Battery, battery module and battery pack

Abstract

The invention discloses a battery, a battery module and a battery pack, and belongs to the technical field of electrochemical batteries. The battery comprises a battery cell, the battery cell comprises a positive pole piece and a negative pole piece, a thin film sensing device is arranged in a current collector of at least one of the positive pole piece and the negative pole piece, and the thin film sensing device is at least one of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor. The thin film sensing device can detect at least one of a temperature signal and a pressure signal of the battery cell in real time and send the temperature signal and the pressure signal to the outside, for example, the temperature signal and the pressure signal are sent to the controller, and the controller only needs to be designed to judge whether thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell or not according to the detected temperature signal and / or the detected pressure signal. Therefore, a safety management strategy can be executed on the battery cell in time under the condition of thermal runaway, so that the battery cell can be extinguished in time at the initial stage of thermal runaway.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the technical field of electrochemical cells, and particularly to batteries, battery modules, and battery packs. Background Art

[0002] For an electrochemical cell, such as a lithium-ion battery, its battery cell generally includes a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, a separator, an electrolyte, etc. However, due to the flammability of the electrolyte and the separator, the battery cell is prone to catching fire under some operating conditions, thus there are certain safety hazards.

[0003] Currently, for the solutions to suppress the fire of electrochemical cells, they usually focus on adding flame retardant materials to the electrolyte or the separator to achieve the purpose of suppressing the fire of the battery cell by using the flame retardant materials. However, the flame retardant materials located in the electrolyte or the separator come into contact with the active materials in the battery, making it easy to have side reactions with the active materials, thus affecting the normal operation of the electrochemical cell.

[0004] Disclosure

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a battery, a battery module, and a battery pack, which can solve the technical problem that the related art cannot effectively contain the thermal runaway of the battery through the current collector.

[0006] Specifically, the following technical solutions are included:

[0007] On the one hand, a battery is provided. The battery includes: a battery cell, the battery cell includes a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, and a thin film sensor device is built in the current collector of at least one of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, and the thin film sensor device is at least one of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor.

[0008] For the battery provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, by arranging a thin film sensor device inside the current collector, the thin film sensor device can detect at least one of the temperature signal and the pressure signal of the battery cell in real time and send it to the outside, for example, send it to a controller. The controller only needs to be designed to judge whether the battery cell has thermal runaway according to the detected temperature signal and / or pressure signal, so as to execute a safety management strategy for the battery cell in time in the case of thermal runaway, thereby realizing timely fire extinguishing for the battery cell in the initial stage of thermal runaway.

[0009] On the one hand, as an auxiliary material that does not directly participate in the electrochemical reaction, the current collector is a good carrier for fire extinguishing. By integrating the thin-film sensor device into the current collector, the side reaction between the thin-film sensor device and the active materials in the battery is avoided, ensuring the normal operation of the battery. On the other hand, by obtaining the temperature signal and / or pressure signal inside the battery cell in real time through the thin-film sensor device, the actual working conditions inside the battery cell can be accurately reflected, improving the reliability of the fire extinguishing operation and the battery in high-temperature working scenarios. This is because, for some solutions that add flame retardant materials with low boiling points or low melting points inside the battery cell, when the battery works in a high-temperature scenario, the flame retardant materials may be accidentally released, thus affecting the normal operation and reliability of the battery in high-temperature working scenarios. On the other hand, the thin-film sensor device is a thin-film structure, which is easier to be embedded into the current collector. On the basis of endowing the current collector integrated with the thin-film sensor device with more functions, it also avoids the complication of the preparation process of the current collector.

[0010] In some possible implementation manners, the current collector is a composite current collector, and the composite current collector includes: a polymer layer, two metal layers, and the thin-film sensor device; the polymer layer is located between the two metal layers; the thin-film sensor device is integrated into at least one of the polymer layer and the metal layer.

[0011] On the one hand, the composite current collector uses the polymer layer as a substrate and realizes the conductive function by carrying the metal layer on the surface of the polymer layer. This is beneficial to reducing the weight of the current collector. Since the current collector does not directly provide capacity, when the weight of the current collector is reduced, it is beneficial to improve the energy density of the battery. Moreover, the composite current collector also reduces the usage amount of metal materials, such as reducing the usage amount of copper foil / aluminum foil, which is beneficial to reducing costs. On the other hand, when the composite current collector is prepared, its polymer layer and two metal layers can both be prepared by the thin-film forming process, and the thin-film sensor device can also be prepared by the thin-film forming process. This is beneficial to the synchronous formation of the thin-film sensor device and the corresponding layers of the composite current collector, facilitating the simplification of the preparation process of the current collector integrated with the thin-film sensor device, thereby reducing costs.

