Battery Pack, Battery Cluster, Energy Storage Container and Thermal Runaway Propagation Inhibition Method

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of energy storage devices, and provides a battery cluster, an energy storage container and a control method for suppressing the spread of battery thermal runaway to solve the technical problem of how to directionally suppress a single battery in thermal runaway. A heat dissipation and pressure relief channel and a battery compartment are isolated in the battery pack box body through an explosion relief partition layer; a plurality of single batteries are arranged side by side in the battery compartment, and the explosion relief parts of each single battery are hermetically connected to the explosion relief partition layer through respective explosion relief pipes; the explosion relief pipes between adjacent single batteries are communicated through one-way pipes; except for the last single battery, a flip valve is arranged in the explosion relief pipe of each single battery, and the flip valve can be flipped after being impacted by the thermal runaway flue gas generated by the single battery to close the one-way pipe. Based on the one-way pipe, the flip valve and the explosion relief partition layer, the present invention realizes the simultaneous integration of three means of isolating adjacent single batteries, directionally suppressing and ventilating, dissipating heat and cooling down, so that the suppression effect and suppression efficiency of thermal runaway spread can be significantly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of energy storage devices, and particularly relates to a battery pack, a battery cluster, an energy storage container, and a method for suppressing thermal runaway spread. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of lithium-ion battery technology, lithium-ion battery energy storage has witnessed explosive growth in recent years. Currently, in the field of energy storage, energy storage devices (such as energy storage containers) contain a large number of battery clusters, which are composed of a large number of battery packs, and each battery pack is composed of a large number of single cells (rechargeable batteries). This means that if the spread of thermal runaway in the energy storage device cannot be effectively controlled after a single cell in the energy storage field experiences thermal runaway, it may trigger extremely large disaster accidents. The safety of energy storage devices directly affects the safety of relevant practitioners and related equipment. Therefore, the safety issues related to energy storage devices have increasingly become a bottleneck problem restricting the large-scale development of the electrochemical energy storage industry. How to effectively solve the safety problems of energy storage devices has become an urgent technical problem to be solved.

[0003] Currently, in order to prevent the smoke generated by thermal runaway from dispersing to the surroundings, the smoke is generally collected through pipes for discharge. For example, Chinese Patent (CN114865115A) discloses a method for suppressing lithium-ion battery packs and battery modules, where each single cell releases the thermal runaway smoke through its respective explosion relief mechanism into a manifold. However, simply discharging the smoke through a manifold can only expel the smoke and cannot implement targeted suppression measures for the single cell experiencing thermal runaway. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art, and provide a battery pack to solve the technical problem of how to perform directional suppression on a single cell experiencing thermal runaway.

[0005] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions: A battery pack includes a battery pack box body. A heat dissipation and pressure relief channel and a battery compartment are isolated within the battery pack box body by an explosion relief partition layer. A number of single cells are arranged side by side in the battery compartment, and the explosion relief parts of each single cell all face the explosion relief partition layer and are hermetically connected to the explosion relief partition layer through their respective explosion relief pipes. An inhibitor input pipe is connected to the explosion relief pipe of the single cell at the head end, and the explosion relief pipes of adjacent single cells are connected through one-way pipes, so that the inhibitor can only flow in the direction of the single cell at the end. Except for the single cell at the end, a flip valve is provided in the explosion relief pipe of each single cell, and the flip valve can be flipped to block the one-way pipe after being impacted by the thermal runaway smoke generated by the single cell.

[0006] Further, the explosion venting layer includes exhaust ports corresponding to each explosion venting pipe, and each exhaust port is provided with a flap for closing the exhaust port. After being impacted by the thermal runaway flue gas generated by the corresponding single battery, the flap turns over to release the closing of the exhaust port, so that the thermal runaway flue gas can be discharged through the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel.

[0007] Further, the explosion venting layer includes exhaust ports corresponding to each explosion venting pipe, and each exhaust port is provided with a thin film for closing the exhaust port. After being impacted by the thermal runaway flue gas generated by the corresponding single battery, the thin film breaks to release the closing of the exhaust port, so that the thermal runaway flue gas can be discharged through the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel.

