Latent heat element and battery module

Abstract

The invention discloses a latent heat element which can be arranged beside at least one battery cell of a battery module. The latent heat element includes an outer package, a high evaporation latent heat material, and a fluidity reducing material. The outer package is provided with a containing space. And the high-evaporation latent heat material is filled in the accommodating space and can be used for absorbing heat released by the battery cell. The liquidity reducing material is filled in the accommodating space and is mixed with the high evaporation latent heat material. The flowability reducing material can be used to reduce the flowability of the high latent heat of evaporation material. The material with high latent heat of evaporation can quickly disperse heat of the battery cells, so that the temperature of the battery cells can be effectively balanced, and the battery cells in other areas can be prevented from heat explosion. The fluidity reducing material can improve the application convenience and cooling effect of the latent heat element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a manufacturing technology of a battery module, and in particular to a latent heat element and a battery module including the latent heat element. Background Art

[0002] As the green industry's requirements for safety increase day by day, the number of batteries carried by battery modules is also increasing, so the safety requirements for battery modules are also increasing. With the increasing safety requirements, the existing materials used in battery modules can no longer cope with the increasingly stringent fire protection and fire prevention regulations.

[0003] Specifically, as the fire protection requirements for battery modules increase, the fire protection performance of battery modules is no longer sufficient to cope with the high heat emitted by thermal runaway, which increases the possibility of thermal runaway in adjacent battery cells, thereby causing large-scale fires. Summary of the invention

[0004] The phase change endothermic material used in general battery modules is a solid-to-liquid phase change material with a low conversion temperature and small specific heat. Such phase change endothermic materials can only be used to balance the temperature difference of the battery cells. When the battery cells heat up, they cannot effectively absorb heat, causing large-scale burns. In view of this, the present invention proposes a latent heat element that can not only balance the temperature difference of the battery cells in the battery module, but also prevent a large number of battery cells from heat up.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a latent heat element and a battery module including the latent heat element. The latent heat element can balance the temperature of the battery cells and prevent a large number of battery cells from thermally exploding, thereby greatly improving the safety of the battery module.

[0006] According to the above-mentioned purpose of the present invention, a latent heat element is provided, which can be arranged next to the battery cell of the battery module. The latent heat element comprises an outer package, a high evaporation latent heat material and a fluidity reducing material. The outer package has a containing space. The high evaporation latent heat material is filled in the containing space and can be used to absorb the heat released by the battery cell. The fluidity reducing material is filled in the containing space and mixed with the high evaporation latent heat material. The fluidity reducing material can be used to reduce the fluidity of the high evaporation latent heat material.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the high latent heat of evaporation material includes water, methanol, ethylene glycol, glycerol, glycerin, ammonia, dimethylsulfoxide, or a mixture of the above materials.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the fluidity reducing material comprises agar, pectin, gelatin, glycan, polysaccharide, sodium polyacrylate, cellulose, cotton, flax fibers, bastose, polyvinyl alcohol, polyester, polyurethane, or a mixture of the above materials.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the material of the outer packaging includes polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), oriented polypropylene (OPP), polystyrene (PS), ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), polylactic acid (PLA), or aluminum foil.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the latent heat element is a plane plate, a square column, or a cylinder.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the outer package is a part of a supporting frame of the battery cell.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the latent heat element is a hollow ring structure, and the battery core is disposed in the hollow ring structure.

[0013] According to the above-mentioned purpose of the present invention, a battery module is also provided. The battery module comprises a plurality of battery cells and a plurality of latent heat elements as described above. The battery cells are arranged at intervals from each other. The latent heat elements are arranged between the battery cells.

[0014] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the high evaporation latent heat material of the latent heat element can absorb a large amount of heat energy. Therefore, in addition to quickly dissipating the heat of the battery cells that heat up faster, effectively balancing the temperature of the battery cells in the battery module, it can also prevent excessive high heat from overflowing to adjacent battery cells, thereby preventing thermal explosion of battery cells in other areas. In addition, the addition of the material that reduces fluidity allows the latent heat element to be shaped according to the application space, which can improve the convenience of the application of the latent heat element and enhance the cooling effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, according to standard industry practice, the features are not drawn to scale. In fact, in order to make the discussion clearer, the size of each feature can be increased or decreased at will.

[0016] Figure 1FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a latent heat element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Please refer to Figure 1 , which is a schematic diagram illustrating a latent heat element 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The latent heat element 100 may be disposed next to one or more cells of a battery module. The shape of the latent heat element 100 may be designed according to the environment in which it is applied. For example, the latent heat element 100 may be a flat plate, a square column, a cylinder, or a hollow ring structure. The latent heat element 100 may mainly include an outer package 110, a high evaporation latent heat material 120, and a fluidity reducing material 130.

[0021] The outer package 110 has a receiving space 112. The shape of the outer package 110 can be designed according to application requirements. The outer package 110 is, for example, a flexible material to facilitate adjustment of the shape of the latent heat element 100. In some embodiments, the material of the outer package 110 includes polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, oriented polypropylene, polystyrene, vinyl alcohol copolymer, polylactic acid, or aluminum foil.

