US-20260124892-A1 - BATTERY PACK MODULE FOR HAUL TRUCK

US20260124892A1US 20260124892 A1US20260124892 A1US 20260124892A1US-20260124892-A1

Abstract

A battery pack module for heavy equipment vehicles, such as mining trucks, is presented herein. The battery pack module may include multiple layers of battery trays, each try including multiple battery packs. The battery pack module may further include a cooling line system and a battery cabling system that each are connected to the battery pack layers in parallel. The battery pack module may have a unibody design to reduce weight and cost of manufacturing.

Inventors

Kieran J. Richards

Assignees

CUMMINS INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241101

Claims (20)

1 . A vehicle having a layered battery pack module, the vehicle comprising: a first wheel coupled to a first side of a chassis at a first forward position; a second wheel coupled to the first side of the chassis at a first rearward position; a support structure of a battery pack module coupled to the first side of the chassis at a position between the first wheel and the second wheel, the battery pack module including a plurality of battery pack layers in a vertical arrangement, each battery pack layer of the plurality of battery pack layers including at least one battery pack, wherein each battery pack layer of the plurality of battery pack layers includes a tray operating line, each tray operating line coupled to each battery pack of the at least one battery pack of the corresponding battery pack layer, and each tray operating line extending to a first end of the battery pack module; and a vertical operating cable extending vertically along at least a portion of the first end of the battery pack module to a first access point; wherein the first access point is positioned within an access zone defined behind the first wheel.
2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein each battery pack layer includes a plurality of battery packs, and each tray operating line couples each battery pack of the plurality of battery packs of the corresponding battery pack layer in series.
3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein each battery pack layer includes a plurality of battery packs, and each tray operating line couples each battery pack of the plurality of battery packs of the corresponding battery pack layer in parallel.
4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein each tray operating line and the vertical operating cable are electronic cabling lines.
5 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein each tray operating line is coupled to the vertical operating cable via a high voltage electrical interface box.
6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first access point is a high voltage electrical box.
7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first access point is positioned on an upper mounting surface of the battery pack module.
8 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein each tray operating line and the vertical operating cable are cooling lines.
9 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the access point is accessible from the access zone via a removable service panel of the battery pack module.
10 . A battery pack module for a vehicle, the battery pack module comprising: a front panel; a back panel positioned opposite of the front panel; a first side panel extending between the front panel and the back panel, the first side panel having a first service access; and a plurality of battery pack layers in a vertical arrangement within the front panel, the back panel, and the first side panel, each battery pack layer of the plurality of battery pack layers including a battery pack, wherein each battery pack layer of the plurality of battery pack layers includes a tray operating line, the tray operating line removably coupled to the battery pack and being accessible via the first service access for disconnecting the tray operating line from the battery pack.
11 . The battery pack module of claim 10 , wherein the service access is one of a door, a portal, or a flap.
12 . The battery pack module of claim 10 , further comprising: a second side panel extending between the front panel and the back panel opposite the first side panel; a top panel extending between the front panel, the back panel, the first side panel, and the second side panel; and a second access corresponding with one of the front panel, the back panel, the second side panel, and the top panel.
13 . The battery pack module of claim 10 , wherein the tray operating line extends to a first end of the battery pack module.
14 . The battery pack module of claim 13 , further comprising a vertical operating cable extending vertically along at least a portion of the first end of the battery pack module to a third access.
15 . The battery pack module of claim 10 , wherein each battery pack layer includes a plurality of battery packs, and the tray operating line couples each battery pack of the plurality of battery packs of the corresponding battery pack layer in series.
16 . The battery pack module of claim 10 , wherein each battery pack layer includes a plurality of battery packs, and the tray operating line couples each battery pack of the plurality of battery packs of the corresponding battery pack layer in parallel.
17 . The battery pack module of claim 10 , wherein the tray operating line is an electronic cabling line.
18 . The battery pack module of claim 10 , wherein the tray operating line includes: a layer supply branch cooling line fluidly coupled to a layer supply cooling line, the layer supply cooling line corresponding with a battery pack layer of the plurality of battery pack layers; and a layer return branch cooling line fluidly coupled to a layer return cooling line, the layer return cooling line corresponding with the battery pack layer of the plurality of battery pack layers.
