WO2026086242A1 - Energy storage cabinet and energy storage system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application provides an energy storage cabinet and an energy storage system. The energy storage cabinet comprises a cabinet. The cabinet is internally provided with at least two battery clusters, a battery control unit, and a DC-DC converter, which are stacked in sequence. The battery cluster is located at a bottom of the cabinet. The battery control unit is provided with two sets of connectors for each battery cluster. Each set of connectors comprises an input connector and an output connector. A bus of each battery cluster is fixedly connected to a busbar, the busbar being inserted into the input connector, and the busbar being configured for transmitting electrical energy input by the battery cluster to the battery control unit. A cabinet busbar is provided between the battery control unit and the DC-DC converter, the cabinet busbar being inserted into the output connector and the DC-DC converter, and the cabinet busbar being configured for transmitting electrical energy input by the battery control unit to the DC-DC converter. The battery cluster and the DC-DC converter can be respectively connected to the connectors of the battery control unit by means of the busbars, allowing for a cable-free power connection, and thereby simplifying cable layouts of energy storage cabinets.

Description

An energy storage cabinet and an energy storage system

Cross-reference to related applications

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411493120.X, filed on October 23, 2024, entitled "An Energy Storage Cabinet and Energy Storage System", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

This application relates to the field of power technology, and in particular to an energy storage cabinet and an energy storage system.

Background Technology

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system is a system that can continuously supply power to a load and maintain its normal operation in the event of a power grid failure (such as a power outage, undervoltage, interference, or surge). Specifically, an UPS system connects to the power grid, the load, and a battery bank. The UPS system can monitor the power grid's operating status. When the power grid is functioning normally, the UPS system can use the power supplied by the grid to power the load; when a power grid failure occurs, the UPS system can control the battery bank to discharge, using the energy output from the battery bank to continue supplying power to the load.

Currently, battery packs are housed in energy storage cabinets. Besides the battery packs, the cabinets also contain modules such as battery control units (BCUs) and direct-to-direct-current converters (DC-DC converters). The connections between the battery packs and BCUs, as well as between these modules, are typically achieved using power and communication cables, resulting in a complex cabling layout within the cabinets and consuming significant space. As the power density of data centers continues to increase, energy storage cabinets now face the need for high-rate discharge. Therefore, achieving high density within existing energy storage cabinets is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed.

Summary of the Invention

This application provides an energy storage cabinet and an energy storage system to achieve cable-free power connection, thereby simplifying the cable layout of the energy storage cabinet.

In a first aspect, this application provides an energy storage cabinet. Specifically, the energy storage cabinet includes a cabinet, at least two battery clusters, a battery control unit, and a DC-DC converter. The at least two battery clusters, the battery control unit, and the DC-DC converter are located inside the cabinet and are stacked sequentially along the height direction of the cabinet, with the at least two battery clusters located at the bottom of the cabinet. Each of the at least two battery clusters includes multiple battery packs stacked along the height direction of the cabinet. The battery control unit is electrically connected between the at least two battery clusters and the DC-DC converter. For each battery cluster, the battery control unit has two sets of connectors. Each of the two sets of connectors includes an input connector and an output connector. The busbar of each battery cluster is fixedly connected to a busbar copper busbar, which is inserted into the input connector. The busbar copper busbar is used to transmit electrical energy input from the battery cluster to the battery control unit. A cabinet copper busbar is provided between the battery control unit and the DC-DC converter. The cabinet copper busbar is inserted into the output connector and the DC-DC converter. The cabinet copper busbar is used to transmit electrical energy input from the battery control unit to the DC-DC converter.

In the energy storage cabinet of this application, the battery clusters, battery control unit, and DC-DC converter are arranged sequentially from bottom to top, allowing current to flow through the battery clusters, battery control unit, and DC-DC converter in sequence, or vice versa. The battery control unit is equipped with input and output connectors. Power transfer between the battery cluster busbar and the battery control unit, as well as between the DC-DC converter and the battery control unit, is achieved via copper busbars, enabling cable-free power connections and simplifying the cable layout of the energy storage cabinet.

In practical applications, the battery control unit and/or DC-DC converter can be pluggable modules to further simplify the installation and maintenance of the energy storage cabinet. In one possible implementation, the busbar and cabinet busbar can be fixedly connected to the cabinet respectively. This allows the cabinet to have pre-installed busbars and cabinet busbars. During installation, the battery control unit can be directly inserted into the cabinet, simultaneously plugging into the busbar and cabinet busbar while positioned in its preset location. Furthermore, when maintenance of the battery control unit is required, it can be directly removed from the cabinet for external maintenance.

