Battery Pack

Abstract

The present application provides a battery pack, which includes a battery module, a liquid cooling plate, a sealing cover and an exhaust channel. The liquid cooling plate and the sealing cover form a sealed cavity. When a battery cell has thermal runaway, the explosion-proof valve of the battery cell opens, and the high-temperature gas can enter the exhaust channel through the air inlet of the exhaust channel, and enter the sealed cavity through the air outlet of the exhaust channel and the air inlet of the sealed cavity. At this time, due to the presence of the liquid cooling plate, the liquid cooling plate will cool the high-temperature gas, thereby removing the high-temperature properties of the high-temperature gas, avoiding the high-temperature gas from inducing thermal runaway in adjacent battery cells, avoiding secondary damage to the battery cells and related functional parts and structural parts inside the battery pack, improving the safety of the battery pack, and reducing the maintenance cost of the battery pack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of batteries, and in particular to a battery pack. Background Art

[0002] As an energy storage device, the power battery pack is a core component of hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles. In order to prevent explosion accidents, an explosion-proof valve structure is usually set on the battery cell. During the use of the battery, if the internal air pressure increases to a certain level, the explosion-proof valve opens and the flame, smoke or high-temperature gas inside the battery cell is discharged through the explosion-proof valve.

[0003] In the prior art, after the explosion-proof valve on the battery cell is opened, the discharged flame, smoke or high-temperature gas will accumulate inside the battery pack. If it cannot be discharged in time, it is easy to cause secondary damage to the battery or affect other batteries. Therefore, when the battery cell has thermal runaway, an exhaust channel is generally provided, and the exhaust channel is used to discharge the high-temperature gas or high-temperature smoke discharged from the battery cell to the outside of the battery pack. However, due to the high temperature of the high-temperature gas, it will still cause secondary damage to the entire battery pack and the battery cells in the process of being discharged from the battery pack, and it will also cause damage to the structural parts outside the battery pack after being discharged from the battery pack, thereby increasing the danger of the battery pack. Summary of the invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is: to solve the problem that the high-temperature gas ejected from the existing battery pack after thermal runaway is likely to cause secondary damage to the battery cells and structural parts in the battery pack during the process of being discharged from the battery pack, a battery pack is proposed.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a battery pack, comprising:

[0006] A battery module, wherein the battery module has a plurality of battery cells, and the battery cells include explosion-proof valves;

[0007] A liquid cooling plate, the liquid cooling plate being arranged on the battery module;

[0008] A sealing cover, wherein the sealing cover cooperates with the liquid cooling plate to form a sealed cavity, and the sealed cavity has an air inlet;

[0009] An exhaust channel, wherein the exhaust channel is provided with an air inlet, the air inlet cooperates with the explosion-proof valve, and the exhaust channel is also provided with an air outlet, the air outlet is communicated with the air inlet;

[0010] When the explosion-proof valve is opened, the exhaust passage is used to guide the fluid to enter the exhaust passage from the air inlet, and flow into the sealed cavity from the air outlet and the air inlet.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present application, a sealing protrusion is provided on the sealing cover, the sealing protrusion encloses an area, and the liquid cooling plate is arranged on the sealing protrusion to form the sealing cavity.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present application, a side plate is provided on one side of the battery module, a side of the side plate close to the sealed cavity is provided with a protruding structure away from the battery module, and the other side contacts the battery module, the protruding structure forms the exhaust channel, and the explosion-proof valve of the battery unit is located in the protruding structure of the side plate.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present application, the battery module has at least two rows of battery cells, and a middle beam is provided between two adjacent rows of battery cells, the exhaust channel is formed in the middle beam, the explosion-proof valve of the battery cell is arranged toward the middle beam, an air inlet is provided at the position where the middle beam contacts the battery cell explosion-proof valve, and an air outlet is provided on the side of the middle beam that contacts the liquid cooling plate.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present application, the plurality of air inlet holes disposed on both sides of the middle beam are arranged alternately at intervals.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present application, a supporting structure is provided on the sealing cover, and the supporting structure is used to support the liquid cooling plate.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present application, the side plate is fixedly connected to the sealing protrusion to form a cooperative connection between the air outlet and the air inlet.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present application, an air inlet is provided on the liquid cooling plate, and the air inlet passes through the liquid cooling plate. The air outlet hole provided on the middle beam is cooperatively connected with the air inlet on the liquid cooling plate.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present application, the sealing cover is a battery pack cover or a battery pack tray.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present application, the sealed cavity is further provided with an air outlet, and a battery pack explosion-proof valve is provided in the air outlet.

