Battery device, battery system and method for assembling a battery system

A battery device with a battery module that includes multiple secondary cells, and the battery module is provided with a positive pole and a negative pole. Moreover, the battery module is placed inside an insulating housing with a contact element, which is connected to the positive pole and to the negative pole and through which the positive pole and the negative pole may be connected to an electronics unit of a battery system. Moreover, the invention relates to a battery system and a method for assembling a battery system.

FIELD

The invention relates to a battery device, a battery system as well as a method for assembling a battery system according to the preambles of the independent claims.

BACKGROUND

A battery device is known from EP 1 864 351 B1, which is provided with a battery module comprising multiple secondary cells. The battery module in turn is provided with a positive pole and a negative pole. Said battery module is provided with a plurality of secondary cells, in particular lithium-iron cells, which are connected in series electrically. To facilitate the electrical connection of the battery module to other elements of the battery device, the battery module is provided with the electrically conductive elements of positive pole and negative pole.

An electrical cabinet is known from DE 201 22 043 U1 for the configuration of an uninterruptable power supply. The electrical cabinet comprises a plurality of receptacles, each of which is provided with at least one connector attachment, and which are designed to house a power module or a battery column.

Moreover, DE 20 2012 104 578 U1 discloses a modular battery framework for holding multiple batteries. The individual batteries may be wired from the front of the battery framework. This facilitates the interconnection of the batteries.

SUMMARY

It is the object of the present invention to provide a battery device, a battery system as well as a method for assembling a battery system, providing a particularly safe manner for handling a battery module.

Said object is met, according to the invention, by a battery device, a battery system as well as a method for assembling a battery system.

To enable a particularly safe handling of a battery module by means of a battery device of the kind described at the outset provision is made, according to the invention, that the battery module is retained in an insulating housing with a contact element, which is connected to the positive and negative pole and through which the positive and negative pole may be connected to an electronics unit of a battery system. In other words, the battery module is at least essentially fully enclosed by the insulating housing. The contact element of the insulating housing is connected to the positive and negative pole of the battery module. Thus, through a connection with the electronics unit of the battery system via the contact element a connection of the positive and negative pole of the battery module to the electronics unit can be established. Advantageously, the battery module may be connected via the contact element to the electronics unit in a particularly simple manner since the positive and negative poles may be connected jointly and at the same time via the contact element to the electronics unit. Moreover, the battery module, which is retained in the insulating housing, can be handled particularly safely since the insulating housing acts as contact protection of the battery module for a user. The danger to the user of experiencing an electric shock is thus particularly low.

In this respect it has proven to be advantageous if the housing is comprised of an acid-proof material. The battery module is in particular at least essentially fully enclosed by the acid-proof material of the housing. In the instance of acid leakage from a battery module, the acid escaped from the battery module can be retained by the housing. Risk of injury to the user due to the escaped acid can be kept particularly low since said acid is caught in the housing. Since the housing material is acid-proof, the acid may advantageously be retained in the housing for a long period so that the user is protected for a long time from the acid.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the battery module retained in the housing is a traction battery or a starter battery for a motor vehicle. This has the advantage that the traction battery or the starter battery for the motor vehicle can be handled particularly safely and particularly simply due to the insulating housing.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention provision is made that the contact element comprises a contactor. Said contactor is an electrically or pneumatically operable switch that can be moved between two switch positions. By means of the contactor it can be ensured that electric power is only made available outside the housing from the contact element when a connection with the electronics unit of the battery system is established. This, advantageously, makes it possible to prevent electric power from being transferred from the battery module to the user, should said user come in contact with the contact element.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a battery system with a framework that has a number of receptacles, each of which is able to retain a battery module. Moreover, the battery system comprises an electronics unit, which is disposed on said framework, and by means of which the respective battery modules may be interconnected and controlled. Furthermore, the battery system is provided with a contact device by means of which the respective battery module may be connected to the electronics unit. To facilitate a particularly safe handling of the battery system, a battery device as described in connection with the battery device according to the invention, is disposed in at least one of the receptacles. Through this the contact element of the battery module may be brought into contact with the contact device, and the positive and negative poles may be connected via the contact element and the contact device to the electronics unit. In particular, each of the battery modules retained in the receptacles of the framework, is the battery device according to the invention. This results in the advantage that the respective battery modules, due to their arrangement inside the insulating housing, can be handled in a particularly safe manner and thus can be arranged particularly safely in the framework to create the battery system. To facilitate a particularly simple interconnection of the respective battery modules, they are able to make contact via the respective contact elements of the housings of the contact device of the framework that retain the battery modules, wherein said contact device is in turn connected to the electronics unit. Through that the respective positive and negative poles of the battery modules may be connected with the electronics unit so that the battery modules can be interconnected and controlled.