[0022] The high latent heat of evaporation material 120 is filled in the accommodation space 112 of the outer package 110. The high latent heat of evaporation material 120 has high latent heat of evaporation and high specific heat, and can be used as a heat absorption medium to absorb the heat energy released by the battery cell and then evaporate through phase change. For example, the high latent heat of evaporation material 120 can include water, methanol, ethylene glycol, glycerol, glycerin, ammonia water, dimethyl sulfoxide, or a mixture of the above materials.

[0023] The fluidity reducing material 130 is also filled in the containing space 112 of the outer package 110 and mixed in the high evaporation latent heat material 120. In some embodiments, the fluidity reducing material 130 includes agar, pectin, gelatin, polysaccharide, polysaccharide, sodium polyacrylate, cellulose, cotton, hemp fiber, wood fiber, polyvinyl alcohol, polyester, polyurethane, or a mixture of the above materials. The fluidity reducing material 130 can reduce the fluidity of the high evaporation latent heat material 120 and improve the shaping effect of maintaining the latent heat element 100.

[0024] Latent heat elements can be used in battery modules in various forms. Figure 2 and Figure 3 , which are schematic diagrams of battery modules according to two embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, the battery module 200 may mainly include a plurality of battery cells 210 and a plurality of latent heat elements 100. The battery cells 210 may be arranged at intervals from each other according to the design of the battery module 200. The latent heat element 100 may be a flat plate and may be disposed adjacent to the battery cells 210. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the latent heat elements 100 and the battery cells 210 are arranged in a row in a staggered manner, wherein a latent heat element 100 is disposed between two adjacent battery cells 210. Figure 4 In the battery module 400 shown, the latent heat element 410 may also be disposed adjacent to a specific battery cell 420 according to needs, so that a latent heat element 410 is not necessarily disposed between two adjacent battery cells 420 .

[0025] Since the high evaporation latent heat material 120 of the latent heat element 100 can absorb a large amount of heat energy, the heat of the battery cells 210 that heat up faster can be dispersed to the latent heat element 100, so that the temperature of the battery cells 210 in the battery module 200 can be balanced. In addition, since the latent heat element 100 can absorb a large amount of heat, the latent heat element 100 can prevent the excessive high heat of the battery cells 210 in a region from being dissipated to the adjacent battery cells 210, thereby preventing the temperature of the adjacent battery cells 210 from being greatly increased, and further preventing a large number of battery cells 210 in other regions from thermally exploding. Therefore, the application of the latent heat element 100 can greatly improve the safety of the battery module 200 and improve the performance of the battery module 200.

[0026] like Figure 3 As shown, the battery module 300 may mainly include a plurality of battery cells 310 and a plurality of latent heat elements 320. The battery cells 310 may be arranged at intervals from each other. The latent heat element 320 is a hollow ring structure, and the battery cells 310 may be respectively disposed in the hollow ring-shaped latent heat element 320. The latent heat element 320 is different from the latent heat element 100 of the aforementioned embodiment only in shape and structure, and its composition is the same as that of the latent heat element 100, so it is not repeated here. In some embodiments, the outer package 322 of the latent heat element 320 covers the periphery of the battery cell 310, or may be a part of the supporting bracket of the battery cell 310.

[0027] Although the present invention has been disclosed as above by way of embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the claims.

[0028]

Explanation of symbols

[0029] 100: Latent heat element

[0030] 110: Outer packaging

[0031] 112: Accommodation space

[0032] 120: High latent heat of evaporation materials

[0033] 130: Flow-reducing material

[0034] 200:Battery module

[0035] 210: Battery Cell

[0036] 300:Battery module

[0037] 310: Battery

[0038] 312: Outer side

[0039] 320: Latent heat element

[0040] 322: Outer packaging

[0041] 400:Battery module

[0042] 410: Latent heat element

[0043] 420:Battery cell.

Claims

1. A latent heat element, suitable for being arranged beside at least one battery cell of a battery module, characterized in that: The latent heat element comprises: The outer packaging has a storage space; A material with high latent heat of evaporation is filled in the accommodation space and configured to absorb heat released by the at least one battery core; and A fluidity reducing material is filled in the accommodating space and mixed with the high evaporation latent heat material, and the fluidity reducing material is configured to reduce the fluidity of the high evaporation latent heat material.

2. The latent heat element according to claim 1, characterized in that The high vaporization latent heat material includes water, methanol, ethylene glycol, glycerol, glycerin, ammonia water, dimethyl sulfoxide, or a mixture thereof.

3. The latent heat element according to claim 1, characterized in that The fluidity reducing material comprises agar, pectin, gelatin, polysaccharide, polysaccharide, sodium polyacrylate, cellulose, cotton, hemp fiber, wood fiber, polyvinyl alcohol, polyester, polyurethane, or a mixture thereof.

4. The latent heat element according to claim 1, characterized in that The material of the outer packaging includes polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, oriented polypropylene, polystyrene, vinyl alcohol copolymer, polylactic acid, or aluminum foil.

5. The latent heat element according to claim 1, characterized in that The latent heat element is a plane plate, a square column, or a cylinder.

6. The latent heat element according to claim 1, characterized in that The outer package is a part of the supporting bracket of the at least one battery cell.

7. The latent heat element according to claim 1, characterized in that The latent heat element is a hollow ring structure, and the at least one battery core is arranged in the hollow ring structure.

8. A battery module, characterized in that: The battery module contains: A plurality of battery cells are arranged spaced apart from each other; and A plurality of latent heat elements according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the latent heat elements are arranged between the battery cells.

Images