[0020] The beneficial effects according to the present invention are as follows: the present application provides a battery pack, which includes a battery module, a liquid cooling plate, a sealing cover and an exhaust channel. The liquid cooling plate and the sealing cover form a sealed cavity. When a battery cell has thermal runaway, the explosion-proof valve of the battery cell opens, and the high-temperature gas can enter the exhaust channel through the air inlet of the exhaust channel, and enter the sealed cavity through the air outlet of the exhaust channel and the air inlet of the sealed cavity. At this time, due to the presence of the liquid cooling plate, the liquid cooling plate will cool the high-temperature gas, thereby removing the high-temperature properties of the high-temperature gas, avoiding the high-temperature gas from inducing thermal runaway in adjacent battery cells, avoiding secondary damage to the battery cells and related functional parts and structural parts inside the battery pack, improving the safety of the battery pack, and reducing the maintenance cost of the battery pack. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 is an exploded view of a battery pack provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the cooperation between a battery module and a sealing cover provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Figure 3 It is an exploded view of the structure of the battery module and the sealing cover provided according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross section at A1-A2.

[0025] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Enlarged view of point B in the middle.

[0026] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 Enlarged view of point C in the middle.

[0027] Figure 7 is a structural explosion diagram of a battery module provided according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of a battery module side plate provided according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of a middle beam of a battery module provided according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] The reference numerals in the specification are as follows:

[0031] 10. Battery pack;

[0032] 100, battery module; 110, battery cell; 120, explosion-proof valve; 130, side plate; 131, protruding structure; 132, first opening; 133, second opening; 140, middle beam; 150, top plate; 160, end plate; 170, plastic bracket; 180, protective cover; 190, pole connecting piece;

[0033] 200, exhaust channel; 210, air inlet; 220, air outlet;

[0034] 300, sealing cover; 310, battery pack upper cover; 320, battery pack tray; 330, sealing protrusion; 340, sealing cavity; 341, air inlet; 342, air outlet; 350, battery pack explosion-proof valve; 360, third opening; 370, snap-in groove;

[0035] 400, liquid cooling plate; 410, liquid inlet interface; 420, liquid outlet interface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0037] In the embodiments of the present application, please refer to the application drawings. For the convenience of explanation, the width direction of the battery module is defined as the X direction in the drawings; the length direction of the battery module is defined as the Y direction in the drawings; and the height direction of the battery module is defined as the Z direction in the drawings.

[0038] Please refer to Figures 1 to 9 The present application provides a battery pack 10 , which includes a battery module 100 , a liquid cooling plate 400 , a sealing cover 300 , and an exhaust channel 200 .

[0039] In one embodiment of the present application, the battery pack 10 may be a power battery pack 10 of an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present application, the battery pack 10 includes a battery module 100, which can be arranged in a box of the battery pack 10. The box of the battery pack 10 can be used to accommodate the battery module 100. The battery module 100 has a plurality of battery cells 110, and each battery cell 110 includes an explosion-proof valve 120. The battery cell 110 generally refers to a battery monomer or a single cell. The explosion-proof valve 120 is arranged on the battery cell 110, and can be opened when the internal pressure of the battery cell 110 reaches a certain value so that the gas can be discharged from the battery cell 110. Specifically, after the battery cell 110 has thermal runaway, the electrolyte rapidly produces gas, causing the internal pressure of the battery cell 110 to be too high, thereby causing the explosion-proof valve 120 to open.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present application, the battery pack 10 further includes a liquid cooling plate 400, which is generally used to cool the battery module 100 or the battery cell 110 to ensure the safety of the battery module 100 or the battery cell 110. Generally, the liquid cooling plate 400 is disposed on the battery module 100. The above-mentioned liquid cooling plate 400 is disposed on the battery module 100, which means that the liquid cooling plate 400 can be placed on both sides of the battery module 100 along its height direction, in other words, at the top and bottom of the battery module 100 in the general use state.

