Battery, electrical equipment, and battery manufacturing method

Abstract

An embodiment of the present application provides a battery, an electrical device, and a battery manufacturing method. The battery includes a housing (1), battery cells (2), a liquid cooling system (3), and a detection device (5). The housing (1) includes a bottom plate (11). The battery cells (2) are disposed inside the housing (1). The liquid cooling system (3) is configured to cool the battery cells (2) through a coolant. The detection device (5) is configured to detect the leaked coolant of the liquid cooling system (3). The detection device (5) includes a detection portion whose detection position is disposed between the battery cells (2) and the bottom plate (11). The electrical device includes the battery. The detection portion in the present application can effectively protect the battery cells, avoid safety accidents of the battery, and improve the safety performance of the battery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a battery, an electrical device, and a battery manufacturing method. Background Art

[0002] Energy conservation and emission reduction are key to the sustainable development of the automotive industry. Electric vehicles, due to their energy-saving and environmentally friendly advantages, have become an important component of the sustainable development of the automotive industry. For electric vehicles, battery technology is a key factor in their development.

[0003] During the use of the battery, the coolant inside the battery used to cool the battery cells may leak, affecting the safety performance of the battery. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a battery, an electrical device, and a battery manufacturing method, which can quickly detect coolant leakage and improve the safety performance of the battery.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a battery, comprising:

[0006] housing, including a base plate;

[0007] A battery cell is disposed inside the housing;

[0008] A liquid cooling system for cooling the battery cells using a coolant; and

[0009] The detection device is configured to detect coolant leakage from the liquid cooling system, and the detection device includes a detection portion whose detection position is set between the battery cell and the bottom plate.

[0010] In the battery embodiment provided in the present application, the detection position of the detection unit included in the detection device is set between the battery cell and the base plate. In this way, after the coolant leaks, the detection unit can detect the coolant before the coolant contacts the battery cell, thereby avoiding the battery cell from being soaked in the coolant, preventing the electrical components of the battery cell from short-circuiting or being damaged, effectively protecting the battery cell, and increasing the service life of the battery cell; it can also avoid battery safety accidents and improve the safety performance of the battery.

[0011] In some embodiments, the detection position of the detection unit is 1 mm to 5 mm higher than the bottom plate. This distance range can facilitate the arrangement of the detection device and ensure that the coolant leak is detected in advance before the coolant contacts the battery cell, effectively protecting the battery cell.

[0012] In some embodiments, the detection unit is disposed on the bottom plate. This arrangement has the advantage of being able to detect the presence of the coolant immediately, detect coolant leakage in the shortest possible time and at the fastest speed, and prevent the coolant from soaking components close to the bottom plate.

[0013] In some embodiments, the battery further includes a separator disposed between the battery cell and the bottom plate. The separator is provided with a groove having an opening facing the bottom plate, and the detection device includes a terminal disposed in the groove, and the terminal is connected to the detection portion.

[0014] By providing the separator and arranging the groove on the separator, the terminal can be hidden in the groove, preventing the terminal from being exposed on the surface of the separator and causing assembly interference problems, which facilitates the assembly of the separator.

[0015] In some embodiments, the detection portion includes a probe connected to the terminal. The groove is located at the edge of the separator and forms an open portion toward one side of the edge, and the probe extends from the terminal along a direction away from the open portion.

[0016] By providing the groove, the terminal can be pushed into the groove from the open portion at the edge of the separator. The open portion has a positioning and guiding effect on the installation of the terminal, which can greatly improve the installation convenience of the detection device. The probe extends from the terminal along a direction away from the open portion, so that the end of the probe is located on the side of the terminal away from the open portion, so as to effectively protect the probe through the side wall of the groove, prevent the probe from being exposed outside the groove or the separator and rubbing or colliding with other components in the battery, reduce the safety of the probe, and reduce the service life of the probe.

[0017] In some embodiments, the battery further includes a first electrical connection line, a second electrical connection line, and a battery management system. The detection portion includes a first probe and a second probe. The first electrical connection line connects the first probe and the battery management system, and the second electrical connection line connects the second probe and the battery management system.

[0018] By providing the first electrical connection line, the second electrical connection line, and the battery management system, after the first probe and the second probe are connected through the coolant, it can be transmitted to the battery management system through the first electrical connection line and the second electrical connection line. The battery management system can determine whether the coolant is detected according to the change in the connection state of the two probes.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first probe, the first electrical connection line, and the battery management system are connected to form a first branch. The first branch is provided with a first voltage terminal for providing a voltage of a first preset value to the first branch. The second probe, the second electrical connection line, and the battery management system are connected to form a second branch. The second branch is provided with a second voltage terminal for providing a voltage of a second preset value to the second branch. The battery management system is configured to determine whether the detection device detects the coolant leaked from the liquid cooling system by detecting the voltage difference between the first branch and the second branch.

[0020] By setting a first voltage terminal on the first branch, a voltage with a first preset value can be provided for the first branch. By setting a second voltage terminal on the second branch, a voltage with a second preset value can be provided for the second branch. Furthermore, by detecting the difference in voltage values between the two branches, it can be determined whether there is a coolant leak.

[0021] In some embodiments, the battery further includes a first resistor, a first capacitor, a second resistor, and a second capacitor. The first resistor is connected to the first branch. One end of the first capacitor is connected to the first branch, and the other end of the first capacitor is grounded. The second resistor is connected to the second branch. One end of the second capacitor is connected to the second branch, and the other end of the second capacitor is grounded.

[0022] The first resistor and the first capacitor form a first filter, which can filter out the interference signals of the first branch. The second resistor and the second capacitor form a second filter, which can filter out the interference signals of the second branch.