In this respect it has proven to be advantageous if the contact element and/or the contact device comprises a contactor. If the contact element comprises said contactor, the transfer of electrical energy from the respective battery module to the user may essentially be prevented so that the user is not exposed to any health hazards. If the contact element comprises said contactor, electrical energy is advantageously only transmitted from the electronics unit if the contact device is in contact with the contact element. A transfer of electrical energy from the electronics unit via the contact device to the user, for example, may at least essentially be prevented through the arrangement of the contactor on the contact device even when contact is made between the user and the contact device. This provides a particularly high level of safety to the user when handling the battery system.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention provision is made that the battery system is designed as a stationary storage battery for the purpose of balancing out load spikes in a power grid. For example, a stationary storage battery may be used to balance out the energy requirement of a production plant, wherein the production plant is at times supplied with energy from the storage battery and at other times with energy from the power grid. Alternatively, or in addition, the storage battery may be used to take up energy when there is excess power available in the grid, and to release energy back to the grid in the instance of a power shortage, that is, to feed back into the grid. This may, for example, provide financial advantages in that the balancing out of load spikes in the power grid is reimbursed by an electricity supplier, or energy costs are reduced through balancing out the energy requirement of the production plant.

A further aspect of the invention concerns a method for assembling a battery system in which a battery module, comprised of multiple secondary cells, is provided with a positive and a negative pole and is disposed in a receptacle of a framework. In this instance the positive and negative poles make contact with a contact device of the receptacle, which connects the positive and negative poles to an electronics unit. The electronics unit is then used to control and interconnect the battery module with at least one further battery module. To facilitate a particularly safe handling of the battery module or the battery system respectively, the battery module is placed inside an insulating housing with a contact element prior to its arrangement in the receptacle. The contact element is connected to the positive and negative poles and connects the positive and negative poles via the contact device with the electronics unit. In other words, the battery module is first disposed in the insulating housing and the positive and negative poles of the battery module are connected to the contact element of the housing. The battery module disposed inside the housing is then placed into the receptacle of the framework and the contact element is connected to the contact device. This connects the positive and negative poles via the contact device to the electronics unit. The electronics unit then controls and interconnects the battery module with at least one further battery module, which is disposed in an insulating housing and is arranged in a further receptacle of the framework. By placing the battery module inside the insulating housing it can be handled in a particularly safe and simple manner by a user.

Included in the invention are also advantages and further developments of the method according to the invention which exhibit characteristics that have already been described in connection with the advantages and further developments of the battery device according to the invention as well as the battery system according to the invention. Thus, the respective advantages and further developments of the method according to the invention are not described here again.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The exemplary embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In the exemplary embodiments the described components of the embodiments each constitute individual characteristics of the invention that are to be considered independently from each other, each of which develops the invention further independently from each other, and thus they are to be considered as a component of the invention individually or in a combination other than in the one shown. Moreover, the described embodiments may also be supplemented through further of the already described characteristics of the invention.

Functionally equal elements are provided with the same reference numbers in the figures.

FIG. 1depicts a schematic perspective view of a battery module1. The battery module1may be a module for a traction battery or for a starter battery for a motor vehicle. The battery module1comprises multiple secondary cells2, which may be connected in parallel and/or in series. Moreover, the battery module1is provided with a positive pole3and a negative pole4.

To facilitate a particularly safe handling of the battery module1, said battery module1is disposed inside an insulating housing5as shown in a schematic cross-sectional view inFIG. 2. The insulating housing5is comprised here of an acid-proof material. The battery module1may also be embedded in an additional insulating layer6in housing5, for example. The insulating housing5comprises, moreover, a contact element7, which is connected via respective connecting lines8to the positive pole3and to the negative pole4. The positive pole3and the negative pole4may be connected via the contact element7to an electronics unit9of a battery system10. The contact element7may, for example, comprise a contactor through which electrical energy may be transferred from the positive pole3and the negative pole4to the electronics unit9simply by connecting the contact element7to the electronics unit9.

The insulating housing5shown inFIG. 1provides contact protection for a user for a particularly safe handling of the battery module1. This means that, due to the arrangement of the battery module1inside housing5, it can be ensured that the user is not able to directly touch the battery module1. This facilitates the hazard-free assembly of the battery system10from multiple battery devices11, which are the respective battery modules1disposed inside the insulating housing5.

In an assembly process, the battery module (1), which comprises multiple secondary cells (2), is arranged in the insulating housing (5) with the contact element (7), wherein the contact element (7) is connected to the positive pole (3) and to the negative pole (4).