[0042] In one embodiment of the present application, the battery pack 10 also includes a sealing cover 300, which is used to cooperate with the liquid cooling plate 400 to form a sealed cavity 340, and the sealed cavity 340 is a space that can be used to temporarily store fluid. The sealed cavity 340 has an air inlet 341, which can ensure that the gas enters the sealed cavity 340 and is initially stored in the sealed cavity 340. In addition, the sealing cover 300 can be used as a battery pack 10 box to accommodate the battery module 100, such as a battery pack cover 310 or a battery pack tray 320. The sealing cover 300 can also be a separately arranged enclosed structural member used to cooperate with the liquid cooling plate 400 to form a sealed cavity 340.

[0043] In one embodiment of the present application, the battery pack 10 further includes an exhaust channel 200, which is used to guide gas circulation. Specifically, the exhaust channel 200 is provided with an air inlet 210, which cooperates with the explosion-proof valve 120; the exhaust channel 200 is also provided with an air outlet 220, which is connected to the air inlet 341 of the sealed cavity 340. The exhaust channel 200 is used to guide the fluid to enter the exhaust channel 200 from the air inlet 210 when the explosion-proof valve 120 is opened, and to flow into the sealed cavity 340 from the air outlet 220 and the air inlet 341. The fluid can be a high-temperature gas or an electrolyte, etc.

[0044] In the embodiment of the present application, the above structural design can ensure that after the thermal runaway of the battery cell 110 occurs, the high-temperature gas generated by the battery cell 110 can enter the exhaust channel 200 through the air inlet 210 of the exhaust channel 200, and enter the sealed cavity 340 through the air outlet 220 of the exhaust channel 200 and the air inlet 341 of the sealed cavity 340. At this time, due to the presence of the liquid cooling plate 400, the liquid cooling plate 400 will cool the high-temperature gas, thereby removing the high-temperature property of the high-temperature gas, and temporarily storing the cooled high-temperature gas in the sealed cavity 340. Since the high-temperature gas discharged from the battery cell 110 does not have a high-temperature property after being cooled by the liquid cooling plate 400 on the sealed cavity 340, even if it is stored in the battery pack 10, it will not cause secondary damage to the battery cell 110 or other structural parts in the battery pack 10, thereby improving the safety of the battery pack 10 and reducing the replacement cost of the battery pack 10. Furthermore, even if the high-temperature gas is discharged from the battery pack 10 through the sealed cavity 340 , since the liquid cooling plate 400 has cooled the high-temperature gas, the gas discharged from the battery pack 10 will not cause damage to the structure outside the battery pack 10 , thereby reducing the risk of using the battery pack 10 .

[0045] Please refer to the specific embodiments and Figures 1 to 9 , the specific structure of the battery pack 10 is described.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present application, the battery module 100 includes a plurality of battery cells 110. The plurality of battery cells 110 are arranged along the length direction of the battery module 100, and the poles and explosion-proof valves 120 provided in the battery cells 110 are provided on one side of the battery cells 110 along the width direction of the battery module 100.

