Housing and battery

Abstract

The application provides a shell and a battery. The shell comprises a main body part and a temperature adjusting part, the main body part has a containing space for containing a winding core and electrolyte inside, the temperature adjusting part is connected with the main body part, the temperature adjusting part has a heat exchange flow channel for flowing of a heat exchange medium inside, and the heat exchange flow channel extends along the length direction of the main body part. The battery comprises the shell. The heat exchange flow channel of the shell extends along the length direction of the shell, the shell is suitable for a battery with a large length, and is beneficial to improving the temperature uniformity of the battery. The battery has good cooling or heating effect and good temperature uniformity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery technology, and more particularly to a casing and a battery. Background Technology

[0002] To cool or heat batteries, some manufacturers incorporate flow channels into the battery casing for the flow of heat exchange media. However, if these channels are poorly designed, the heat exchange media can only cool or heat specific areas of the battery. When the battery is long, this design can lead to significant temperature differences between different areas, affecting the overall cooling or heating effect. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention proposes a housing having a heat exchange channel for the flow of heat exchange medium, the heat exchange channel extending along the length of the housing. This housing is suitable for batteries with large lengths and is beneficial to improving the temperature uniformity of the battery.

[0004] The present invention also proposes a battery having the above-described casing.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a housing includes: a main body having an internal accommodating space for accommodating a winding core and an electrolyte; and a temperature regulating part connected to the main body, wherein the internal temperature regulating part has a heat exchange channel for a heat exchange medium to flow through, the heat exchange channel extending along the length direction of the main body.

[0006] The housing according to the embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: the housing of the present invention is provided with a heat exchange channel for the flow of heat exchange medium, the heat exchange channel extends along the length direction of the main body, which can increase the heat exchange area of ​​the main body to improve the heat exchange effect, and can avoid cooling or heating only a local part of the battery, thereby improving the temperature uniformity of the battery.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the housing includes a plurality of assemblies arranged along the length direction of the main body, with adjacent assemblies connected in sequence; the plurality of assemblies are connected to form the main body and the temperature regulating part.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the assembly has at least one of a positioning body and a positioning groove; for any two adjacent assemblies, the positioning body of one assembly can be inserted into the positioning groove of the other assembly.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the main body has an air guide groove, the air guide groove is disposed on the wall of the accommodating space, the air guide groove communicates with the accommodating space, and the air guide groove extends along the length direction of the main body.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a portion of the main body protrudes in a direction away from the accommodating space to form the air guide groove on the side of the main body facing the accommodating space.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the heat exchange channel and the air guide groove are located on different sides of the housing.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the housing further includes heat dissipation fins located outside the accommodating space and protruding in a direction away from the accommodating space.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the heat dissipation fins are connected to the main body, and the heat dissipation fins and the temperature regulating part are connected to different sides of the main body.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, each end of the main body has an opening.

[0015] The battery according to a second aspect embodiment of the present invention includes the casing as described above.

[0016] The battery according to embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: better cooling or heating effect, and better temperature uniformity.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the housing with cooling channels in this invention;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the shell along section AA;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of a housing with cooling channels according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the shell with a splicing design used in this invention;

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 4 An exploded view of the shell shown;

[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The diagram shows the assembly method of the assembly.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the housing with air guide grooves in this invention;

[0026] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the shell along section BB;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of a housing with an air guide groove according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the opening method of the air guide groove in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a housing with heat dissipation fins in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 12 for Figure 11 The diagram shows a shell along the CC section;

[0031] Figure 13 for Figure 12 Enlarged schematic diagram of region D in the middle;

[0032] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the battery of the present invention.