19 . The battery pack module of claim 18 , wherein the battery pack layer includes a plurality of battery packs, a plurality of layer supply branch cooling lines, and a plurality of layer return branch cooling lines so that: each layer supply branch cooling line of the plurality of layer supply branch cooling lines corresponds with one battery pack of the plurality of battery packs; each layer return branch cooling line of the plurality of layer return branch cooling lines corresponds with one battery pack of the plurality of battery packs; the layer supply cooling line is fluidly coupled to each layer supply branch cooling line of the plurality of layer supply branch cooling lines; and the layer return cooling line is fluidly coupled to each layer return branch cooling line of the plurality of layer return branch cooling lines.
20 . The battery pack module of claim 18 , further comprising: a primary cooling supply line, the primary cooling supply line fluidly coupled to a coolant fluid source and the layer supply cooling line; and a primary cooling return line, the primary cooling return line fluidly coupled to the layer supply cooling line.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims the benefit of priority to and is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/934,913, filed Nov. 1, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to a battery pack module for a haul truck, such as a mining truck. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a battery pack module including a unibody structure and a plurality of battery pack layers. BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE Large equipment vehicles, such as haul trucks, mining vehicles, cranes, bulldozers, etc., may require a large power source to accommodate the workload and/or sheer size of the vehicle. The large equipment vehicles may be equipped with battery packs to increase peak power output during ascending, aid in breaking, recover energy when descending, and otherwise provide power to the engine. Due to the size of large equipment vehicles, considerably large battery pack systems are necessary to operate the large equipment vehicles. The large battery pack systems necessary to accommodate the power requirements for operation may be heavy and dimensionally difficult to fit onto standard vehicle architectures. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure provides a layered battery pack module configured for mounting on a mining truck. The layered battery pack module including: a support structure including a first support beam and a second support beam, each of the first support beam and the second support beam including a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, a distal end of the vertical portion coupled to a distal end of the horizontal portion so that the vertical portion and the horizontal portion define an angle therebetween; a first side plate coupled to the vertical portion of the first support beam and the horizontal portion of the first support beam; a second side plate coupled to the vertical portion of the second support beam and the horizontal portion of the second support beam, the second side plate being positioned opposite of the first side plate; and a plurality of battery pack layers defined between the first side plate and the second side plate. In another embodiment, the layered battery pack module further includes a plurality of battery pack trays. Each battery pack tray of the plurality of battery pack trays removably coupled to one corresponding battery pack layer of the plurality of battery pack layers. In another embodiment, each battery pack tray of the plurality of battery pack trays includes: a battery tray surface; and at least one battery pack coupled to the battery tray surface. Each battery pack tray of the plurality of battery pack trays is configured to slide onto a sliding surface of the one corresponding battery pack layer of the plurality of battery pack layers. Further, the layered battery pack module further includes a first end plate coupled to a distal end of the battery tray surface and a second end plate coupled to a proximal end of the battery tray surface such that the first end plate and the second end plate extend in a direction perpendicular to the battery tray surface. Further, each battery pack tray of the plurality of battery pack trays includes three battery packs. In yet another embodiment, the sliding surface of each battery pack layer of the plurality of battery pack layers includes a first support rail coupled to the first side plate extending a length of the first side plate and a second support rail coupled to the second side plate opposite of and parallel to the first support rail, the second support rail extending a length of the second side plate. Further, each battery pack tray of the plurality of battery pack trays is configured to slide onto the first support rail and the second support rail of the corresponding battery pack layer of the plurality of battery pack layers. In yet another embodiment, the layered battery pack tray further includes a top stiffening tray coupled to an upper portion of each of the first side plate and the second side plate. In a different embodiment, the layered battery pack tray further includes: a first mounting pin coupled to a proximal end of the vertical portion of the first support beam; and a second mounting pin coupled to a proximal end of the vertical portion of the second support beam. In another embodiment, the layered battery pack tray further includes a back plate extending between the first side plate and the second side plate, the back plate including a mounting brace configured to couple to a lower mount of the mining truck. In another embodiment, the plurality of battery pack layers includes seven battery pack layers. In another embodiment, each of the first side plate and the second side plate include a bottom mounting surface on a bottom portion of the first side plate and the second side plate and an upper mounting surface on an upper porti