The aforementioned battery control unit employs connectors, and its internal circuit board is connected to the busbar and cabinet busbar via these connectors. In one possible implementation, the battery control unit includes a first housing and a first circuit board located within the first housing. The first housing includes a first terminal panel, and the first circuit board has a copper busbar facing the first terminal panel. Both the input and output connectors include a first insulating shell and two sets of first contact pieces. The first insulating shell penetrates the first terminal panel and is fixedly connected to it. The two sets of first contact pieces are located within the first insulating shell and are arranged opposite to each other. Each set of first contact pieces includes multiple stacked first contact pieces. The middle portions of the multiple first contact pieces are respectively fixed relative to the first insulating shell, and the two ends of the two sets of first contact pieces are spaced apart by a predetermined distance and are movable relative to the first insulating shell. The end of the first insulating shell located outside the first housing has an opening, through which the busbar passes and is inserted between one end of the two sets of first contact pieces. The first insulating shell has another opening at one end that extends into the first outer shell. The copper busbar passes through this other opening and is inserted between the other ends of the two sets of first contact pieces. In this technical solution, the middle portion of the first contact piece is fixed relative to the first insulating shell, while the two ends can elastically deform relative to the first insulating shell. When the copper busbar in the battery control unit is inserted between the two sets of first contact pieces from the aforementioned end, it increases the spacing between the two sets of first contact pieces at that end, resulting in a decrease in the spacing between the two sets of first contact pieces at the other end, thereby achieving the effect of the connector clamping the busbar copper busbar and the cabinet copper busbar.

In one possible implementation, the input connectors of the two sets of connectors are arranged sequentially along the length of the cabinet, and the input connectors are positioned close to the at least two battery clusters. The output connectors of the two sets of connectors are also arranged sequentially along the length of the cabinet, and the output connectors are positioned close to the DC-DC converter. This connector layout shortens the connection path between the battery control unit and the battery clusters, making the internal layout of the energy storage cabinet more compact.

In another possible implementation, the DC-DC converter has multiple connectors. These multiple connectors include multiple input connectors and multiple output connectors. Each of the input connectors corresponds one-to-one with the output connectors in the two sets of connectors mentioned above. A cabinet copper busbar is inserted into the input connectors. The cabinet also has another cabinet copper busbar, which is inserted into the output connectors and is used to output the power from the DC-DC converter. In this technical solution, the DC-DC converter has input and output connectors. Power transfer between the battery control unit and the DC-DC converter, as well as between the DC-DC converter and other devices, can be achieved through the copper busbar, enabling cable-free power connections and further simplifying the cable layout of the energy storage cabinet.

In one possible implementation, the DC-DC converter includes a second housing and a second circuit board located within the second housing. The second housing includes a second terminal panel, and the second circuit board has a plug facing the second terminal panel. The plug includes an insulating cover and two conductive tabs, each of which is bent, with one end parallel to and connected to the plane of the second circuit board, and the other end perpendicular to the plane of the second circuit board. The insulating cover is fitted over the surface of the two conductive tabs and fixedly connected to them, with the other end of each conductive tab penetrating through the insulating cover. Each of the plurality of connectors includes a second insulating shell and two sets of second contact tabs. The second insulating shell penetrates the second terminal panel and is fixedly connected to it. The two sets of second contact tabs are located within the second insulating shell and are arranged opposite to each other, with each set comprising a plurality of stacked second contact tabs. The middle portions of the plurality of second contact tabs are fixed relative to the second insulating shell, and the two ends of the two sets of second contact tabs are spaced apart by a predetermined distance and are movable relative to the second insulating shell. The second insulating shell has an opening at one end outside the second outer shell. A cabinet copper busbar or another cabinet copper busbar passes through this opening and is inserted between one end of the two sets of second contact pieces. The end of the second insulating shell extending into the second outer shell has another opening. The other end of each conductive piece passes through this other opening and is inserted between the other ends of the two sets of second contact pieces. In this technical solution, the middle portion of the second contact piece is fixed relative to the second insulating shell, while the two ends can elastically deform relative to the second insulating shell. When the plug inside the DC-DC converter is inserted between the two sets of second contact pieces from one end, the distance between the two sets of second contact pieces at that end increases, resulting in a decrease in the distance between the two sets of second contact pieces at the other end, thereby achieving the effect of the connector clamping the cabinet copper busbar and the other cabinet copper busbar.

In one possible implementation, a sealing ring is provided between the insulating cover and the second circuit board. The sealing ring fills the gap between the insulating cover and the second circuit board, serving to seal and prevent dust, thus avoiding the need for adhesive application.

In one possible implementation, the aforementioned input connectors are arranged sequentially along the length of the cabinet, and are positioned close to the battery control unit. Similarly, the aforementioned output connectors are arranged sequentially along the length of the cabinet, and are positioned close to the copper busbar of another cabinet. This connector layout of the DC-DC converter shortens the connection paths between the DC-DC converter and the battery control unit, as well as between the DC-DC converter and the copper busbar of another cabinet, resulting in a more compact internal layout of the energy storage cabinet.

In one possible implementation, the energy storage cabinet also includes a switching assembly and an output busbar. The switching assembly is located between the DC-DC converter and the output busbar. Another cabinet copper busbar is located between the DC-DC converter and the switching assembly, and both the other cabinet copper busbar and the output busbar are fixedly connected to the switching assembly. The output busbar is used to output electrical energy from the energy storage cabinet to the outside. Therefore, when the battery clusters inside the energy storage cabinet are charging, the current path within the cabinet is from top to bottom; when the battery clusters inside the energy storage cabinet are discharging, the current path within the cabinet is from bottom to top, thereby simplifying the current path and improving the operating efficiency of the energy storage cabinet.