[0023] In some embodiments, the battery management system includes a processing module, which is configured to: when it is detected that the absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch and the second branch is greater than or equal to the absolute value of the difference between U1 and U2, determine that the detection device has not detected the coolant leaked by the liquid cooling system, where U1 is the absolute value of the difference between the first preset value and the second preset value, and U2 is 0 to 1V; and when it is detected that the absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch and the second branch is less than or equal to U3, determine that the detection device has detected the coolant leaked by the liquid cooling system, where U3 is 0 to 1V, and U3 is less than the absolute value of the difference between U1 and U2.

[0024] In some of the above embodiments of the present application, the processing module can determine whether there is a coolant leak according to the magnitude of the detected absolute value of the voltage difference. Moreover, the judgment conditions set in the embodiments of the present application take into account the difference between the actual voltage difference and the theoretical voltage difference caused by energy-consuming components or heat consumption on the circuit, thereby effectively reducing the false alarm rate and improving the detection accuracy.

[0025] In some embodiments, the distance between the first probe and the second probe is 5 mm to 10 mm. If the distance between the two probes is too large, it may affect the connection sensitivity. If the distance between the two probes is too small, misconnection may occur.

[0026] In some embodiments, both the first probe and the second probe are cylindrical, and the diameter of the first probe is 0.5 mm to 3 mm and / or the diameter of the second probe is 0.5 mm to 3 mm. By setting the diameter of the probe within this value range, it can not only meet the detection requirements, but also effectively control the volume of the detection device, avoid the detection device being too large and inconvenient to install, and is also beneficial to reducing costs.

[0027] Second aspect, the present application provides an electrical device, including the above-mentioned battery, and the battery is used to supply electrical energy to the electrical device.

[0028] The electrical device embodiment provided by the present application can quickly and accurately detect whether the coolant leaks or the leakage amount reaches a preset amount, effectively protecting the battery and improving the use safety of the electrical device.

[0029] Third aspect, the present application provides a battery manufacturing method, including:

[0030] Providing a housing including a bottom plate;

[0031] Providing a battery cell and arranging the battery cell inside the housing;

[0032] Providing a liquid cooling system for cooling the battery cell through a coolant;

[0033] Providing a detection device for detecting the coolant leaked from the liquid cooling system, the detection device including a detection part; and

[0034] Setting the detection position of the detection part between the battery cell and the bottom plate.

[0035] The battery manufactured by using the battery manufacturing method embodiment provided by the present application can quickly and accurately detect whether the coolant leaks or the leakage amount reaches a preset amount, effectively protecting the battery cell and improving the safety performance of the battery.

[0036] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to be able to understand the technical means of the present application more clearly, it can be implemented according to the content of the specification. And in order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and understandable, the following specifically illustrates the specific implementation manners of the present application. Description of the Drawings

[0037] In order to illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application more clearly, the drawings required to be used in the embodiments of the present application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to the drawings without creative efforts.

[0038] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an electrical device disclosed in some embodiments of the present application.

[0039] Figure 2 It is an exploded view of a battery disclosed in some embodiments of the present application.

[0040] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a battery disclosed in some embodiments of the present application.

[0041] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the battery disclosed in some embodiments of the present application after removing the bottom plate.

[0042] Figure 5 It is Figure 4 an enlarged view of the part indicated by reference numeral A in the figure.

[0043] Figure 6 It is a partial schematic structural diagram of the separator in the battery disclosed in some embodiments of the present application.

[0044] Figure 7 It is Figure 6 an enlarged view of the part indicated by reference numeral B in the figure.

[0045] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of the detection device in the battery disclosed in some embodiments of the present application.

[0046] Figure 9 It is a bottom view of the detection device in the battery disclosed in some embodiments of the present application.

[0047] Figure 10 It is a side view of the detection device in the battery disclosed in some embodiments of the present application.

[0048] Figure 11 It is a schematic circuit diagram of the battery disclosed in some embodiments of the present application before detecting coolant leakage.

[0049] Figure 12 It is a schematic circuit diagram of the battery disclosed in some embodiments of the present application when detecting coolant leakage.

[0050] In the drawings, the drawings are not drawn to actual scale.

[0051] Marking description:

[0052] 1000, vehicle; 100, battery; 200, controller; 300, motor;

[0053] 1, housing; 11, bottom plate; 12, housing body; 2, battery cell; 3, liquid cooling system; 4, separator; 41, groove; 5, detection device; 51, terminal; 52, first probe; 53, second probe; 54, first electrical connection wire; 55, second electrical connection wire; 6, mounting plate; 61, gap; 71, first hook; 72, second hook; 81, first positioning member; 82, second positioning member; 90, third resistor; 91, first branch; 92, first voltage terminal; 93, second branch; 94, second voltage terminal; 95, first resistor; 96, first capacitor; 97, second resistor; 98, second capacitor; 99, fourth resistor. Detailed implementation manners

[0054] The embodiments of the technical solution of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present application more clearly, so they are only examples and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present application.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0056] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish different objects and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity, specific order or primary-secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In addition, the term "vertical" is not strictly vertical but within the allowable error range. The term "parallel" is not strictly parallel but within the allowable error range.

[0057] Referring to "embodiments" herein means that the specific features, structures or characteristics described in connection with the embodiments can be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The phrase appearing in various positions in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. Those skilled in the art will explicitly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0058] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0059] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "plurality" refers to more than two, unless otherwise specifically defined. Similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two groups, and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two pieces, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0060] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by technical terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application 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. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the embodiments of the present application.

