Battery module explosion-proof structure with warning function and battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection system and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a battery module explosion-proof structure with a warning function and a battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection system and method.The battery module comprises a battery cell and a shell, the shell is provided with a closed installation cavity, and the battery cell is installed in the installation cavity; the shell is provided with an anti-explosion valve, the anti-explosion valve is provided with a pressure relief channel suitable for being opened when the air pressure in the mounting cavity exceeds a preset pressure threshold value, and the pressure relief channel is suitable for communicating the interior and the exterior of the shell; the shell is provided with a sound production device communicated with the pressure relief channel, and the sound production device is suitable for receiving airflow and producing sound when the airflow passes through the pressure relief channel; a detection device is arranged in the detection system, and the detection device is configured to be suitable for analyzing and comparing the environment sound collected by the monitor and judging that the thermal runaway abnormity of the battery cell occurs when the environment sound comprises the sound of the sound production device. According to the explosion-proof structure, the detection system and the detection method, thermal runaway of the battery cell can be found and detected in the first time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of battery module explosion-proof detection, and in particular to a battery module explosion-proof structure with a warning function and a battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection system and method. Background Art

[0002] A battery module generally includes a shell, a battery cell and a control device, wherein the battery cell and the control device are arranged inside the shell. When the battery cell is in a state of thermal runaway, a large amount of gas will be generated, so an explosion-proof valve is generally arranged on the battery cell. When the internal pressure of the battery cell increases, the explosion-proof valve will be driven to open the channel between the inside and outside of the battery cell, so that the gas inside the battery cell is discharged to the outside of the battery cell to prevent the gas from bursting the battery cell shell. However, since the explosion-proof valve is arranged on the battery cell, and the battery cell is arranged in the shell, it is difficult to observe whether the explosion-proof valve of the battery cell inside the shell is driven, and it is also difficult to detect whether the battery cell in the battery module has thermal runaway at the first time. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects or problems existing in the background technology, and to provide a battery module explosion-proof structure with a warning function and a battery module thermal runaway abnormality detection system and method, which can detect thermal runaway of the battery cell in the first time.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: Technical Solution 1: A battery module explosion-proof structure with a warning function, the battery module comprising a battery cell and a shell, the shell being provided with a closed installation cavity, the battery cell being installed in the installation cavity; the shell being provided with an explosion-proof valve, the explosion-proof valve being provided with a pressure relief channel which is suitable for opening when the air pressure in the installation cavity exceeds a preset pressure threshold, the pressure relief channel being suitable for connecting the inside and outside of the shell; the shell being provided with a sound-generating device which is connected with the pressure relief channel, the sound-generating device being suitable for receiving airflow and making sound when the airflow passes through the pressure relief channel. Technical solution 2 based on technical solution 1: There are multiple sound-generating devices, and all are suitable for allowing air flow to pass through the pressure relief channel and generate sound. Technical solution three based on technical solution two: each of the sound-emitting devices includes at least two different sound-emitting frequencies. Technical solution 4 based on any one of technical solutions 1 to 3: the sound-emitting device is arranged inside the shell. In addition, the present invention also provides technical solution five: a battery module thermal runaway abnormality detection system, comprising: a battery module, comprising a battery cell, a shell, an explosion-proof valve and a sound-emitting device; the shell is provided with a closed installation cavity, and the battery cell is installed in the installation cavity; the explosion-proof valve is provided in the shell, and is provided with a pressure relief channel suitable for opening when the air pressure inside the shell exceeds a preset pressure threshold, and the pressure relief channel is suitable for connecting the inside and outside of the shell; the sound-emitting device is provided in the shell and connected to the pressure relief channel, and is suitable for receiving airflow and making sound when the airflow passes through the pressure relief channel; and a detection device, comprising a listener; the listener is arranged close to the explosion-proof valve and is suitable for collecting ambient sound around it; the detection device is configured to analyze and compare the ambient sound collected by the listener, and determine that the battery cell has a thermal runaway abnormality when the ambient sound includes the sound of the sound-emitting device. Technical Solution 6 based on Technical Solution 5: There are multiple sound-emitting devices, and all are suitable for allowing air flow to pass through the pressure relief channel and emit sound; the detection device is configured to be suitable for analyzing and comparing the ambient sound it obtains when the ambient sound it obtains is greater than a preset sound intensity threshold. Technical Solution 7 based on Technical Solution 6: Each of the sound-emitting devices includes at least two different sound frequencies; the detection device is configured to determine that the battery cell has a thermal runaway anomaly when there are at least two sounds within a preset frequency range in the analysis and comparison results of the ambient sound obtained by it, wherein the preset frequency range corresponds to the sound frequencies included in each of the sound-emitting devices. Technical solution eight based on technical solution seven: there are multiple battery modules and multiple listening devices; at least some of the battery modules are arranged adjacent to each other, and each listening device corresponds to the position of a battery module; the detection device is configured to judge the position of a battery module with abnormal thermal runaway of the battery cells among the adjacently arranged battery modules based on the sound intensity of the sound-emitting device in the analysis and comparison results of the ambient sound obtained by it. In addition, the present invention also provides Technical Solution Nine: a battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection method, which is used to detect thermal runaway anomalies of battery cells in a battery module through a battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection system as described in any one of Technical Solutions Five to Eight, and is characterized in that external sounds are monitored, and when a sound appears that lasts for more than a first period and is within a preset frequency range, it is determined that a thermal runaway anomaly occurs in the battery cell.

