Battery and electric device

Abstract

The invention provides a battery and an electric device. The battery comprises a plurality of battery packs, at least two lateral heat exchange assemblies and a confluence structure. Each battery pack comprises a plurality of single batteries which are sequentially arranged in the length direction of the single batteries, and the plurality of battery packs are sequentially arranged in the thickness direction of the single batteries. Lateral heat exchange assemblies are arranged beside at least part of the battery packs, each lateral heat exchange assembly comprises a lateral heat exchange plate and a current collector arranged at at least one end of the lateral heat exchange plate and is provided with a heat exchange flow channel in which a heat exchange medium flows, and the current collector comprises a current collecting cavity and a current collecting pipe. The confluence structure is connected with the collecting pipes of all the lateral heat exchange assemblies so that the heat exchange media can be guided in or guided out through the confluence structure. Wherein the collecting pipe comprises a first collecting pipe section connected with the confluence structure, and the extension direction of the first collecting pipe section is parallel to the large surface of the battery monomer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of batteries, and more particularly to a battery and an electrical device. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of new energy, batteries are widely used in vehicles to provide electric drive for vehicles. How to improve the reliability of battery use is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a battery and an electrical device to improve the reliability of battery use.

[0004] The first aspect of the present application provides a battery, comprising a plurality of battery packs, at least two lateral heat exchange components and a confluence structure. Each battery pack comprises a plurality of battery cells arranged in sequence in the length direction of the battery cell, and the plurality of battery packs are arranged in sequence in the thickness direction of the battery cell. A lateral heat exchange component is arranged on the side of at least some of the battery packs in the plurality of battery packs, each lateral heat exchange component comprises a lateral heat exchange plate and a current collector arranged at at least one end of the lateral heat exchange plate, the lateral heat exchange plate is parallel to the large surface of the battery cell and the lateral heat exchange plate has a heat exchange flow channel in which a heat exchange medium flows, the current collector comprises a current collecting cavity and a current collecting pipe, the current collecting cavity is in fluid communication with the heat exchange flow channel, and the current collecting pipe is used to introduce the heat exchange medium into the current collecting cavity or to export the heat exchange medium from the current collecting cavity. The confluence structure is connected to the current collecting pipes of each lateral heat exchange component so that the heat exchange medium is introduced or exported through the confluence structure. Among them, the current collecting pipe comprises a first current collecting pipe section connected to the confluence structure, and the extension direction of the first current collecting pipe section is parallel to the large surface of the battery cell.

[0005] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the extension direction of the first collector section of the collector is set to be parallel to the large surface of the battery cell, so that the extension direction of the first collector section is inconsistent with the direction of action of the expansion force, thereby avoiding the failure of the sealed connection between the first collector section and the confluence structure due to the action of the expansion force, avoiding the leakage of the heat exchange medium, and improving the reliability of the battery. Furthermore, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application sets the extension direction of the first collector section to be parallel to the large surface, so that the first collector section of each lateral heat exchange component is connected to the confluence structure, and the collectors of each lateral heat exchange component are not directly connected. Therefore, the structure and size of the collectors of each lateral heat exchange component can be set to be the same, and there is no need to set the size of the collector to be different due to the number or thickness of the battery cells between two adjacent lateral heat exchange components. Therefore, the structure of the battery can be simplified and the production cost can be reduced.

[0006] In some embodiments, the extension direction of the first collector section is parallel to the length direction of the battery cell. The technical solution of the embodiment of the present application makes the extension direction of the first collector section parallel to the length direction of the battery cell, so that the connection end surface of the first collector section and the bus structure is parallel to the direction of the expansion force of the battery, thereby avoiding the problem of the connection end surface being disconnected and failing under the action of the expansion force.

[0007] In some embodiments, the bus structure includes a bus pipe, which is configured to be detachably connected to the plurality of first header sections. The bus structure of the embodiment of the present application includes a bus pipe, and the bus pipe is configured to be detachably connected to the plurality of first header sections, which is convenient for maintenance and repair.

[0008] In some embodiments, the extension direction of the first collector section is parallel to the height direction of the battery cell and extends downward. In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the extension direction of the first collector section is set to the height direction, so that each first collector section can extend downward in the height direction and connect to the converging structure. In this way, the extension direction of the first collector section is inconsistent with the direction of action of the expansion force, thereby avoiding the failure of the sealing connection of the first collector section due to the action of the expansion force, avoiding the leakage of the heat exchange medium, and improving the reliability of the battery.