[0033] Reference numerals: 101-shell, 102-opening, 201-main body, 202-temperature regulating part, 203-heat exchange channel, 204-accommodating space, 401-assembly, 601-positioning groove, 602-positioning body, 701-protrusion, 801-air guide groove, 1101-heat dissipation fin, 1401-end cap, 1402-pole post, 1403-explosion-proof valve. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0035] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0036] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0037] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0038] In the description of this invention, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0039] The present invention provides a housing 101, as shown in the figure. Figures 1 to 3 The housing 101 includes a main body 201 and a temperature regulating section 202. The main body 201 is used to accommodate the winding core and electrolyte, and has an internal accommodating space 204 in which the winding core and electrolyte are accommodated. The temperature regulating section 202 is connected to the main body 201, and has an internal heat exchange channel 203 for the flow of a heat exchange medium. The heat exchange medium can be used to cool or heat the battery. Generally, when the battery is severely overheating (e.g., during charging or high-load discharge), it is necessary to cool the battery. In this case, a low-temperature heat exchange medium can be introduced into the heat exchange channel 203, and the cooling medium absorbs the heat generated by the reaction between the winding core and electrolyte in the accommodating space 204. When the battery needs to be heated (e.g., in cold weather), a higher-temperature heat exchange medium can be introduced into the heat exchange channel 203 to heat the winding core and electrolyte.

[0040] The heat exchange channel 203 extends along the length of the main body 201. It should be noted that the casing 101 serves as the outer shell of the battery, and the length direction of the main body 201 corresponds to the length direction of the battery; if... Figure 14Taking the battery shown as an example, the length direction of the battery is along the direction from one terminal 1402 to the other. In other embodiments, if the two terminals 1402 are located at the same end of the battery, then the length direction of the battery is along the direction from the end where the terminal 1402 is located to the end opposite it. Figure 1 as well as Figure 14 If the direction is forward, then the length direction is the front / back direction.

[0041] The housing 101 of the present invention is provided with a heat exchange channel 203 for the flow of heat exchange medium. The heat exchange channel 203 extends along the length direction of the main body 201, which can increase the heat exchange area of ​​the main body 201, which is beneficial to improve the cooling or heating effect, and can avoid cooling or heating only a local part of the battery, thereby improving the temperature uniformity of the battery.

[0042] The number and shape of the heat exchange channels 203 can be configured in different ways, for example, Figure 2 In the illustrated configuration, the heat exchange channel 203 has a circular cross-section, and multiple heat exchange channels 203 are provided in one temperature regulating section 202. In this configuration, the heat exchange power of the battery can be flexibly adjusted by changing the number of heat exchange channels 203 through which the heat exchange medium flows. Alternatively, Figure 3 In the setup shown, the heat exchange channel 203 has a rectangular cross-section, and there is one heat exchange channel 203 in each temperature regulating section 202. Relatively speaking, this setup is simpler and allows for a larger flow rate of the heat exchange medium.

[0043] When the housing 101 is relatively long, its machining becomes more difficult. For example, it is difficult to ensure consistent wall thickness and control straightness. Therefore, referring to... Figure 4 and Figure 5 To reduce the processing difficulty of the housing 101, in some embodiments, the housing 101 is formed by assembling multiple assemblies 401. The multiple assemblies 401 are arranged in the same direction and along the length of the main body 201, with adjacent assemblies 401 connected sequentially. The connection method between the assemblies 401 can be bonding, welding, etc. After the assemblies 401 are connected, a complete main body 201 and temperature regulating part 202 are formed. Compared with the housing 101 as a whole, a single assembly 401 is shorter in length, and the straightness and wall thickness of the assembly 401 itself are easier to control, resulting in lower processing difficulty. Furthermore, this arrangement also enables modular manufacturing; by assembling different numbers of assemblies 401, housings 101 of different lengths can be obtained.