[0008] Further, the turning valve includes a flap whose one end is hinged to the inner wall of the explosion venting pipe, and the hinged end of the flap is located below the inlet end of the one-way pipe.

[0009] The present invention also provides a battery cluster, including the battery pack provided by the present invention.

[0010] Further, the battery packs are stacked vertically, and the bottom plate of the battery compartment of the upper battery pack serves as the top plate of the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel of the lower battery pack; one end of each heat dissipation and pressure relief channel communicates with the air inlet pipe, and the other end communicates with the air outlet pipe.

[0011] Further, it further includes an inhibitor storage tank, and the inhibitor storage tank transports the inhibitor to each inhibitor input pipe through the inhibitor main pipe.

[0012] Further, an electric control valve is provided on the inhibitor main pipe; it further includes a controller and a flue gas sensor. The controller can judge whether there is flue gas in the gas in the air outlet pipe through the sensing data of the flue gas sensor in the air outlet pipe. If so, it indicates that thermal runaway has occurred, and then controls the electric control valve to open.

[0013] The present invention also provides an energy storage container, including the battery cluster provided by the present invention.

[0014] The present invention also provides a method for suppressing the spread of thermal runaway. When one or several single batteries in the battery cluster of the present invention have thermal runaway, the thermal runaway flue gas first breaks through the explosion venting part of the single battery and impacts the turning valve in the explosion venting pipe to turn over, so that the inlet end of the one-way pipe is closed to cut off the path for the thermal runaway flue gas to spread to the single battery downstream. Due to the one-way conduction function of the one-way pipe, the thermal runaway flue gas cannot spread to the single battery upstream either; then, the thermal runaway flue gas breaks through the explosion venting layer and enters the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel;

[0015] At the same time of thermal runaway, cold air is continuously sent into the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel through the air supply pipe, which can not only reduce the internal temperature of the battery pack, but also take the flue gas out of the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel and send it to the air outlet pipe;

[0016] Since the explosion venting layer is breached and the pressure in the explosion venting pipe drops, the inhibitor in the inhibitor storage tank spontaneously flows into the explosion venting pipe of the single cell experiencing thermal runaway. And since the flip valve in the explosion venting pipe closes the one-way pipe, after the inhibitor reaches the single cell experiencing thermal runaway, it will not flow to the downstream single cells.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention include:

[0018] 1. In the present invention, the one-way pipe and the flip valve cooperate with each other to block the upstream and downstream flow of the thermal runaway flue gas at the same time, preventing the thermal runaway flue gas from spreading to adjacent single cells and causing the temperature of adjacent single cells to rise. At the same time, the explosion venting isolation layer also blocks the backflow of the thermal runaway flue gas to the single cells that have not experienced thermal runaway, thereby suppressing the occurrence of chain thermal runaway.

[0019] 2. The flip valve plays a role in positioning the single cell: the flip valve blocks the flow of the inhibitor to the downstream single cells of the single cell experiencing thermal runaway. Eventually, the inhibitor will converge at the single cell experiencing thermal runaway and specifically inhibit it in a targeted manner. The rapid cooling effect of the inhibitor enables the thermal runaway to be quickly suppressed, and the inhibitory effect is more obvious than simply discharging the thermal runaway flue gas.

[0020] 3. In the present invention, the thermal runaway flue gas is used as the driving force to trigger a chain reaction of the flip valve, the explosion venting layer, and the inhibitor delivery link. The process of suppressing the spread of thermal runaway can proceed spontaneously and smoothly, with sensitive response.

[0021] 4. When thermal runaway does not occur, the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel can also form a heat dissipation system in combination with the inlet and outlet air ducts. When thermal runaway occurs, it can dissipate heat and discharge the flue gas at the same time, killing two birds with one stone, and the structure is delicate.