[0009] In some embodiments, the battery further comprises a plurality of plug-in tubes disposed on the bus structure and spaced apart. The plurality of plug-in tubes are configured to be connected to the plurality of first collector sections. In the embodiment of the present application, a plurality of plug-in tubes are disposed on the bottom plate corresponding to the first collector sections, so that each collector can transport the heat exchange medium through a sealed connection with the plug-in tube, thereby effectively ensuring the sealed transport of the heat exchange medium.

[0010] In some embodiments, the manifold further includes a second manifold segment. The first end of the second manifold segment is connected to the manifold cavity, the second end of the second manifold segment is connected to the first manifold segment, and the extension direction of the second manifold segment is different from the extension direction of the first manifold segment to form a bent tube. The manifold of the embodiment of the present application is formed as a bent tube, so that the first manifold segment can be extended in different directions by changing the bending direction of the bent tube, which is simple to manufacture and reduces costs.

[0011] In some embodiments, the lateral heat exchange plate includes two heat exchange surfaces arranged in parallel with the large surface of the battery cell, the manifold is sleeved at the end of the lateral heat exchange plate and the manifold includes two manifold walls arranged in parallel with the two heat exchange surfaces of the lateral heat exchange plate, and the first end of the second manifold section is connected to the manifold wall. The technical solution of the embodiment of the present application connects the first end of the second manifold section to the manifold wall, and since the area of ​​the manifold wall is relatively large, the diameter of the second manifold section can also be set larger, thereby increasing the flow rate of the heat exchange medium.

[0012] In some embodiments, the lateral heat exchange assembly includes two current collectors, which are respectively disposed at two ends of the lateral heat exchange plate and include a liquid outlet current collector and a liquid inlet current collector.

[0013] In some embodiments, a lateral heat exchange assembly is provided between two adjacent battery packs in the plurality of battery packs. In this way, a lateral heat exchange assembly is provided between two adjacent battery packs in the plurality of battery packs, so that each battery pack has a lateral heat exchange assembly on one side for directly exchanging heat therewith, which can ensure that each battery cell in each battery pack is fully heat exchanged, thereby making the battery cell work at a suitable temperature and improving the performance of the battery.

[0014] A second aspect of the present application provides an electrical device, characterized in that it includes the above-mentioned battery, and the battery is used to provide electrical energy.

[0015] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use 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 ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the drawings without paying creative work.

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present application.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery of some embodiments of the present application.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lateral heat exchange assembly of some embodiments of the present application.

[0020] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lateral heat exchange assembly of other embodiments of the present application.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of a battery box according to other embodiments of the present application.

[0022] In the drawings, the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0023] 200. Vehicle.

[0024] 100.Battery.

[0025] 10. Battery pack; 11. Battery cell.

[0026] 20. Lateral heat exchange assembly; 21. Lateral heat exchange plate; 22. Collector; 221. Collector cavity; 222. Collector; 2221. First collector section; 2222. Second collector section.

[0027] 60. Confluence structure.

[0028] 70. Plug in the tube.

[0029] 30. Battery box; 31. Box frame; 32. Bottom plate; 33. Expansion beam.

[0030] X, length direction; Y, thickness direction; Z, height direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by technicians 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" in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0032] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is more than two, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0033] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0034] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there may be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0035] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "multiple" refers to more than two (including two). Similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two groups (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two pieces (including two pieces).

[0036] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0037] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of 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 the specific circumstances.

[0038] refer to Figure 1 , an embodiment of the present application provides an electrical device that uses a battery 100 to provide electrical energy. The electrical device includes a battery 100 and a driving device for providing driving force for the electrical device, and the battery 100 provides electrical energy to the driving device. The driving force of the device may be entirely electrical energy, or partly electrical energy and partly other energy sources (such as mechanical energy). For example, the device may also include a power source such as an engine that provides mechanical energy. As long as the device uses the battery 100 as a power source, it is within the protection scope of this application.

[0039] The power-consuming device of the embodiment of the present application may be a mobile device such as a vehicle, a ship, a small aircraft, etc. Taking a vehicle as an example, the vehicle of the embodiment of the present application may be a new energy vehicle. The new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or an extended-range vehicle. Figure 1 A vehicle 200 using a battery 100 as a power source is shown. The battery 100 is disposed in the vehicle 200. A drive motor is disposed in the vehicle 200, and the drive motor is electrically connected to the battery 100. The battery 100 provides electrical energy to the drive motor, and the drive motor is connected to the wheels through a transmission mechanism to drive the vehicle to move. Specifically, the battery 100 can be horizontally disposed at the bottom of the vehicle 200.