[0044] Reference Figure 6In some embodiments, the assemblies 401 are positioned by the mating relationship between the positioning body 602 and the positioning groove 601. The positioning body 602 and the positioning groove 601 are disposed at the ends of the assemblies 401. For multiple assemblies 401 assembled to form the housing 101, the two assemblies 401 located at both ends of the housing 101 (e.g., Figure 5 The front-end and rear-end assemblies 401 each only have one of the positioning body 602 and the positioning groove 601. However, for other assemblies 401 (e.g., Figure 5 The assembly 401, located in the middle, has a positioning body 602 and a positioning groove 601, with the positioning body 602 and positioning groove 601 located at different ends of the assembly 401. For any two adjacent assemblies 401, the positioning body 602 of one assembly 401 is inserted into the positioning groove 601 of the other. The groove wall of the positioning groove 601 and the positioning body 602 abut against each other to constrain the relative position and angle between the assemblies 401, so as to prevent improper assembly of the assemblies 401 from causing the overall straightness of the housing 101 to fail to meet the standard. Specifically, the positioning body 602 can be set as a rectangular ring-shaped rib, which is equivalent to being sleeved on the outside of the end of the other assembly 401.

[0045] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the housing 101 has an opening 102 at each end, and the two openings 102 are respectively connected to the two ends of the accommodating space 204. The two ends of the housing 101 are used to connect with the end cap 1401 (see reference). Figure 14 This seals the accommodating space 204. With an end cap 1401 connected to each end of the housing 101, each end cap 1401 only needs to have one terminal post 1402. The width of the end cap 1401 or the width of the entire battery (the width direction of the end cap 1401 or the battery can correspond to...) Figure 14 The left and right directions (within the battery) can both be set to be relatively small. That is, the configuration of having an opening 102 at each end of the housing is suitable for situations where the battery width is relatively small compared to the battery length. If the positioning body 602 and the positioning groove 601 do not affect the connection between the end cap 1401 and the end of the housing 101, it is also possible to consider setting the assembly 401, which simultaneously has the positioning body 602 and the positioning groove 601, at both ends of the housing 101. Figure 5 The three assemblies 401, front, middle and rear, are all designed with the same structure. The left end of the assembly 401 has a positioning body 602, and the right end of the assembly 401 has a positioning groove 601.

[0046] Reference Figures 7 to 10 In some embodiments, in addition to the heat exchange channel 203, the housing 101 also has an air guide groove 801. It should be noted that... Figure 8 and Figure 10The illustration primarily focuses on the arrangement of the gas guide channel 801 and does not specifically show the heat exchange channel 203. The gas guide channel 801 is disposed on the wall of the accommodating space 204, communicates with the accommodating space 204, and extends along the length of the housing 101. The gas guide channel 801 is used to guide the gas generated by the reaction between the core and the electrolyte to both ends of the battery. (Refer to...) Figure 14 The battery end cap 1401 includes an explosion-proof valve 1403, which has a pressure-relieving function. When the gas pressure in the accommodating space 204 reaches a certain value, the explosion-proof valve 1403 opens, and some gas is discharged from the battery. Generally speaking, the gap between the battery casing 101 and the core is small. If the venting groove 801 is not provided, the space for gas to flow to the end cap 1401 is small, making venting difficult. Providing the venting groove 801 in the casing 101 can increase the space for gas to flow to the end cap 1401, overcoming the problem of difficult venting.

[0047] The air guide groove 801 can be formed in different ways. For example... Figure 8 or Figure 9 As shown, a portion of the main body 201 protrudes away from the accommodating space 204, thereby forming an air guide groove 801 on the side of the main body 201 facing the accommodating space 204. The advantage of this arrangement is that the air guide groove 801 can be formed while maintaining a consistent wall thickness of the main body 201, which helps reduce the weight of the casing 101. Furthermore, the portion of the main body 201 used to form the air guide groove 801 is designated as the protrusion 701. The gap between the portion of the main body 201 without the air guide groove 801 and the outer surface of the winding core is small. When a battery with this design is impacted, the protrusion 701 is the first part to come into contact with external objects. Because the gap between the groove wall of the air guide groove 801 and the outer surface of the winding core is relatively large, direct contact or collision between the groove wall of the air guide groove 801 and the winding core is less likely, resulting in a less severe impact between the winding core and the main body 201 as a whole, and a lower risk of damage to the winding core. Figure 10 As shown, another way of forming the air guide groove 801 is similar, where the air guide groove 801 is dug into the inner side of a flat plate.