Secondly, this application provides an energy storage system. The energy storage system includes an energy storage cabinet as described in the first aspect, and a power converter. The power converter is used to convert AC power input from an external AC power source into DC power output to the energy storage cabinet, and/or, the power converter is used to convert DC power output from the energy storage cabinet into AC power output to a load or the power grid. The energy storage cabinet of this energy storage system enables cable-free power connection and simplifies cable layout, thereby simplifying the installation and disassembly of the energy storage system and facilitating its maintenance.

Attached Figure Description

Figure 1 is an application scenario diagram of the energy storage cabinet provided in the embodiment of this application;

Figure 2 is a front view of an energy storage cabinet provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of an energy storage cabinet provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the energy storage cabinet provided in the embodiment of this application;

Figure 5 is a rear view of a battery control unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 6 is a rear view of a DC-DC converter provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a connector provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 8 is an exploded view of a connector provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 9 is another exploded view of the connector provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 10 is another exploded view of the connector provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a connector provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the connector and the copper busbar provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a connector provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the connector and the copper busbar or plug provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a plug provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 16 is an exploded view of a plug provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 17 is another exploded view of the plug provided in an embodiment of this application;

Figure 18 is another exploded view of the plug provided in an embodiment of this application.

Figure label:
10-Energy Storage Cabinet
11-Rack
12-battery pack
13-Battery Control Unit (BCU)
14-DC-DC converter
15-Busbar Copper Busbar
16-First rack copper busbar
17-Second Cabinet Copper Busbar
18-Switch Assembly
19-Output Busbar
21-First Outer Shell
22-First Terminal Panel
23-Second Outer Shell
24-Second Terminal Panel
30-Connector
31-Insulating shell
32-First set of contact plates
33-Second group of contact plates
34-First support plate
35-Second support plate
36-Insulating Top Cover
37-First Fixing Plate
38-Second Fixing Plate
39-Insulating Housing
41-Insulating Cover
42-Conductive sheet
43-Pin
44-Sealing ring
131-First Connector
132-Bronze Busbar
141-Second Connector
142-Second Circuit Board
143-Plug
311-First Opening
312-Second Opening
321-Contact Plate
322-protrusion
323-hole
131a - First Input Connector
131b - First Output Connector
141a - Second Input Connector
141b - Second Output Connector

Detailed Implementation

To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It should be noted that the terminology used in the following embodiments is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to be a limitation of this application. As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, the singular expressions “a,” “an,” “the,” “the,” “the,” and “this” are intended to also include expressions such as “one or more,” unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

In this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more.

Furthermore, in this article, directional terms such as "top," "bottom," "upper," and "lower" are defined relative to the orientation of the structure as shown in the attached drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts, used for relative description and clarification, and can change accordingly depending on the orientation of the structure.

To facilitate understanding of the energy storage cabinet and energy storage system provided in this application embodiment, their application scenarios are described below. The energy storage cabinet of this application can be applied to energy storage and power supply systems such as residential energy storage, industrial and commercial energy storage, or power plants. Figure 1 is an application scenario diagram of the energy storage cabinet provided in this application embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, in one embodiment, the energy storage cabinet 10 can be applied to an energy storage system. For example, when supplying power to important loads such as core servers in a data center, an energy storage system (e.g., a UPS system) is usually installed. When the data center is working normally, the mains power input passes through the substation and is then transmitted to the UPS system. After being stabilized by the UPS system, the power is supplied to the load. At the same time, the UPS system can also charge the battery pack in the energy storage cabinet 10. When the normal power supply fails, the UPS system can control the battery pack in the energy storage cabinet 10 to provide power to the load for a certain period of time to maintain the operation of the load.

The energy storage system may specifically include an energy storage cabinet 10 and a power converter. The power converter converts AC power input from an external AC power source into DC power and outputs it to the energy storage cabinet 10, and/or converts the DC power output from the energy storage cabinet 10 into AC power for output to a load or the power grid. Within the energy storage cabinet 10, the battery pack includes multiple battery cells. The energy storage cabinet 10 also includes modules such as a battery control unit and a DC-DC converter. The battery control unit manages and controls the charging and discharging of the aforementioned multiple battery cells. The battery control unit can boost the voltage of the input battery cells to achieve power conversion, thereby increasing or decreasing the output voltage of the energy storage cabinet 10. Additionally, the battery control unit can also be used for leakage current detection, active functional safety shutdown, passive safety protection against single-cell short-circuit high current, and signal aggregation of the battery pack. The DC-DC converter performs power conversion on the electrical energy output from the battery pack to change the output voltage, thereby achieving constant power discharge.