[0012] In some possible implementation manners, the polymer layer includes: a polymer matrix and a flame retardant material dispersed in the polymer matrix, and the melting point or boiling point of the flame retardant material is greater than or equal to the melting point of the polymer matrix.

[0013] Based on adding a thin-film sensor device in its current collector to obtain the temperature signal and / or pressure signal of the battery cell in real time, so as to carry out flame retardant or fire extinguishing on the battery cell in time at the initial stage of thermal runaway. If the flame retardant or fire extinguishing operation on the battery cell fails at the initial stage of thermal runaway, however, the flame retardant or fire extinguishing operation carried out at the initial stage of thermal runaway can control the thermal runaway of the battery cell within a controllable range and avoid its exacerbation to an uncontrollable degree. Then, when the thermal runaway develops to the point where the temperature of the battery cell reaches the melting point of the polymer matrix of the current collector, the flame retardant material therein will be released, which enables the battery provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure to achieve self-extinguishing fire extinguishing at the battery cell level in the later stage of thermal runaway. It can be seen that the probability of successful fire extinguishing of the battery provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure is higher.

[0014] In some possible implementation manners, the polymer matrix is at least one of the following polymers: polymethyl methacrylate, polyaniline, polyvinyl acetate, polythiophene, polyphenylene sulfide, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyacetylene, polyparaphenylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), polypyrrole, polyfuran, polyimide.

[0015] In some possible implementation manners, the flame retardant material is at least one of halogenated organic compounds, phosphates, phosphites, fluorophosphate esters, bromophosphate esters, and aryl phosphates.

[0016] On the other hand, a battery module is provided. The battery module includes: a module housing, the battery as described in any one of the above, and a controller. The battery is located within the module housing; the thin-film sensor device of the battery is electrically connected to the controller, and the thin-film sensor device is used to detect the thermal runaway signal of the battery cell, and the thermal runaway signal includes at least one of a temperature signal and a pressure signal; when the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to a threshold value, the controller is used to perform at least one of the following operations: cut off the charge and discharge of the battery, cut off the power supply of the thin-film sensor device.

[0017] The battery module provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure has all the advantages of any one of the above batteries provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. The thin-film sensor device is used to detect the temperature signal and / or pressure signal of the battery cell and send it to the controller. After receiving the above temperature signal and / or pressure signal, the controller compares it with the threshold value. If the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the controller will execute the battery safety management strategy, where the battery safety management strategy at least includes at least one of the following operations: cut off the charge and discharge of the battery, cut off the power supply of the thin-film sensor device. It can be seen that by cutting off the charge and discharge of the battery and cutting off the power supply of the thin-film sensor device, the current is cut off at the initial stage of thermal runaway of the battery cell, avoiding the continuous rise of the temperature of the battery cell and realizing the flame retardant or fire extinguishing operation at the battery cell level.

[0018] In some possible implementations, the module housing includes a housing base and a cover plate. The housing base has a plurality of accommodation cavities for respectively accommodating a plurality of the battery cells. The cover plate is disposed at the port of the housing base, and the controller is located on the cover plate.

[0019] In another aspect, a battery pack is provided. The battery pack includes any one of the above-described battery modules, and at least one of a liquid cooling module and a fire protection module. The thin film sensor device of the battery module is used to detect a thermal runaway signal inside the battery cell, and the thermal runaway signal includes at least one of a temperature signal and a pressure signal. When the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to a threshold, the controller of the battery module is configured to perform at least one of the following operations, and the following operations include: increasing the liquid cooling power of the liquid cooling module, starting the fire protection module, cutting off the charging and discharging of the battery, and cutting off the power supply to the thin film sensor device.