[0005] Technical solution ten based on technical solution nine: monitor external sounds, and when there are sounds that last longer than the first period and are within a preset frequency range, determine that the battery cell has a thermal runaway anomaly.

[0006] Technical solution eleven based on technical solution ten: monitor external sounds, and when the sound intensity is greater than a preset sound intensity threshold, obtain the sound in a subsequent second period, and when the sound in the second period includes sounds that last longer than the first period and at least two of which are within a preset frequency range, determine that the battery cell has a thermal runaway abnormality; the length of the second period is greater than the length of the first period. It can be seen from the above description of the present invention that, compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: Technical solution 1 provides a battery module explosion-proof structure with a warning function. The battery module in the structure includes a battery cell and a shell. The shell is provided with a closed installation cavity, and the battery cell is installed in the installation cavity of the shell. When the battery cell has a thermal runaway abnormality, the battery cell will release a large amount of gas and increase the air pressure in the installation cavity. When the air pressure in the installation cavity increases to exceed a preset pressure threshold, the explosion-proof valve provided on the shell will be driven and open the pressure relief channel to guide the gas in the installation cavity to the outside. Since the explosion-proof valve is directly provided on the shell of the battery module, it is easy to directly see by observation. Whether the explosion-proof valve is driven can quickly detect whether the battery cells in the battery module have thermal runaway abnormalities. At the same time, since it is impossible to maintain long-term observation of the explosion-proof valve, or the appearance of the explosion-proof valve changes little when it is driven to open the pressure relief channel, it is impossible to determine whether the explosion-proof valve is driven through simple observation. Therefore, a sound-generating device is also installed on the shell, and the sound-generating device is connected to the pressure relief channel of the explosion-proof valve. When the explosion-proof valve is driven by pressure to open the pressure relief channel, air will pass through the pressure relief channel, and the sound-generating device will receive the airflow and make a sound, thereby issuing an alarm for abnormal thermal runaway of the battery cell. In addition, since the explosion-proof valve is set in the shell, there is enough buffer space between the explosion-proof valve and the battery cell. When the battery cell has thermal runaway and causes the internal electrolyte and other contents to explode, the explosion-proof valve is less likely to be blocked by these contents, and can play an explosion-proof role normally. The sounding device can also sound normally and serve as a warning. At the same time, a battery module only needs to be equipped with one explosion-proof valve, and there is no need to set a separate explosion-proof valve on each battery cell, which can effectively reduce costs.

[0007] In the second technical solution, a plurality of sound-generating devices are provided, and all of these sound-generating devices are connected to the pressure relief channel, so that the overall sound intensity can be improved, and under the condition of the same pressure relief amount, it is helpful to further play a warning function. In technical solution three, among multiple sound-emitting devices, at least these sound-emitting devices are provided with two different sound frequencies; due to the complex sound environment, if only a sound-emitting device with one sound frequency is provided, it is easy to be mixed with other sounds in the environment, resulting in misjudgment; therefore, at least two different sound frequencies are provided, and since the sounds in the environment basically will not have multiple specific sound frequencies appearing at the same time, when sounds consistent with these frequencies appear at the same time, it is possible to accurately determine that the battery module has a thermal runaway anomaly and avoid being disturbed by other sounds in the environment. In technical solution four, the sound-generating device is arranged inside the shell to prevent the external environment from contaminating the sound-generating device and affecting the sound of the sound-generating device. Technical solution five provides a battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection system, which adds a detection device to the battery module explosion-proof structure with warning function provided by technical solution one, and the detection device includes a listener, which is arranged close to the explosion-proof valve and can collect ambient sound around it; the ambient sound collected by the listener in real time is analyzed and compared in the detection device, and when the ambient sound includes the sound of the sound-generating device, it is determined that the battery cell has a thermal runaway anomaly, because the sounding state of the sound-generating device is known, and when analyzing and comparing, it is only necessary to compare the collected sound with the sound of the sound-generating device to determine whether the ambient sound includes the sound of the sound-generating device; and, since the listener is arranged close to the explosion-proof valve, even if the sound intensity of the sound emitted by the sound-generating device is low, the sound of the sound-generating device can be captured as much as possible; through this detection system, there is no need for manual observation and monitoring, and an alarm can be quickly and automatically realized when a thermal runaway anomaly occurs in the battery cell. In technical solution six, multiple sound-emitting devices are provided, and all of these sound-emitting devices are connected to the pressure relief channel, which can increase the overall sound intensity, so that the sound intensity threshold of the detection device can be set higher, reducing interference with monitoring caused by other sounds in the environment. In Technical Solution 7, among multiple sound-emitting devices, at least the sound-emitting devices are made to have two different sound frequencies. With this arrangement, the detection device can accurately determine whether the sound at this time is emitted by the sound-emitting device or other sounds in the environment by monitoring and analyzing the frequency distribution of sounds in the nearby environment. The monitoring of the detection device is more directional, can remove interference from other sounds in the environment, and only respond to the sound emitted by the sound-emitting device, which greatly improves the accuracy of the detection device's judgment results. In Technical Solution Eight, multiple battery modules may be provided, and some of the battery modules may be arranged adjacent to each other. In this case, a corresponding listener may be provided for each battery module. When a battery module experiences thermal runaway, the corresponding listener and nearby listeners will receive the sound. However, since the distances between each listener and the battery module experiencing thermal runaway are inconsistent, the sound intensity received by each listener is also inconsistent. By distinguishing the intensity of the sound and the correspondence between each listener and the battery module recorded in the initial state, it is possible to determine at which position the battery module has experienced the thermal runaway anomaly, thereby achieving accurate positioning of the abnormal battery module.