[0048] To improve structural compactness and enhance heat exchange efficiency, the heat exchange channel 203 and the air guide groove 801 are located on different sides of the shell 101. For example, combined with Figure 2 and Figure 8 The heat exchange channels 203 are located on the left and right sides of the shell 101, while the air guide grooves 801 are located on the upper and lower sides of the shell 101, respectively. Alternatively, Figure 9 For example, the heat exchange channel 203 is located on the upper and lower sides of the shell 101, while the air guide groove 801 is located on the left and right sides of the shell 101, respectively. For example, combined with Figure 2 and Figure 9If both the heat exchange channel 203 and the air guide groove 801 are located on the upper side of the main body 201, then the temperature regulating section 202 will be located above the protrusion 701. The distance between the heat exchange medium flowing in the temperature regulating section 202 and the battery core will be greater, resulting in higher heat exchange resistance and hindering the enhancement of heat exchange effect. (Continuing with...) Figure 2 and Figure 9 For example, if the temperature regulating part 202 is connected above the protrusion 701, there is a gap between the non-protruding part of the top of the main body 201 and the temperature regulating part 202. This is not conducive to improving the structural compactness of the battery and reducing the battery volume. In addition, in some embodiments, for the housing 101 that has both heat exchange channel 203 and air guide groove 801, a splicing design can also be adopted (that is, the housing 101 is also formed by splicing multiple assemblies 401) to reduce the processing difficulty.

[0049] Reference Figures 11 to 13 In some embodiments, in addition to the heat exchange channel 203, the housing 101 also has heat dissipation ribs 1101. The heat dissipation ribs 1101 are located outside the accommodating space 204 and protrude in a direction away from the accommodating space 204. The heat dissipation ribs 1101 are used to increase the heat dissipation area of ​​the housing 101 to increase the heat dissipation effect of the battery. In some embodiments, the heat dissipation ribs 1101 are connected to the main body 201, and the heat dissipation ribs 1101 and the temperature regulating part 202 are located on different sides of the main body 201 to prevent the heat of the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange channel 203 from being lost between the heat dissipation ribs 1101. Figure 11 and Figure 13 The heat exchange channel 203 is not shown in the diagram, but it is combined with... Figure 2 and Figure 12 The heat exchange channel 203 can be set on the left and right sides of the main body 201, and the heat dissipation fins 1101 are set on the upper and lower sides of the main body 201.

[0050] It should be noted that even if the housing 101 does not have heat dissipation fins 1101 and temperature regulation units 202 are connected to the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the main body 201, good heat dissipation can still be achieved (when the heat exchange medium is used to cool the battery). However, on the other hand, more pipes and connectors need to be installed in the battery module or battery pack to interface with the temperature regulation units 202, which is not conducive to cost reduction. Therefore, providing both heat exchange channels 203 and heat dissipation fins 1101 is also beneficial for cost reduction. (Refer to...) Figure 11 The heat dissipation fins 1101 can extend along the length of the main body 201, which facilitates processing, especially when the shell 101 is made by aluminum extrusion molding. In some embodiments, the shell 101 is provided with both heat exchange channels 203 and heat dissipation fins 1101, and the shell 101 adopts a splicing design (i.e., the shell 101 is formed by splicing multiple assemblies 401).

