Battery module and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery module and a vehicle. The battery module comprises an upper plate, a lower plate and two side plates, wherein the two side plates are respectively connected with the upper plate and the lower plate at two ends in the length direction of the battery module to form a shell; the snakelike plate is arranged in the shell, and the two ends of the snakelike plate are connected to the two side plates correspondingly so that the shell can be divided into a plurality of compartments which are sequentially defined by the snakelike plate, the upper plate and the lower plate in the length direction; and a plurality of cells each disposed in a corresponding compartment and detachably assembled to the lower plate. The upper plate, the lower plate, the side plates and the snake-shaped plates are all liquid cooling plates. The upper plate is provided with a plurality of through holes, and each through hole is communicated with the cooling liquid cavity of the upper plate and one compartment. The battery module also includes a plurality of fire dampers, each of which is assembled to a corresponding through-hole and includes a valve membrane to completely cover the through-hole. The battery module disclosed by the invention is good in cooling effect and good in fireproof performance, so that the battery module has good safety, and is convenient to disassemble and assemble and convenient for after-sales maintenance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of vehicles, in particular to the field of power batteries for new energy vehicles (electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles). More specifically, the present invention relates to a battery module for new energy vehicles, and to a vehicle comprising such a battery module. Background Art

[0002] At present, equipment manufacturers of new energy vehicles are paying more and more attention to the thermal propagation performance of power battery packs. Many cases have shown that thermal runaway of the battery cell of a battery module can easily cause a fire, and high-temperature gas and flames can easily spread to adjacent cells or modules. Therefore, for the thermal propagation performance of battery packs, high-temperature control before thermal propagation and after-sales maintenance after thermal propagation are key.

[0003] In the prior art, some battery packs are equipped with flame detectors, and when a fire is detected, the fire needs to be extinguished through an external water tank. This method is costly, not conducive to timely fire extinguishing, and poses a major safety hazard. In addition, in existing battery packs, the contact area between the battery cells of some battery modules and the liquid cooling plate is limited, the cooling effect is poor, and the failed battery cells cannot be disassembled individually after thermal runaway occurs, which is not conducive to after-sales maintenance. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a battery module to overcome at least one of the defects in the above-mentioned prior art. More specifically, the battery module according to the present invention has good cooling effect and good fire resistance, thus having good safety, and is easy to disassemble and assemble, and is convenient for after-sales maintenance.

[0005] To this end, a first aspect of the present invention provides a battery module, which includes: an upper plate, a lower plate and two side plates, the two side plates respectively connecting the upper plate and the lower plate at both ends in the length direction of the battery module to form a shell; a serpentine plate, the serpentine plate is arranged in the shell, and the two ends of the serpentine plate are respectively connected to the two side plates to divide the shell into a plurality of compartments sequentially delimited by the serpentine plate, the upper plate and the lower plate in the length direction; and a plurality of battery cells, each of the plurality of battery cells is arranged in a corresponding compartment and detachably assembled to the lower plate, wherein the upper plate, the lower plate, the two side plates and the serpentine plate are each a liquid cooling plate, the upper plate is provided with a plurality of through holes, each of the plurality of through holes connects the cooling liquid chamber of the upper plate with one of the plurality of compartments, and the battery module also includes a plurality of fire dampers, each of the plurality of fire dampers is assembled to a corresponding through hole and includes a valve membrane to completely cover the through hole.

[0006] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, two adjacent battery cells among the plurality of battery cells are electrically connected to each other via a bus bar, and the bus bar includes a positive electrode sheet and a negative electrode sheet connected to each other by plugging.

[0007] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, one of the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet includes an upper sheet and a lower sheet, and the upper sheet is connected to the lower sheet by welding to form a slot that matches the other of the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet.

[0008] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the upper plate is in fluid communication with each of the lower plate, the two side plates and the serpentine plate.

[0009] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of fire dampers is threadedly connected or welded to a corresponding through hole.

[0010] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the valve membrane is made of polyvinyl chloride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride or polyethylene.

[0011] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the lower plate is provided with an assembly groove that matches each of the battery cells.

[0012] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, each of the lower plate and the serpentine plate is connected to the two side plates by welding, and the upper plate is connected to the two side plates by plugging.