[0061] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation", "connection", "connection", "fixation", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can also be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0062] At present, from the perspective of the development of the market situation, the application of power batteries is becoming more and more extensive. Power batteries are not only used in energy storage power systems such as hydropower, thermal power, wind power, and solar power stations, but also widely used in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric vehicles, as well as in multiple fields such as military equipment and aerospace. With the continuous expansion of the application fields of power batteries, the market demand is also continuously increasing.

[0063] A thermal management system for regulating the working temperature of the battery is provided inside the battery. Usually, the thermal management system uses a liquid cooling system to control the temperature of the battery. The liquid cooling system includes a liquid cooling plate and a water pipe. The water pipe is arranged on the liquid cooling plate, and a coolant is filled inside the water pipe. The coolant flows in the water pipe and the liquid cooling plate to dissipate heat from the battery.

[0064] The inventors of the present application noticed that during the use of the battery, there is a risk of coolant leakage. After the coolant leaks, it will cause a short circuit or damage to the electrical components inside the battery, reduce the service life of the battery, and may also cause safety accidents and endanger personal safety.

[0065] The inventors further studied and found that currently, in the related art, an insulation detection method through a battery management system (BMS) is adopted to determine whether the coolant has leaked. However, for an inverted battery, after the coolant leaks and the battery cells do not come into contact with the coolant, the insulation alarm will not be triggered. When the BMS triggers the insulation alarm, the high-voltage electrical components inside the battery have been soaked by the coolant, posing a safety risk of high-voltage failure. It can be seen that the detection method in the related art is somewhat lagging, and the safety risk is still very high.

[0066] Based on the above research, the inventors improved the structure of the battery. The improved battery can quickly detect the leakage of the coolant at the first time, ensuring the safe use of the battery.

[0067] The battery embodiment provided in the embodiments of the present application can quickly detect the coolant, avoiding triggering the alarm after the electrical components inside the battery have been soaked by the coolant. Therefore, the sensitivity of the detection is greatly improved, effectively improving the safety performance of the battery.

[0068] The embodiments of the present application provide an electrical device using a battery as a power source. The battery is configured to supply electrical energy to the electrical device. The electrical device can be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a portable device, a laptop computer, a battery car, an electric vehicle, a ship, a spacecraft, an electric toy, and an electric tool, etc. For example, the spacecraft includes an airplane, a rocket, a space shuttle, and a spaceship, etc. The electric toy includes a fixed or mobile electric toy, such as a game console, an electric vehicle toy, an electric ship toy, and an electric airplane toy, etc. The electric tool includes a metal cutting electric tool, a grinding electric tool, an assembly electric tool, and a railway electric tool, such as an electric drill, an electric grinder, an electric wrench, an electric screwdriver, a hammer drill, an impact electric drill, a concrete vibrator, and a planer.

[0069] For the convenience of description, the following embodiments take a vehicle 1000, which is an electrical device in an embodiment of the present application, as an example for description.

[0070] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1The structure diagram of the electrical device provided for some embodiments of the present application is for a vehicle 1000. The vehicle 1000 can be a fuel vehicle, a gas vehicle, or a new energy vehicle. The new energy vehicle can be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, an extended-range vehicle, etc. Inside the vehicle 1000, there is a battery 100, and the battery 100 can be arranged at the bottom, head, or tail of the vehicle 1000. The battery 100 can be used for power supply of the vehicle 1000. For example, the battery 100 can be used as the operating power source of the vehicle 1000. The vehicle 1000 may further include a controller 200 and a motor 300. The battery 100 is used to provide electrical energy for the operation of the motor 300 and other components in the vehicle. The controller 200 is used to control the operation of the motor 300. For example, it is used for the working power requirements during the start, navigation, and driving of the vehicle 1000.

[0071] In some embodiments of the present application, the battery 100 can not only be used as the operating power source of the vehicle 1000, but also as the driving power source of the vehicle 1000, replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power for the vehicle 1000.

[0072] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 The explosion diagram of the battery 100 provided for some embodiments of the present application. The battery 100 includes a housing 1 and battery cells 2, and the battery cells 2 are accommodated in the housing 1. Among them, the housing 1 is used to provide a accommodation space for the battery cells 2, and the housing 1 can adopt various structures.

[0073] In some embodiments, the housing 1 may include a bottom plate 11 and a housing body 12. The bottom plate 11 is a plate-like structure, and the housing body 12 is a hollow structure with one end open. The bottom plate 11 covers the open side of the housing body 12, and the bottom plate 11 and the housing body 12 jointly define a accommodation space for accommodating the battery cells 2.

[0074] In some other embodiments, the bottom plate 11 can also adopt a non-plate structure. For example, both the bottom plate 11 and the housing body 12 can be hollow structures with one side open, and the open side of the bottom plate 11 covers the open side of the housing body 12. Of course, the housing 1 formed by the bottom plate 11 and the housing body 12 can be in various shapes, such as a cylinder, a cuboid, etc.

[0075] As Figure 3 shown, it is the structure diagram after the battery 100 is assembled. During use, the battery 100 is first inverted from the Figure 3 shown state and then placed. After being placed, the bottom plate 11 is located at the bottom of the housing body 12.

[0076] In the battery 100, there may be multiple battery cells 2. The multiple battery cells 2 can be connected in series, in parallel, or in a combined series-parallel connection. A combined series-parallel connection means that there are both series and parallel connections among the multiple battery cells 2. The multiple battery cells 2 can be directly connected in series, in parallel, or in a combined series-parallel connection together, and then the whole formed by the multiple battery cells 2 is accommodated in the housing 1. Of course, the battery 100 can also be such that multiple battery cells 2 are first connected in series, in parallel, or in a combined series-parallel connection to form a battery module, and then multiple battery modules are connected in series, in parallel, or in a combined series-parallel connection to form a whole and are accommodated in the housing 1. The battery 100 may further include other structures. For example, the battery 100 may further include a busbar component for realizing the electrical connection among the multiple battery cells 2.