[0020] The battery pack provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure has all the advantages of the battery modules involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Further, when a thermal runaway occurs, the controller can also increase the liquid cooling power of the liquid cooling module to cool down the battery module, and / or the controller can start the fire protection module to extinguish the fire of the battery module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of an exemplary battery provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 2 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of an exemplary composite current collector provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 3 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of another exemplary composite current collector provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 4 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of still another exemplary composite current collector provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 5 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of yet another exemplary composite current collector provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 6 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of an exemplary polymer layer provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 7 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of an exemplary positive electrode sheet provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 8 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of an exemplary negative electrode sheet provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of a partial structure of an exemplary battery module provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 10 Exploded view of a partial structure of an exemplary battery module provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the structure of another exemplary battery provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of a partial structure of another exemplary battery module provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 13 is Figure 12 Exploded view of the module housing in the shown battery module;

[0034] Figure 14 Flowchart of an exemplary battery management method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 15 Flowchart of another exemplary battery management method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 16 Flowchart of yet another exemplary battery management method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Among them, Figure 1 、 Figures 9 - 12 The components indicated by the dashed lines involved therein indicate that the current component is a built-in component and is shown in the figure in the form of a dashed line.

[0038] The reference numerals respectively represent:

[0039] 100, battery; 101, battery housing; 1011, positive electrode terminal; 1012, negative electrode terminal; 1013, explosion-proof structure; 102, battery cell; 1021, positive electrode plate; 10210, positive electrode tab; 10211, positive electrode current collector; 10212, positive electrode active material layer; 1022, negative electrode plate; 10220, negative electrode tab; 10221, negative electrode current collector; 10222, negative electrode active material layer; 1023, separator; 1024, electrolyte; 1, current collector; 10, thin film sensor device; 11, polymer layer; 111, polymer matrix; 112, flame retardant material; 12, metal layer; 200, controller; 201, first control unit; 202, second control unit; 300, module housing; 301, housing base; 3011, accommodation cavity; 302, cover plate. Detailed implementation manners

[0040] Electrochemical cells, such as lithium-ion batteries, are widely used in various scenarios due to their high energy density, long service life, low self-discharge rate, no memory effect, etc. For example, in scenarios such as data centers, household energy storage, power station energy storage, communication base stations, mobile phones, and electric vehicles. Therefore, the requirements for the safety performance of lithium-ion batteries are getting higher and higher.

[0041] The battery cells of lithium-ion batteries usually include a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, a separator, an electrolyte, etc. However, due to the flammability of the electrolyte and the separator, the battery cells are prone to catch fire under some operating conditions, thus there are certain safety hazards. For example, when a lithium-ion battery is subjected to mechanical stress or thermal stress, a short circuit is likely to occur inside the battery cell, resulting in thermal runaway of the battery and then causing a fire.

[0042] Currently, for the solutions to suppress the fire of electrochemical cells, they usually focus on adding flame retardant materials to the electrolyte or the separator to achieve the purpose of suppressing the fire of the battery cell. However, the flame retardant materials located in the electrolyte or the separator come into contact with the active materials in the battery, making it easy to have side reactions with the active materials, thus affecting the normal operation of the electrochemical cell.

[0043] In view of the technical problems existing in the related art, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a battery. As shown in the attached Figure 1 figure, the battery 100 includes: a battery cell 102, and the battery cell 102 includes a positive electrode plate 1021 and a negative electrode plate 1022. Among them, a thin film sensor device 10 is disposed inside the current collector 1 of at least one of the positive electrode plate 1021 and the negative electrode plate 1022, and the thin film sensor device 10 is at least one of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor.

[0044] For the battery provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, by arranging the thin film sensor device 10 inside the current collector 1, the thin film sensor device 10 can detect at least one of the temperature signal and the pressure signal of the battery cell 102 in real time and send it to the outside. For example, it is sent to a controller, and the controller only needs to be designed to judge whether the battery cell 102 has thermal runaway according to the detected temperature signal and / or pressure signal, so as to timely execute a safety management strategy on the battery cell 102 in the case of thermal runaway, thereby realizing timely fire extinguishing of the battery cell 102 in the initial stage of thermal runaway.