[0047] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present application, the battery module 100 includes a side plate 130, a top plate 150, an end plate 160 and a bottom plate. Among them, there are two side plates 130, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the battery module 100 along its width direction; the top plate 150 and the bottom plate are respectively arranged on one side of the battery module 100 along its height direction; there are two end plates 160, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the battery module 100 along its length direction. It can be understood that the main purpose of setting the top plate 150, the side plate 130, the end plate 160 and the bottom plate is to be able to fasten a plurality of battery cells 110, so that the plurality of battery cells 110 form a battery module 100. Therefore, the top plate 150, the side plate 130, the end plate 160 and the bottom plate are not necessarily provided for the battery module 100. As long as the fastening of a plurality of battery cells 110 can be satisfied, the lack of any one or more of the above structures can be realized. Taking the specific embodiment of the present application as an example, Figure 7As shown, the battery module 100 in the embodiment provided in the present application only includes a side plate 130, a bottom plate and an end plate 160. The main purpose of omitting the top plate 150 is that the liquid cooling plate 400 provided in the battery pack 10 in the present application can be used as the bottom plate of the battery module 100 to fix the battery cell 110. Furthermore, the side plates 130 and the end plates 160 of the battery module 100 are fixed to the bottom plate and the liquid cooling plate 400 to form a fastening of the multiple battery cells 110. In other embodiments of the present application, the battery module 100 can also omit the bottom plate, and the liquid cooling plate 400 is arranged between the battery module 100 and the battery tray, and then the liquid cooling plate 400 is used as the bottom plate of the battery module 100 for bonding and fixing.

[0048] In addition, in one embodiment of the present application, Figure 7 As shown, the battery module 100 also includes a plastic bracket 170, a protective cover 180 and a pole connecting piece 190 arranged on one side of the side plate 130. The plastic bracket 170 is used to be arranged on the side plate 130 of the battery pack 10 to expose the pole, so as to facilitate the welding of the pole connecting piece 190. The pole connecting piece 190 is used to connect the positive and negative poles to form a current path. The protective cover 180 is covered on the pole connector to protect the pole and the pole connecting piece 190. It can be understood that since the poles of the battery unit 110 in the present application are arranged along the width direction of the battery module 100, the plastic bracket 170, the protective cover 180 and the pole connecting piece 190 are arranged on one side of the side plate 130 of the battery module 100. In other embodiments, the above structure can be changed as the position of the pole setting changes, and the above structure can also be omitted for the battery module 100, which will not be described in detail.

[0049] In one embodiment of the present application, Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the liquid cooling plate 400 is arranged on the battery module 100, specifically, the liquid cooling plate 400 is arranged on one side of the battery module 100 along its height direction, and the battery module 100 supports the liquid cooling plate 400. At this time, the liquid cooling plate 400 can be used as the top plate 150 of the battery module 100 to fasten the battery cells 110 in the battery module 100 together with the end plate 160, the side plate 130 and the bottom plate, or in other embodiments, the liquid cooling plate 400 can be used as the bottom plate of the battery module 100 to fasten the battery cells 110 in the battery module 100 together with the end plate 160, the side plate 130 and the top plate 150. And the liquid cooling plate 400 and the bottom plate can be fixed on the battery cells 110 by gluing.

[0050] In one embodiment of the present application, Figures 1 to 3As shown, the sealing cover 300 is provided on the battery module 100 as the battery pack upper cover 310, and together with the battery pack tray 320, it forms a battery pack 10 box to accommodate the battery module 100 and related structural parts. At this time, the liquid cooling plate 400 is arranged between the battery module 100 and the battery pack upper cover 310 (sealing cover 300). In other embodiments of the present application, the sealing cover 300 can also be used as a battery pack tray 320, and together with the battery pack upper cover 310, it forms a battery pack 10 box to accommodate the battery module 100 and related structural parts. At this time, the liquid cooling plate 400 is arranged between the battery module 100 and the battery tray (sealing cover 300). In other embodiments of the present application, the sealing cover 300 can also be used as a separate structural part to cooperate with the liquid cooling plate 400 to form a sealed cavity 340, which has achieved the effect of storing and cooling the gas.

[0051] Furthermore, a sealing protrusion 330 is provided on the sealing cover 300, and the sealing protrusion 330 protrudes toward the battery module 100 and encloses an area. The area of ​​the area is smaller than the area of ​​the sealing cover 300, and its purpose is to ensure that other structural parts and functional parts, such as BMS, high-voltage distribution box, etc., can be reserved in the internal space of the entire battery pack 10. The liquid cooling plate 400 is arranged on the sealing protrusion 330 to cover the area enclosed by the sealing protrusion 330, thereby forming a sealed cavity 340.