[0040] The battery 100 of the embodiment of the present application includes a battery box and a plurality of battery cells 11 arranged in the battery box. The battery box has a accommodating cavity, and a plurality of battery cells 11 are arranged in the accommodating cavity. In the embodiment of the present application, a plurality of battery cells 11 can directly form a battery, or they can first form a battery module, and the battery module can then form a battery. Specifically, a plurality of battery cells 11 can be directly connected in series, in parallel, or in a mixed connection to form a whole, and then the whole formed by the plurality of battery cells 11 can be accommodated in the battery box. Alternatively, a plurality of battery cells 11 can first be connected in series, in parallel, or in a mixed connection to form a battery module, and then a plurality of battery modules can be connected in series, in parallel, or in a mixed connection to form a whole, and then accommodated in the battery box.

[0041] The battery cells 11 may include lithium-ion secondary batteries, lithium-ion primary batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, sodium-lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries or magnesium-ion batteries, etc. The present application embodiment is not limited to this. The plurality of battery cells 11 are electrically connected via a connecting sheet.

[0042] The battery cell 11 is the smallest unit constituting the battery 100. The battery cell 11 includes a housing, an end cover, an electrode assembly, and other functional components.

[0043] The end cap is covered on the opening of the shell to isolate the internal environment of the battery cell from the external environment. Functional components such as poles may be provided on the end cap. The electrode assembly is a component in the battery cell where electrochemical reactions occur. One or more electrode assemblies may be contained in the shell. The electrode assembly is mainly formed by winding or stacking positive and negative electrode sheets. During the charge and discharge process of the battery, the positive electrode active material and the negative electrode active material react with the electrolyte, and the pole ears connect the poles to form a current loop. The electrode assembly may be a winding structure or a stacked structure, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0044] The battery cell 11 may also include a pressure relief structure. The pressure relief structure refers to an element or component that is actuated to release the internal pressure or temperature when the internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell reaches a predetermined threshold. The threshold design varies according to different design requirements. The threshold may depend on one or more materials of the positive electrode sheet, negative electrode sheet, electrolyte and isolation membrane in the battery cell. The pressure relief structure can take the form of an explosion-proof valve, an air valve, a pressure relief valve or a safety valve, and can specifically adopt a pressure-sensitive or temperature-sensitive element or structure, that is, when the internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell reaches a predetermined threshold, the pressure relief structure performs an action or the weak structure provided in the pressure relief structure is destroyed, thereby forming an opening or channel for the internal pressure or temperature to be released. When the pressure relief structure is actuated, the high-temperature and high-pressure substances inside the battery cell will be discharged from the actuated part as emissions.

[0045] Generally, the battery will emit heat during the charging and discharging process, so a heat exchange component needs to be set up to take away the heat to achieve the purpose of cooling the battery. Or when the battery is working in winter or other cold working conditions, in order to reduce the adverse effects of low temperature environment on battery performance, the heat exchange component can be used to increase the temperature. Therefore, the heat exchange component plays a role in regulating the temperature of the battery to improve the battery efficiency and safety performance.

[0046] In the related art, a heat exchange assembly is provided between the large surfaces of two adjacent battery packs to perform heat exchange on the battery cells. Then, in a battery including multiple battery packs, there will be multiple heat exchange assemblies, and the collectors of the multiple heat exchange assemblies extend in a direction perpendicular to the large surface and are sealed and connected to each other in pairs to introduce the heat exchange medium into the battery or out of the battery. In this way, the extension direction of the collector is consistent with the expansion direction of the battery cell, resulting in the risk of failure and leakage of the sealed connection between adjacent collectors under the action of the expansion force. The leakage of the heat exchange medium may cause problems such as short circuit inside the battery, thus resulting in low reliability of the battery.

[0047] Through in-depth research on the above problems, the present application proposes a battery, which includes at least two battery groups. A lateral heat exchange assembly is provided between at least some of the battery groups and the adjacent battery groups, and the extension direction of the first collector section of the collector of each lateral heat exchange assembly connected to the collector structure is set to be parallel to the large surface of the battery cell, so that the extension direction of the first collector section is inconsistent with the direction of the expansion force of the battery cell, effectively avoiding the problem of leakage caused by failure of the sealed connection between the first collector section and the collector structure under the action of the expansion force, thereby improving the reliability of the battery.

[0048] Reference below Figures 2 to 5 The structure of the battery in some embodiments of the present application is described in detail.

