Electric vehicle with modular battery system

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric vehicle (1) comprising an electric motor (2), at least one built-in battery module (3) for powering the motor (2), a control circuit (4) for receiving driver inputs and direct power from the built-in battery module (3) to the motor (2). The vehicle further comprises at least one horizontally placed compartment (5), each compartment (5) configured to receive a single swappable battery module (8), said control circuit (4) configured to enable a swappable battery module (8), when such swappable battery module (8) is provided to the compartment (5), to charge the built in battery module (3) and optionally in addition assist the built-in battery module (3) powering the motor (2).

Claims

1. An electric vehicle comprising an electric motor, at least one built-in battery module for powering the motor, a control circuit for receiving driver inputs and directing power from the built-in battery module to the motor, wherein the vehicle further comprises at least one horizontally placed compartment configured to receive a single swappable battery module the control circuit being configured to enable a swappable battery module, when the swappable battery module is present in the at least one compartment, to charge the built-in battery module and optionally assist the built-in battery module powering the motor.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to load limit the swappable battery module, when the swappable battery module is present in the compartment.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the load limit is dynamic and dependent of at least one of the following factors: a temperature of the swappable battery module; a temperature of the built-in battery module; an outdoor temperature; a current power level of at least one of the swappable battery modules; and a current power level of the built-in battery module.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each horizontally placed compartment comprises at least one of the following: an electric connector for connecting to the swappable battery module; a guiding means for guiding a swappable battery module into a desired position in the compartment; air cooling means for providing cooling air to the swappable battery module, when the swappable battery module is present in the compartment. a pressing means for pushing and holding the swappable battery module into contact with one or more of the electric connector and the air cooling means.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 4, wherein a compartment height is variable, and wherein the electrical connector is placed at a predetermined position in the compartment to allow a compartment to receive a swappable battery module having a same or smaller size as the compartment.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 5, wherein a compartment includes means for guiding and holding one or more swappable battery modules having a same or smaller size as the compartment.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each compartment comprises an air inlet and an air outlet for providing cooling air to the interior of a swappable battery module inserted into the compartment.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one compartment is void of means of supplying cooling liquid to the at least one swappable battery module inserted into the compartment.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one compartment is in thermal contact with the air under the vehicle.

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one compartment is located at the lower part of the vehicle and between the wheel axles of the vehicle.

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one compartment is mounted in one of the following positions: below a base plate of the vehicle; integrated with the base plate of the vehicle; and on top of the base plate of the vehicle.

12. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises at least two horizontally placed compartments arranged side by side in the same horizontal plane, and wherein each compartment has an opening towards a lateral side of the vehicle, and a movable lid covering the opening, allowing insertion and removal of at least one swappable battery module removed from a side of the vehicle by opening the corresponding lid.

13. The electric vehicle according to claim 12, wherein each horizontally placed compartment has an electric connector at the opposite side of the opening.

14. The electric vehicle according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the air inlet and the air outlet is located at the opposite side of the opening.

15. The electric vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the lid is arranged to push a swappable battery inserted in the compartment towards the opposite side of the opening to provide a pressing connection with at least one of the electric connector, the air inlet, and the air outlet.

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a first built-in battery module and a second built-in battery module, wherein the control circuit is configured to direct at least one built-in battery module to power the motor, and to facilitate charging of the other built-in battery module from at least one swappable battery module, when the swappable battery module is inserted in the compartment, wherein the control circuit is operable to determine how and when to charge a built-in battery module and what built-in battery module should power the motor at a given time.

20. The electric vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the control circuit is operable to determine what built-in battery module should power the motor and what built-in battery module to charge based on at least one of the following parameters: a) a temperature of a built-in battery module, and b) a level of charging of a built-in battery module.

21. The electric vehicle according to claim 19, wherein in a coworking operation mode the control circuit directs both the first and the second built-in battery modules to power the motor.

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the built-in battery module is liquid cooled.

26. The electric vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising one or more of: a first fan located at the air outlet, and a second fan located at the air inlet, for extracting air from and pushing air into, respectively, the swappable battery module in the compartment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0046] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an electric vehicle showing the placement of a swappable battery compartment according to one embodiment,

[0047] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an electric vehicle showing the placement of a swappable battery compartment according to another embodiment,

[0048] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an electric vehicle having a single built-in battery and two compartments for corresponding swappable batteries, and

[0049] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an electric vehicle having two built-in batteries and two compartments for corresponding swappable batteries.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The invention will now be further explained by the following non limiting examples.

[0051] FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 disclose an electric vehicle 1 comprising an electric motor 2, a first built-in battery module 3 for powering the motor 2, a control circuit 4 for receiving driver inputs and direct power from the first built-in battery module 3 to the motor 2.

[0052] The electric vehicle 1 further comprises at least one horizontally placed compartment 5, each compartment 5 is configured to receive a single swappable battery module 8. The number of compartments 5 are here shown as two but there may be one up to three compartments 5. The swappable battery modules 8 can be provided to the compartments 5 through automatic swapping such as e.g. described in SE1050656 A1 and EP2838754.

[0053] The control circuit 4 configured to enable a swappable battery module 8, when such swappable battery module 8 is provided to the compartment 5, to charge the built-in battery module 3 and optionally in addition to assist the built-in battery module 3 powering the motor 2.

[0054] The control circuit 4 is further configured to load limit the swappable battery module 8, when such is present in the compartment 5.