[0022] 5. The method for suppressing the spread of thermal runaway in the present invention is based on the one-way pipe, the flip valve, and the explosion venting layer, realizing the simultaneous integration of three means: isolating adjacent single cells, targeted inhibition, and ventilation, heat dissipation, and cooling. Therefore, it can significantly improve the effect and efficiency of suppressing the spread of thermal runaway. Description of the Drawings

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the electromagnetic cluster.

[0024] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the explosion venting layer. Detailed Embodiment

[0025] Since the battery cluster includes battery packs, this detailed embodiment is described with the battery cluster. The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0026] Such as Figure 1As shown in the figure, a battery cluster includes a plurality of battery packs 1, an air inlet pipe 4, an air outlet pipe 5, a flue gas sensor 6, an inhibitor storage tank 7, an inhibitor main pipe 8, a refrigerator 9, a plurality of inlet connecting pipes 10, and a plurality of outlet connecting pipes 20.

[0027] The battery pack 1 includes a battery pack box body 11. A heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2 and a battery compartment are isolated within the battery pack box body 11 by an explosion venting partition layer 22. The battery packs in the battery cluster are stacked vertically, and the bottom plate of the battery compartment of the upper battery pack serves as the top plate of the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel of the lower battery pack; one end of each heat dissipation and pressure relief channel communicates with the air inlet pipe, and the other end communicates with the air outlet pipe. The bottom of the battery pack box body of the lowermost battery pack is hollow to form a bottom heat dissipation channel 3.

[0028] A number of single cells 12 are arranged side by side in the battery compartment. The explosion venting parts (which can be safety valves or weak parts of the single cells) of each single cell all face the explosion venting partition layer and are hermetically connected to the explosion venting partition layer through their respective explosion venting pipes 13; an inhibitor input pipe is communicated with the explosion venting pipe of the single cell at the front end, and adjacent explosion venting pipes of single cells are communicated through a one-way pipe 14, so that the inhibitor can only flow in the direction of the end single cell; except for the end single cell, a turning valve 15 is arranged in each explosion venting pipe of a single cell. The turning valve 15 can be turned over after being impacted by the thermal runaway flue gas generated by the single cell to block the one-way pipe.

[0029] The explosion venting pipe 13 is located above the explosion venting part of each single cell and covers the entire explosion venting part, so that the flue gas ejected from the explosion venting part can be discharged directionally along the explosion venting pipe 13; the bottom of the explosion venting pipe 13 is hermetically connected to the single cell 12, and the sealing method can be adhesive bonding, welding, threaded connection, etc. In addition, the explosion venting pipe 13 contains a turning valve, and the turning valve includes a flap hinged to the inner wall of the explosion venting pipe, and the hinged end of the flap is located below the inlet end of the one-way pipe 14.

[0030] When the flue gas is ejected from the explosion venting part of the battery, the turning valve 15 rotates upward by 90 degrees under the action of the ejection force. At this time, the explosion venting pipe 13 and the one-way pipe 14 on its right side will be blocked by the turning valve 15 to prevent the flue gas ejected from the explosion venting part from flowing into the one-way pipe 14 on the right side.

[0031] The one-way pipe 14 is used to communicate the explosion venting pipes 13 in each battery pack 1. A one-way valve 16 (as shown by the arrow in the figure) is installed in each one-way pipe 14, so that the medium in the one-way pipe 14 can only flow to the right, thus preventing the flue gas in the explosion venting pipe 13 from flowing to the left after the single cell 12 undergoes thermal runaway.

[0032] Multiple heat dissipation and pressure relief channels 2 can conduct ventilation and heat dissipation during the normal operation of the battery cluster, and can direct the generated flue gas out after thermal runaway of a single battery 12. The heat dissipation and pressure relief channels 2 are located above the battery pack 1; the heat dissipation and pressure relief channels 2 are an inner cavity space formed by the top plate 21 of the battery pack box body, the explosion relief layer 22, the left side wall 23 of the battery pack box body, and the right side wall 24 of the battery pack box body.

[0033] The top plate 21 of the battery pack box body is coated with a flame retardant and heat insulation material to block the heat of the flue gas in the heat dissipation and pressure relief channels 2 from heating upwards, thereby preventing thermal runaway of the upper battery pack.