[0049] refer to Figure 2, the battery 100 of some embodiments of the present application includes a plurality of battery packs 10, at least two lateral heat exchange assemblies 20 and a confluence structure 60. Among them, each battery pack 10 includes a plurality of battery cells 11 arranged in sequence in the length direction X of the battery cell 11. The plurality of battery packs 10 are arranged in sequence in the thickness direction Y of the battery cell 11. A lateral heat exchange assembly 20 is arranged on the side of at least some of the battery packs 10 in the plurality of battery packs 10. Each lateral heat exchange assembly 20 includes a lateral heat exchange plate 21 and a current collector 22 arranged at least at one end of the lateral heat exchange plate 21. The lateral heat exchange plate 21 is parallel to the large surface of the battery cell 11 and the lateral heat exchange plate 21 has a heat exchange flow channel in which a heat exchange medium flows. The current collector 22 includes a manifold 221 and a manifold 222, the manifold 221 is in fluid communication with the heat exchange flow channel, and the manifold 222 is used to introduce the heat exchange medium into the manifold 221 or to export the heat exchange medium from the manifold 221. The flow collecting structure 60 is connected to the collecting pipes 222 of each lateral heat exchange assembly 20 so that the heat exchange medium can be introduced or discharged through the flow collecting structure 60 .

[0050] The collector 222 includes a first collector section 2221 connected to the current collecting structure 60 . The extension direction of the first collector section 2221 is parallel to the large surface of the battery cell 11 .

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, the battery cell 11 is a rectangular parallelepiped structure, and includes a bottom surface, a top surface arranged opposite to the bottom surface, two large surfaces arranged opposite to each other, and two side surfaces arranged opposite to each other. Among them, the large surface refers to the surface with the largest area among all surfaces of the battery cell 11, the length direction X of the battery is parallel to the large surface and perpendicular to the side surface, and the thickness direction Y of the battery is perpendicular to the large surface.

[0052] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the battery cells 11 of each battery pack 10 are arranged along the length direction X, that is, when the battery pack 10 is formed, multiple battery cells 11 arranged along the length direction X are grouped. In this way, the side heat exchange plate 21 of the side heat exchange assembly 20 is arranged between the large surfaces of the battery cells 11 of two adjacent battery packs 10. Then, for the side heat exchange plate 21, its extension direction extends along the length direction X, and the two ends of the extension direction of the side heat exchange plate 21 are respectively provided with current collectors 22. It can be seen that the extension direction of the side heat exchange plate 21 is consistent with the arrangement direction of the battery cells 11 in the battery pack.

[0053] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4Each lateral heat exchange assembly 20 includes a lateral heat exchange plate 21 and two current collectors 22 respectively arranged at both ends of the lateral heat exchange plate 21. The two current collectors 22 are respectively a liquid inlet current collector and a liquid outlet current collector. The heat exchange medium enters the heat exchange flow channel in the lateral heat exchange plate 21 through the liquid inlet current collector to exchange heat with the battery cell 11, and then flows out through the liquid outlet current collector after the heat exchange occurs.

[0054] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the current collector 22 includes a current collecting cavity 221 and a current collecting tube 222. The current collecting cavity 221 is disposed at the end of the lateral heat exchange plate 21 and the current collecting cavity 221 is in fluid communication with the heat exchange channel inside the lateral heat exchange plate 21. Figure 2 and Figure 5 Each of the manifolds 222 of the plurality of lateral heat exchange assemblies 20 is connected to the confluence structure 60 so that the heat exchange medium is transported to each lateral heat exchange assembly 20 through the confluence structure 60 or the heat exchange medium of each lateral heat exchange assembly 20 is discharged through the confluence structure 60 .

[0055] The first collector section 2221 of the collector 222 of the embodiment of the present application is sealed and connected to the bus structure 60. In order to ensure the sealing of the connection between the first collector section 2221 and the bus structure 60, in the present embodiment, the extension direction of the first collector section 2221 is set to be parallel to the large surface of the battery cell 11, so that the extension direction of the first collector section 2221 is inconsistent with the direction of action of the expansion force. Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the first collector section 2221 extends in a direction along the length direction X of the battery cell 11. Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the first collecting tube section 2221 extends in a direction along a height direction Z of the battery cell 11 .