[0045] On the one hand, the current collector 1, as an auxiliary material that does not directly participate in the electrochemical reaction, is a good fire extinguishing carrier. By embedding the thin film sensor device 10 in the current collector 1, the side reaction between the thin film sensor device 10 and the active material in the battery is avoided, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the battery. On the other hand, by obtaining the temperature signal and / or pressure signal inside the battery cell in real time through the thin film sensor device 10, the actual working conditions inside the battery cell 102 can be accurately reflected, and the reliability of the fire extinguishing operation and the battery in high temperature working scenarios can be improved. This is because, for some solutions that add low boiling point or low melting point flame retardant materials inside the battery cell 102, when the battery works in a high temperature scenario, the flame retardant material may be released by mistake, thereby affecting the normal operation and reliability of the battery in a high temperature working scenario. On the other hand, the thin film sensor device 10 is a thin film structure, which is easier to embed into the current collector 1. On the basis of giving the current collector 1 integrated with the thin film sensor device 10 more functions, it also avoids the complication of the preparation process of the current collector 1.

[0046] The term "and / or" involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone.

[0047] Regarding the type of the thin film sensor device 10, one example is that the thin film sensor device 10 is a thin film temperature sensor, another example is that the thin film sensor device 10 is a thin film pressure sensor, and yet another example is that the thin film sensor device 10 includes both a thin film temperature sensor and a thin film pressure sensor.

[0048] In some implementations, the current collector 1 involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure is a composite current collector, such as the attached Figure 2 -Attached Figure 5 As shown, the composite current collector includes: a polymer layer 11, two metal layers 12 and a thin film sensor device 10; the polymer layer 11 is located between the two metal layers 12; and the thin film sensor device 10 is built into at least one of the polymer layer 11 and the metal layer 12.

[0049] On the one hand, the composite current collector uses the polymer layer 11 as a substrate, and realizes the conductive function by carrying the metal layer 12 on the surface of the polymer layer 11, which is conducive to reducing the weight of the current collector 1. Since the current collector 1 does not directly provide capacity, when the weight of the current collector 1 is reduced, it is conducive to improving the energy density of the battery. In addition, the composite current collector also reduces the amount of metal materials used, such as reducing the amount of copper foil / aluminum foil, which is conducive to reducing costs.

[0050] On the other hand, when preparing the composite current collector, both the polymer layer 11 and the two metal layers 12 can be prepared by a thin film forming process, and the thin film sensor device 10 can also be prepared by a thin film forming process. This is conducive to the synchronous formation of the thin film sensor device 10 and the corresponding layers of the composite current collector, facilitating the simplification of the preparation process of the current collector 1 integrated with the thin film sensor device 10, thereby reducing costs.

[0051] The following describes the arrangement position of the thin film sensor device 10 in an exemplary manner in combination with the structure of the thin film sensor device 10. Among them, the thin film sensor device 10 can be arranged on any one layer, any two layers or three layers of the polymer layer 11 and the two metal layers 12, and can be arranged at different positions on the corresponding layer.

[0052] Taking the thin film sensor device 10 arranged on any one of the polymer layer 11 and the two metal layers 12 as an example, some examples are as follows: As shown in the appendix Figure 2 It shows that the thin film sensor device 10 is built in the middle position inside a metal layer 12. As shown in the appendix Figure 3 It shows that the thin film sensor device 10 is built in the position of a metal layer 12 close to the polymer layer 11. As shown in the appendix Figure 4 It shows that the thin film sensor device 10 is built in the middle position inside the polymer layer 11. As shown in the appendix Figure 5 It shows that the thin film sensor device 10 is built in the position of the polymer layer 11 close to a metal layer 12.

[0053] Of course, it is not excluded that the thin film sensor device 10 can also be built in the position of the polymer layer 11 close to the other metal layer 12, or the thin film sensor device 10 can also be built in the middle position inside the other metal layer 12, or the thin film sensor device 10 can also be built in the position of the other metal layer 12 close to the polymer layer 11.

[0054] Of course, the arrangement position of the thin film sensor device 10 can not only be the single position arrangement scheme shown in the above examples, but also can adopt the combination of any two or more schemes in the above examples.

[0055] In some examples, as shown in the appendix Figure 4 or the appendix Figure 5 It shows that the thin film sensor device 10 is built inside the polymer layer 11. On the one hand, this scheme will not occupy the metal layer 12 that plays a conductive role, ensuring the high electrical conductivity of the current collector 1 to facilitate the transmission of electrons. On the other hand, the flexibility of the polymer layer 11 is stronger than that of the metal layer 12. The thin film sensor device 10 is built inside the polymer layer 11, and the impact on the flexibility of the current collector 1 is relatively low, which is conducive to improving the bending performance and structural stability of the battery cell 102.

