Battery thermal runaway test tooling

Abstract

The application provides a battery thermal runaway test tool, which comprises a box body, wherein the box body is used for assembling a battery subjected to thermal runaway test; a test needle is arranged outside the box body and used for puncturing the battery; a water tank is connected with a water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe, the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe are connected with a water pump connected with the battery; and a rotatable water windmill is arranged at a pipe opening of the water outlet pipe. According to the embodiment, the battery thermal runaway test tool can realize whether the battery has the discharging capacity through the rotatable water windmill. After the test needle punctures the battery, the tester can observe the rotation frequency of the water windmill and the water flow rate of the water outlet pipe to determine whether the battery still has the discharging capacity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of battery testing, and in particular to a battery thermal runaway testing tool. Background Art

[0002] Since the commercialization of lithium-ion batteries, they have been widely used due to their many advantages. In particular, with the rapid development of new energy vehicles and the energy storage industry, the scale of lithium-ion battery use has also expanded rapidly. However, lithium-ion batteries can trigger extreme thermal disasters under abuse conditions, the so-called "thermal runaway." During the thermal runaway process, the large amount of heat generated will be transferred to adjacent batteries, causing the thermal runaway to spread and resulting in large-scale battery fires and explosions. For emerging industries such as new energy vehicles, thermal runaway disasters have a serious negative impact and are not conducive to the further development of the industry. Therefore, in order to ensure the safety of lithium-ion batteries during use, early warning and failure analysis of batteries in thermal runaway states are extremely important.

[0003] At present, traditional battery thermal runaway test tools can only test the final test results, and the evaluation indicators are also whether fire or explosion occurs outside the battery pack. It is unable to test more other useful information. For example, it is impossible to determine whether the battery is still capable of discharge and use after thermal runaway occurs. There is room for improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, one purpose of the present invention is to provide a battery thermal runaway test tool that can effectively determine whether a battery has thermal runaway and whether the battery is capable of discharge and use.

[0005] A battery thermal runaway test fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0006] A box body, wherein the box body is used to assemble batteries for thermal runaway testing;

[0007] A test needle, located outside the box and used to pierce the battery;

[0008] a water tank, wherein the water tank is connected to a water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe, and a water pump connected to the battery is connected between the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe;

[0009] A rotatable water windmill is arranged at the pipe mouth of the water outlet pipe.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a test light connected to the battery is further included, and the test light and the water pump are connected in parallel.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the water windmill includes an axle and a plurality of impellers spaced apart on the circumferential surface of the axle, and the impellers are located on the water outlet path of the water outlet pipe to rotate the water windmill.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the water pump further comprises a support frame and a support platform, wherein one end of the support frame is fixed to the top of the support platform, and the other end of the support frame extends to the tank opening of the water tank and is rotatably connected to the water windmill;

[0013] The water outlet pipe is fixed to the support frame through a locking piece and is located above the water windmill.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a trolley is further included, and the support platform and the water tank are arranged on the trolley.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the box body includes a first box part and a second box part that are detachably connected, wherein the first box part defines a first assembly space inside, and the second box part itself defines a second assembly space through it, and the first assembly space and the second assembly space are jointly used to assemble batteries for thermal runaway testing.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the height of the second box portion is greater than the height of the first box portion.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present invention, at least one side surface of the first box portion and / or the second box portion along the first direction is provided with explosion-proof glass;

[0018] Wherein, the first direction is the width direction of the box.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the box body further includes a first side cover and a second side cover, wherein the first side cover and the second side cover are disposed on both sides of the box body along the second direction in a one-to-one correspondence, and at least one of the first side cover and the second side cover is provided with a pressure relief valve;

[0020] The second direction refers to the length direction of the box.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present invention, an end of the second box part away from the first box part is covered with an upper cover, and a through hole is provided through the upper cover at a position relative to the test needle.