[0008] Technical solution ten provides a method for detecting thermal runaway anomalies in a battery module, which monitors external sounds in real time, and when a sound that lasts for more than a first period and is within a preset frequency range is detected, it can be determined that a thermal runaway anomaly has occurred in the battery cell; wherein the frequency of the sound emitted by the sound-emitting device is known in advance, and the frequency range for judgment can be set based on the frequency; and at the same time, the pressure relief process of the explosion-proof valve will last for a long time, so a first period is set to further reduce the interference of the external environment on the judgment of whether the battery cell has thermal runaway. In the technical solution eleven, external sounds are monitored in real time, and when there are sounds that last longer than a first period and at least two of which are within a preset frequency range, it is determined that the battery cell has thermal runaway; at this time, the sound-emitting device can emit sounds of at least two frequencies, and the corresponding frequency range can be set according to the sound frequency of the sound-emitting device. When at least two frequencies of sounds appear at the same time, and these two frequencies of sounds also fall within the preset frequency range, it means that the sound monitored at this time is the sound emitted by the sound-emitting device, and when this sound lasts longer than the first period, it can be determined that the battery cell has thermal runaway abnormality.

[0009] In technical solution twelfth, external sounds are monitored in real time. When the monitored sound intensity is greater than the preset sound intensity threshold, it indicates that the external sound environment has changed. At this time, the sounds in the subsequent second period are continuously acquired. If the sounds in the second period include sounds that last longer than the first period and are within a preset frequency range, it can be determined that the battery cell has a thermal runaway anomaly. The length of the second period is greater than the length of the first period, thereby ensuring that sounds of sufficient length can be acquired for determination. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0011] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a battery module explosion-proof structure with a warning function provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the explosion-proof valve when not actuated; Figure 3 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the explosion-proof valve when being driven Figure 1 ; Figure 4 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the explosion-proof valve when being driven Figure 2 ; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a battery module installed in an energy storage box in a battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Description of main reference numerals: Battery module 1; battery cell 2; housing 3; installation cavity 4; explosion-proof valve 5; pressure relief channel 6; sounding device 7; listener 8; valve housing 9; valve seat 10; valve cover 11; sleeve column 12; spring 13; energy storage box 14. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as excluding other embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0014] In the claims, description and the above-mentioned drawings of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, the use of terms such as "first", "second" or "third" etc. are for distinguishing different objects rather than for describing a specific order.

[0015] In the claims, specification and the above-mentioned drawings of the present invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, directional words, such as the terms "center", "lateral", "longitudinal", "horizontal", "vertical", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicating directions or positional relationships are based on the directions and positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the specific protection scope of the present invention.

[0016] In the claims, specification and the above drawings of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, if the term "fixed connection" or "fixed connection" is used, it should be understood in a broad sense, that is, any connection method without a displacement relationship and relative rotation relationship between the two, that is to say, including non-detachable fixed connection, detachable fixed connection, integrated connection and fixed connection through other devices or elements.

[0017] In the claims, description and drawings of the present invention, if the terms "include", "have" and their variations are used, they are intended to mean "including but not limited to".