[0013] A second aspect of the present invention provides a battery module, the battery module includes a plurality of module units, each of the plurality of module units includes: an upper plate, a lower plate and two side plates, the two side plates respectively connecting the upper plate and the lower plate at both ends in the length direction of the module unit to form a shell of the module unit; a serpentine plate, the serpentine plate is arranged in the shell, and the two ends of the serpentine plate are respectively connected to the two side plates to divide the shell into a plurality of compartments defined in sequence by the serpentine plate, the upper plate and the lower plate in the length direction; and a plurality of battery cells, the Each of the multiple battery cells is arranged in a corresponding compartment and is detachably assembled to the lower plate, wherein each of the upper plate, the lower plate, the two side plates and the serpentine plate is a liquid cooling plate, the upper plate is provided with a plurality of through holes, each of the plurality of through holes connects the cooling liquid chamber of the upper plate with one of the plurality of compartments, the module unit also includes a plurality of fire dampers, each of the plurality of fire dampers is assembled to a corresponding through hole and includes a valve membrane to completely cover the through hole, and the side plates of two adjacent module units among the plurality of module units are connected to each other by plugging and are fluidically connected to each other.

[0014] A third aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a power battery pack, the power battery pack comprising a battery module according to the first aspect or the second aspect of the present invention.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the battery module according to the present invention has several advantages, in particular:

[0016] -Through the arrangement of the upper plate, lower plate, side plate and serpentine plate, it is possible to ensure that each battery cell is located in a separate compartment and is in full contact with the liquid cooling plate, so the cooling efficiency is high;

[0017] - The upper plate is equipped with multiple fire dampers corresponding to each compartment in sequence. When one of the battery cells experiences thermal runaway, the valve membrane of the corresponding fire damper will rupture, allowing the coolant to enter the corresponding compartment to automatically immerse the battery cell, thereby effectively preventing heat spread between the battery cells and ensuring the safety of the battery module at a lower cost;

[0018] - The battery module is easy to install, and the number of cells therein can be flexibly determined according to the construction of the battery pack to obtain a specific shape and size, and will not be restricted by the shape and chemical composition of the cells;

[0019] -Failed cells after thermal runaway can be easily removed and replaced individually from their compartments, so there is no need to replace the entire module, and after-sales maintenance costs are low. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood through the following preferred embodiments described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same or similar components.

[0021] Figure 1A is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a battery module according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 1B is a three-dimensional diagram of the battery module of the first embodiment with the upper plate removed;

[0023] Figure 1C is a vertical cross-sectional view of a battery module of the first embodiment;

[0024] Figure 1D is an exploded view of the battery module of the first embodiment;

[0025] Figure 2A is an exploded view of the upper plate and fire damper of the battery module of the first embodiment;

[0026] Figure 2B yes Figure 2A An enlarged view of the fire damper in the figure;

[0027] Figure 2C yes Figure 2A The assembly cross-section of the fire damper and the upper plate;

[0028] Figure 3A is a three-dimensional diagram of the busbar of the battery module of the first embodiment after the positive and negative electrodes are plugged in;

[0029] Figure 3B yes Figure 3A A three-dimensional diagram of the busbar when the positive and negative poles are separated;

[0030] Figure 3C yes Figure 3A A side view of the busbar after the positive and negative electrodes are plugged in;

[0031] Figure 3D yes Figure 3A The side view of the busbar in the figure when the anode and cathode are separated;

[0032] Figure 4A is a top view of the lower plate of the battery module of the first embodiment;

[0033] Figure 4B yes Figure 4A A partial enlarged top view of the lower plate in FIG.

[0034] Figure 5 is an assembly diagram of an upper plate, a lower plate, a serpentine plate and a side plate of a battery module of the first embodiment;

[0035] Fig. 6A A perspective view of a second embodiment of a battery module according to the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6B is a side panel assembly diagram of adjacent module units of a battery module according to a second embodiment;

[0037] Figure 6C is an exploded view of a battery module of a second embodiment;

[0038] Fig. 7A is a three-dimensional diagram of different module units of a battery module of a second embodiment;

[0039] Figure 7B FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of a battery module according to a second embodiment.

[0040] The elements in the drawings are shown for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that the drawings can be used not only to explain and illustrate the present invention but also to help define the present invention when necessary. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The implementation and use of specific embodiments are discussed in detail below. However, it should be understood that the specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to implement and use the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0042] In this specification, when describing the structural position of each component, expressions indicating directions such as "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", etc. are not absolute but relative. When the components are arranged as shown in the figure, these expressions indicating directions are appropriate, but when the position of the components in the figure changes, these directional expressions should also change accordingly.

[0043] In this specification and the drawings, the “X” direction indicates the length direction of the battery module (module unit), and the “Y” direction indicates the width direction of the battery module (module unit).