[0052] Furthermore, in order to ensure that the liquid cooling plate 400 can be stably arranged on the sealing protrusion 330 of the sealing cover 300, a supporting structure (not shown in the figure) may also be provided on the sealing cover 300, one end of which is arranged on the sealing cover 300, and the other end is also in contact with the liquid cooling plate 400. The supporting structure is used to support the liquid cooling plate 400. Specifically, the supporting structure is arranged in the area enclosed by the sealing protrusion 330, and multiple supporting structures may be provided. In addition, the position of the supporting structure in the area enclosed by the sealing protrusion 330 is not fixed, and can be selected according to actual needs, and is not limited to this. It can be understood that the sealing cover 300 is provided with a supporting structure only to ensure that the liquid cooling plate 400 can be stably arranged on the sealing protrusion 330. Therefore, for the battery pack 10 in other embodiments, the sealing cover 300 may not be provided with a supporting structure.

[0053] In particular, the support structure of the sealing cover 300 can also accelerate the cooling effect of the high temperature gas. Specifically, when the sealing cavity 340 has a support structure, the high temperature gas can be diverted by the support structure after entering the sealing cavity 340 from the air inlet 341 of the sealing cavity 340, thereby achieving an improved cooling effect of the high temperature gas.

[0054] In addition, in one embodiment of the present application, Figure 3As shown, the liquid cooling plate 400 also has a liquid inlet interface 410 and a liquid outlet interface 420. Since the liquid inlet interface 410 and the liquid outlet interface 420 provided on the liquid cooling plate 400 often protrude from the plane where the liquid cooling plate 400 is located, in order to ensure the stability and safety of the liquid cooling plate 400, a snap-in groove 370 is provided on the sealing protrusion 330, and the snap-in groove 370 cooperates with the liquid inlet interface 410 and the liquid outlet interface 420 of the liquid cooling plate 400 to lead the liquid inlet interface 410 and the liquid outlet interface 420 out of the sealing cavity 340. A liquid inlet connector and a liquid outlet connector connected to an external liquid supply device are also provided in the battery pack 10. The positions of the liquid inlet connector and the liquid outlet connector in the battery pack 10 are not limited, and the liquid inlet connector is connected to the liquid inlet interface 410 through a conduit, and the liquid outlet connector is connected to the liquid outlet interface 420 through a conduit, so as to facilitate the coolant to enter the liquid cooling plate 400.

[0055] The exhaust channel 200 in the present application is described below:

[0056] In one embodiment of the present application, Figure 4 , Figure 5 as well as Figure 8 As shown, the battery module 100 is provided with side plates 130 on both sides along the width direction thereof, and a protruding structure 131 away from the battery module 100 is provided on one side of the side plate 130 close to the sealed cavity 340, and the other side contacts the battery module 100. The protruding structure 131 forms an exhaust channel 200, and the explosion-proof valve 120 of the battery cell 110 is located in the protruding structure 131 of the side plate 130.

[0057] Furthermore, the battery module 100 is provided with side plates 130 on both sides along its width direction, and the side plates 130 can be used as exhaust channels 200 to guide the high-temperature gas discharged from the battery cell 110 into the sealed cavity 340. Specifically, after the side plate 130 is fixed to the battery module 100, a cavity is formed between the protruding structure 131 of the side plate 130 and the battery cell 110 of the battery module 100, and the cavity can be used as an exhaust channel 200 to guide the high-temperature gas discharged from the battery cell 110. In addition, the protruding structure 131 of the side plate 130 is provided with a first opening 132 on the side facing the battery cell 110 to form the cavity, and a second opening 133 is provided in the direction of the sealed cavity 340, and the explosion-proof valve 120 of the battery cell 110 can enter the protruding structure 131 through the first opening 132 to form the cavity. The first opening 132 of the cavity facing the battery cell 110 is the air inlet 210 of the exhaust channel 200 , and the second opening 133 of the cavity facing the sealing cavity 340 is the air outlet 220 of the exhaust channel 200 .