[0056] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the extension direction of the first manifold section 2221 of the manifold 222 is set to be parallel to the large surface of the battery cell, so that the extension direction of the first manifold section 2221 is inconsistent with the direction of the expansion force, thereby avoiding the failure of the sealed connection between the first manifold section 2221 and the confluence structure 60 due to the expansion force, avoiding the leakage of the heat exchange medium, and improving the reliability of the battery. Furthermore, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application sets the extension direction of the first manifold section 2221 to be parallel to the large surface, so that the first manifold section 2221 of each lateral heat exchange assembly 20 is connected to the confluence structure 60, and the manifolds 222 of each lateral heat exchange assembly 20 are not directly connected, so the structure and size of the manifolds 222 of each lateral heat exchange assembly 20 can be set to be the same, and there is no need to set the size of the manifold 222 to be different due to the number or thickness of the battery cells between two adjacent lateral heat exchange assemblies 20, so the structure of the battery can be simplified and the production cost can be reduced.

[0057] In some embodiments, reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The extension direction of the first collecting pipe section 2221 is parallel to the length direction X of the battery cell.

[0058] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first collector section 2221 extends along the length direction X of the battery cell 11. Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the manifold 222 includes a first manifold section 2221 and a second manifold section 2222. The first manifold section 2221 and the second manifold section 2222 form a bent tube. The free end of the first manifold section 2221 is sealed and connected to the confluence structure 60. Figure 2 It can be seen that the connecting end face between the first collecting tube segment 2221 and the bus structure 60 is parallel to the thickness direction Y of the battery cell, and the direction of the expansion force of the battery is along the thickness direction Y of the battery cell, that is to say, the connecting end face between the first collecting tube segment 2221 and the bus structure 60 is parallel to the direction of the expansion force of the battery, and the extension direction of the collecting tube in the related technology is consistent with the expansion direction of the battery cell, which makes the connecting end face easy to detach because the connecting end face is perpendicular to the expansion direction. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application sets the first collecting tube segment 2221 connected to the bus structure 60 to extend along the length direction.

[0059] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present application makes the extension direction of the first collecting pipe section 2221 parallel to the length direction X of the battery cell, so that the connecting end surface of the first collecting pipe section 2221 and the collecting structure 60 is parallel to the direction of the expansion force of the battery, thereby avoiding the problem of the connecting end surface being detached and failing under the action of the expansion force.

[0060] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the manifold structure 60 includes a manifold that is configured to be detachably connected to the plurality of first manifold segments 2221 .

[0061] like Figure 2 As shown, two manifolds are respectively arranged on both sides of the plurality of battery packs 10. The two manifolds include an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold. Moreover, the manifold is detachably connected to the plurality of first manifold sections 2221 of the plurality of lateral heat exchange assemblies 20, so that the inflow or outflow of the heat exchange medium of the plurality of lateral heat exchange assemblies 20 can be satisfied.

[0062] The manifold structure of the embodiment of the present application includes a manifold, and the manifold is configured to be detachably connected to the plurality of first manifold segments 2221, which facilitates maintenance and repair.

[0063] In some embodiments, the manifold comprises a flexible tube.

[0064] In some embodiments, reference Figure 4 The extension direction of the first collecting pipe section 2221 is parallel to the height direction Z of the battery cell 11 and extends downward.

[0065] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the extension direction of the first header section 2221 is set to the height direction Z, so that each first header section 2221 can extend downward in the height direction and connect to the converging structure 60. In this way, the extension direction of the first header section 2221 is inconsistent with the direction of action of the expansion force, thereby avoiding the failure of the sealing connection of the first header section 2221 due to the action of the expansion force, avoiding the leakage of the heat exchange medium, and improving the reliability of the battery.

[0066] refer to Figure 5 In some embodiments, the battery further includes a plurality of plug-in tubes 70 disposed on the bus structure 60 and spaced apart. The plurality of plug-in tubes 70 are configured to be connected to the plurality of first collector sections 2221 accordingly.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present application, a plurality of plug-in tubes 70 are arranged on the bottom plate 32 corresponding to the first collecting pipe section 2221, so that each collecting pipe 222 can transport the heat exchange medium through a sealed connection with the plug-in tube 70, thereby effectively ensuring the sealed transportation of the heat exchange medium.

[0068] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the manifold 222 further includes a second manifold segment 2222. A first end of the second manifold segment 2222 is connected to the manifold cavity 221, a second end of the second manifold segment 2222 is connected to the first manifold segment 2221, and an extension direction of the second manifold segment 2222 is different from an extension direction of the first manifold segment 2221 to form a bent tube.