In current energy storage cabinets, the battery control unit is designed for plug-and-play maintenance. For example, the battery control unit is connected to the battery pack via cables. Specifically, the battery control unit has plug-in terminals, and the cables have corresponding plug-in terminals. Power connection is achieved by inserting the cable's plug-in terminals into the battery control unit's plug-in terminals. However, the current carrying capacity within these modules is limited by the cable's current-carrying capacity. Due to the limited internal space of the energy storage cabinet, the number of cables cannot be significantly increased, thus limiting improvements in high-rate discharge capabilities.

In view of this, this application provides an energy storage cabinet and an energy storage system to achieve cable-free power connection, thereby simplifying the cable layout of the energy storage cabinet.

It should be noted that power connection refers to a connection method that forms a high-voltage line between connected devices by transmitting power energy.

In the embodiments of this application, the energy storage cabinet 10 is used to provide electrical energy to at least one load. The energy storage cabinet 10 of this energy storage system enables cable-free power connection and simplifies cable layout, thereby simplifying the installation and disassembly of the energy storage system and facilitating its maintenance. The layout of the energy storage cabinet 10 is described in detail below.

Figure 2 is a front view of an energy storage cabinet provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2, the energy storage cabinet 10 includes a cabinet 11, and multiple battery packs 12, a battery control unit 13, and a DC-DC converter 14 located within the cabinet 11. The aforementioned multiple battery packs 12, battery control unit 13, and DC-DC converter 14 are arranged along the height direction of the cabinet 11 (vertical direction in Figure 2). Inside the cabinet 11, the aforementioned multiple battery packs 12 are located at the bottom of the cabinet 11, and these battery packs 12 are arranged in at least two battery clusters along the length direction of the cabinet 11 (horizontal direction in Figure 2), wherein each battery cluster includes at least one battery pack 12 stacked sequentially along the height direction of the cabinet 11, and the specific number is not limited.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an energy storage cabinet provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 3, in one embodiment of this application, a busbar copper bus 15 is provided between the aforementioned at least two battery clusters and the battery control unit 13 within the energy storage cabinet 10. The busbars of the aforementioned at least two battery clusters are fixedly connected to the busbar copper bus 15. A first cabinet copper bus 16 may be provided between the battery control unit 13 and the DC-DC converter 14. The busbar copper bus 15 and the first cabinet copper bus 16 are respectively plugged into the battery control unit 13. The busbar copper bus 15 is used to transmit the electrical energy input from the battery pack 12 to the battery control unit 13. The first cabinet copper bus 16 is used to transmit the electrical energy input from the battery control unit 13 to the DC-DC converter 14. Further, in another embodiment, in addition to the first cabinet copper bus 16, a second cabinet copper bus 17 may be provided on the side of the DC-DC converter 14 away from the battery control unit 13. The first cabinet copper bus 16 and the second cabinet copper bus 17 are respectively plugged into the DC-DC converter 14. The second cabinet copper busbar 17 is used to output the electrical energy from the DC-DC converter 14.

Figure 4 is another structural schematic diagram of the energy storage cabinet provided in this application embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, in this application embodiment, the battery cluster, battery control unit 13, and DC-DC converter 14 of the energy storage cabinet 10 are arranged sequentially from bottom to top, so that current can pass through the battery cluster, battery control unit 13, and DC-DC converter 14 in sequence, or it can pass through the DC-DC converter 14, battery control unit 13, and battery cluster in sequence. The busbars of the battery clusters are connected to the battery control unit 13, the battery control unit 13 is connected to the DC-DC converter 14, and the DC-DC converter 14 is connected to other modules via copper busbars to achieve cable-free power connection, thereby simplifying the cable layout of the energy storage cabinet 10.

In practical applications, the battery control unit 13 can be a pluggable module to further simplify the installation and maintenance of the energy storage cabinet 10. In one embodiment, the busbar copper bus 15 and the first cabinet copper bus 16 can be fixed to the cabinet 11 respectively. Thus, the cabinet 11 can be pre-configured with the busbar copper bus 15 and the first cabinet copper bus 16. During installation, the battery control unit 13 can be directly inserted into the cabinet 11, and during insertion, the battery control unit 13 will be connected to both the busbar copper bus 15 and the first cabinet copper bus 16. When maintenance of the battery control unit 13 is required, it can be directly removed from the cabinet 11.

When installing the battery control unit 13, the back of the battery control unit 13 faces the cabinet 11 and slides into the cabinet 11. Figure 5 is a rear view of a battery control unit provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, in one embodiment, corresponding to each of the at least two battery clusters, the battery control unit 13 is provided with two sets of first connectors 131. Each set of first connectors 131 includes a first input connector 131a and a first output connector 131b. The busbar copper bus 15 is inserted into the first input connector 131a, and the first cabinet copper bus 16 is inserted into the first output connector 131b. In this embodiment, during the process of placing the battery control unit 13 into the cabinet 11, the busbar copper bus 15 can be directly inserted into the first input connector 131a, and the first cabinet copper bus 16 can be directly inserted into the first output connector 131b. Therefore, the power connection between the battery control unit 13 and the copper bus is realized through the first connectors 131. The first connectors 131 are located on the back side of the battery control unit 13. The battery control unit 13 includes a first housing 21 and a first circuit board located inside the first housing 21. The first housing includes a first terminal panel 22 located on the back side of the battery control unit 13, and a first circuit board having a copper busbar facing the first terminal panel 22, which is inserted into a first connector 131.