[0018] Example 1 Embodiment 1 of the present invention provides a battery module explosion-proof structure with a warning function, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The battery module 1 in the battery module explosion-proof structure includes a battery cell 2 and a shell 3, the shell 3 is provided with a closed installation cavity 4, and the battery cell 2 is installed in the installation cavity 4; the shell 3 is provided with an explosion-proof valve 5, and the explosion-proof valve 5 is provided with a pressure relief channel 6 suitable for opening when the air pressure in the installation cavity 4 exceeds a preset pressure threshold, and the pressure relief channel 6 is suitable for connecting the inside and outside of the shell 3; the shell 3 is provided with a sound-generating device 7 connected with the pressure relief channel 6, and the sound-generating device 7 is suitable for receiving airflow and making sound when the airflow passes through the pressure relief channel 6.

[0019] Specifically, the battery module 1 mainly includes a battery cell 2 and a shell 3, as well as related battery management systems, cooling systems, etc. The battery module 1 can be used in energy storage devices. Among them, the battery cell 2 is the basic unit for storing and releasing energy in the battery module 1. According to different materials, the battery cell 2 can be divided into multiple types such as lithium-ion batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, lead-acid batteries, etc. In energy storage devices, the most commonly used type of battery cell 2 is lithium-ion batteries because they have higher energy density, longer cycle life, and lower self-discharge rate. The shell 3 is a shell that protects the battery cell 2 and other components from external environmental influences (such as moisture, dust, etc.). It also plays a role in fixing the position of the battery cell 2 to ensure that the battery cell 2 will not move or be damaged during use. An installation cavity 4 is formed inside the shell 3, and the battery cell 2 is fixedly installed in the installation cavity 4. At the same time, the battery management system and the cooling system of the battery module 1 are also installed in the installation cavity 4 as a whole or in part. Generally speaking, the material of the shell 3 is metal to ensure good heat dissipation performance.

[0020] In this embodiment, a pressure relief valve is provided on the battery cell 2, and an explosion-proof valve 5 is provided on the shell 3 of the battery module 1. The pressure relief valve can be automatically opened when the battery cell 2 has thermal runaway, so that the gas inside the battery cell 2 is quickly released to prevent the battery cell 2 from exploding; the explosion-proof valve 5 is used to automatically guide the expanded gas in the shell 3 when the battery cell 2 in the installation cavity 4 has thermal runaway abnormality to prevent the shell 3 from exploding. Obviously, the shell 3 has a certain sealing property for dustproof and waterproof purposes. If the battery cell 2 has thermal runaway abnormality and the explosion-proof valve 5 is not provided on the shell 3, it is easy to cause the shell 3 to explode due to the increase of gas pressure in the installation cavity 4. In this specification and claims, the thermal runaway abnormality of the battery cell 2 refers to the uncontrollable temperature rise phenomenon inside the battery cell 2, which may eventually cause the battery cell 2 to be damaged, leaked, caught fire or even exploded. Generally speaking, the thermal runaway anomaly of the battery cell 2 includes the following stages: a local area begins to heat up due to one of the above reasons; as the temperature rises, the chemical reaction rate inside the battery cell 2 accelerates, generating more heat, forming a positive feedback loop; the high temperature gradually spreads to the surrounding area, and other parts also begin to enter a self-heating state; when the temperature reaches a certain critical value, the chemical substances in the battery cell 2 may react violently, releasing a large amount of gas and heat, causing the battery cell 2 to expand, rupture, catch fire or explode. Therefore, when the battery cell 2 experiences thermal runaway, the contents of the battery cell 2 will also be released to the outside of the battery cell 2, that is, released into the installation cavity 4.

[0021] Reference Figure 1 , an explosion-proof valve 5 is installed on the shell 3 of the battery module 1. Generally speaking, in energy storage devices, multiple battery modules 1 are stacked in clusters in the vertical direction, so the distance between adjacent battery modules 1 in the vertical direction is relatively close, and a certain space is generally left in front of or behind the battery module 1. Therefore, the explosion-proof valve 5 in this embodiment is preferably set on the front side panel or rear side panel of the shell 3 of the battery module 1, and a more preferred solution is to set it at the front side panel position of the shell 3 of the battery module 1, so as to observe whether the explosion-proof valve 5 is driven.

[0022] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The reason why the explosion-proof valve 5 can play an explosion-proof role is mainly that it is provided with a pressure relief channel 6, which is closed under normal circumstances. When the air pressure in the installation cavity 4 increases to exceed the set threshold, it opens and connects the inside and outside of the shell 3, thereby conducting the expanded gas in the installation cavity 4 to the outside of the shell 3.