[0069] refer to Figure 3 In some embodiments, the header 222 is a bent tube, and includes a first header section 2221 and a second header section 2222. The first header section 2221 is a straight tube, and the second header section 2222 is a bent tube. Figure 4 In other embodiments, the header 222 is a bent tube and includes a first header section 2221 and a second header section 2222. The first header section 2221 and the second header section 2222 extend in different directions.

[0070] The collecting pipe 222 of the embodiment of the present application is formed as a bent pipe, so that the first collecting pipe section 2221 can be extended in different directions by changing the bending direction of the bent pipe, which simplifies the manufacturing and reduces the cost.

[0071] In some embodiments, the manifold 222 is an integrally formed bent tube.

[0072] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the lateral heat exchange plate 21 includes two heat exchange surfaces arranged parallel to the large surface of the battery cell 11. The manifold 221 is sleeved at the end of the lateral heat exchange plate 21 and includes two manifold walls arranged parallel to the two heat exchange surfaces of the lateral heat exchange plate 21. The first end of the second manifold section 2222 is connected to the manifold wall.

[0073] like Figure 3 As shown, the lateral heat exchange plate 21 is a plate structure with a flat cross section, which is formed by two relatively large heat exchange surfaces and a side enclosure connecting the two heat exchange surfaces. Both ends of the lateral heat exchange plate 21 in the length direction form connection ports to connect with the collector 22. The manifold 221 of the collector 22 is sleeved on the end of the lateral heat exchange plate 21. Therefore, the two manifold walls of the manifold 221 are respectively arranged on both sides of the two heat exchange surfaces.

[0074] The two manifold walls of the manifold 221 and the two heat exchange surfaces of the lateral heat exchange plates 21 mentioned here are parallel, which means they are roughly parallel, but not necessarily strictly parallel.

[0075] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present application connects the first end of the second collecting pipe section 2222 to the collecting cavity wall. Since the area of ​​the collecting cavity wall is relatively large, the diameter of the second collecting pipe section 2222 can also be set larger, thereby increasing the flow rate of the heat exchange medium.

[0076] In some embodiments, a lateral heat exchange assembly 20 is provided between two adjacent battery groups 10 in a plurality of battery groups 10, so that each battery group 10 has a lateral heat exchange assembly 20 on one side for directly exchanging heat therewith, thereby ensuring sufficient heat exchange for each battery cell 11 of each battery group 10, thereby enabling the battery cells to operate at a suitable temperature, thereby improving battery performance.

[0077] In other embodiments, a lateral heat exchange assembly 20 may be provided every two battery packs. That is, two battery packs 10 are provided between two adjacent lateral heat exchange assemblies 20, which can reduce the number of lateral heat exchange assemblies 20 in the battery, reduce the occupied volume of the lateral heat exchange assembly 20 on the basis of ensuring sufficient heat exchange for the battery, and thus improve the energy density of the battery.

[0078] Of course, in some other embodiments, a lateral heat exchange assembly 20 may be provided every three or more battery groups, and the configuration may be specifically performed according to the heat exchange requirements of the battery.

[0079] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the lateral heat exchange plate 21 is parallel to the large surface of the battery cell 11 , and the lateral heat exchange plate 21 is disposed between the large surfaces of the battery cells 11 of two adjacent battery packs 10 .

[0080] The lateral heat exchange plates 21 of the lateral heat exchange assembly 20 are arranged between the large surfaces of each battery cell 11 of the adjacent battery pack 10. Thus, for each battery cell 11, the heat exchange area between the lateral heat exchange assembly 20 and the battery cell 11 is larger, thereby optimizing the heat exchange effect.

[0081] refer to Figure 5 In some embodiments, the battery box 30 includes a box frame 31, a bottom plate 32, and an expansion beam 33. The box frame 31 is connected to the bottom plate 32 to form a receiving cavity. The expansion beam 33 extends in a direction parallel to the large surface of the battery cell 11 and is connected to the box frame 31.

[0082] Each battery cell 11 will expand during the charging and discharging process. In order to resist the expansion force and avoid battery deformation, an expansion beam is provided in the battery box 30 of the embodiment of the present application. The direction of the expansion force is perpendicular to the large surface of the battery cell 11, so the extension direction of the expansion beam 33 needs to be parallel to the large surface of the battery cell 11, so that the expansion beam 33 can resist the expansion force to avoid battery deformation. Specifically, both ends of the expansion beam 33 are connected to the box frame 31.

[0083] The present application also provides an electrical device, comprising the above-mentioned battery 100. The battery 100 is used to provide electrical energy.

[0084] According to the following Figure 2 and Figure 3 The structure of a battery in a specific embodiment of the present application is described in detail.