[0058] It can be understood that when the high-temperature gas enters the exhaust channel 200 formed by the side panel 130, since the protruding structure 131 of the side panel 130 is only provided with exhaust holes at the position in contact with the sealed cavity 340, the high-temperature gas can only enter the sealed cavity 340 through a preset guide route, that is, through the exhaust holes of the exhaust channel 200 to enter the air inlet 341 of the sealed cavity 340, and then enter the sealed cavity 340.

[0059] Furthermore, the cavity formed by the protruding structure 131 of the side plate 130 can be connected along the length direction, so that the protruding structure 131 of the side plate 130 forms a connected exhaust channel 200, thereby improving the flow efficiency of the high-temperature gas discharged from the battery cell 110 from the exhaust channel 200 into the sealed cavity 340. In other embodiments of the present application, the side plate 130 can also be provided with a spacing structure, and there is a cavity between two adjacent spacing structures, thereby forming an exhaust channel 200. The cavity formed by each spacing structure corresponds to the explosion-proof valve 120 of a battery cell 110. The provision of the spacing structure of the side plate 130 can prevent the influence between two adjacent battery cells 110 and reduce the risk of inducing thermal runaway of adjacent battery cells 110.

[0060] Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present application, the side plate 130 is fixedly connected to the sealing protrusion 330 to form a cooperative communication between the air outlet 220 and the air inlet 341. Specifically, after the liquid cooling plate 400 is fixed to the sealing protrusion 330, a third opening 360 is formed between the liquid cooling plate 400 and the sealing protrusion 330, and the third opening 360 can be used as the air inlet 341 of the sealed cavity 340. Therefore, when the protruding structure 131 of the side plate 130 of the battery module 100 is fixedly connected to the sealing protrusion 330, the third opening 360 is cooperatively connected with the second opening 133, thereby forming a cooperative communication between the air outlet 220 and the air inlet 341. In other words, after the liquid cooling plate 400 is fixed to the sealing protrusion 330, the area of ​​the liquid cooling plate 400 is smaller than the area of ​​the area enclosed by the sealing protrusion 330, that is, the liquid cooling plate 400 does not completely close the area enclosed by the sealing protrusion 330. When the sealing protrusion 330 is connected to the exhaust channel 200 on the side plate 130 , the sealing formed by the liquid cooling plate 400 and the sealing cover 300 is completed.

[0061] In the above embodiment, after the battery unit 110 has thermal runaway, the explosion-proof valve 120 opens, and the high-temperature gas enters the exhaust channel 200 formed by the side plate 130 through the air inlet 210 (i.e., the first opening 132) of the exhaust channel 200, and enters the sealed cavity 340 through the air outlet 220 (i.e., the second opening 133) of the exhaust channel 200 and the air inlet 341 (i.e., the third opening 360) of the sealed cavity 340, and then contacts the liquid cooling plate 400.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the explosion-proof valve 120 of the battery cell 110 is generally arranged in the direction of the exhaust channel 200 arranged on the side panel 130. Its purpose is to effectively guide the discharge of high-temperature gas from the battery cell with thermal runaway, prevent the high-temperature gas from affecting adjacent battery cells, and reduce the risk of cascaded thermal runaway in the battery pack.

[0063] Generally, the side plate 130 is made of SMC material to ensure the insulation, corrosion resistance and thermal stability of the side plate 130 .

[0064] In another embodiment of the present application, Figure 4 , Figure 6 as well as Fig. 9 As shown, the battery module 100 has at least two rows of battery cells 110, and an intermediate beam 140 is provided between two adjacent rows of battery cells 110. The intermediate beam 140 is used to separate the two rows of battery cells 110 to prevent the two rows of battery cells 110 from affecting each other. The above two rows of battery cells 110 refer to two groups of battery cells 110 provided along the width direction of the battery module 100, each group of battery cells 110 is provided with a plurality of battery cells 110, and are arranged along the length direction of the battery module 100.