[0023] Specifically, refer to Figure 2, which shows the structure of the explosion-proof valve 5 used in the battery module 1 provided in this embodiment. Specifically, the explosion-proof valve 5 mainly includes a valve shell 9, a valve seat 10, a valve cover 11, a sleeve 12 and a spring 13. Among them, the valve shell 9 includes a fixed portion for fixing to the shell 3 and a cylindrical portion extending relative to the fixed portion. The shell 3 is provided with a through hole that passes through the inside and outside. The fixed portion can be fixed to the shell 3 and cover the through hole. Inside the cylindrical portion of the valve shell 9, a valve seat 10 is provided. The valve seat 10 is also cylindrical and forms a gap with the cylindrical portion of the valve shell 9. Both ends of the gap are open to form a pressure relief channel 6 connecting the inside and outside of the shell 3. A valve cover 11 is provided at the outward end of the valve housing 9. The valve cover 11 can cover the outward end of the pressure relief channel 6, thereby closing the pressure relief channel 6 and keeping the installation cavity 4 of the housing 3 sealed. At the same time, the valve cover 11 can be away from the outward end of the pressure relief channel 6, thereby opening the pressure relief channel 6 and connecting the installation cavity 4 of the housing 3 to the environment outside the housing 3. A set of columns 12 are provided on the inner surface of the valve cover 11. The set of columns 12 can be inserted into the valve seat 10, and a spring 13 is sleeved on the set of columns 12. One end of the spring 13 is connected to the valve seat 10, and the other end is connected to the valve cover 11. Figure 2 Under normal circumstances, when the air pressure inside the installation cavity 4 is at a normal level, the spring 13 will pull the valve cover 11 so that the valve cover 11 covers the pressure relief channel 6; Figure 3 When the air pressure inside the installation cavity 4 increases, the gas will push the valve cover 11 away from the valve housing 9 and stretch the spring 13.

[0024] In addition, a sounding device 7 connected to the pressure relief channel 6 is also installed on the housing 3. In this embodiment, the sounding device 7 is fixedly installed on the explosion-proof valve 5 and fixedly installed to the housing 3 through the explosion-proof valve 5. The sounding device 7 can be a whistle, and the whistle has an air inlet and an air outlet, the air inlet of which faces one side of the installation cavity 4, and the air outlet faces the outside of the housing 3. In a specific design, the whistle can be fixedly set on the explosion-proof valve 5, the air outlet of the whistle is covered on the end of the pressure relief channel 6 facing the installation cavity 4, and the air inlet of the whistle is located in the installation cavity 4. At this time, when the air pressure in the installation cavity 4 increases, the air flow will enter the whistle from the air inlet of the whistle and be sent out from the air outlet of the whistle. Therefore, the setting of the whistle will not affect the normal use of the explosion-proof valve 5, and when the pressure relief channel 6 passes the air flow, the whistle will receive the air flow and make a sound. At the same time, the sounding device 7 is set inside the housing 3 to prevent the external environment from contaminating the sounding device 7 and affecting the sound of the sounding device 7.

[0025] The present embodiment provides a battery module explosion-proof structure with a warning function. The battery module 1 in the structure includes a battery cell 2 and a shell 3. The shell 3 is provided with a closed installation cavity 4, and the battery cell 2 is installed in the installation cavity 4 of the shell 3. When the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway abnormality, the battery cell 2 will release a large amount of gas and increase the air pressure in the installation cavity 4. When the air pressure in the installation cavity 4 increases to exceed a preset pressure threshold, the explosion-proof valve 5 provided on the shell 3 will be driven and open the pressure relief channel 6 to guide the gas in the installation cavity 4 to the outside. Since the explosion-proof valve 5 is directly provided on the shell 3 of the battery module 1, it is easy to directly see by observation. Whether the explosion-proof valve 5 is driven can quickly detect whether the battery cell 2 in the battery module 1 has a thermal runaway abnormality; at the same time, since it is impossible to maintain long-term observation of the explosion-proof valve 5, or the degree of change in the appearance of the explosion-proof valve 5 is small when the explosion-proof valve 5 is driven to open the pressure relief channel 6, it is impossible to determine whether the explosion-proof valve 5 is driven by simple observation. Therefore, a sound-generating device 7 is also installed on the shell 3, and the sound-generating device 7 is connected to the pressure relief channel 6 of the explosion-proof valve 5. When the explosion-proof valve 5 is driven by pressure to open the pressure relief channel 6, air will pass through the pressure relief channel 6, and the sound-generating device 7 will receive the airflow and make a sound, thereby giving an alarm for the abnormal thermal runaway of the battery cell 2. In addition, since the explosion-proof valve 5 is arranged at the position of the shell 3, there is sufficient buffer space between the explosion-proof valve 5 and the battery cell 2. When the battery cell 2 has thermal runaway and causes the internal electrolyte and other contents to explode, the explosion-proof valve 5 is less likely to be blocked by these contents and can play an explosion-proof role normally. The sound-emitting device 7 can also sound normally and play a warning role. At the same time, a battery module 1 only needs to be provided with one explosion-proof valve 5, and there is no need to separately provide an explosion-proof valve 5 on each battery cell 2, which can effectively reduce costs.