FIG. 3shows in a schematic perspective view a framework12, which in this instance is a rack. Said framework12is provided with multiple receptacles13, each of which is able to receive a battery module1. The battery modules1are received in the respective receptacles13of each insulating housing5and may be received as battery device11in the respective receptacles13. During installation the battery module (1) is arranged in one of the receptacles (13) of the framework (12).

FIG. 4shows the battery system10in a schematic internal view. Framework12is indicated with a broken line. As described in connection withFIG. 3, each of the receptacles13of framework12holds a battery device11. The contact element7of the battery device11is connected in the state of the battery device11as received in the respective receptacle13to a not-depicted contact device of the battery system10. The contact element7is connected to the electronics unit9of the battery system10via the contact device. Thus, the positive pole3and the negative pole4are connected to the electronics unit9with the respective battery device11via the contact element7and the contact device. The electronics unit9is disposed on the framework12and facilitates the interconnection and control of multiple battery devices11or battery modules1respectively. When operating the battery system10, the electronics unit (9) controls and interconnects the battery module (1) with at least one further battery module (1). To ensure that an energy transfer from or to the electronics unit9of the battery system10only takes place when contact is made between the contact element7and the contact device, the contact device may include a contactor.

The battery system10is based upon the recognition that an assembly of a high-voltage battery storage requires a large area as well as electricians that are trained specifically for this application. To this end supplied battery modules1, which consist of a defined number of secondary cells2, are interconnected to the battery system10. A number of processing steps are carried out in this instance at more than 60 Volt, which requires corresponding safety measures. Moreover, an increased availability of individual battery modules1is to be expected in future at production plants as well as in workshops. Due to their advanced age or due to a change in motor vehicle model they are often no longer suitable to be installed in a vehicle battery for the respective motor vehicle. However, proper recycling of such battery modules1is expensive due to the necessity of transporting dangerous goods. In addition to that, said battery modules1often still have approximately 80 percent of their original capacity, which could well be utilized in stationary applications.

The insulating housing5is provided to facilitate a particularly effective utilization of the still available capacity of the respective battery modules1. Through said insulating housing5, which is a standardized module housing for the battery module1, the aim is to make it possible for untrained workers to undertake the assembly of a stationary storage battery, which presently is the battery system10. Said stationary storage battery, or the battery system10respectively, can be utilized directly on site, in particular at the manufacturing plant or in the workshop, for balancing out load spikes, which were caused, for example, by charging stations, to support the mains grid and thus save on costs. This makes it possible to advantageously utilize the capacity of the battery module1in a particularly simple way and thus make use of savings potentials in energy costs. Moreover, battery modules1stored in a warehouse may be utilized even if they can no longer be used as a vehicle battery due to a change in model of the produced motor vehicle. Moreover, a cost-effective assembly of the storage battery is possible with the battery module1. The battery system10also provides modular scalability so that an available space can be optimally utilized, allowing the battery system10to be flexibly adapted to any application. Due to the arrangement of the battery module1in the insulated housing5, training of workers is not necessary, which makes decentralization possible, saving on high transport costs as well as training costs, and providing for a contact-protected system for the assembly of the storage battery.

The battery module1has a voltage of less than 60 Volt so that it can be moved without specially trained workers. Said battery module1is inserted into housing5. Through this contact is made with the positive pole3and the negative pole4as connecting poles to contact element7, which is a standardized plug at an end face of housing5. Housing5is designed such that an incorrect insertion of the battery module1into the insulated housing5is made difficult or is prevented. Individual cell voltages of the secondary cells2are brought out from housing5via the contact element7. Through the arrangement of battery module1on housing5, the battery module1is fastened in housing5and is made to be contact-proof. Individual battery devices11can be connected together in framework12, which is a special rack, in a few easy steps to a complete battery, in particular the battery system10, in that respective battery devices11are pushed into empty receptacles13, presently empty slots, and which snap into place there. To facilitate this, all control and power electronics are integrated into the electronics unit9in a rear wall of framework12. Through inserting the respective battery devices11into framework12in a plug and play manner, said battery devices11can be combined into an energy storage unit, presently a storage battery. In this instance the control electronics of the electronics unit9recognizes individual cell voltages of the secondary cells2or the respective battery modules1and interconnects those automatically in the best possible way so that the user of the battery system10only needs to push the respective battery device11into a free slot. The electrical interconnection of the battery module1with at least one further battery module1may be accomplished via at least one contactor of housing5, which has the advantage that the battery device11is completely de-energized when removed from framework12. Alternatively or in addition, the electronics unit9or the contact device in the rear wall of framework12respectively can be used to electrically interconnect the battery module1with the at least one further battery module1. To retain modularization, empty slots or empty receptacles13respectively may be bypassed, presently by means of a bypass.

In summary the examples demonstrate how, through the invention, a modular housing with contact-protected assembly of a stationary battery system can be provided.