[0044] The power battery pack of a new energy vehicle generally includes a plurality of battery modules, the shape and size of which can be flexibly determined according to the structure of the battery pack, and need to have good cooling efficiency, be able to effectively control heat spread, and have high safety. The following describes a preferred embodiment of a battery module for a vehicle power battery pack according to the present invention with the aid of the accompanying drawings.

[0045] First embodiment

[0046] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the battery module M according to the first embodiment mainly includes: a plurality of battery cells 10, a plurality of bus bars 20, an upper plate 30, a lower plate 40, two side plates 50, a serpentine plate 60 and a plurality of fire dampers 70, wherein each of the upper plate 30, the lower plate 40, the two side plates 50 and the serpentine plate 60 is a liquid cooling plate provided with a cooling liquid chamber for cooling the battery cells 10.

[0047] More specifically, the two side plates 50 are connected to the upper plate 30 and the lower plate 40 at the two ends in the length direction X of the battery module M to form a square shell H, and the serpentine plate 60 is arranged in the shell H and extends in a curved manner in the length direction X, wherein the two ends of the serpentine plate 60 are respectively connected to the two side plates 50 to divide the shell H into a plurality of compartments C defined in sequence by the serpentine plate 60, the upper plate 30 and the lower plate 40 in the length direction X. That is, the upper plate 30 and the lower plate 40 define the upper wall and the lower wall of each compartment C, respectively, and the curved serpentine plate 60 defines the side wall of each compartment C. In addition, for the two compartments C located at the two ends, the two side plates 50 also define the side walls of the two compartments C, respectively.

[0048] like Figure 5As shown, the edge portion 42 of the lower plate 40 is fixedly connected to the lower edge portion 52 of each side plate 50, for example by welding, the edge portion 61 of the serpentine plate 60 is fixedly connected to the side edge portion 53 of each side plate 50, for example by welding, and the edge portion 33 of the upper plate 30 is detachably connected to the upper edge portion 51 of each side plate 50, for example by plugging, thereby realizing the assembly between the upper plate 30, the lower plate 40, the two side plates 50 and the serpentine plate 60.

[0049] Preferably, the upper plate 30 is in fluid communication with each of the lower plate 40, the two side plates 50 and the serpentine plate 60. That is, the above-mentioned welding and plug-in assembly method can make the cooling liquid chamber of each of the upper plate 30, the lower plate 40, the two side plates 50 and the serpentine plate 60 maintain fluid communication with the cooling liquid chambers of all other liquid cooling plates. Therefore, it is only necessary to simply set a cooling liquid inlet and a cooling liquid outlet, and the cooling liquid inlet and the cooling liquid outlet are respectively set on the two side plates 50, for example.

[0050] A plurality of battery cells 10 are sequentially arranged in these compartments C of the housing H. That is, one compartment C is used to place one battery cell 10, and each battery cell 10 is arranged in a corresponding compartment C and detachably assembled to the lower plate 40 so as to be cooled by the upper plate 30, the lower plate 40, the side plate 50 and the serpentine plate 60 arranged around it. In the illustrated embodiment, as shown in FIG. Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown, the top of the lower plate 40 is provided with an assembly groove 41 that matches the shape of the bottom of each battery cell 10, so that only a small amount of glue is needed to detachably assemble the bottom of each battery cell 10 into the corresponding assembly groove 41. It can be understood that the present invention does not limit the parameters such as the shape, size, and chemical composition of the battery cell 10.

[0051] like Figure 1B , Figure 1D as well as FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D As shown, two adjacent cells 10 among these cells 10 are electrically connected to each other through a busbar 20. More specifically, the busbar 20 includes a positive electrode sheet 21 and a negative electrode sheet 22, the positive electrode sheet 21 is connected to the negative electrode of the cell 10 (e.g., the shell of the cylindrical cell 10 shown) by welding, for example, and the negative electrode sheet 22 is connected to the positive electrode of the cell 10 (e.g., the central positive electrode column 11 of the cylindrical cell 10 shown) by welding, for example.

[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, the positive electrode sheet 21 and the negative electrode sheet 22 are connected to each other by plugging. Each of the positive electrode sheet 21 and the negative electrode sheet 22 is, for example, a thin copper sheet that can be bent and deformed, so as to facilitate convenient plugging and disassembly. For example, one of the positive electrode sheet 21 and the negative electrode sheet 22 (shown as the positive electrode sheet 21) includes an upper sheet 23 and a lower sheet 24, and the upper sheet 23 is connected to the lower sheet 24 by welding to form a slot 25 that matches the shape of the other one of the positive electrode sheet 21 and the negative electrode sheet 22 (shown as the negative electrode sheet 22), and the negative electrode sheet 22 is inserted into the slot 25 to achieve electrical connection between the positive electrode sheet 21 and the negative electrode sheet 22.