[0026] Furthermore, there are multiple sound-generating devices 7, and each of them is suitable for making air flow through the pressure relief channel 6 and making sound. In this embodiment, the pressure relief channel 6 is annular, so in fact the pressure relief channel 6 has multiple positions for installing the sound-generating devices 7. In this embodiment, there are two sound-generating devices 7, and when air flows through the pressure relief channel 6, both sound-generating devices 7 will make sound, thereby increasing the total sound intensity and improving the warning effect.

[0027] Among them, each of the sound-emitting devices 7 includes at least two different sound frequencies. The different sound frequencies here can be achieved by adjusting the relevant parameters of the whistle. Due to the complexity of the sound environment, if only a sound-emitting device 7 with one sound frequency is set, it is easy to be mixed with other sounds in the environment, resulting in misjudgment; therefore, at least two different sound frequencies are set. Since the sounds in the environment basically do not have a situation where multiple specific sound frequencies appear at the same time, when sounds consistent with these frequencies appear at the same time, it can accurately determine that the battery module 1 has a thermal runaway anomaly and avoid being disturbed by other sounds in the environment.

[0028] Example 2 Embodiment 2 of the present invention provides a battery module thermal runaway abnormality detection system, which includes the battery module 1 introduced in Embodiment 1, and further includes a detection device, which includes a listener 8; the listener 8 is arranged close to the explosion-proof valve 5 and is suitable for collecting ambient sounds around the listener; the detection device is configured to analyze and compare the ambient sounds collected by the listener 8, and determine that the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway abnormality when the ambient sound includes the sound of the sound-generating device 7.

[0029] It is easy to understand that the detection device should also include a part for determining whether the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway anomaly in addition to the monitor 8. When the detection device monitors the sound in the environment in real time through the monitor 8, the acquired sound can be converted into an electrical signal. After amplification and processing, the electrical signal is received by the determination part in the detection device and converted into a digital signal. By processing the digital signal, such as Fourier transform, the waveform of each sound included can be analyzed, and then these waveforms are analyzed, and each waveform is compared with the waveform of the pre-stored sound device 7 when it makes a sound. If the comparison is successful, it means that the sound device 7 makes a sound, and if the comparison fails, it means that the sound device 7 does not make a sound. It should be noted that the part of the detection device that determines whether the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway anomaly, including the relevant hardware foundation and software program, can be designed and manufactured by those skilled in the art according to actual needs. It belongs to the common knowledge in the field and will not be elaborated here.

[0030] Obviously, the detection device can monitor the sounds in the environment in real time, but the judgment process can be performed intermittently according to a preset period, because the explosion-proof valve 5 will continue for a long time to discharge the gas in the installation cavity 4 after being driven. Therefore, when the judgment process is performed intermittently, it is still possible to accurately detect whether the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway abnormality.

[0031] In the explosion-proof structure provided in Example 1, a plurality of sound-generating devices 7 are provided, and these sound-generating devices 7 are suitable for allowing airflow to pass through the pressure relief channel 6 and generate sound; the detection device is configured to analyze and compare the environmental sound it obtains when the environmental sound it obtains is greater than the preset sound intensity threshold. Obviously, when a plurality of sound-generating devices 7 are provided, when the explosion-proof valve 5 is driven, these sound-generating devices 7 will generate sound at the same time, thereby forming a greater sound intensity. After acquiring these sounds, the monitor 8 of the detection device can judge the intensity of the sound through the detection device. When the intensity of the received sound is greater than the preset sound intensity threshold, the step of determining whether the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway abnormality is performed. After analyzing the frequency of the sound, it is determined that the received sound includes the sound of the sound-generating device 7, and then it is determined that the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway abnormality. Therefore, by setting up multiple sound-emitting devices 7 and connecting all of these sound-emitting devices 7 to the pressure relief channel 6, the total sound intensity can be improved, so that the sound intensity threshold of the detection device can be set higher, reducing the interference of other sounds in the environment on monitoring. In addition, with such a setting, there is no need to intermittently perform the judgment steps according to a preset period, thereby reducing the power consumption of the detection device.

[0032] In addition, each sound-generating device 7 includes at least two different sound frequencies; the detection device is configured to determine that the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway anomaly when there are at least two sounds within a preset frequency range in the analysis and comparison results of the environmental sound it obtains, wherein the preset frequency range corresponds to each sound frequency included in each of the sound-generating devices 7. In this embodiment, two sound-generating devices 7 are provided on an explosion-proof valve 5, and the sound frequencies of the two sound-generating devices 7 are different. The sound frequencies of the two sound-generating devices 7 are pre-stored in the detection device for comparison. The detection device collects environmental sounds in real time, analyzes the environmental sounds, separates the frequencies of different sound sources in the environmental sounds, and then compares these sounds with the sound frequencies of the pre-stored sound-generating devices 7. When it is confirmed that these sounds include the sounds of the two sound-generating devices 7, it can be determined that the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway anomaly. With such a configuration, the detection device can accurately determine whether the sound at this time is emitted by the sound-emitting device 7 or other sounds in the environment by monitoring and analyzing the frequency distribution of sounds in the nearby environment. The monitoring of the detection device is more directional and can remove interference from other sounds in the environment. It only responds to the sound emitted by the sound-emitting device 7, which greatly improves the accuracy of the detection device's judgment results.