[0077] Among them, the battery cell 2 includes a lithium-ion secondary battery, a lithium-ion primary battery, a lithium-sulfur battery, a sodium-lithium-ion battery, a sodium-ion battery, a magnesium-ion battery, etc., and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. The battery cell can be in a cylindrical shape, a flat shape, a cuboid shape, or other shapes, etc., and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto either. Generally, battery cells are divided into three types according to the encapsulation method: cylindrical battery cells, square battery cells, and soft-pack battery cells, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto either.

[0078] The battery cell 2 refers to the smallest unit that makes up the battery. There can be various choices for the structure of the battery cell 2, and the present application does not describe the specific structure of the battery cell 2 in too much detail.

[0079] According to some embodiments of the present application, with reference to Figure 4 , and please further refer to Figure 5 , Figure 4 is Figure 3 a schematic structural diagram after removing the bottom plate 11 from the battery embodiment shown, Figure 5 and Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the part indicated by reference numeral A in

[0080] The present application provides a battery 100, which includes a housing 1, battery cells 2, a liquid cooling system 3, and a detection device 5.

[0081] In the battery embodiment provided by the present application, the detection position of the detection unit included in the detection device 5 is set between the battery cell 2 and the bottom plate 11. In this way, after the coolant leaks, the detection unit can detect the coolant before the coolant contacts the battery cell 2, thereby preventing the battery cell 2 from being soaked by the coolant, preventing the electrical components of the battery cell 2 from being short-circuited or damaged, effectively protecting the battery cell 2, and increasing the service life of the battery cell 2; it can also avoid battery safety accidents and improve the safety performance of the battery.

[0082] The detection position of the detection unit is the position where the detection unit can detect the coolant. When the coolant reaches the detection position, the detection unit detects the coolant and determines that the coolant has leaked.

[0083] Compared with the solution of detecting coolant leakage by insulation detection in the related art, in the embodiment of the present application, by setting the detection position of the detection unit included in the detection device 5 between the battery cell 2 and the bottom plate 11, the leakage of the coolant can be detected in advance before the coolant contacts the battery cell 2, effectively protecting the battery cell 2. The battery provided by the embodiment of the present application has a higher detection sensitivity to coolant leakage, can prevent safety accidents from occurring earlier, and improves the safety of battery use.

[0084] The bottom plate 11 is located at the bottom of the housing 1. After the coolant leaks, the liquid level of the coolant will gradually rise upward from the bottom plate 11. By setting the detection position of the detection unit between the battery cell 2 and the bottom plate 11, the coolant can be detected in the shortest time.

[0085] In some embodiments, the detection position of the detection unit is higher than the bottom plate 11, and the distance between the detection position of the detection unit and the bottom plate 11 is 1 mm to 5 mm, such as 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, and 5 mm, etc. This distance range can facilitate the arrangement of the detection device 5, and at the same time can ensure that the leakage of the coolant is detected in advance before the coolant contacts the battery cell 2, effectively protecting the battery cell 2.

[0086] In some embodiments, the detection unit is disposed on the bottom plate 11. The advantage of this setting is that the presence of the coolant can be detected in the first time, and the leakage of the coolant can be detected in the shortest time and at the fastest speed. Once the coolant appears on the bottom plate 11, the leakage of the coolant can be detected, preventing the components close to the bottom plate 11 from being soaked by the coolant.

[0087] As Figure 2 and Figure 5 shown, in some embodiments of the present application, the battery further includes a partition 4 disposed between the battery cell 2 and the bottom plate 11. The partition 4 is provided with a groove 41 with an opening facing the bottom plate 11. The detection device 5 includes a terminal 51 disposed in the groove 41, and the terminal 51 is connected to the detection unit.

[0088] By providing a partition plate 4 and arranging a groove 41 on the partition plate 4, the terminal 51 can be hidden in the groove 41, preventing the terminal 51 from being exposed on the surface of the partition plate 4 and causing interference problems in assembly, which facilitates the assembly of the partition plate 4.

[0089] In some embodiments, the liquid cooling system 3 is arranged between the partition plate 4 and the battery cell 2. The partition plate 4 can also serve as a support plate for the liquid cooling system 3, and the infusion pipe in the liquid cooling system 3 can pass through the through hole provided on the partition plate 4.

[0090] In some embodiments, the partition plate 4 can also serve as a mounting plate for other components, such as a sensor for detecting the magnitude of the pressure borne by the bottom of the battery cell 2. In these embodiments, by mounting the detection device 5 on the partition plate 4 with corresponding functions, the installation of the detection device 5 can be achieved using the existing structure, without the need to specifically provide a mounting component for the detection device 5, which can save the number of battery components, simplify the internal structure layout, and reduce costs.

[0091] In some embodiments, the detection part includes a probe connected to the terminal 51. The groove 41 is located at the edge of the partition plate 4 and forms an open part towards one side of the edge, and the probe extends from the terminal 51 along a direction away from the open part.

[0092] As Figure 6 shown, the groove 41 is arranged at the edge of the partition plate 4, and the groove 41 forms an open part towards one side of the edge. In this way, the terminal 51 can be pushed into the groove 41 from the open part at the edge of the partition plate 4. The open part has a positioning and guiding effect on the installation of the terminal 51, which can greatly improve the convenience of installing the detection device 5.