[0022] In summary, the battery thermal runaway test fixture provided by the embodiments of the present invention has the following technical effects:

[0023] When a battery thermal runaway test fixture of the present embodiment is in operation, the battery to be tested for thermal runaway is assembled into a box, the entire battery thermal runaway test fixture is placed on the test bench, and the appropriate position is adjusted, and the battery circuit is connected to the water pump. When the battery is discharged normally, the water pump will work normally, pumping water in the water tank to the water outlet pipe, and flowing out from the outlet pipe. The water flow will drive the water windmill to rotate, and the tester can clearly see the rotation of the water windmill. Therefore, the present battery thermal runaway test fixture specifically realizes whether the battery has the ability to be discharged by setting a rotatable water windmill. After the battery is punctured by the test, the tester can judge whether the battery still has the ability to discharge by observing the rotation frequency of the water windmill and the water flow rate of the water outlet pipe.

[0024] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description which follows, or may be learned by practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a battery thermal runaway test fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of a battery thermal runaway test fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is another structural schematic diagram of a battery thermal runaway test fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Icon: 1-box body, 11-first box part, 12-second box part, 13-explosion-proof glass, 14-first side cover, 15-second side cover, 16-pressure relief valve, 17-upper cover, 171-through hole, 2-test needle, 3-water tank, 31-water inlet pipe, 32-water outlet pipe, 321-locking piece, 33-water pump, 4-water windmill, 41-axle, 42-impeller, 5-test light, 6-support platform, 7-support frame, 71-first support section, 72-second support section, 73-third support section, 8-trolley, 9-test bench. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] In order to make the purposes, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only intended to explain the present application, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, any equivalent changes made based on the structure, shape and principle of the present application shall be covered within the protection scope of the present application.

[0031] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connection", "connecting" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, the "connection" or "connecting" of mechanical structures can mean physical connection, for example, the physical connection can be fixed connection, for example, fixed connection by screws, bolts or other fixing members; the physical connection can also be detachable connection, for example, mutual clamping or clamping connection; the physical connection can also be integrally connected, for example, welding, bonding or integrally formed connection. The "connection" or "connecting" of circuit structures can mean not only physical connection, but also electrical connection or signal connection, for example, it can be direct connection, that is, physical connection, or indirect connection through at least one intermediate element, as long as the circuit is connected, it can also be the connection between two elements; the signal connection can not only be signal connection through circuit, but also signal connection through media medium, for example, radio wave. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] In order to clearly describe various positions in the following embodiments, some positional words can be used, for example, the expressions of described X direction, Y direction and Z direction in the coordinate system for indicating the directions of the operation and structure of the components of the embodiments are not absolute but relative, and although these indications are appropriate when the components are in the positions shown in the drawings, these directions should be interpreted differently when these positions change to correspond to the changes.

[0033] Based on the same understanding of the positions, in the description of the present application, the positions or positional relationships indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" are based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular position, be constructed and operated in a particular position, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0034] Reference will now be made to the drawings Figure 1-Figure 3 A battery thermal runaway test tool according to an embodiment of the present application is described below, and some embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0035] The present embodiment discloses a battery thermal runaway test tool, which can be specifically used for thermal runaway test of cylindrical batteries or square batteries. The battery thermal runaway test tool comprises a box body 1, a test needle 2, a water tank 3 and a rotatable watermill 4. The box body 1 is used to assemble the battery for thermal runaway test. The test needle 2 is located outside the box body 1 and is used to pierce the battery. The water tank 3 is connected with a water inlet pipe 31 and a water outlet pipe 32. The water inlet pipe 31 and the water outlet pipe 32 are connected with a water pump 33 used to connect with the battery. The watermill 4 is arranged at the pipe opening of the water outlet pipe 32.

[0036] The conventional battery thermal runaway test tool cannot determine whether the battery still has the ability to be discharged after the battery has thermal runaway. Therefore, the battery thermal runaway test tool disclosed in the present embodiment can effectively determine whether the battery still has the ability to be discharged.