[0033] Further, refer to Figure 5The battery module 1 is installed in the energy storage box 14 of the energy storage device. An energy storage management system is provided in the energy storage device. The energy storage management system can be used as the hardware basis for determining whether the ambient sound includes the sound of the sound-generating device 7 in the detection device. It can include a corresponding software program. At the same time, there are multiple battery modules 1 and multiple listeners 8; at least some of the battery modules 1 are arranged adjacent to each other, and each of the listeners 8 corresponds to the position of a battery module 1; the detection device is configured to determine the position of the battery module 1 with abnormal thermal runaway of the battery cell 2 in each of the adjacently arranged battery modules 1 according to the sound intensity of the sound-generating device 7 in the analysis and comparison results of the ambient sound obtained by it.

[0034] Specifically, the energy storage box 14 can be divided into multiple battery clusters, each of which can include multiple vertically stacked battery modules 1, an explosion-proof valve 5 is provided on the front panel of the battery module 1, and a listener 8 close to the explosion-proof valve 5 is provided at the front door of the energy storage box 14, and the listener 8 is connected to the energy storage management system. There is a listener 8 corresponding to each battery module 1, and the position of each listener 8 and each battery module 1 and the corresponding relationship between the positions are pre-stored. When the explosion-proof valve 5 of a battery module 1 is driven, the listener 8 corresponding to the battery module 1 and the nearby listeners 8 will collect corresponding sounds, and the sound collected by the listener 8 corresponding to the battery module 1 has a higher intensity than the sound collected by the listeners 8 at other positions. The detection device will process the sound collected by each listener 8 separately, and obtain the intensity information of the sound corresponding to the sound generating device 7. According to the difference in the sound intensity information corresponding to each listener 8, the position of the battery module 1 with the thermal runaway abnormality of the battery cell 2 can be determined, thereby achieving accurate positioning of the abnormal battery module 1.

[0035] Example 3 Embodiment 3 of the present invention provides a battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection method, which is used to detect thermal runaway anomalies of battery cells 2 in a battery module 1 through the battery module 1 explosion-proof detection system provided in Embodiment 2.

[0036] Among them, the detection method provided in this embodiment mainly includes: monitoring external sounds, and when a sound that lasts longer than the first period and is within a preset frequency range appears, it is determined that the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway abnormality. Among them, monitoring external sounds can be achieved through a monitor 8, and the external sounds are analyzed and compared by a detection device. When a sound that lasts longer than the first period and is within a preset frequency range appears, it means that the sound-generating device 7 is in a sounding state at this time, and the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway abnormality. The purpose of setting the time length of the first period detection is that when the explosion-proof valve 5 is driven, it usually lasts for a long period of time. Therefore, obtaining sound information of a longer first period length can not only realize the detection of whether the explosion-proof valve 5 is driven, but also reduce the interference of other sounds in the environment, and avoid the sound of the sound-generating device 7 with the same frequency that may appear in the environment from interfering with the normal operation and judgment of the detection device.

[0037] Furthermore, when there are multiple sound-generating devices 7 and there are at least two different sound frequencies, the above detection method also includes: monitoring external sounds, and when there are sounds that last longer than the first period and at least two sounds that are within the preset frequency range, it is determined that the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway abnormality. Among them, the external sound is monitored in real time by the monitor 8. At this time, when all the sound-generating devices 7 sound at the same time, they can emit sounds of at least two frequencies. The corresponding frequency range can be set according to the sound frequency of the sound-generating device 7. When at least two frequencies of sound appear at the same time, and the two frequencies of sound also fall within the preset frequency range, it means that the sound monitored at this time is the sound emitted by the sound-generating device 7. When this sound lasts longer than the first period, it can be determined that the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway abnormality.

[0038] In addition, when the sound generating device 7 is provided with multiple and at least two different sound frequencies, the above detection method further includes: monitoring external sound, when the sound intensity is greater than the preset sound intensity threshold, obtaining the sound in the subsequent second period, when the sound in the second period includes sounds that last longer than the first period and at least two sounds that are within the preset frequency range, it is determined that the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway abnormality; the length of the second period is greater than the length of the first period. Among them, the external sound is monitored in real time, and when the monitored sound intensity is greater than the preset sound intensity threshold, it means that the external sound environment has changed at this time, and then the sound in the subsequent second period is continuously obtained. If the sound in the second period includes sounds that last longer than the first period and at least two sounds that are within the preset frequency range, it can be determined that the battery cell 2 has a thermal runaway abnormality; wherein the length of the second period is greater than the length of the first period, to ensure that the sound of sufficient time length can be obtained for determination.

