; uncoupling a coolant return conduit of the electric vehicle from a coolant outlet of the first battery string; uncoupling from an auxiliary connector of the first battery string at least one of a communications system of the electric vehicle and a low-voltage power supply of the electric vehicle; uncoupling at least one high-voltage connector of the first battery string from a power bus of the electric vehicle; and removing the first battery string from the chassis of the electric vehicle; wherein the first battery string comprises one of a plurality of independently removable battery strings of the electric vehicle.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein removing the first battery string comprises moving the battery string in at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein disengaging the at least one high-voltage connector comprises removing the battery string from the electric vehicle.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
placing a second battery string into the chassis of the electric vehicle; coupling at least one high-voltage connector of the second battery string to the power bus; coupling a

Assignees

• Faraday&Future Inc

Inventors

• Chidester Douglas D
• Sampson Nicholas John

Classifications

• H01M50/572

  Means for preventing undesired use or discharge · CPC title

• H01M50/20

  Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders (structural combination of accumulators with charging apparatus H01M10/46) · CPC title

• H01M10/48

  Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) · CPC title

• H01M10/486

  for measuring temperature · CPC title

• H01M50/224

  Metals · CPC title