[0037] When the battery thermal runaway test tool works, the battery to be tested is assembled into the box body 1. The whole battery thermal runaway test tool is placed on the test bench 9 and adjusted to the appropriate position. The circuit of the battery is connected with the water pump 33. When the battery is normally discharged, the water pump 33 will work normally to pump the water in the water tank 3 to the water outlet pipe 32 and flow out from the pipe opening of the water outlet pipe 32. The water flow drives the watermill 4 to rotate, and the rotation of the watermill 4 can be obviously observed by the tester.

[0038] Therefore, the battery thermal runaway test tool specifically realizes whether the battery has the ability to be discharged by arranging the rotatable watermill 4. After the battery is pierced by the test needle 2, the tester can determine whether the battery still has the ability to be discharged by observing the rotation frequency of the watermill 4 and the water flow rate of the water outlet pipe 32. Specifically, the watermill 4 is provided with a rotation speed sensor or a rotary encoder, which can calculate the rotation rate of the watermill 4 to obtain the discharge capacity data of the battery.

[0039] Further, the battery thermal runaway test tool further comprises a test lamp 5 used to connect with the battery, and the test lamp 5 and the water pump 33 are connected in parallel. Optionally, the test lamp 5 is an energy-saving lamp, which can be specifically referred to Figure 1 and Figure 3When the battery thermal runaway test fixture of this embodiment is in operation, the battery circuit is also connected to the test light 5. When the battery is discharged normally, the test light 5 can also display normal brightness. At the same time, after the battery is pierced by the test needle 2, the tester can also determine whether the battery is still capable of discharge by observing the brightness of the test light 5. In addition, the circuits of the test light 5 and the water pump 33 are connected in parallel. If there is a problem with either the test light 5 circuit or the electric pump circuit, the other circuit can still be used normally.

[0040] In summary, testers can observe three specific factors to comprehensively determine whether the battery is still capable of discharge: the water flow rate in the water outlet pipe 32, the rotation frequency of the water windmill 4, and the rotation speed of the water windmill 4. This allows immediate judgment of whether the battery is still capable of discharge after thermal runaway. More importantly, this concrete demonstration provides a strong visual impact on the tester, making the battery safety more intuitive.

[0041] Specifically, the water windmill 4 includes a wheel shaft 41 and a plurality of impellers 42 spaced apart on the circumferential surface of the wheel shaft 41. The impellers 42 are located on the water outlet path of the water outlet pipe 32 to rotate the water windmill 4. Figure 3 In this way, the water flowing out of the water outlet pipe 32 will impact the impeller 42 of the water windmill 4, thereby driving the water windmill 4 to rotate.

[0042] Furthermore, the battery thermal runaway test fixture further includes a support platform 6, the support platform 6 and the water tank 3 are arranged side by side; the test light 5 is fixed to one side of the support platform 6, and the water pump 33 is fixed to the top of the support platform 6. Figure 1 and Figure 3 The support platform 6 provided in the battery thermal runaway test fixture of this embodiment can support the test lamp 5 and the water pump 33, and a storage space for accommodating wires is provided in the support platform 6. Since the test lamp 5 and the battery are electrically connected via wires, and the water pump 33 and the battery are also electrically connected via wires, the wires are uniformly concentrated in the storage space of the support platform 6 to avoid unnecessary leakage risks caused by exposed wires.

[0043] Furthermore, the battery thermal runaway test fixture further includes a support frame 7, one end of the support frame 7 is fixed to the top of the support platform 6, and the other end of the support frame 7 extends to the box opening of the water tank 3 and is rotatably connected to the water windmill 4; the water outlet pipe 32 is fixed to the support frame 7 by a locking member 321 and is located above the water windmill 4. For details, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3Optionally, the locking member 321 may be a clamp, a buckle, or other locking member 321. The support frame 7 provided in the battery thermal runaway test fixture of this embodiment serves to limit the position of the water windmill 4 and the water outlet pipe 32. Specifically, the position of the water windmill 4 is fixed at the opening of the water tank 3, so that the experimenter can observe the rotation of the water windmill 4. Furthermore, the water outlet pipe 32 is specifically provided above the water windmill 4, which not only enables the water flow to drive the water windmill 4 to rotate, but also allows the experimenter to observe the water flow rate of the water outlet pipe 32.