[0039] The description of the above specification and embodiments is used to explain the protection scope of the present invention, but does not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present invention. Through the enlightenment of the present invention or the above embodiments, ordinary technicians in this field can obtain modifications, equivalent substitutions or other improvements to the embodiments of the present invention or part of the technical features thereof through logical analysis, reasoning or limited experiments, which should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery module explosion-proof structure with a warning function, characterized in that: The battery module (1) comprises a battery cell (2) and a shell (3); the shell (3) is provided with a closed installation cavity (4), and the battery cell (2) is installed in the installation cavity (4); The shell (3) is provided with an explosion-proof valve (5), the explosion-proof valve (5) being provided with a pressure relief channel (6) adapted to be opened when the air pressure in the installation cavity (4) exceeds a preset pressure threshold, the pressure relief channel (6) being adapted to be connected to the inside and outside of the shell (3); The housing (3) is provided with a sound-generating device (7) which is in communication with the pressure relief channel (6); the sound-generating device (7) is suitable for receiving airflow and generating sound when airflow passes through the pressure relief channel (6).

2. The explosion-proof structure of a battery module with a warning function as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: There are a plurality of sound-generating devices (7), and each of them is suitable for allowing air flow to pass through the pressure relief channel (6) and generate sound.

3. The explosion-proof structure of a battery module with a warning function as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the sound-generating devices (7) comprises at least two different sound-generating frequencies.

4. A battery module explosion-proof structure with warning function as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The sound generating device (7) is arranged inside the housing (3).

5. A battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection system, characterized in that: include: A battery module (1), comprising a battery cell (2), a shell (3), an explosion-proof valve (5) and a sound-generating device (7); the shell (3) is provided with a closed installation cavity (4), and the battery cell (2) is installed in the installation cavity (4); the explosion-proof valve (5) is provided in the shell (3), and is provided with a pressure relief channel (6) which is suitable for opening when the air pressure inside the shell (3) exceeds a preset pressure threshold, and the pressure relief channel (6) is suitable for connecting the inside and outside of the shell (3); the sound-generating device (7) is provided in the shell (3) and is connected to the pressure relief channel (6), and is suitable for receiving airflow and generating sound when the airflow passes through the pressure relief channel (6); and A detection device, comprising a monitor (8); the monitor (8) is arranged close to the explosion-proof valve (5) and is suitable for collecting ambient sound around it; the detection device is configured to analyze and compare the ambient sound collected by the monitor (8), and determine that the battery cell (2) has a thermal runaway abnormality when the ambient sound includes the sound of the sound-generating device (7).

6. A battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection system as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: The sound-generating devices (7) are multiple and are all suitable for allowing airflow to pass through the pressure relief channel (6) and generate sound; the detection device is configured to analyze and compare the acquired ambient sound when the acquired ambient sound is greater than a preset sound intensity threshold.

7. A battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection system as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: Each of the sound-generating devices (7) includes at least two different sound-generating frequencies; the detection device is configured to determine that the battery cell (2) has a thermal runaway anomaly when at least two sounds within a preset frequency range exist in the analysis and comparison results of the acquired ambient sound, wherein the preset frequency range corresponds to each of the sound-generating frequencies included in each of the sound-generating devices (7).

8. A battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection system as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The battery modules (1) and the monitors (8) are provided in plural numbers; at least some of the battery modules (1) are arranged adjacent to each other, and each of the monitors (8) corresponds to the position of a battery module (1); the detection device is configured to determine the position of a battery module (1) having a thermal runaway abnormality of a battery cell (2) among the adjacently arranged battery modules (1) based on the sound intensity of the sound-generating device (7) in the analysis and comparison results of the ambient sound obtained by the detection device.

9. A battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection method, which is used to detect thermal runaway anomalies of a battery cell (2) in a battery module (1) by using a battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection system as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein: External sounds are monitored, and when a sound that lasts longer than a first period and is within a preset frequency range appears, it is determined that the battery cell (2) has a thermal runaway anomaly.

10. A battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection method as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that: External sounds are monitored, and when there are sounds that last longer than a first period and at least two of which are within a preset frequency range, it is determined that the battery cell (2) has a thermal runaway anomaly.

11. A battery module thermal runaway anomaly detection method as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that: monitoring external sounds, and when a sound intensity greater than a preset sound intensity threshold occurs, obtaining sounds in a subsequent second period, and when the sounds in the second period include sounds that persist for longer than the first period and at least two sounds that are within a preset frequency range, determining that a thermal runaway abnormality occurs in the battery cell (2); The length of the second period is greater than the length of the first period.

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