[0093] As Figure 7 shown, the probe extends from the terminal 51 along a direction away from the open part. Such an arrangement can place the end of the probe on the side of the terminal 51 away from the open part, so as to effectively protect the probe through the side wall of the groove 41, preventing the probe from being exposed outside the groove 41 or the partition plate 4 and rubbing or colliding with other components inside the battery, reducing the safety of the probe and shortening the service life of the probe.

[0094] In the embodiments where the detection part includes a probe, the position where the probe first contacts the coolant is the detection position of the detection part. For example, the position on the outer surface of the probe close to the bottom plate 11 is the detection position of the detection part. When the coolant contacts this position, the presence of the coolant can be detected.

[0095] In some embodiments, the battery further includes a first electrical connection line 54, a second electrical connection line 55, and a battery management system. The detection part includes a first probe 52 and a second probe 53. The first electrical connection line 54 connects the first probe 52 and the battery management system, and the second electrical connection line 55 connects the second probe 53 and the battery management system.

[0096] As Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 shown, the extending directions of the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 are parallel to each other. Before the coolant is detected, the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 are in a non-connected state; when the liquid level of the coolant reaches the end positions of the first probe 52 and the second probe 53, the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 are electrically connected through the coolant. The first probe 52 and the second probe 53 are respectively electrically connected to the battery management system through the first electrical connection line 54 and the second electrical connection line 55. After the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 are electrically conducted, the battery management system can judge whether the coolant is detected according to the change of the connection state between the two probes.

[0097] There are many methods for the battery management system to judge whether the connection state between the two probes changes. A specific implementation manner is introduced below.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first probe 52, the first electrical connection line 54 and the battery management system are connected to form a first branch 91. The first branch 91 is provided with a first voltage terminal 92, and the first voltage terminal 92 is used to provide a voltage with a first preset value to the first branch 91. The second probe 53, the second electrical connection line 55 and the battery management system are connected to form a second branch 93. The second branch 93 is provided with a second voltage terminal 94, and the second voltage terminal 94 is used to provide a voltage with a second preset value to the second branch 93. The battery management system is configured to judge whether the detection device 5 detects the leaked coolant of the liquid cooling system 3 by detecting the voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93. In these embodiments, the battery management system judges whether the two probes are electrically connected by judging the voltage difference between the two branches, and further judges whether the coolant is detected.

[0099] In some embodiments, the battery further includes a first resistor 95, a first capacitor 96, a second resistor 97 and a second capacitor 98. The first resistor 95 is connected to the first branch 91. One end of the first capacitor 96 is connected to the first branch 91, and the other end of the first capacitor 96 is grounded. The second resistor 97 is connected to the second branch 93. One end of the second capacitor 98 is connected to the second branch 93, and the other end of the second capacitor 98 is grounded.

[0100] As Figure 11 and Figure 12 shown, the first resistor 95 and the first capacitor 96 form a first filter, which can filter out the interference signals of the first branch 91; the second resistor 97 and the second capacitor 98 form a second filter, which can filter out the interference signals of the second branch 93.

[0101] In some embodiments, the battery management system includes a processing module configured to: determine that the detection device 5 does not detect the coolant leaked from the liquid cooling system 3 when the absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 is greater than or equal to the absolute value of the difference between U1 and U2, where U1 is the absolute value of the difference between a first preset value and a second preset value, and U2 is from 0 to 1V; and determine that the detection device 5 detects the coolant leaked from the liquid cooling system 3 when the absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 is less than or equal to U3, where U3 is from 0 to 1V and U3 is less than the absolute value of the difference between U1 and U2.

[0102] As Figure 11 shown, when the coolant does not leak, the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 are in a non-connected state and are disconnected from each other; after the coolant leaks, since the coolant is a conductor, when the two probes come into contact with the coolant, the two probes will be electrically connected, thereby connecting the first branch 91 and the second branch 93. Before and after the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 are connected, the absolute value of the voltage difference between them will change. Therefore, by detecting the magnitude of the absolute value of the voltage difference between the two branches, it can be determined whether the detection device 5 detects the coolant.

[0103] Before being connected, the voltage value of the first branch 91 is the first preset value, and the voltage value of the second branch 93 is the second preset value. The absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 should theoretically be the absolute value of the difference between the first preset value and the second preset value, U1. Considering factors such as energy-consuming components or heat consumption in the circuit, the actual absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 may be slightly smaller than U1. The difference between the actual absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 and the theoretical absolute value of the voltage difference is less than U2, for example, controlled between 0 and 1V. U2 can be 0V, 0.2V, 0.4V, 0.5V, 0.6V, 0.8V or 1V, etc. Of course, in other embodiments, the value of U2 can also be flexibly set according to actual situations. By setting U2, it can be prevented that due to factors such as energy-consuming components or heat consumption in the circuit, the actual absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 is slightly less than U1 and is misjudged as the detection device 5 detecting the coolant, effectively improving the detection accuracy.

[0104] After being turned on, the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 are connected to form a path. The absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 should theoretically be 0. However, due to energy-consuming components or heat consumption in the circuit, etc., the absolute value of the actual voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 may be slightly greater than 0, such as U3, where U3 is 0 to 1V. U3 can be 0V, 0.2V, 0.4V, 0.5V, 0.6V, 0.8V, or 1V, etc. Of course, in other embodiments, the value of U3 can also be set flexibly according to the actual situation. By setting the absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 to be less than or equal to U3, it is possible to prevent the absolute value of the actual voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 from being slightly greater than 0 due to energy-consuming components or heat consumption in the circuit and being misjudged as the detection device 5 not detecting the coolant, effectively improving the accuracy of detection.