[0034] As Figure 2 shown, the explosion relief layer 22 includes exhaust ports corresponding to each explosion relief pipe, and each exhaust port is provided with a movable barrier plate 231 for closing the exhaust port. The movable barrier plate 231 is flipped after being impacted by the thermal runaway flue gas generated by the corresponding single battery to release the closure of the exhaust port, so that the thermal runaway flue gas can be discharged through the heat dissipation and pressure relief channels.

[0035] The size of the movable barrier plate 231 is larger than the size of the exhaust port 232. In this way, the flue gas entering the heat dissipation and pressure relief channels will not impact and open other movable barrier plates from above. That is, the movable barrier plate can only be opened by the flue gas from below.

[0036] The upper end of the above-mentioned explosion relief pipe 13 is fixed to the explosion relief layer 22, and the fixing method can be welding, threaded connection, etc. The flue gas exhaust port 232 is interconnected with the explosion relief pipe 13, and the size of the flue gas exhaust port 232 is not larger than the channel cross-sectional size of the explosion relief pipe 13. The left end of the movable barrier plate 231 is fixed to the explosion relief layer 23 through a rotating shaft, and the right end of the movable barrier plate 231 can rotate upwards by 90 degrees around the left end under the action of a certain force. Therefore, when the flue gas ejected from the explosion relief part of the single battery 12 passes through the explosion relief pipe 13 and the flue gas exhaust port 232, it acts on the movable barrier plate 231, and the movable barrier plate 231 rotates upwards by 90 degrees under the action of the flue gas ejection force. The dimension of the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2 in the height direction is larger than the length dimension of the movable barrier plate 231, so that the cooling air can circulate in the heat dissipation and pressure relief channels, and the ventilation and heat dissipation in the battery cluster can operate normally. In addition, the movable barrier plate 231 that is not broken through by the flue gas also separates the flue gas discharge area from the ventilation and heat dissipation area that is operating normally in the battery cluster, so that after thermal runaway of a local single battery 12, the thermal runaway flue gas is blocked from flowing back to the single batteries that have not experienced thermal runaway.

[0037] In addition, the explosion-proof barrier can also adopt the following structure: the explosion-proof barrier includes exhaust ports corresponding to each explosion-proof pipe, and each exhaust port is provided with a film for closing the exhaust port. The film is broken after being impacted by the thermal runaway smoke generated by the corresponding single battery to release the blockage of the exhaust port, so that the thermal runaway smoke can be discharged through the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel.

[0038] The air inlet pipe 4 is connected to a refrigerator 9, which can be an air conditioner, a fan, etc. The refrigerator 9 transports cooling air from the air inlet pipe 4 to the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2, the inside of the box 11 of the battery pack 1, and the bottom heat dissipation channel 3, and finally discharges it from the air outlet pipe 5 to achieve ventilation and heat dissipation during normal operation of the battery cluster. The air inlet pipe 4 is connected to the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2, the box 11 of the battery pack 1, and the bottom heat dissipation channel 3 through multiple inlet connecting pipes 10.

[0039] The air outlet pipe 5 is connected to the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2, the box 11 of the battery pack 1, and the bottom heat dissipation channel 3 through multiple outlet connecting pipes 20, and a smoke sensor 6 is installed above the air outlet pipe 5. A one-way valve 16 is installed on the outlet connecting pipe 20 (that is, a one-way valve 16 is provided like the one-way pipe 14) to prevent the medium in the outlet connecting pipe 20 from flowing back. On the one hand, during the normal operation of the battery cluster, the air outlet pipe 5 is used to discharge the hot air in the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2, the box 11, and the bottom heat dissipation channel 3; on the other hand, after the single battery 12 in the battery cluster has thermal runaway, the air outlet pipe 5 is used to discharge the smoke in a directional manner. The air outlet pipe 5 can withstand the high temperature and high pressure during smoke emission.

[0040] It also includes a controller (not shown in the figure) and a smoke sensor 6. The controller can determine whether the gas in the air outlet duct contains smoke through the sensor data of the smoke sensor 6 on the gas in the air outlet duct. If so, indicating that thermal runaway has occurred, the electronically controlled valve 71 is controlled to open.