As shown in Figure 5, multiple first input connectors 131a of the battery control unit 13 are arranged sequentially along the length of the cabinet 11 (the horizontal direction in Figure 2), and the first input connectors 131a are located close to the battery pack 12. Multiple first output connectors 131b of the battery control unit 13 are arranged sequentially along the length of the cabinet 11, and the first output connectors 131b are located close to the DC-DC converter 14. This arrangement of the first connectors 131b allows the input side of the battery control unit 13 to be adjacent to the battery pack 12, shortening the connection path between the battery control unit 13 and the battery pack 12. Furthermore, the adjacent arrangement of the output side of the battery control unit 13 to the DC-DC converter 14 shortens the connection path between the battery control unit 13 and the DC-DC converter 14, thus making the internal layout of the energy storage cabinet 10 more compact.

Similarly, the DC-DC converter 14 can be a pluggable module to further simplify the installation and maintenance of the energy storage cabinet 10. In one embodiment, the first cabinet copper busbar 16 and the second cabinet copper busbar 17 can be fixed to the cabinet 11 respectively. Thus, the cabinet 11 can be pre-configured with the first cabinet copper busbar 16 and the second cabinet copper busbar 17. During installation, the DC-DC converter 14 can be directly inserted into the cabinet 11, and during insertion, the DC-DC converter 14 will be plugged into the first cabinet copper busbar 16 and the second cabinet copper busbar 17 respectively. When maintenance of the DC-DC converter 14 is required, the DC-DC converter 14 can be directly removed from the cabinet 11.

Figure 6 is a rear view of a DC-DC converter provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, in another embodiment, the DC-DC converter 14 is provided with a plurality of second connectors 141. The aforementioned plurality of second connectors 141 include a plurality of second input connectors 141a and a plurality of second output connectors 141b. The aforementioned plurality of second input connectors 141a are configured one-to-one with the aforementioned plurality of first input connectors 131a. A first cabinet copper busbar 16 is inserted into the second input connector 141a, and a second cabinet copper busbar 17 is inserted into the second output connector 141b. In this embodiment, during the process of placing the DC-DC converter 14 into the cabinet 11, the first cabinet copper busbar 16 can be directly inserted into the second input connector 141a, and the second cabinet copper busbar 17 can be directly inserted into the second output connector 141b. Therefore, the power connection between the DC-DC converter 14 and the copper busbar is realized through the connectors. The second connectors 141 are disposed on the back side of the DC-DC converter 14. The DC-DC converter 14 includes a second housing 23 and a second circuit board located inside the second housing 23. The second housing 23 includes a second terminal panel 24 located on the back side of the DC-DC converter 14, and the second circuit board is provided with a plug facing the second terminal panel 24.

As shown in Figure 6, multiple second input connectors 141a of the DC-DC converter 14 are arranged sequentially along the length of the cabinet 11, and the second input connectors 141a are located close to the battery control unit 13. Multiple second output connectors 141b of the DC-DC converter 14 are also arranged sequentially along the length of the cabinet 11, and the second output connectors 141b are located close to the second cabinet copper busbar 17. This arrangement of the second connectors 141b allows the input side of the DC-DC converter 14 to be adjacent to the output side of the battery control unit 13, shortening the connection path between the DC-DC converter 14 and the battery control unit 13. Furthermore, the adjacent arrangement of the output side of the DC-DC converter 14 to the second cabinet copper busbar 17 further shortens the connection path between the DC-DC converter 14 and the second cabinet copper busbar 17, making the internal layout of the energy storage cabinet 10 more compact.

As shown in Figure 3, when two battery clusters are installed in the energy storage cabinet 10, the battery control unit 13 has multiple first input connectors 131a, including a first positive input port (1+IN), a first negative input port (1-IN), a second positive input port (2+IN), and a second negative input port (2-IN). The first positive input port (1+IN) is connected to the positive bus of one of the battery clusters, and the first negative input port (1-IN) is connected to the negative bus of that battery cluster. The second positive input port (2+IN) is connected to the positive bus of the other battery cluster, and the second negative input port (2-IN) is connected to the negative bus of that battery cluster. The battery control unit 13 has multiple first output connectors 131b, including a first positive output port (1+OUT), a first negative output port (1-OUT), a second positive output port (2+OUT), and a second negative output port (2-OUT). The DC-DC converter 14 has multiple second input connectors 141a, including a bus positive input port (BUS+), a bus negative input port (BUS-), a first battery positive input port (BAT 1+), a second battery positive input port (BAT 2+), and a second battery negative input port (BAT 2-). The bus positive input port (BUS+) and the second battery positive input port (BAT 2+) can share one second input connector 141a. The DC-DC converter 14 also has multiple second output connectors 141b, including a bus positive output port (BUS+), a bus negative output port (BUS-), a bus neutral output port (BUS N), and a first battery negative input port (BAT 1-). The bus negative output port (BUS-) and the first battery negative input port (BAT 1-) can share one second output connector 141b. The positive input port of the bus (BUS+) and the positive input port of the second battery (BAT 2+) are connected to the second positive output port (2+OUT) via a copper busbar 16 in the first cabinet. The negative input port of the second battery (BAT 2-) is connected to the second negative output port (2-OUT) via a copper busbar 16 in the first cabinet. The negative input port of the bus (BUS-) is connected to the first negative output port (1-OUT) via a copper busbar 16 in the first cabinet. The positive input port of the first battery (BAT 1+) is connected to the first positive output port (1+OUT) via a copper busbar 16 in the first cabinet.