[0044] Specifically, the support frame 7 includes a first support section 71, a second support section 72 and a third support section 73, one end of the first support section 71 is fixedly connected to the top of the support platform 6, the other end of the first support section 71 is fixedly connected to the second support section 72, and the third support section 73 is detachably connected to the second support section 72. The third support section 73 itself is partially inclined and extends to the box port of the water tank 3 and is rotatably connected to the water windmill 4; the water outlet pipe 32 is fixed to the second support section 72 by a locking member 321, which can be specifically referred to Figure 1 and Figure 3 The support frame 7 provided in the battery thermal runaway test fixture of this embodiment includes a three-section structure: a first support section 71, a second support section 72, and a third support section 73. The third support section 73 connected to the water windmill 4 is a detachable structure, which can be optionally connected by bolts, so that the experimenter can remove the water windmill 4 for cleaning and maintenance.

[0045] Furthermore, the battery thermal runaway test fixture further includes a trolley 8, on which the support platform 6 and the water tank 3 are arranged. Figure 1 and Figure 3 In this embodiment, a battery thermal runaway test fixture sets a water tank 3 and a support platform 6 on a trolley 8 to facilitate experimenters to carry the battery thermal runaway test fixture and improve the efficiency of transportation.

[0046] Furthermore, the box body 1 includes a first box part 11 and a second box part 12 that are detachably connected, wherein the first box part 11 defines a first assembly space inside, and the second box part 12 itself defines a second assembly space, and the first assembly space and the second assembly space are used together to assemble batteries for thermal runaway testing, which can be specifically referred to Figure 1 and Figure 2In this embodiment, a battery thermal runaway test fixture is provided with a box body 1 and a detachable first box part 11 and a second box part 12. Since the box body 1 used in the traditional battery thermal runaway test fixture is a whole, when the test is completed and the battery condition needs to be observed closely, since the battery is in a thermal runaway state, if the tester directly takes out the battery, the tester will be in an extremely dangerous environment. Therefore, the box body 1 is usually destroyed to observe the battery and maintain a safe distance from the battery. It is often necessary to destroy the box body 1, which increases unnecessary costs. Therefore, the battery thermal runaway test fixture is provided with a detachable first box part 11 and a second box part 12. When the test is completed, the experimenter only needs to remove the second box part 12 to expose the battery so that the experimenter can observe the battery. This does not require destroying the box body 1, and the box body 1 can be recycled, which can effectively reduce costs.

[0047] Furthermore, the height of the second box portion 12 is greater than the height of the first box portion 11. Figure 1 and Figure 2 Since the battery needs to be observed closely after the test is completed and the second box part 12 needs to be removed, in order to allow the experimenter to penetrate more parts of the battery, the height of the second box part 12 itself is set higher, which will form a second assembly space with a larger space. When the second box part 12 is removed, more parts of the battery will be exposed for the experimenter to observe, so as to better observe the battery with thermal runaway.

[0048] Specifically, the second box portion 12 is covered with an upper cover 17 at one end away from the first box portion 11. The upper cover 17 is provided with a through hole 171 at a position relative to the test needle 2. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, a battery thermal runaway test fixture assembles the battery into the first assembly space and the second assembly space, and then assembles the upper cover 17 on the second box portion 12 to perform a thermal runaway test.

[0049] Furthermore, the first box portion 11 and / or the second box portion 12 is provided with explosion-proof glass 13 on at least one side along the first direction; wherein the first direction is the width direction of the box body 1, which can be specifically referred to Figure 1 and Figure 2 Since the box body 1 and the upper cover 17 in the traditional battery thermal runaway test tool are both solid steel structures, the experimenter cannot observe the state inside the box body 1. Therefore, in order to facilitate the experimenter to better understand the state inside the box body 1, a battery thermal runaway test tool in this embodiment is equipped with explosion-proof glass 13 on the first box part 11 and / or the second box part 12, so that the situation inside the box body 1 can be displayed to the outside, making it easier to observe the state inside the box body 1.