[0105] As Figure 9 shown, the distance d1 between the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 is 5mm to 10mm, such as 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, or 10mm, etc.

[0106] If the distance between the two probes is too large, it may affect the sensitivity of connection. If the distance between the two probes is too small, misconnection may occur.

[0107] As Figure 10 shown, both the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 are cylindrical. The diameter d3 of the first probe 52 is 0.5mm to 3mm, such as 0.5mm, 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, or 5mm, etc. The diameter of the second probe 53 is 0.5mm to 3mm, such as 0.5mm, 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, or 5mm, etc. By setting the diameter of the probe within this value range, it can not only meet the detection requirements but also effectively control the volume of the detection device 5, avoid the detection device 5 being too large and inconvenient to install, and is also beneficial to reducing costs.

[0108] This application also provides an electrical device, including the above battery, and the battery is used to supply electrical energy to the electrical device.

[0109] This application also provides a method for manufacturing a battery, including:

[0110] providing a housing 1 including a bottom plate 11;

[0111] providing a battery cell 2 and arranging the battery cell 2 inside the housing 1;

[0112] providing a liquid cooling system 3 for cooling the battery cell 2 with coolant;

[0113] Provided is a detection device 5 for detecting the coolant leaked from the liquid cooling system 3. The detection device 5 includes a detection unit; and

[0114] The detection position of the detection unit is set between the battery cell 2 and the bottom plate 11, so that the detection device 5 can detect the leaked coolant before the leaked coolant contacts the battery cell 2.

[0115] The positive effects of each of the above battery embodiments are equally applicable to the electrical equipment and the battery manufacturing method, which will not be elaborated here.

[0116] The following combines the attached Figure 2-12 Describe the structures of some embodiments of the battery of the present application.

[0117] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the battery 100 includes a housing 1, battery cells 2, a liquid cooling system 3, and a partition 4. The housing 1 includes a bottom plate 11 and a housing 12. An opening is provided at the bottom of the housing 12. The interior of the housing 12 has a receiving space. A plurality of battery cells 2 are received in the receiving space of the housing 12. The liquid cooling system 3 and the partition 4 are also provided in the housing 12. The liquid cooling system 3 is provided at the bottom of the battery cells 2. The partition 4 is provided at the bottom of the liquid cooling system 3. The bottom plate 11 covers the opening side of the housing 12 to enclose the battery cells 2, the liquid cooling system 3, and the partition 4 inside the housing 1.

[0118] As Figure 4 shown, a plurality of rows of battery cells 2 are provided in the housing 1. The plurality of rows of battery cells 2 are arranged in regions. Each region where a battery cell 2 is located is provided with a corresponding partition 4. A detection device 5 is installed at one side edge of the partition 4.

[0119] As Figure 5 shown, one side edge of the partition 4 is provided with a protruding portion protruding towards the battery cell 2. A groove 41 with an opening facing away from the battery cell 2 or towards the bottom plate 11 is provided on the protruding portion. The detection device 5 is provided in the groove 41.

[0120] The detection device 5 includes a terminal 51, a first probe 52, a second probe 53, a first electrical connection line 54, and a second electrical connection line 55. The first probe 52 is connected to the first electrical connection line 54 through the terminal 51. The second probe 53 is connected to the second electrical connection line 55 through the terminal 51.

[0121] The terminal 51 is an electrical connection component, and the housing of the terminal 51 is made of an insulating material. In the embodiment as Figure 5 shown, the terminal 51 is square-shaped. In other embodiments, the terminal 51 can also be rectangular, triangular, or other shapes.

[0122] An open portion is formed on one side of the groove 41 facing the edge of the partition 4. The first probe 52 and the second probe 53 are connected to the side of the terminal 51 away from the open portion, so as to protect the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 through the side wall of the groove 41, avoiding interference or collision between the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 and other components, which is beneficial to improving the service life of the probe. The first electrical connection line 54 and the second electrical connection line 55 are connected to the side of the terminal 51 close to the open portion, so that the first electrical connection line 54 and the second electrical connection line 55 extend out of the groove 41 and are connected to the battery management system.

[0123] To facilitate the installation and fixation of the detection device 5, the battery 100 further includes a mounting plate 6. The mounting plate 6 is disposed in the groove 41, and the detection device 5 is mounted on the mounting plate 6. The shape and size of the mounting plate 6 can match the shape and size of the groove 41, so that after the mounting plate 6 is placed in the groove 41, the mounting plate 6 will not shake in the groove 41, which can improve the stability of the detection device 5.

[0124] Figure 5 It is a view from the upward view angle. During the use of the battery, the detection device 5 is located below the mounting plate 6, and the detection device 5 is closer to the bottom plate 11 than the mounting plate 6. Moreover, in the Figure 5 embodiment shown, after the detection device 5 is installed, there is a gap 61 between the mounting plate 6 and the bottom of the groove 41. This gap 61 makes it easier to place the mounting plate 6 into the groove 41. Moreover, the gap 61 can prevent friction between the mounting plate 6 and the bottom of the groove 41, effectively protecting the mounting plate 6 and the partition 4. Herein, the bottom of the groove 41 refers to the surface of the groove 41 opposite to its opening.

[0125] To further improve the stability of the detection device 5 and prevent the detection device 5 from shaking inside the battery 100, the battery 100 further includes a connecting member, and the terminal 51 is fixed to the mounting plate 6 through the connecting member.

[0126] The connecting member includes a first hook 71 and a second hook 72. The first hook 71 and the second hook 72 are disposed on the mounting plate 6, and the terminal 51 is snap-connected to the first hook 71 and the second hook 72.