In the above embodiments, the first connector 131 of the battery control unit 13 and the second connector 141 of the DC-DC converter 14 can be the same type of connector. The structure of the first connector 131 and the second connector 141 will be described in detail below.

The first connector 131 and the second connector 141 are both connectors 30. Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a connector provided in an embodiment of this application, Figure 8 is an exploded view of a connector provided in an embodiment of this application, and Figure 9 is another exploded view of a connector provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9, the connector 30 includes an insulating shell 31 and two sets of contact pieces. The insulating shell 31 penetrates through the first terminal panel 22 (or the second terminal panel 24) and is fixedly connected to the first terminal panel 22 (or the second terminal panel 24). The aforementioned two sets of contact pieces are located inside the insulating shell 31 and are arranged opposite to each other. Each set of contact pieces includes a plurality of stacked contact pieces 321.

Figure 10 is another exploded view of the connector provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 10, each contact piece 321 is strip-shaped, and each contact piece 321 has two protrusions 322, which are located in the middle of the contact piece 321 and spaced apart by a predetermined distance. Two sets of contact pieces are arranged opposite to each other. Specifically, one contact piece 321 of the first set of contact pieces 32 is arranged opposite to one contact piece 321 of the second set of contact pieces 33, and the protrusions 322 of the two contact pieces 321 are opposite and adjacent to each other, thereby forming a hole 323. When multiple contact pieces 321 are stacked to form a set of contact pieces, the holes 323 formed by the multiple contact pieces 321 of the two sets of contact pieces are connected. The connector 30 also includes a first fixing piece 37 and a second fixing piece 38. The second fixing piece 38 is inserted into the hole 323. The first fixing piece 37 has a U-shaped structure and fixes the two sets of contact pieces relative to each other. The first fixing piece 37 has a notch that is opposite to and communicates with the hole 323, allowing the second fixing piece 38 to pass through the notch of the first fixing piece 37 and insert into the hole 323. In this way, the middle portions of the two sets of contact pieces are respectively fixed relative to the insulating shell 31, and the two ends of the aforementioned two sets of contact pieces are spaced apart by a predetermined distance and can move relative to the insulating shell 31. Furthermore, the second fixing piece 38 may have a protrusion, and the inner wall of the notch of the first fixing piece 37 may have a recess. When the second fixing piece 38 is inserted into the first fixing piece 37, the protrusion of the second fixing piece 38 can engage with the recess of the first fixing piece 37, thereby fixing the first fixing piece 37 and the second fixing piece 38 relative to each other.

Please refer to Figures 7 to 9. The insulating shell 31 includes an insulating shell 39 and an insulating top cover 36. The insulating shell 39 penetrates the first terminal panel 22 (or the second terminal panel 24) and is fixedly connected to it. The insulating shell 39 can be fixedly connected to the first terminal panel 22 (or the second terminal panel 24) by means of bolts, welding, or bonding. One end of the insulating shell 39 located inside the first outer shell 21 (or the second outer shell 23) has a notch. The insulating top cover 36 connects to the notch of the insulating shell 31 and forms a receiving space. That is, the insulating top cover 36 and the insulating shell 31 together form the insulating shell 31 of the connector 30. Two sets of contact pieces, the first fixing piece 37, and the second fixing piece 38 are confined within this receiving space. When the connector 30 is fixed to the first terminal panel 22 (or the second terminal panel 24), the insulating top cover 36 is located inside the first outer shell 21 (or the second outer shell 23).