[0041] The smoke sensor 6 can monitor one or more of the smoke or gas components generated by thermal runaway of the single battery 12. Therefore, the smoke sensor 6 can be a general smoke alarm, or a gas sensor such as a hydrogen sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, an ethylene sensor, etc.

[0042] The inhibitor storage tank 7 stores an inhibitor, which is connected to the air inlet pipe 8, and is equipped with an electric control valve 71. When the smoke sensor 6 outputs an alarm signal, the electric control valve 71 opens quickly, so that the inhibitor storage tank 7 starts quickly, and the inhibitor is directed to the single battery 12 with thermal runaway through the inhibitor main pipe 8, so as to achieve rapid and accurate cooling of the thermal runaway battery, and achieve the purpose of inhibiting the further spread of thermal runaway. The inhibitor is a liquid or gas with a refrigeration function, such as low-temperature air, liquid nitrogen, etc.

[0043] Through the structure and function of the above battery cluster, a method for suppressing the spread of battery thermal runaway is realized. When one or several single cells in the battery cluster undergo thermal runaway, the thermal runaway flue gas first breaks through the explosion vent of the single cell and impacts the flip valve in the explosion vent pipe, causing the flip valve to turn over, so that the inlet end of the one-way pipe is closed to cut off the path for the thermal runaway flue gas to spread to the single cells downstream. Due to the one-way conduction function of the one-way pipe, the thermal runaway flue gas cannot spread to the single cells upstream either; then, the thermal runaway flue gas breaks through the explosion vent layer and enters the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel;

[0044] At the same time as the thermal runaway occurs, cold air is continuously sent into the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel through the air supply pipe, which can not only reduce the temperature inside the battery pack, but also bring the flue gas out of the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel and send it to the air outlet pipe;

[0045] Since the explosion vent layer is broken through, the pressure in the explosion vent pipe drops, and the inhibitor in the inhibitor storage tank spontaneously flows into the explosion vent pipe of the single cell undergoing thermal runaway. And because the flip valve in the explosion vent pipe closes the one-way pipe, after the inhibitor reaches the single cell undergoing thermal runaway, it will not flow to the single cells downstream.

[0046] For the situation where two or more single cells in the same battery pack in the battery cluster undergo flue gas runaway simultaneously or successively, the directional delivery of the inhibitor can be achieved. The reason is that the inhibitor is first delivered to the single cell undergoing thermal runaway upstream. After the single cell is cooled, its flip valve will fall back, thereby opening the closed one-way pipe, enabling the inhibitor to be delivered to the single cell undergoing thermal runaway downstream.

[0047] More specifically, the method for suppressing the spread of battery thermal runaway is realized by means of directional diversion of thermal runaway flue gas, directional and precise cooling of the battery by the inhibitor, and normal operation of ventilation and heat dissipation after thermal runaway.

[0048] (1) In the above method for directional diversion of thermal runaway flue gas, after thermal runaway of the single cell 12, the flue gas is ejected from the explosion vent part of the single cell 12 into the explosion vent pipe 13. The ejection force of the flue gas first acts on the flip valve 15 in the explosion vent pipe 13, causing the flip valve 15 to rotate upward by 90 degrees. At this time, the flip valve 15 blocks the connection between the explosion vent pipe 13 and the one-way pipe 14 on its right side, and the leftward channel in the explosion vent pipe is also blocked by the one-way valve 16 in the one-way pipe 14. Therefore, the flue gas can only be ejected upward along the explosion vent pipe 13. Subsequently, the flue gas acts on the movable baffle 231 on the explosion isolation layer 22 of the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2 through the flue gas exhaust port 232. The movable baffle 231 rotates upward by 90 degrees under the action of the flue gas ejection force and then remains fixed. A one-way valve is provided in the inlet connecting pipe 10 to prevent the flue gas from flowing leftward along the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2. After the flue gas is ejected from the explosion vent pipe 13, it flows rightward along the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2, and then enters the air outlet pipe 5 through the outlet connecting pipe 20. Since a one-way valve 16 is installed on the outlet connecting pipe 20, the flue gas entering the air outlet pipe 5 can only be discharged upward along the air outlet pipe 5 in a directional manner. The whole process realizes the directional discharge of the flue gas. The directional discharge of the flue gas can prevent the high-temperature flue gas from directly acting on the surrounding batteries, thereby slowing down the temperature increase of the surrounding batteries and achieving the purpose of slowing down the spread of thermal runaway. In addition, the directional discharge of the flue gas can prevent the flue gas from diffusing and mixing with air in the surrounding space, thereby inhibiting the occurrence of gas explosion.