[0055] The load limit may be dynamic and dependent of at least one of the following factors: [0056] temperature of the swappable battery module 8; [0057] temperature of the built-in battery module 3; [0058] outdoor temperature; [0059] current power level of at least one of the swappable battery module/s 8; [0060] current power level of the built-in battery module 3.

[0061] The compartment 5 height may variable ranging from a minimum height to a maximum height, in which the electrical connector 9 as well as optional air cooling supply means 10, 11 is placed at a predetermined position in the compartment 5 to allow a larger sized compartment 5 to receive swappable battery module 8 of the same size and smaller. Preferably, a larger compartment 5 includes means for guiding and holding swappable battery module/s 8 of the same size and smaller.

[0062] The compartment/s 5 is located at the lower part of the vehicle 1 and between the wheel axles of the vehicle.

[0063] Each compartment 5 comprises air cooling means 10, 11 for providing cooling air to the swappable battery module 8, when such is present in the compartment 5. The air cooling means 10, 11 shown includes an air inlet 10 and an air outlet 11 in each compartment.

[0064] A first fan (not shown) may be located at the air outlet 11 for providing air to a corresponding air inlet of the swappable battery 8. A second fan (not shown) may be located at the air inlet 10, for sucking air from a corresponding air outlet of the swappable battery module 8.

[0065] To enable a simple design of the swappable battery 8 and its connection in the compartment 5, it is preferred that the swappable battery 8 is not liquid cooled. However, one or more sides of the compartment 5 may optionally be liquid cooled.

[0066] Cooling of the swappable battery can be improved by allowing the compartment 5 to be in thermal contact with the air under the vehicle 1.

[0067] According to the embodiment of FIG. 1 the compartment 5 is mounted within a base plate of the vehicle, the downward facing side arranged to be in direct contact with the air below the vehicle.

[0068] According to the embodiment of FIG. 2 the compartment/s 5 is mounted below a base plate of the vehicle. Exposing the compartment/s 5 to air below the vehicle.

[0069] The vehicle shown comprises two horizontally placed compartment 5 arranged side by side in the same horizontal plane and each having an opening 6 towards one lateral side of the vehicle 1, and a lid 7 covering the opening that can be opened and closed. Thereby the swappable battery module 8 can be inserted and removed from one side of the vehicle by opening the corresponding lid 7.

[0070] Each horizontally placed compartment 5 has an electric connector 9 at the opposite side to the opening 6. The air inlet 10 and the air outlet 11 are also located at the opposite side to the opening 6.

[0071] The lid 7 can be arranged to press the swappable battery 8, when such is provided to the compartment 5, towards the opposite side to the opening 6 to provide a pressing connection with the electric connector 9 and/or the air inlet 10 and/or the air outlet 11.

[0072] Each horizontally placed compartment 5 may further comprise a guiding means 12 to guide a swappable battery module 8 into desired position in a corresponding compartment 5.

[0073] The compartment 5 and the control circuit 4 are configured to receive and handle at least one swappable battery module 8, one per compartment 5, that each have a capacity of 10-100 kWh, and a total capacity of 20-150 kWh, preferably a total capacity of 30-100 kWh.

[0074] In the shown embodiment, the electric vehicle 1 has two compartments 5 such that they can hold up to two swappable battery modules 8, one in each compartment 5. When using two compartments, the control circuit 4 is preferably being configured to handle swappable battery modules 8 that each have a capacity of 10-75 kWh, more preferably 15-50 kWh. The dimensions of the compartments 5, when they are two, are preferably as follows: a) width of the compartment 5 is in the range of 600-1000 mm, preferably 700-900 mm, b) the lateral depth is in the range of 1000-1400 mm, preferably 1100-1300 mm, and c) the height is in the range of 50-200 mm, preferably 80-150 mm.

[0075] According to an example shown in FIG. 4, the electric vehicle 1 further comprising a second built-in battery module 13 in addition to the first built-in battery module 3. Here, the control circuit 4 is configured to direct at least one of the built-in battery modules 3, 13 to powering the motor 2, and to facilitate charging of the other built-in battery module 3, 13 from at least one swappable battery module 8, when such swappable battery module 8 is provided to the compartment 5. The control circuit 4 determining how and when to charge respective built-in battery module 3, 13 and which of built-in battery modules 3, 13 that should power the motor 2 at a given time.

[0076] In the example shown in FIG. 4, the control circuit 4 determines which built-in battery module 3, 13 to power the motor 2 and which to be charge by a swappable battery 8 based on at least one of the following parameters:

a) temperature of respective built in battery module 3, 13,
b) level of charging of respective built in battery module 3, 13.

[0077] In the example of FIG. 4, in a coworking operation mode the control circuit 4 directs both the first and the second built in battery modules 3, 13 to power the motor 2. This can be done when extra power is required.

[0078] The built-in battery module/s has a total capacity of 2.5-20 kWh, and is in the example shown in FIG. 1-3 a single built-in battery module 3, and the in the example shown in FIG. 4 two built-in battery modules 3, 13.

[0079] The built-in battery module 3, 13 and the swappable battery modules 8 could each be made of a single battery or a pack of batteries.

[0080] The built-in battery module 3, 13, is preferably built-in such way that it can be replaced in a normal workshop procedure.

[0081] Optionally, the built-in battery module/s 3, 13 is liquid cooled. This enables good cooling of the built-in battery module/s.