The aforementioned insulating top cover 36 may also have an opening, thereby communicating with the notch of the insulating top cover 36 to form a second opening 312 of the insulating shell 31. That is, the end of the insulating shell 31 that extends into the first outer shell 21 (or the second outer shell 23) has a second opening 312, and the copper busbar of the first circuit board (or the plug of the second circuit board) passes through the second opening 312 of the insulating shell 31 and is inserted between the other ends of the aforementioned two sets of contact pieces. The end of the insulating shell 39 located outside the first outer shell 21 (or the second outer shell 23) has a first opening 311, and the busbar copper busbar 15 (or the first cabinet copper busbar 16 or the second cabinet copper busbar 17) passes through the first opening 311 of the insulating shell 31 and is inserted between the two sets of contact pieces.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a connector provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the connector and a copper busbar provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 13 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a connector provided in an embodiment of this application; and Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the connector and a copper busbar or plug provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figures 11 to 14, each first connector 131 may further include two support pieces. The aforementioned two support pieces are fixed inside the insulating shell 31. The aforementioned two support pieces include a first support piece 34 and a second support piece 35. The first support piece 34, the first set of contact pieces 32, the second set of contact pieces 33, and the second support piece 35 are arranged sequentially in one direction. The first set of contact pieces 32 and the second set of contact pieces 33 are spaced apart by a predetermined distance at one end of the connector 30 and extend into the battery control unit 13. The first set of contact pieces 32 and the second set of contact pieces 33 are spaced apart by another predetermined distance at the other end of the connector 30 and are located outside the battery control unit 13. In this embodiment, the first support piece 34 is used to support the first set of contact pieces 32, and the second support piece 35 is used to support the second set of contact pieces 33. The middle portions of the first set of contact pieces 32 and the middle portions of the second set of contact pieces 33 are respectively fixed relative to the insulating shell 31. The two ends of the first set of contact pieces 32 and the two ends of the second set of contact pieces 33 can elastically deform relative to the insulating shell 31. When the copper busbar 132 in the battery control unit 13 is inserted between the first set of contact pieces 32 and the second set of contact pieces 33 from the other end, the spacing between the first set of contact pieces 32 and the second set of contact pieces 33 at the other end will increase, resulting in a decrease in the spacing between the first set of contact pieces 32 and the second set of contact pieces 33 at the first end, so as to achieve the effect of the connector 30 clamping the busbar copper busbar 15 and the first cabinet copper busbar 16.

The aforementioned DC-DC converter 14 includes a second circuit board 142, which has a plug 143 corresponding to each of the aforementioned second connectors 141. The plug 143 is inserted between the first set of contact pieces 32 and the second set of contact pieces 33 at one end of the second connector 141. Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of one structure of the plug provided in an embodiment of this application, Figure 16 is an exploded view of one type of plug provided in an embodiment of this application, and Figure 17 is another exploded view of the plug provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figures 15, 16, and 17, the plug 143 includes an insulating cover 41 and two conductive pieces 42. Each of the two conductive pieces 42 is bent, with one end of each conductive piece 42 parallel to and connected to the plane of the second circuit board 142, and the other end of each conductive piece 42 perpendicular to the plane of the second circuit board 142. The insulating cover 41 is fitted onto the surface of the two conductive pieces 42 and fixedly connected to them, with the other end of each conductive piece 42 penetrating through the insulating cover 41. The other end of each conductive piece 42 passes through another opening in the second insulating shell and is inserted between the other ends of the two sets of second contact pieces.

When installing the plug 143, the conductive piece 42 is soldered to the second circuit board 142. An insulating cover 41 covers the conductive piece 42. One end of the conductive piece 42 extends out of the insulating cover 41 and is used to insert between the first set of contact pieces 32 and the second set of contact pieces 33. Therefore, after the DC-DC converter 14 is assembled, the second connector 141 is connected to the plug 143 of the second circuit board 142. Thus, during the insertion of the DC-DC converter 14 into the cabinet 11, the first cabinet copper busbar 16 and the second cabinet copper busbar 17 are respectively inserted into the second connector 141, thereby achieving power connection between the first cabinet copper busbar 16 and the second cabinet copper busbar 17 and the DC-DC converter 14. Additionally, the conductive piece 42 may include two copper busbars. These two copper busbars are arranged opposite each other and are fixed together with the insulating cover 41 by pins 43.

Figure 18 is another exploded view of the plug provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 18, in one embodiment, a sealing ring 44 is provided between the insulating cover 41 and the second circuit board 142. The sealing ring 44 fills the gap between the insulating cover 41 and the second circuit board 142, serving to seal and prevent dust, thus avoiding the need for adhesive application.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, in the energy storage cabinet 10 of this application, a switching assembly 18 and an output busbar 19 are stacked above the DC-DC converter 14. The switching assembly 18 is located between the DC-DC converter 14 and the output busbar 19. The second cabinet copper busbar 17 is fixedly connected to the output busbar 19 and is fixedly connected to the switching assembly 18. The output busbar 19 is used to output electrical energy from the energy storage cabinet 10 to the power converter. Therefore, when the battery clusters in the energy storage cabinet 10 are charging, the current path within the energy storage cabinet 10 is from top to bottom. When the battery clusters in the energy storage cabinet 10 are discharging, the current path within the energy storage cabinet 10 is from bottom to top, thereby simplifying the current path and improving the operating efficiency of the energy storage cabinet 10.