[0051] In some embodiments, the housing 101 is simultaneously provided with a heat exchange channel 203, an air guide groove 801, and a heat dissipation fin 1101. As mentioned above, the heat exchange channel 203 and the heat dissipation fin 1101 need to be located on different sides of the main body 201; furthermore, to reduce structural complexity and manufacturing difficulty, the position of the heat dissipation fin 1101 also needs to be offset from the protrusion 701 of the main body 201 used to form the air guide groove 801. Figure 8 For example, the heat dissipation fins 1101 can be arranged between two adjacent protrusions 701 on the upper side (or between two adjacent protrusions 701 on the lower side), and the heat exchange channels 203 can be arranged on the left and right sides of the main body 201. In addition, based on the fact that the shell 101 is simultaneously provided with heat exchange channels 203, air guide grooves 801 and heat dissipation fins 1101, the shell 101 can also adopt a spliced ​​design.

[0052] The present invention also provides a battery comprising the casing 101 in the above embodiments, which has good heat exchange effect and temperature uniformity.

[0053] The following uses a relatively simple casing 101 as an example to briefly explain the battery structure; assuming no structural conflicts... Figure 14 The housing 101 in the above embodiments can be replaced with any of the housing 101 mentioned above. Figure 14 The battery shown includes a housing 101, end caps 1401, a winding core, and an electrolyte (the winding core and electrolyte are not specifically shown). The winding core and electrolyte are housed in a receiving space 204, with the winding core immersed in the electrolyte. Two end caps 1401 are provided (the rear end cap 1401 is not specifically shown). The housing 101 has openings 102 at both ends, and the two end caps 1401 are connected to the two ends of the housing 101 respectively, with one end cap 1401 closing one opening 102, thereby sealing the receiving space 204. The winding core has two tabs located at its front and rear ends respectively; each end cap 1401 has a terminal post 1402, and a tab is welded to a terminal post 1402 to achieve electrical connection. The end caps 1401 also have an explosion-proof valve 1403 for pressure relief. To increase the battery capacity, two or more winding cores can be set in a battery. The tabs at the same end of multiple winding cores are connected to the same terminal 1402, that is, multiple winding cores are connected in parallel.

[0054] Figure 14The battery shown has a casing 101 with openings 102 at both ends. In some embodiments, the casing 101 has an opening 102 at only one end, in which case only one end cap 1401 is provided, and the end cap 1401 has two terminals 1402. Correspondingly, the two tabs of the winding core are located at the same end of the winding core. Providing two terminals 1402 on one end cap 1401 requires the end cap 1401 to have sufficient width or area. The above-mentioned provision of two end caps 1401 is mainly applicable when the end cap 1401 is small. When the end cap 1401 is large enough, only one end cap 1401 can be provided.

[0055] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof can be combined with each other unless otherwise specified.

Claims

1. A battery, characterized in that, The device includes a housing and end caps. The housing comprises multiple assemblies connected to form a main body and a temperature regulating section. The multiple assemblies are arranged along the length of the main body, with adjacent assemblies connected sequentially. The main body has an internal space for accommodating the winding core and electrolyte. The temperature regulating section is connected to the main body and has an internal heat exchange channel for the flow of heat exchange medium, extending along the length of the main body. The housing has an opening at each end, which communicates with the two ends of the accommodating space. Two end caps are provided, each connected to one end of the housing, and each end cap closes one of the openings to seal the accommodating space.

2. The battery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The assembly has at least one of a positioning body and a positioning groove; for any two adjacent assemblies, the positioning body of one assembly can be inserted into the positioning groove of the other assembly.

3. The battery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body has an air guide groove, which is disposed on the wall of the accommodating space and communicates with the accommodating space. The air guide groove extends along the length direction of the main body.

4. The battery according to claim 3, characterized in that, A portion of the main body protrudes away from the accommodating space to form the air guide groove on the side of the main body facing the accommodating space.

5. The battery according to claim 3, characterized in that, The heat exchange channel and the air guide groove are located on different sides of the shell.

6. The battery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing also includes heat dissipation ribs, which are located outside the accommodating space and protrude in a direction away from the accommodating space, and extend along the length direction.

7. The battery according to claim 6, characterized in that, The heat dissipation fins are connected to the main body, and the heat dissipation fins and the temperature regulation part are connected to different sides of the main body.

Images