[0053] like FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C As shown, the upper plate 30 is provided with a plurality of through holes 32 arranged in sequence in the length direction X, each through hole 32 connects the cooling liquid chamber 31 of the upper plate 30 and one of the compartments C corresponding thereto, and each fire damper 70 is assembled to the corresponding through hole 32 toward the corresponding battery cell 10 and includes a valve membrane 72 to completely cover the through hole 32.

[0054] More specifically, each fire damper 70 includes an inner annular wall 71 surrounding a valve membrane 72 and an outer annular wall 73 protruding radially outward from the inner annular wall 71, and an annular groove 74 is defined between the inner annular wall 71 and the outer annular wall 73. The inner annular wall 71 is inserted and threaded or welded to the through hole 32, so that the fire damper 70 is assembled to the upper plate 30, and the top of the outer annular wall 73 is tightly against the bottom surface of the upper plate 30. A sealing ring 75 is arranged in the annular groove 74 to prevent the coolant from leaking from the edge of the through hole 32. The valve membrane 72 is, for example, a film made of polyvinyl chloride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride or polyethylene, and its heat-resistant temperature is, for example, 80°C to 150°C.

[0055] When the battery module M is in normal working condition, the heat generated inside each battery cell 10 is transferred outward along the axial and radial directions thereof, so as to achieve heat dissipation through the upper plate 30, the lower plate 40, the side plate 50 and the serpentine plate 60 surrounding the battery cell 10. When one of the battery cells 10 is in an abnormal working condition where thermal runaway occurs, the gas temperature in the compartment C where the battery cell 10 is located rises significantly and exceeds the heat resistance temperature of the valve membrane 72, and the valve membrane 72 is thereby ruptured, so that the coolant in the coolant chamber 31 of the upper plate 30 enters the compartment C through the opening 32 to instantly immerse the battery cell 10, thereby timely preventing heat from spreading between adjacent battery cells 10.

[0056] During after-sales maintenance, the upper plate 30 can be removed first due to the plug-in structure of the upper plate 30 and the two side plates 50. Then, for the failed battery cell 10 after thermal runaway, due to the plug-in structure of the busbar 20 connected to the adjacent battery cell 10 and the detachable assembly mode of the battery cell 10 and the lower plate 40, the battery cell 10 can be conveniently taken out and replaced separately from its compartment C without replacing the entire battery module M or battery pack, so the after-sales maintenance cost is low.

[0057] Second embodiment

[0058] like Fig. 6A , Figure 6B , Fig. 7A and Figure 7B As shown, the battery module according to the second embodiment includes five module units sequentially assembled in the width direction Y thereof, namely, the first module unit M1 and the second module unit M2 located on both sides in the width direction Y and three third module units M3 assembled between the first module unit M1 and the second module unit M2. The entire structure of each of the first module unit M1, the second module unit M2 and the three third module units M3 is similar to that of the battery module M of the first embodiment, and the similarities will not be repeated.

[0059] According to the second embodiment, the side plates 50 of two adjacent module units in the module units located at the same end in the length direction X are connected to each other by plugging, so that the upper plate 30, the lower plate 40 and the side plates 50 of all the module units together constitute the entire housing H of the battery module. More specifically, as Figure 6B As shown, for the side plates 50a and 50b of two adjacent module units, one of the side plates 50a has an edge groove 54, and the other side plate 50b has an edge protrusion 55 that matches the shape of the edge groove 54 to achieve plug-in fit. Thus, in the entire assembled battery module, each battery cell 10 is arranged in an independent compartment C so that it can be removed individually, and the battery cells 10 of adjacent module units are connected in parallel through the end busbar 20a that connects the end battery cells 10a and also has a plug-in structure.

[0060] In addition, the cooling liquid chambers of the two side plates 50a and 50b are fluidically connected through the above-mentioned plug-in fit. As a result, the cooling liquid chambers of all module units of the battery module are fluidically connected, and only a cooling liquid inlet 56 and a cooling liquid outlet 57 are simply provided. The cooling liquid inlet 56 and the cooling liquid outlet 57 are, for example, respectively provided on a side plate 50c of the first module unit M1 and a side plate 50d of the second module unit M2.