The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims (10)

An energy storage cabinet is characterized in that it includes a cabinet, and at least two battery clusters, a battery control unit, and a DC-DC converter are located inside the cabinet and stacked sequentially along the height direction of the cabinet. The at least two battery clusters are located at the bottom of the cabinet, and each of the at least two battery clusters includes a plurality of battery packs stacked along the height direction. The battery control unit is electrically connected between the at least two battery clusters and the DC-DC converter. For each battery cluster, the battery control unit is provided with two sets of connectors, each set of connectors including an input connector and an output connector; the busbar of each battery cluster is fixedly connected to a busbar copper bus, the busbar copper bus is inserted into the input connector, and the busbar copper bus is used to transmit the electrical energy input from the battery cluster to the battery control unit; A cabinet copper busbar is provided between the battery control unit and the DC-DC converter. The cabinet copper busbar is inserted into the output connector and the DC-DC converter. The cabinet copper busbar is used to transmit the electrical energy input from the battery control unit to the DC-DC converter. The energy storage cabinet as described in claim 1 is characterized in that the busbar copper bus and the cabinet copper bus are respectively fixedly connected to the cabinet. The energy storage cabinet as described in claim 1 or 2 is characterized in that the battery control unit includes a first housing and a first circuit board located inside the first housing; the first housing includes a first terminal panel, and the first circuit board is provided with copper busbars disposed toward the first terminal panel; Both the input connector and the output connector include a first insulating shell and two sets of first contact pieces; the first insulating shell penetrates through the first terminal panel and is fixedly connected to the first terminal panel; the two sets of first contact pieces are located inside the first insulating shell and are arranged opposite to each other, each set of first contact pieces includes multiple stacked first contact pieces; the middle portions of the multiple first contact pieces are respectively fixed relative to the first insulating shell, and the two ends of the two sets of first contact pieces are respectively spaced apart by a set distance and can move relative to the first insulating shell; The first insulating shell has an opening at one end outside the first outer shell, through which the busbar copper bus passes and is inserted between one end of the two sets of first contact pieces; the first insulating shell has another opening at one end extending into the first outer shell, through which the copper bus passes and is inserted between the other end of the two sets of first contact pieces. The energy storage cabinet as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 is characterized in that the input connectors of the two sets of connectors are arranged sequentially along the length of the cabinet and close to the at least two battery clusters, and the output connectors of the two sets of connectors are arranged sequentially along the length of the cabinet and close to the DC-DC converter. The energy storage cabinet as described in any one of claims 1 to 4 is characterized in that the DC-DC converter is provided with a plurality of connectors, the plurality of connectors including a plurality of input connectors and a plurality of output connectors, the plurality of input connectors being configured in a one-to-one correspondence with the output connectors in the two sets of connectors; The cabinet copper busbar is inserted into the plurality of input connectors; the cabinet is also provided with another cabinet copper busbar, which is inserted into the plurality of output connectors, and the other cabinet copper busbar is used to output the electrical energy output by the DC-DC converter. The energy storage cabinet as described in claim 5 is characterized in that the DC-DC converter includes a second housing and a second circuit board located inside the second housing; the second housing includes a second terminal panel, and the second circuit board is provided with a plug facing the second terminal panel; The plug includes an insulating cover and two conductive pieces. Each of the two conductive pieces is arranged in a bent structure. One end of each conductive piece is parallel to the plane of the second circuit board and connected to the second circuit board. The other end of each conductive piece is perpendicular to the plane of the second circuit board. The insulating cover is sleeved on the surface of the two conductive pieces and fixedly connected to the two conductive pieces. The other end of each conductive piece passes through the insulating cover. Each of the plurality of connectors includes a second insulating shell and two sets of second contact pieces; the second insulating shell penetrates through the second terminal panel and is fixedly connected to the second terminal panel; the two sets of second contact pieces are located inside the second insulating shell and are arranged opposite to each other, each set of second contact pieces includes a plurality of stacked second contact pieces; the middle portions of the plurality of second contact pieces are respectively fixed relative to the second insulating shell, and the two ends of the two sets of second contact pieces are respectively spaced apart by a predetermined distance and can move relative to the second insulating shell; The second insulating shell has an opening at one end outside the second outer shell. The cabinet copper busbar or the other cabinet copper busbar passes through the opening of the second insulating shell and is inserted between one end of the two sets of second contact pieces. The second insulating shell has another opening at one end extending into the second outer shell. The other end of each conductive piece passes through the other opening of the second insulating shell and is inserted between the other ends of the two sets of second contact pieces. The energy storage cabinet as described in claim 6 is characterized in that a sealing ring is provided between the insulating cover and the second circuit board, and the sealing ring fills the gap between the insulating cover and the second circuit board. The energy storage cabinet as described in any one of claims 5 to 7 is characterized in that the plurality of input connectors are arranged sequentially along the length of the cabinet and close to the battery control unit, and the plurality of output connectors are arranged sequentially along the length of the cabinet and close to the copper busbar of the other cabinet. The energy storage cabinet as described in any one of claims 5 to 8 is characterized in that the energy storage cabinet further includes a switch assembly and an output busbar; the switch assembly is located between the DC-DC converter and the output busbar; the other cabinet copper busbar is located between the DC-DC converter and the switch assembly, and the other cabinet copper busbar and the output busbar are respectively fixedly connected to the switch assembly; the output busbar is used to output the electrical energy of the energy storage cabinet to the outside. An energy storage system, characterized in that the energy storage system includes an energy storage cabinet as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, and a power converter, wherein the power converter is used to convert AC power input from an external AC power source into DC power output to the energy storage cabinet, and/or, the power converter is used to convert DC power output from the energy storage cabinet into AC power output to a load or the power grid.