[0085] like Figure 2 As shown, the battery 100 of this embodiment includes at least two battery packs 10 , a lateral heat exchange assembly 20 and a busbar structure 60 .

[0086] like Figure 2 As shown, a plurality of battery cells 11 are arranged in sequence to form an array. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the battery pack 10 is formed by a plurality of battery cells 11 arranged along a length direction X. The plurality of battery packs 10 are arranged along a thickness direction Y. Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the battery cell 11 is a rectangular parallelepiped structure, and the battery cells 11 in each battery pack 10 are arranged along the length direction of the battery cell 11 .

[0087] The battery cell 11 of this embodiment is a rectangular parallelepiped structure, and includes two oppositely disposed large surfaces, an oppositely disposed top surface and bottom surface, and two oppositely disposed side surfaces, wherein the side surfaces are perpendicular to the length direction X, the large surfaces are perpendicular to the thickness direction Y, and the top surface (bottom surface) is perpendicular to the height direction Z.

[0088] The battery 100 of this embodiment includes at least two lateral heat exchange components 20. The lateral heat exchange components 20 are arranged between two adjacent battery packs 10. In this embodiment, the lateral heat exchange components 20 are arranged between the large surfaces of two adjacent battery packs 10, thereby increasing the heat exchange area and optimizing the heat exchange effect.

[0089] like Figure 3 As shown, the lateral heat exchange assembly 20 of this embodiment includes a lateral heat exchange plate 21 and two current collectors 22 respectively arranged at both ends of the lateral heat exchange plate 21. The two current collectors 22 are respectively a liquid outlet current collector and a liquid inlet current collector. The structures of the two current collectors 22 are basically the same.

[0090] like Figure 3 As shown, the current collector 22 includes a current collecting cavity 221 and a current collecting pipe 222. The current collecting cavity 221 is sleeved on the end of the lateral heat exchange plate 21 so that the heat exchange medium in the lateral heat exchange plate 21 flows into the inner cavity of the current collecting cavity 221 or the heat exchange medium in the current collecting cavity 221 flows into the lateral heat exchange plate 21. The current collecting pipe 222 is a bent pipe and includes a first current collecting pipe section 2221 and a second current collecting pipe section 2222.

[0091] like Figure 2 As shown, each second header section 2222 of the current collector 22 of the plurality of lateral heat exchange assemblies 20 extends along the length direction X and is connected to the flow collecting structure 60. Figure 2 As shown, the battery 100 of this embodiment includes two current collecting structures respectively arranged on both sides of the plurality of battery packs 10. The two current collecting structures 60 are respectively connected to the first current collecting pipe sections 2221 of the current collecting pipes 222 of the liquid outlet current collector and the liquid inlet current collector.

[0092] The first collecting pipe section 2221 extends along the length direction X.

[0093] In this embodiment, the second manifold section 2222 of the manifold 222 is set to extend along the length direction X and the collector 22 of each lateral heat exchange assembly is connected to the confluence structure 60, so that the connection end surface between the manifold 222 and the confluence structure 60 is located in the length direction X, avoiding the interface at the connection position from being affected by the expansion force of the battery, thereby ensuring the sealing, avoiding safety problems caused by leakage of the heat exchange medium, and improving the reliability of the battery. In addition, the lateral heat exchange assemblies 20 are not directly connected to each other, thereby eliminating the connection structure between at least two lateral heat exchange assemblies.

[0094] According to the following Figure 4 and Figure 5 The structure of a battery in another specific embodiment of the present application is described in detail.

[0095] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the battery of this embodiment includes a battery box 30, a plurality of battery packs 10 (not shown in the figure, refer to Figure 2 Embodiment), at least two lateral heat exchange components 20, a confluence structure 60 and a plurality of plug-in tubes 70.

[0096] The battery box 30 includes a box frame 31, a bottom plate 32 and an expansion beam 33. The box frame 31 has openings at the top and bottom, wherein the bottom of the box frame 31 is connected to the bottom plate 32 to enclose a receiving cavity. The battery box 30 may also include a cover plate (not shown) covering the top of the box frame 31 to close the top opening. Figure 5 As shown, the box frame 31 includes two first side walls parallel to the length direction X and two second side walls parallel to the thickness direction Y. The expansion beam 33 extends along the length direction X and is connected to the two side walls at both ends. The battery box 30 of this embodiment includes two expansion beams 33 respectively arranged at both ends in the thickness direction Y.