[0049] (2) In the above method for directional and precise cooling of the battery by the inhibitor, when the smoke sensor 6 detects the flue gas in the air outlet pipe 5, the smoke sensor 6 outputs an alarm signal. After receiving the alarm signal from the smoke sensor 6, the electric control valve 71 of the inhibitor storage tank 7 quickly opens, and the inhibitor in the inhibitor storage tank 7 reaches the single cell 12 that has experienced thermal runaway in a directional manner along the inhibitor main pipe 8, the inlet connecting pipe 10, the one-way pipe 14, and the explosion vent pipe 13, realizing the directional and precise cooling of the single cell 12 with thermal runaway by the inhibitor. As the cooling process progresses, the flue gas gradually decreases. When the smoke sensor 6 detects that the gas in the air outlet pipe no longer contains flue gas or the flue gas content meets the requirements, the controller controls the electric control valve to close.

[0050] Actually, when no single cell 12 in the battery cluster experiences thermal runaway, even if the electric control valve 71 is accidentally opened, it is difficult for the inhibitor to flow out. This is because the inhibitor main pipe 8, the inlet connecting pipe 10, the one-way pipe 14, and the explosion vent pipe 13 form a sealed space without a pressure outlet, so the inhibitor will not flow out. When there is a single cell 12 in the battery cluster that has experienced thermal runaway, the explosion vent pipe 13 is connected to the external environment, and then the inhibitor can flow out.

[0051] (3) For the method of normal operation of ventilation and heat dissipation after the above thermal runaway, during the normal operation of the battery cluster, the ventilation and heat dissipation carried out by the refrigerator 9 includes two paths. One path is the intake pipe 4 - the inlet connecting pipe 10 on the left side wall 23 of the battery pack box body of the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2 - the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2 - the outlet connecting pipe 20 on the right side wall 24 of the battery pack box body of the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2 - the outlet pipe 5. The other path is the intake pipe 4 - the inlet connecting pipe 10 connected to the intake pipe 4 of the battery pack box body 11 - the inside of the battery pack box body 11 - the outlet connecting pipe 20 connected to the outlet pipe 5 of the battery pack box body 11 - the outlet pipe 5. After a single battery 12 undergoes thermal runaway, the flue gas ejected from the explosion vent part of the single battery 12 acts on the movable baffle 231 after passing through the explosion vent pipe 13. After the movable baffle 231 opens, the flue gas enters the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2. However, since a one-way valve is installed on the inlet connecting pipe 10, the flue gas cannot enter the intake pipe 4 and will not affect the remaining heat dissipation channels. And when the pressure in the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2 with flue gas is lower than the pressure in the intake pipe 4, the intake pipe 4 can still ventilate and dissipate heat for this heat dissipation and pressure relief channel 2, which is beneficial to the rapid discharge of the flue gas.

[0052] For the bottommost battery pack, there is also a third heat dissipation and ventilation path: the intake pipe 4 - the inlet connecting pipe 10 connected to the intake pipe 4 of the battery pack box body 11 - the bottom heat dissipation channel 3 - the outlet connecting pipe 20 connected to the outlet pipe 5 of the battery pack box body 11 - the outlet pipe 5.

[0053] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0054] The above technical solution is only one implementation mode of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, based on the disclosed principle of the present invention, it is very easy to make various types of improvements or deformations, not limited to the technical solution described in the above specific embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the foregoing description is only preferred and does not have a restrictive meaning.