[0056] For the solution where the thin-film sensor device 10 is built into the polymer layer 11, it can be prepared through the following manufacturing process:

[0057] One solution is to provide a finished polymer layer as the polymer layer 11; etch the polymer layer 11, for example, using dry etching (plasma etching), etc., to form a receiving groove on the polymer layer 11; place the finished thin-film sensor device 10 in the receiving groove; fill the empty interval of the receiving groove with molten polymer raw material and cure it, so as to realize the embedding of the thin-film sensor device 10 in the polymer layer 11. Further, the cured polymer layer 11 can be surface-treated, for example, surface smoothing treatment, so that the surface of the polymer layer 11 is the desired bearing surface. This solution is conducive to using the finished thin-film sensor device 10 and has the advantages of simple manufacturing process, easy operation, and easy control.

[0058] Another solution is to use a thin-film deposition process to prepare the polymer layer 11 to obtain a semi-finished product of the polymer layer 11. Use the thin-film deposition process to form and prepare the thin-film sensor device 10 on the surface of the semi-finished product of the polymer layer 11. Then, continue to use the thin-film deposition process to prepare other parts of the polymer layer 11 to combine with the semi-finished product of the polymer layer 11, so as to realize the embedding of the thin-film sensor device 10 in the polymer layer 11.

[0059] In some examples, as shown in Figure 2 or shown in Figure 3 the thin-film sensor device 10 is built into the metal layer 12. For this solution, the metal layer 12 and the thin-film sensor device 10 can be prepared synchronously through a thin-film forming process, and the metal layer 12 can be used as the conductive substrate of the thin-film sensor device 10, which is conducive to simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing costs.

[0060] For the solution where the thin-film sensor device 10 is built into the metal layer 12, it can be prepared through the following manufacturing process: Use the thin-film deposition process to prepare the metal layer 12 to obtain a semi-finished product of the metal layer 12. Use the semi-finished product of the metal layer 12 as the metal substrate of the thin-film sensor device 10, and then continue to prepare other parts of the thin-film sensor device 10 on it through the thin-film deposition process, such as an insulating layer, a strain layer, a protective layer, etc., to prepare the thin-film sensor device 10. Then, continue to use the thin-film deposition process to prepare other parts of the metal layer 12 to combine with the semi-finished product of the metal layer 12, so as to realize the embedding of the thin-film sensor device 10 in the metal layer 12.

[0061] Exemplarily, the thin-film deposition process applicable to preparing the metal layer 12 and the thin-film sensor device 10 includes at least one of a magnetron sputtering process and an electroplating process.

[0062] Regarding the number of thin film sensor devices 10, in one example, one thin film sensor device 10 can be arranged in the composite current collector; in another example, two or more thin film sensor devices 10 can be arranged simultaneously in the composite current collector, and these thin film sensor devices 10 can be evenly distributed at different positions of the composite current collector to improve the monitoring sensitivity of the internal temperature and / or pressure signals of the battery cell.

[0063] When two or more thin film sensor devices 10 are arranged simultaneously in the composite current collector, these multiple thin film sensor devices 10 can all be thin film type temperature sensors, or all be thin film type pressure sensors, or can also include thin film type temperature sensors and thin film type pressure sensors simultaneously.

[0064] When the thin film sensor device 10 includes thin film type temperature sensors and thin film type pressure sensors simultaneously, the temperature sensors and pressure sensors can be arranged on the same layer, or can also be arranged on different layers.

[0065] In some examples, the volume occupied by the thin film sensor device 10 in any one of the polymer layer 11 and the metal layer 12 is less than or equal to 50% of the total volume of the current layer, further less than or equal to 40% of the total volume of the current layer, less than or equal to 30% of the total volume of the current layer, less than or equal to 20% of the total volume of the current layer, etc., so as to avoid interfering with the basic functions of the current layer.