[0061] like Figure 7BAs shown, the battery module may also include a first end plate 80 and a second end plate 90 respectively assembled to the first module unit M1 and the second module unit M2 at its two ends in the width direction Y. Each of the first end plate 80 and the second end plate 90 can be connected to other liquid cooling plates of the shell H of the battery module by welding, plug-in, etc., and can also be a liquid cooling plate that is fluidically connected to all other liquid cooling plates.

[0062] The technical content and technical features of the present invention have been disclosed above. However, it can be understood that under the creative ideas of the present invention, technicians in this field can make various changes and improvements to the above-disclosed concepts, but all belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0063] The description of the above embodiments is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. The protection scope of the present invention is determined by the claims.

Claims

1. A battery module, characterized in that: include: An upper plate (30), a lower plate (40) and two side plates (50), wherein the two side plates (50) are respectively connected to the upper plate (30) and the lower plate (40) at two ends in a length direction (X) of the battery module (M) to form a housing (H); a serpentine plate (60), the serpentine plate (60) being arranged in the housing (H), and the two ends of the serpentine plate (60) being respectively connected to the two side plates (50) so as to divide the housing (H) into a plurality of compartments (C) defined in sequence by the serpentine plate (60), the upper plate (30) and the lower plate (40) in the length direction (X); as well as a plurality of battery cells (10), each of the plurality of battery cells (10) being arranged in a corresponding compartment (C) and detachably mounted to the lower plate (40), Wherein, each of the upper plate (30), the lower plate (40), the two side plates (50) and the serpentine plate (60) is a liquid cooling plate, The upper plate (30) is provided with a plurality of through holes (32), each of the plurality of through holes (32) communicating with the cooling liquid chamber (31) of the upper plate (30) and one of the plurality of compartments (C). The battery module further includes a plurality of fire dampers (70), each of the plurality of fire dampers (70) being assembled to a corresponding through hole (32) and including a valve film (72) to completely cover the through hole (32).

2. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two adjacent battery cells (10) among the plurality of battery cells (10) are electrically connected to each other via a bus bar (20), and the bus bar (20) comprises a positive electrode sheet (21) and a negative electrode sheet (22) connected to each other by plugging.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, characterized in that: One of the positive electrode sheet (21) and the negative electrode sheet (22) comprises an upper sheet (23) and a lower sheet (24), wherein the upper sheet (23) is connected to the lower sheet (24) by welding to form a slot (25) that matches the other of the positive electrode sheet (21) and the negative electrode sheet (22).

4. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The upper plate (30) is in fluid communication with each of the lower plate (40), the two side plates (50) and the serpentine plate (60).

5. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Each of the plurality of fire dampers (70) is threadedly connected or welded to a corresponding through hole (32).

6. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The valve membrane (72) is made of polyvinyl chloride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride or polyethylene.

7. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The lower plate (40) is provided with a mounting groove (41) that matches each of the battery cells (10).

8. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Each of the lower plate (40) and the serpentine plate (60) is connected to the two side plates (50) by welding, and the upper plate (30) is connected to the two side plates (50) by plugging.

9. A battery module, characterized in that: The invention comprises a plurality of module units (M1, M2, M3), each of the plurality of module units (M1, M2, M3) comprising: An upper plate (30), a lower plate (40) and two side plates (50), wherein the two side plates (50) are respectively connected to the upper plate (30) and the lower plate (40) at two ends of the module unit in the length direction (X) to form a shell of the module unit; a serpentine plate (60), the serpentine plate (60) being arranged in the housing, and the two ends of the serpentine plate (60) being respectively connected to the two side plates (50) so as to divide the housing into a plurality of compartments (C) defined in sequence by the serpentine plate (60), the upper plate (30) and the lower plate (40) in the length direction (X); and a plurality of battery cells (10), each of the plurality of battery cells (10) being arranged in a corresponding compartment (C) and detachably mounted to the lower plate (40), Wherein, each of the upper plate (30), the lower plate (40), the two side plates (50) and the serpentine plate (60) is a liquid cooling plate, The upper plate (30) is provided with a plurality of through holes (32), each of the plurality of through holes (32) communicating with the cooling liquid chamber (31) of the upper plate (30) and one of the plurality of compartments (C). The module unit further comprises a plurality of fire dampers (70), each of the plurality of fire dampers (70) being assembled to a corresponding through hole (32) and comprising a valve film (72) to completely cover the through hole (32). Furthermore, the side plates (50) of two adjacent module units among the plurality of module units (M1, M2, M3) are connected to each other by plugging and are in fluid communication with each other.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that: It comprises a power battery pack, wherein the power battery pack comprises the battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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