[0127] As Figure 5 shown, the first hook 71 and the second hook 72 are mounted on the side of the mounting plate 6 close to the bottom plate 11. The ends of the first hook 71 and the second hook 72 away from the mounting plate 6 are respectively provided with protruding portions close to each other. The side surface of the protruding portion is an inclined surface, which is convenient for the terminal 51 to enter the space defined by the first hook 71 and the second hook 72. Moreover, the protruding portion can limit the terminal 51 from disengaging after the terminal 51 enters the space defined by the first hook 71 and the second hook 72, realizing the fixing effect on the terminal 51.

[0128] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the first hook 71 and the second hook 72 are respectively arranged on both sides of the terminal 51 to restrict the movement of the terminal 51 in the first direction, and the first direction is the direction connecting the first hook 71 and the second hook 72.

[0129] As Figures 8 to 10 shown, the end faces of the ends of the first hook 71 and the second hook 72 away from the mounting plate 6 include planes, and the distance between this plane and the mounting plate 6 is greater than the distance between the terminal 51 and the mounting plate 6. Therefore, during the use of the battery, this plane contacts the bottom plate 11, while there is a preset distance between the terminal 51 and the bottom plate 11.

[0130] One end of the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 is connected to the inside of the terminal 51, and the distances between the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 and the mounting plate 6 are also smaller than the distances between the end planes of the first hook 71 and the second hook 72 and the mounting plate 6.

[0131] As Figure 10 shown, the distance d2 between the outer surface of the first probe 52 and the end plane of the first hook 71 is 1 mm to 5 mm. The distance between the outer surface of the second probe 53 and the end plane of the second hook 72 can also be 1 mm to 5 mm. This distance can enable the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 to quickly detect the leaked coolant, while avoiding the coolant from soaking the battery cell 2 and other electrical components.

[0132] As Figure 5 、 7 to 9 shown, the battery 100 further includes a positioning member arranged on the mounting plate 6, and the positioning member is used to restrict the position of the terminal 51 relative to the mounting plate 6 to prevent the detection part from contacting the side wall of the groove 41.

[0133] The positioning member includes a first positioning member 81 and a second positioning member 82. The first positioning member 81 and the second positioning member 82 are respectively arranged on both sides of the terminal 51 to prevent the terminal 51 from moving relative to the mounting plate 6 in the second direction, and the second direction is the direction connecting the first positioning member 81 and the second positioning member 82. The second direction and the first direction are two non-parallel directions. In the embodiments shown in Figure 5 、 7 to 9, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0134] In the embodiments shown in Figure 5 、 7 ​​​​​In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, the structures of the first positioning member 81 and the second positioning member are similar to those of the first hook 71 and the second hook 72. The first positioning member 81 and the second positioning member 82 omit the protruding portions compared with the first hook 71 and the second hook 72. The end faces of the first positioning member 81 and the second positioning member 82 remote from the mounting plate 6 also include planes, and these planes are in contact with the bottom plate 11. The end planes of the first positioning member 81, the second positioning member 82, the first hook 71, and the second hook 72 are coplanar to keep the detection device 5 stable. In other embodiments, the structures of the first positioning member 81 and the second positioning member 82 may be the same as or different from those of the first hook 71 and the second hook 72.

[0135] As Figure 9 shown, the distance d1 between the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 is 5 mm to 10 mm. As Figure 10 shown, the diameter d3 of the first probe 52 is 0.5 mm to 3 mm, and the diameter of the second probe 53 may also be 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

[0136] In the embodiments shown in Figure 11 and Figure 12 FIGS. 10 and 11, the first branch 91 is connected to a first voltage terminal 92. For example, the voltage magnitude provided by the first voltage terminal 92 to the first branch 91 is 5V. The second branch 93 is connected to a second voltage terminal 94. For example, the second voltage terminal 94 is grounded, that is, the voltage provided by the second voltage terminal 94 to the second branch 93 is 0V. A third resistor 90 is connected between the first branch 91 and the first voltage terminal 92, and a fourth resistor 99 is connected between the second branch 93 and the second voltage terminal 94.

[0137] A first resistor 95 and a first capacitor 96 are connected to the first branch 91. One end of the first capacitor 96 is connected to the first branch 91, and the other end of the first capacitor 96 is grounded. A second resistor 97 and a second capacitor 98 are connected to the second branch 93. One end of the second capacitor 98 is connected to the second branch 93, and the other end of the second capacitor 98 is grounded.

[0138] During the operation of the battery, the first end of the first branch 91 and the first end of the second branch 93 are both connected to the battery management system (BMS). The second end of the first branch 91 is connected to the first electrical connection line 54, the first electrical connection line 54 is connected to the first probe 52, the second end of the second branch 93 is connected to the second electrical connection line 55, and the second electrical connection line 55 is connected to the second probe 53.

[0139] As [[ID=..]] Figure 11As shown, when there is no coolant leakage or the liquid level of the coolant is less than d2 (which can be 1 mm to 5 mm) and does not contact the first probe 52 and the second probe 53, the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 are not connected, the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 are in an unconnected state, and the absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 is greater than or equal to 4V. That is, when it is detected that the absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 is greater than or equal to 4V, it indicates that there is no coolant leakage or the height of the leaked coolant is less than d2.

[0140] As Figure 12 shown, when the height of the leaked coolant is greater than or equal to d2, the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 contact the coolant and are conducted through the coolant, and the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 also enter the conducting state. At this time, the absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 is less than or equal to 1V. That is, when it is detected that the absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 is less than or equal to 1V, it indicates that the coolant has leaked and the height of the leaked coolant is greater than or equal to d2.