[0097] like Figure 5As shown, the confluence structure 60 of this embodiment is arranged on the bottom plate 32 and a plurality of plug-in tubes 70 are arranged on the confluence structure 60. The plurality of plug-in tubes 70 are arranged one-to-one correspondingly with the manifolds 222 of at least two lateral heat exchange assemblies 20. When connected, the manifolds 222 of the lateral heat exchange assembly 20 are connected to the plug-in tubes to realize the transportation of the heat exchange medium.

[0098] In this embodiment, each lateral heat exchange assembly 20 extends along the length direction X, so that the manifolds 222 of at least two lateral heat exchange assemblies 20 are sequentially distributed in the thickness direction Y, so that the plug-in tubes 70 on the confluence structure 60 are distributed as follows: Figure 5 As shown, they are arranged at intervals along the thickness direction Y. The confluence structure 60 extends along the thickness direction Y and is in fluid communication with each manifold 222 , thereby achieving confluence of the heat exchange medium.

[0099] Although the present application has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications may be made thereto and parts thereof may be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there are no structural conflicts. 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, characterized in that: include: A plurality of battery packs (10), each of the battery packs (10) comprising a plurality of battery cells (11) arranged in sequence in a length direction (X) of the battery cell (11), and the plurality of battery packs (10) are arranged in sequence in a thickness direction (Y) of the battery cell (11); At least two lateral heat exchange assemblies (20), the lateral heat exchange assemblies (20) being arranged on the side of at least some of the battery packs (10) among the plurality of battery packs (10), each of the lateral heat exchange assemblies (20) comprising a lateral heat exchange plate (21) and a current collector (22) arranged at at least one end of the lateral heat exchange plate (21), the lateral heat exchange plate (21) being parallel to the large surface of the battery cell (11) and the lateral heat exchange plate (21) having a heat exchange flow channel in which a heat exchange medium flows, the current collector (22) comprising a flow collection cavity (221) and a flow collection pipe (222), the flow collection cavity (221) being in fluid communication with the heat exchange flow channel, and the flow collection pipe (222) being used to introduce the heat exchange medium into the flow collection cavity (221) or to guide the heat exchange medium out of the flow collection cavity (221); and A confluence structure (60), the confluence structure (60) being connected to the manifolds (222) of each lateral heat exchange assembly (20) so that a heat exchange medium can be introduced into or discharged from the confluence structure (60); The collector (222) comprises a first collector section (2221) connected to the current collecting structure (60), and the extension direction of the first collector section (2221) is parallel to the large surface of the battery cell (11).

2. The battery according to claim 1, characterized in that The extension direction of the first current collecting pipe section (2221) is parallel to the length direction (X) of the battery cell.

3. The battery according to claim 2, characterized in that The manifold structure (60) comprises a manifold, and the manifold is configured to be detachably connected to a plurality of the first manifold segments (2221).

4. The battery according to claim 1, characterized in that The extension direction of the first current collecting pipe section (2221) is parallel to the height direction (Z) of the battery cell (11) and extends downward.

5. The battery according to claim 4, characterized in that The battery further comprises a plurality of plug-in tubes (70) arranged on the current collecting structure (60) and arranged at intervals, wherein the plurality of plug-in tubes (70) are configured to be connected to a plurality of the first current collecting tube sections (2221) correspondingly.

6. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The collecting pipe (222) further comprises a second collecting pipe section (2222), a first end of the second collecting pipe section (2222) being connected to the collecting chamber (221), a second end of the second collecting pipe section (2222) being connected to the first collecting pipe section (2221), and an extension direction of the second collecting pipe section (2222) being different from an extension direction of the first collecting pipe section (2221) to form a bent pipe.

7. The battery according to claim 6, characterized in that The lateral heat exchange plate (21) comprises two heat exchange surfaces arranged in parallel with the large surface of the battery cell (11); the manifold (221) is sleeved at the end of the lateral heat exchange plate (21); the manifold (221) comprises two manifold walls arranged in parallel with the two heat exchange surfaces of the lateral heat exchange plate (21); and the first end of the second manifold section (2222) is connected to the manifold wall.

8. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The lateral heat exchange assembly (20) comprises two current collectors (22), the two current collectors (22) being respectively arranged at two ends of the lateral heat exchange plate (21) and comprising a liquid outlet current collector and a liquid inlet current collector.

9. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The lateral heat exchange assembly (20) is disposed between two adjacent battery packs (10) among the plurality of battery packs (10).

10. An electrical device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a battery (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the battery (100) is used to provide electrical energy.

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