[0050] Furthermore, the box body 1 further includes a first side cover 14 and a second side cover 15, which are arranged one-to-one on both sides of the box body 1 along the second direction, and at least one of the first side cover 14 and the second side cover 15 is provided with a pressure relief valve 16; wherein the second direction refers to the longitudinal direction of the box body 1, which can be specifically referred to Figure 1 and Figure 2 Since the battery thermal runaway test needs to be performed inside the box 1, the battery in thermal runaway will release a large amount of high-temperature gas or cause material spraying or even combustion. Therefore, in order to prevent the high-temperature gas from instantly accumulating inside the box 1 and causing an explosion, a battery thermal runaway test fixture in this embodiment is provided with a pressure relief valve 16 on at least one of the first side cover 14 and the second side cover 15 to relieve the pressure of the high-temperature gas inside the box 1 to avoid danger.

[0051] The technical means disclosed in the solutions of the present invention are not limited to those disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiments, but also include technical solutions composed of any combination of the above-mentioned technical features. It should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of the present invention, and such improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery thermal runaway test tool, characterized in that: include: A box (1), wherein the box (1) is used to assemble a battery for performing a thermal runaway test; A test needle (2), the test needle (2) is located outside the box (1) and is used to pierce the battery; A water tank (3), wherein the water tank (3) is connected to a water inlet pipe (31) and a water outlet pipe (32), and a water pump (33) connected to the battery is connected between the water inlet pipe (31) and the water outlet pipe (32); A rotatable water windmill (4), the water windmill (4) being arranged at the mouth of the water outlet pipe (32); wherein after the battery is pierced by a test needle (2), the rotation frequency of the water windmill (4) and the water flow rate of the water outlet pipe (32) are observed to determine whether the battery has the ability to discharge; The battery thermal runaway test fixture further includes a test lamp (5) connected to the battery, and the test lamp (5) and the water pump (33) are connected in parallel; The water windmill (4) comprises a wheel shaft (41) and a plurality of impellers (42) arranged at intervals on the circumferential surface of the wheel shaft (41). The impellers (42) are located on the water outlet path of the water outlet pipe (32) to enable the water windmill (4) to rotate.

2. A battery thermal runaway test fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a support frame (7) and a support platform (6), one end of the support frame (7) is fixed to the top of the support platform (6), and the other end of the support frame (7) extends to the box opening of the water tank (3) and is rotatably connected to the water windmill (4); The water outlet pipe (32) is fixed to the support frame (7) via a locking member (321) and is located above the water windmill (4).

3. A battery thermal runaway test fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a trolley (8), on which the support platform (6) and the water tank (3) are arranged.

4. The battery thermal runaway test fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box body (1) comprises a first box part (11) and a second box part (12) which are detachably connected, wherein the first box part (11) defines a first assembly space inside, and the second box part (12) itself defines a second assembly space through which the first assembly space and the second assembly space are jointly used for assembling batteries for thermal runaway testing.

5. The battery thermal runaway test fixture according to claim 4, characterized in that: The height of the second box part (12) is greater than the height of the first box part (11).

6. The battery thermal runaway test fixture according to claim 4, characterized in that: At least one side surface of the first box portion (11) and / or the second box portion (12) along the first direction is provided with explosion-proof glass (13); Wherein, the first direction is the width direction of the box body (1).

7. The battery thermal runaway test fixture according to claim 4, characterized in that: The box body (1) further comprises a first side cover (14) and a second side cover (15), wherein the first side cover (14) and the second side cover (15) are arranged on both sides of the box body (1) along the second direction in a one-to-one correspondence, and at least one of the first side cover (14) and the second side cover (15) is provided with a pressure relief valve (16); The second direction refers to the length direction of the box (1).

8. A battery thermal runaway test fixture according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that: An end of the second box part (12) away from the first box part (11) is covered with an upper cover (17), and a through hole (171) is provided through the upper cover (17) at a position relative to the test needle (2).

Images