[0141] Both the first branch 91 and the second branch 93 are connected to the battery management system. When it is detected that the coolant leaks or the height of the leaked coolant reaches the warning line, the battery management system can send an alarm to notify the vehicle to close the on-off valve to avoid further safety accidents caused by continued coolant leakage. At the same time, since in the embodiment of the present application, the first probe 52 and the second probe 53 are arranged on the side of the battery cell 2 close to the bottom plate 11, the leaked coolant can be detected before the coolant contacts the battery cell 2, thereby effectively protecting the battery cell 2 and preventing the battery cell 2 from being soaked by the coolant.

[0142] The battery provided by the embodiment of the present application can quickly detect the leakage of the coolant, effectively ensuring the use safety of the battery. Compared with the technical solution of detecting whether the coolant leaks by the method of insulation test, the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application can also avoid false alarms of insulation withstand voltage caused by water vapor and improve the detection accuracy.

[0143] In the battery embodiment provided by the present application, a groove is provided at the bottom of the partition, and an open part is provided on one side of the groove close to the edge. The detection device can be pushed into the groove from the side to complete the installation of the detection device, without the need to turn the whole battery over for installation, so the convenience of installation is greatly improved.

[0144] Although the present application has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications can be made thereto and components thereof can be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any manner. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A battery, comprising: A housing (1), including a bottom plate (11); A battery cell (2), disposed inside the housing (1); A liquid cooling system (3), configured to cool the battery cell (2) through a coolant; And A detection device (5), configured to detect the coolant leaked from the liquid cooling system (3), the detection device (5) including a detection part whose detection position is set between the battery cell (2) and the bottom plate (11); A partition plate (4), disposed between the battery cell (2) and the bottom plate (11), the partition plate (4) being provided with a groove (41) with an opening facing the bottom plate (11), the detection device (5) including a terminal (51) disposed in the groove (41), and the terminal (51) being connected to the detection part.

2. The battery according to claim 1, wherein, The detection position of the detection part is 1 mm - 5 mm higher than the bottom plate (11).

3. The battery according to claim 1, wherein The detection part is disposed on the bottom plate (11).

4. The battery according to claim 1, wherein, The detection part includes a probe connected to the terminal (51), the groove (41) is located at the edge of the partition plate (4) and forms an open part toward one side of the edge, and the probe extends from the terminal (51) along a direction away from the open part.

5. The battery according to claim 1, wherein It further includes a first electrical connection line (54), a second electrical connection line (55) and a battery management system, the detection part includes a first probe (52) and a second probe (53), the first electrical connection line (54) connects the first probe (52) and the battery management system, and the second electrical connection line (55) connects the second probe (53) and the battery management system.

6. The battery according to claim 5, wherein, The first probe (52), the first electrical connection line (54) and the battery management system are connected to form a first branch (91), the first branch (91) is provided with a first voltage terminal (92), the first voltage terminal (92) is configured to provide a voltage with a first preset value to the first branch (91), the second probe (53), the second electrical connection line (55) and the battery management system are connected to form a second branch (93), the second branch (93) is provided with a second voltage terminal (94), the second voltage terminal (94) is configured to provide a voltage with a second preset value to the second branch (93), and the battery management system is configured to judge whether the detection device (5) detects the coolant leaked from the liquid cooling system (3) by detecting the voltage difference between the first branch (91) and the second branch (93).

7. The battery according to claim 6, wherein, It further includes a first resistor (95), a first capacitor (96), a second resistor (97) and a second capacitor (98), the first resistor (95) is connected to the first branch (91), one end of the first capacitor (96) is connected to the first branch (91), the other end of the first capacitor (96) is grounded, the second resistor (97) is connected to the second branch (93), one end of the second capacitor (98) is connected to the second branch (93), and the other end of the second capacitor (98) is grounded.

8. The battery according to claim 6 or 7, wherein, The battery management system includes a processing module configured to: determine that the detection device (5) does not detect the coolant leaked from the liquid cooling system (3) when the absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch (91) and the second branch (93) is greater than or equal to the absolute value of the difference between U1 and U2, where U1 is the absolute value of the difference between a first preset value and a second preset value, and U2 is 0 - 1V; and determine that the detection device (5) detects the coolant leaked from the liquid cooling system (3) when the absolute value of the voltage difference between the first branch (91) and the second branch (93) is less than or equal to U3, where U3 is 0 - 1V and U3 is less than the absolute value of the difference between U1 and U2.

9. The battery according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein, The distance between the first probe (52) and the second probe (53) is 5mm - 10mm.

10. The battery according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein, Both the first probe (52) and the second probe (53) are cylindrical, the diameter of the first probe (52) is 0.5mm - 3mm and / or the diameter of the second probe (53) is 0.5mm - 3mm.

11. An electrical device, comprising the battery according to any one of claims 1 - 10, wherein the battery is configured to supply electrical energy to the electrical device.

12. A method for manufacturing a battery, comprising: providing a housing (1) including a bottom plate (11); providing a battery cell (2) and disposing the battery cell (2) inside the housing (1); providing a liquid cooling system (3) for cooling the battery cell (2) with a coolant; providing a detection device (5) for detecting the coolant leaked from the liquid cooling system (3), the detection device (5) including a detection portion; and setting the detection position of the detection portion between the battery cell (2) and the bottom plate (11); providing a partition (4), disposing the partition (4) between the battery cell (2) and the bottom plate (11), the partition (4) having a groove (41) with an opening facing the bottom plate (11), the detection device (5) including a terminal (51) disposed in the groove (41), and connecting the terminal (51) to the detection portion.

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