[0065] Furthermore, an exhaust passage 200 is formed inside the middle beam 140. The explosion-proof valve 120 of the battery cell 110 is arranged toward the middle beam 140, and an air inlet 210 is provided at the position where the middle beam 140 contacts the explosion-proof valve 120 of the battery cell 110, and an air outlet 220 is provided on the side where the middle beam 140 contacts the liquid cooling plate 400. When thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell 110, the high-temperature gas discharged from the battery cell 110 can enter the exhaust passage 200 inside the middle beam 140 through the air inlet 210 of the middle beam 140 and enter the sealed cavity 340 through the air outlet 220 of the middle beam 140.

[0066] Furthermore, the liquid cooling plate 400 is provided with an air inlet 341, which penetrates the liquid cooling plate 400. The air outlet 220 provided on the middle beam 140 is connected with the air inlet 341 on the liquid cooling plate 400. Specifically, the sealed cavity 340 formed between the liquid cooling plate 400 and the sealing cover 300 is provided with an air inlet 341 penetrating the entire liquid cooling plate 400 at a position of the liquid cooling plate 400 corresponding to the middle beam 140, so as to guide the high-temperature gas discharged from the middle beam 140 into the sealed cavity 340. Therefore, when the battery cell 110 has a thermal runaway, the high-temperature gas discharged from the battery cell 110 enters the exhaust channel 200 inside the middle beam 140 through the air inlet 210 of the middle beam 140, and enters the sealed cavity 340 through the air outlet 220 of the middle beam 140 and the air inlet 341 provided on the liquid cooling plate 400, and then contacts the liquid cooling plate 400.

[0067] Furthermore, the plurality of air inlet holes 210 disposed on both sides of the middle beam 140 are alternately arranged at intervals, so as to ensure that the explosion-proof valve 120 does not affect the battery cell 110 opposite to the battery cell 110 when ejecting high-temperature gas.

[0068] Furthermore, the exhaust channel 200 formed inside the middle beam 140 can be connected along the length direction, thereby improving the flow efficiency of the high-temperature gas discharged from the battery cell 110 from the exhaust channel 200 into the sealed cavity 340. In other embodiments of the present application, a spacing structure can also be provided inside the middle beam 140, and a cavity is provided between two adjacent spacing structures, thereby forming an exhaust channel 200. The cavity formed by each spacing structure corresponds to the explosion-proof valve 120 of a battery cell 110. The provision of the spacing structure of the middle beam 140 can prevent the influence between two adjacent battery cells 110 and reduce the risk of inducing thermal runaway of adjacent battery cells 110.

[0069] Generally, the middle beam 140 is made of metal material and is manufactured by an extrusion process.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the explosion-proof valve 120 of the battery cell 110 is generally arranged in the direction of the exhaust channel 200 provided on the middle beam 140, with the purpose of effectively guiding the discharge of high-temperature gas from the battery cell experiencing thermal runaway, preventing the high-temperature gas from affecting adjacent battery cells, and reducing the risk of cascaded thermal runaway in the battery pack.

[0071] In other embodiments of the present application, if the battery module 100 includes more than three rows of battery cells 110, the side panels 130 and the middle beam 140 can be selected to be arranged on the battery module 100, and their structures are similar to the structures described in the above two embodiments. When the battery module 100 has both the side panels 130 and the middle beam 140, the sealed cavity 340 formed by the liquid cooling plate 400 and the sealing cover 300 is also similar to the structural design of only setting the side panels 130 and only setting the middle beam 140, and no further explanation is given in this application. Those skilled in the art can derive the relevant structure in this embodiment from the above two embodiments. At this time, the explosion-proof valve 120 of the battery cell 110 can be selectively arranged in the direction of the exhaust channel 200 set in the side panel 130 or the exhaust channel 200 set in the middle beam 140.

[0072] In the embodiment of the present application, the exhaust channel 200 is composed of the side panel 130 or the middle beam 140 included in the module itself. Compared with the prior art in which the exhaust channel 200 is separately provided, the structural design of the exhaust channel 200 disclosed in the present application can improve the utilization rate of the internal space of the battery pack 10, improve the energy density of the battery pack 10, and reduce the manufacturing cost of the battery pack 10.

