Electric vehicle battery assembly

Abstract

The invention provides for a high occupancy or heavy-duty vehicle with a battery propulsion power source, which may include lithium titanate batteries. The vehicle may be all-battery or may be a hybrid, and may have a composite body. The vehicle battery system may be housed within the floor of the vehicle and may have different groupings and arrangements.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A battery assembly for an electric vehicle, comprising:
 a plurality of battery strings electrically connected in parallel;   a plurality of battery packs electrically connected in series in each battery string of the plurality of battery strings;   a plurality of battery modules electrically connected in series in each battery pack of the plurality of battery packs; and   a plurality of battery cells electrically connected in series in each battery module of the plurality of battery modules.   
     
     
         3 . The battery assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of battery strings include two battery strings. 
     
     
         4 . The battery assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of battery packs include two battery packs. 
     
     
         5 . The battery assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of battery modules include at least eight battery modules. 
     
     
         6 . The battery assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of battery cells include at least ten battery cells. 
     
     
         7 . The battery assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of battery packs in each battery string are arranged such that an electrical resistance of each battery string of the plurality of battery strings is the same. 
     
     
         8 . The battery assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of battery packs in each battery string are arranged such that an amount of wire connecting the plurality of battery packs in each battery string of the plurality of battery strings is the same. 
     
     
         9 . The battery assembly of  claim 2 , wherein each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells includes lithium titanate. 
     
     
         10 . The battery assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the battery assembly includes a battery management system configured to monitor at least one of a voltage and a temperature of the battery cells of the battery assembly and selectively disconnect a battery string in response to detection of a malfunction. 
     
     
         11 . A battery assembly for an electric vehicle, comprising:
 one or more battery strings;   one or more battery packs in each battery string of the one or more battery strings, wherein each battery pack of the one or more battery packs includes a cooling block;   a plurality of battery modules in each battery pack of the one or more battery packs, wherein each battery module of the plurality of battery module includes:
 a housing enclosing a plurality of battery cells that are electrically connected in series; and 
 a cooling plate thermally coupling the plurality of battery cells to the cooling block of the battery pack. 
   
     
     
         12 . The battery assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the cooling block includes a cooling fluid circulating therethrough. 
     
     
         13 . The battery assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the cooling fluid is a cooling liquid that cools all the battery packs of the electric vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . The battery assembly of  claim 11 , wherein each battery module of the plurality of battery modules further includes multiple cooling fins positioned between the plurality of battery cells, the multiple cooling fins being thermally coupled to the cooling plate. 
     
     
         15 . The battery assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the battery modules in each battery pack of the one or more battery packs are separated by dividers made of an electrically resistive material. 
     
     
         16 . The battery assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more battery strings include at least two battery strings electrically connected in parallel, and wherein the one or more battery packs in each battery string include at least two battery packs electrically connected in series, wherein the battery packs in each battery string are arranged such that an electrical resistance of each battery string is substantially the same. 
     
     
         17 . The battery assembly of  claim 11 , wherein each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells include lithium titanate. 
     
     
         18 . A battery assembly for an electric vehicle, comprising:
 a plurality of battery strings electrically connected in parallel;   a plurality of battery packs in each battery string of the plurality of battery strings, each battery pack of the plurality of battery packs including a plurality of lithium titanate battery cells,
 wherein the plurality of battery packs in each battery string are arranged such that an electrical resistance of each battery string of the plurality of battery strings is substantially the same. 
   
     
     
         19 . The battery assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of battery packs in each battery string are arranged such that an amount of wire connecting the plurality of battery packs in each battery string is substantially the same. 
     
     
         20 . The battery assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the battery assembly further includes a battery management system configured to monitor a performance of individual battery packs of the plurality of battery packs, and disconnect a portion of the battery assembly based on the monitored performance. 
     
     
         21 . The battery assembly of  claim 18 , wherein each battery pack of the plurality of battery packs include multiple battery modules separated from each other by electrically resistive dividers, and wherein the plurality of lithium titanate battery cells are arranged in the multiple battery modules.