[0066] The above has given an exemplary description of the solution where the current collector 1 is a composite current collector. Without exclusion, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the current collector 1 can also be a metal-based current collector, that is, the current collector is prepared from a metal material. Some applicable metal materials include but are not limited to copper, aluminum, nickel, titanium, silver, and their alloys, etc. For example, for the positive electrode tab 1021, aluminum foil can be used as the positive current collector, and for the negative electrode tab 1022, copper foil can be used as the negative current collector.

[0067] For the case where the current collector 1 is a metal-based current collector, an accommodation groove can be formed by etching a metal substrate, and the thin film sensor device 10 can be directly formed in the accommodation groove through a thin film deposition process, or the finished product of the thin film sensor device 10 can be placed in the accommodation groove, and the vacant part of the accommodation groove can be sealed.

[0068] An exemplary solution for sealing the vacant part of the accommodation groove is to hermetically connect another metal substrate to the port of the accommodation groove, for example, by welding, and optionally perform surface treatment to form a desired current collector bearing surface, and then the metal layer 12 integrated with the thin film sensor device 10 can be obtained.

[0069] Another exemplary solution for plugging the empty part of the accommodation groove is to deposit the metal material used to form the metal substrate into the accommodation groove through a thin film deposition process until the surface of the deposited metal layer cooperates with the surface of the metal substrate to form a desired current collector bearing surface, and thus the metal layer 12 integrated with the thin film sensor device 10 can be obtained. The thin film deposition process includes at least one of a magnetron sputtering process and an electroplating process.

[0070] The layer embedded with the thin film sensor device 10 is referred to as the target layer. For the thin film sensor device 10 embedded in the current collector 1, the joint end of the thin film sensor device 10 is exposed outside the target layer (that is, the joint part of the thin film sensor device 10 extends from the inside of the target layer to the outside until its joint end is exposed outside the target layer), so as to facilitate the electrical connection of the thin film sensor device 10 with other components through its joint end. For example, the joint end of the thin film sensor device 10 can be electrically connected to a cable and connected to a controller based on the cable; or, the joint end of the thin film sensor device 10 can be connected to the corresponding tab of the battery cell 102 and connected to a controller based on the tab.

[0071] In some implementation manners, as shown in the appendix Figure 6 The polymer layer 11 in the composite current collector includes: a polymer matrix 111 and a flame retardant material 112 dispersed in the polymer matrix 111, and the melting point or boiling point of the flame retardant material 112 is greater than or equal to the melting point of the polymer matrix 111.

[0072] By combining the flame retardant material 112 in the polymer matrix 111 and making the melting point or boiling point of the flame retardant material 112 greater than or equal to the melting point of the polymer matrix 111, then, once the fire extinguishing operation on the battery cell 102 fails in the initial stage of thermal runaway of the battery cell 102 and the thermal runaway of the battery cell continues to occur, when the temperature of the battery cell 102 reaches the melting point of the polymer matrix 111, the polymer matrix 111 softens or melts, and then releases the flame retardant material 112 therein, and the self-extinguishing of the battery cell 102 is realized by using the flame retardant material 112.

[0073] For those solutions that simply combine the flame retardant material into the polymer matrix of the composite current collector, when the melting point or boiling point of the flame retardant material is less than the melting point of the polymer matrix, the flame retardant material is usually released in the initial stage of thermal runaway of the battery cell. When the battery works in a high-temperature scenario, there may be a problem of misrelease of the flame retardant material, which limits the normal operation and reliability of the battery in a high-temperature working scenario. When the melting point or boiling point of the flame retardant material is greater than or equal to the melting point of the polymer matrix, the flame retardant material is usually released in the later stage of thermal runaway of the battery cell, resulting in a risk of lag in fire extinguishing or flame retardance of the battery cell, and it is extremely easy for the thermal runaway to intensify to an uncontrollable degree, thus leading to the failure of fire extinguishing of the battery cell.

[0074] Compared with related technologies, for the battery provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the addition of the thin-film sensor device 10 in the current collector 1 thereof, the temperature signal and / or pressure signal of the battery cell 102 can be obtained in real time, so as to carry out flame retardancy or fire extinguishing on the battery cell 102 in time at the initial stage of thermal runaway. If the flame retardancy or fire extinguishing operation on the battery cell 102 fails at the initial stage of thermal runaway, however, the flame retardancy or fire extinguishing operation carried out at the initial stage of thermal runaway can control the thermal runaway of the battery cell 102 within a controllable range and prevent it from intensifying to an uncontrollable level. Then, when the thermal runaway develops to the point where the temperature of the battery cell 102 reaches the melting point of the polymer matrix 111 of the current collector 1, the flame retardant material 112 therein will be released, which enables the battery provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure to achieve self-extinguishing fire extinguishing at the battery cell level in the later stage of thermal runaway. It can be seen that the probability of successful fire extinguishing of the battery provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure is higher.