[0073] In the embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 As shown, the battery pack 10 is also provided with a battery pack explosion-proof valve 350, which is arranged at the gas outlet 342 of the sealed cavity 340 (the gas outlet 342 is not drawn in the figure). When the pressure of the gas stored in the sealed cavity 340 reaches a certain value, the battery pack explosion-proof valve 350 can be triggered to open and discharge the cooled gas out of the battery pack 10.

[0074] In summary, the battery pack disclosed in the present application can effectively discharge the high-temperature gas generated by the electrolyte from the battery cell after the battery cell has thermal runaway, and guide the high-temperature gas into the sealed cavity. The liquid cooling plate also cools the high-temperature gas entering the sealed cavity, thereby reducing the secondary damage of the high-temperature gas to the battery cells and related structural and functional parts inside the battery pack. In addition, the battery pack disclosed in the present application can also store the gas discharged from the thermal runaway battery cell through the sealed cavity, so as to prevent the battery cell from being replaced when the battery cell thermal runaway occurs, thereby reducing the maintenance cost of the battery pack. In addition, the battery pack disclosed in the present application can also discharge the cooled battery cell exhaust gas out of the battery pack through the sealed cavity. Since the gas is cooled by the liquid cooling plate, it will not cause damage to the structural and functional parts outside the battery pack, thereby improving the safety of the battery pack.

[0075] In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms “center”, “longitudinal”, “lateral”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “up”, “down”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inside”, “outside”, “clockwise”, “counterclockwise”, “axial”, “radial”, “circumferential”, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0076] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0077] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0078] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" or "above" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0079] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0080] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations of the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and vary the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery pack, characterized in that: include: A battery module, wherein the battery module has a plurality of battery cells, and the battery cells include explosion-proof valves; A liquid cooling plate, the liquid cooling plate being arranged on the battery module; A sealing cover, wherein the sealing cover cooperates with the liquid cooling plate to form a sealed cavity, and the sealed cavity has an air inlet; An exhaust channel, wherein the exhaust channel is provided with an air inlet, the air inlet cooperates with the explosion-proof valve, and the exhaust channel is also provided with an air outlet, the air outlet is communicated with the air inlet; When the explosion-proof valve is opened, the exhaust passage is used to guide the fluid to enter the exhaust passage from the air inlet, and flow into the sealed cavity from the air outlet and the air inlet; A side plate is provided on one side of the battery module, a protruding structure away from the battery module is provided on one side of the side plate close to the sealed cavity, and the other side contacts the battery module, the protruding structure forms the exhaust channel, and the explosion-proof valve of the battery unit is located in the protruding structure of the side plate; The side plate is also provided with a spacing structure, and a cavity is provided between two adjacent spacing structures, thereby forming the exhaust channel; The sealing cover is provided with a sealing protrusion, and the sealing protrusion encloses a region, the area of ​​which is smaller than the area of ​​the sealing cover, and the liquid cooling plate is arranged on the sealing protrusion to form the sealing cavity.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery module has at least two rows of battery cells, a middle beam is provided between two adjacent rows of battery cells, the exhaust channel is formed in the middle beam, the explosion-proof valve of the battery cell is arranged toward the middle beam, an air inlet is provided at a position where the middle beam contacts the battery cell explosion-proof valve, and an air outlet is provided on the side of the middle beam that contacts the liquid cooling plate.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2, characterized in that: The multiple air inlet holes arranged on both sides of the middle beam are arranged alternately and at intervals.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealing cover is provided with a supporting structure, and the supporting structure is used to support the liquid cooling plate.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side plate is fixedly connected to the sealing protrusion to form a cooperative connection between the air outlet and the air inlet.

6. The battery pack according to claim 3, characterized in that: The liquid cooling plate is provided with an air inlet, and the air inlet passes through the liquid cooling plate. The air outlet hole provided on the middle beam is in communication with the air inlet on the liquid cooling plate.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealing cover is a battery pack upper cover or a battery pack tray.

8. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealed cavity is also provided with an air outlet, and a battery pack explosion-proof valve is arranged in the air outlet.

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