Claims

1. A battery pack, characterized in that: It includes a battery pack box body. Inside the battery pack box body, a heat dissipation and pressure relief channel and a battery compartment are separated by an explosion venting partition layer. The heat dissipation and pressure relief channel is located above the battery compartment. One end of the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel is connected to an air inlet pipe, and the other end is connected to an air outlet pipe. A number of single cells are arranged side by side in the battery compartment. The explosion venting parts of each single cell all face the explosion venting partition layer and are hermetically connected to the explosion venting partition layer through their respective explosion venting pipes. An inhibitor input pipe is connected to the explosion venting pipe of the single cell at the head end. The explosion venting pipes of adjacent single cells are connected through a one-way pipe, so that the inhibitor can only flow towards the direction of the single cell at the end. Except for the single cell at the end, a flip valve is provided in the explosion venting pipe of each single cell. The flip valve includes a flap whose one end is hinged to the inner wall of the explosion venting pipe, and the hinged end of the flap is located below the inlet end of the one-way pipe. The flip valve can be flipped after being impacted by the thermal runaway flue gas generated by the single cell to close the one-way pipe.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The explosion venting partition layer includes exhaust ports corresponding to each explosion venting pipe. An active baffle for closing the exhaust port is provided on each exhaust port. The active baffle is flipped after being impacted by the thermal runaway flue gas generated by the corresponding single cell to release the closure of the exhaust port, so that the thermal runaway flue gas can be discharged through the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein: The explosion venting partition layer includes exhaust ports corresponding to each explosion venting pipe. A thin film for closing the exhaust port is provided on each exhaust port. The thin film is broken after being impacted by the thermal runaway flue gas generated by the corresponding single cell to release the closure of the exhaust port, so that the thermal runaway flue gas can be discharged through the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel.

4. A battery cluster, characterized in that: It includes the battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The battery cluster according to claim 4, characterized in that: The battery packs are stacked vertically, and the bottom plate of the battery compartment of the upper battery pack serves as the top plate of the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel of the lower battery pack. One end of each heat dissipation and pressure relief channel is connected to an air inlet pipe, and the other end is connected to an air outlet pipe.

6. The battery cluster according to claim 5, wherein: It further includes an inhibitor storage tank. The inhibitor storage tank transports inhibitors to each inhibitor input pipe through an inhibitor main pipe.

7. The battery cluster according to claim 6, wherein: An electric control valve is provided on the inhibitor main pipe. It further includes a controller and a flue gas sensor. The controller can judge whether there is flue gas in the gas in the air outlet pipe through the sensing data of the flue gas sensor in the air outlet pipe. If so, it indicates that a thermal runaway has occurred, and then controls the electric control valve to open.

8. An energy storage container, characterized in that, It includes the battery cluster according to claim 4.

9. A method for suppressing thermal runaway propagation, characterized in that: When one or several single cells in the battery cluster according to claim 6 have a thermal runaway, the thermal runaway flue gas first breaks through the explosion venting part of the single cell and impacts the flip valve in the explosion venting pipe to flip, so that the inlet end of the one-way pipe is closed to cut off the path for the thermal runaway flue gas to spread to the single cells downstream. Due to the one-way conduction function of the one-way pipe, the thermal runaway flue gas cannot spread to the single cells upstream either. Then, the thermal runaway flue gas breaks through the explosion venting partition layer and enters the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel. At the same time of the thermal runaway, cold air is continuously sent into the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel through an air supply pipe, which can not only reduce the internal temperature of the battery pack, but also bring the flue gas out of the heat dissipation and pressure relief channel and send it to the air outlet pipe. Due to the breakthrough of the explosion venting partition layer, the pressure in the explosion venting pipe drops, and the inhibitor in the inhibitor storage tank spontaneously flows into the explosion venting pipe of the single cell where thermal runaway occurs. And because the flip valve in the explosion venting pipe closes the one-way pipe, after the inhibitor reaches the single cell where thermal runaway occurs, it will not flow to the downstream single cells.

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