[0075] In some examples, the mass percentage of the flame retardant material 112 in the polymer layer 11 is 0.5% - 25%, and further can be 5% - 15%. This includes but is not limited to: 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, etc. For example, the mass percentage of the flame retardant material 112 in the polymer layer 11 can be 10%, so as to avoid affecting the electrochemical performance of the composite current collector while realizing the good self-extinguishing fire extinguishing function of the composite current collector.

[0076] In some examples, the polymer matrix 111 in the polymer layer 11 is selected from at least one of the following polymers: polymethyl methacrylate, polyaniline, polyvinyl acetate, polythiophene, polyphenylene sulfide, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyacetylene, poly(phenylene), poly(vinylidene fluoride), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), polypyrrole, polyfuran, polyimide.

[0077] Using the above polymers to form the polymer layer 11 of the current collector 1 not only can cooperate with the flame retardant material 112, but also has excellent flexibility, which is beneficial to inhibiting the generation of dendrites. Moreover, these polymers can also have a short-circuit effect, which is beneficial to avoiding the short-circuit fire problem of the current collector 1.

[0078] In some examples, the flame retardant material 112 is selected from at least one of halogenated organic compounds, phosphoric acid esters, phosphorous acid esters, fluorinated phosphoric acid esters, brominated phosphoric acid esters, and aromatic phosphoric acid esters.

[0079] For example, the halogenated organic compound includes but is not limited to: decabromodiphenyl ether, decabromodiphenylethane, brominated phenol, tetrabromobisphenol, halogenated phthalic anhydride, dibromooctane, perfluoropentacyclodecane, chlorinated polyethylene, etc.

[0080] Aryl phosphates include, but are not limited to: tolyl diphenyl phosphate, tricresyl phosphate, triphenyl phosphate, (2-ethylhexyl) diphenyl phosphate, etc.

[0081] The melting point or boiling point of the above-mentioned flame retardant material 112 satisfies being greater than or equal to the melting point of the polymer matrix 111. Some of them are considered flame retardants, and the other part is considered a fire extinguishing agent, both of which can achieve the function of effectively extinguishing fire.

[0082] When preparing the polymer layer 11, the polymer raw material corresponding to the polymer matrix 111 and the flame retardant material 112 are mixed evenly to form a mixed raw material, and the mixed raw material is used for film formation, thereby preparing a polymer layer 11 doped with the flame retardant material 112.

[0083] For the two metal layers 12 in the composite current collector, they can be the same or different. In some examples, some metal materials used to prepare the metal layer 12 are at least one of the following: aluminum, aluminum alloy, nickel, nickel alloy, copper, copper alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, silver, etc. The metal material used for each current collector can be specifically selected according to whether the current collector 1 is used for the positive current collector 10211 or the negative current collector 10221.

[0084] In addition, for the current collector 1 in the form of a composite current collector, the thickness of its polymer layer 11 can be 1 μm to 15 μm, which includes, but is not limited to: 1 μm, 2 μm, 3 μm, 4 μm, 5 μm, 6 μm, 7 μm, 8 μm, 9 μm, 10 μm, 11 μm, 12 μm, 13 μm, 14 μm, 15 μm, etc.

[0085] The thicknesses of the two metal layers 12 can be the same or different, and the thicknesses of both can independently be 20 nm to 5 μm, further can be 20 nm to 101 nm, 50 nm to 500 nm, 101 nm to 1 μm, 101 nm to 2 μm, 101 nm to 3 μm, 101 nm to 4 μm, 101 nm to 5 μm, etc. For example, this includes, but is not limited to: 20 nm, 50 nm, 101 nm, 102 nm, 300 nm, 400 nm, 500 nm, 600 nm, 700 nm, 800 nm, 900 nm, 1000 nm, 1.5 μm, 2 μm, 2.5 μm, 3 μm, 3.5 μm, 4 μm, 4.5 μm, 5 μm, etc.

[0086] As described above, for the battery provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, a thin film sensor device 10 is built in at least one of the current collectors of the positive electrode tab 1021 and the negative electrode tab 1022.

[0087] For the positive electrode tab 1021, as shown in the appendix Figure 7As shown, it includes a positive current collector 10211 and a positive active material layer 10212 coated on the positive current collector 10211. Among them, the positive active material layer 10212 may include a positive active material, a conductive agent, a binder, etc.

[0088] For the negative electrode plate 1022, as shown in the appendix Figure 8 As shown, it includes a negative current collector 10221 and a negative active material layer 10222 coated on the negative current collector 10221. Among them, the negative active material layer 10222 may include a negative active material, a conductive agent, a binder, etc.

[0089] In some examples, the current collectors 1 of the positive electrode plate 1021 (i.e., the positive current collector 10211) and the negative electrode plate 1022 (i.e., the negative current collector 10221) can both be internally provided with thin film sensor devices 10. Moreover, the types, quantities, arrangement positions, etc. of the thin film sensor devices 10 internally provided in the positive current collector 10211 and the negative current collector 10221 can be the same, different, or partially the same and partially different.

[0090] In some examples, the battery provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure is a single cell battery, which can be used for the assembly of a battery module. As shown in the appendix Figure 1 As shown, the single cell battery may further include a battery case 101, and the battery case 101 is used to accommodate the battery cell 102.

[0091] The appendix Figure 1 Illustrates a structure of the battery provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in the appendix Figure 1 As shown, the battery includes: a battery case 101 and a battery cell 102 located inside the battery case 101. The battery cell 102 includes: a positive electrode plate 1021, a negative electrode plate 1022, a separator 1023, and an electrolyte 1024. The electrolyte 1024 is filled in the space between the negative electrode plate 1022 and the positive electrode plate 1021, and the separator 1023 is located in the electrolyte 1024 and is used to isolate the negative electrode plate 1022 and the positive electrode plate 1021 from each other.

[0092] Taking the battery as a lithium ion battery as an example, the storage and release of energy are realized by the insertion and extraction of lithium ions between the negative electrode plate 1022 and the positive electrode plate 1021. The electrolyte 1024 is a carrier for the transmission of lithium ions between the negative electrode plate 1022 and the positive electrode plate 1021. The separator 1023 is ion-conductive but electron-insulating. By using the separator 1023, while ensuring the migration of lithium ions, the negative electrode plate 1022 and the positive electrode plate 1021 are separated to prevent short circuit.

[0093] Further combined with Figure 9It can be known that the positive electrode tab 10210 is electrically connected to the positive electrode plate 1021, and the positive electrode terminal 1011 is provided at a corresponding position on the battery housing 101. The positive electrode plate 1021 is electrically connected to the positive electrode terminal 1011 through the positive electrode tab 10210. The negative electrode tab 10220 is electrically connected to the negative electrode plate 1022, and the negative electrode terminal 1012 is provided at a corresponding position on the battery housing 101. The negative electrode plate 1022 is electrically connected to the negative electrode terminal 1012 through the negative electrode tab 10220.

[0094] The types of batteries provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to: lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, magnesium-ion batteries, aluminum-ion batteries, potassium-ion batteries, calcium-ion batteries, etc.

[0095] The battery provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be a stacked battery or a wound battery, and the shape of the battery includes, but is not limited to, soft-pack batteries, cylindrical batteries, square batteries, special-shaped batteries, etc.

[0096] According to the specific type of the battery, the assembly method of the electrode plate and the separator is determined. For example, for a stacked battery, the positive electrode plate 1021, the separator 1023, and the negative electrode plate 1022 can be arranged by stacking layer by layer to form a bare battery cell (i.e., the battery cell 102 without the electrolyte 1024) of the battery cell 102. For a wound battery, the positive electrode plate 1021, the separator 1023, and the negative electrode plate 1022 can be arranged by winding as a whole to form a bare battery cell of the battery cell 102.

[0097] Exemplarily, the manufacturing process of the battery provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be as follows: The positive electrode plate 1021, at least one layer of separator 1023, and the negative electrode plate 1022 are arranged by stacking layer by layer or winding to prepare a bare battery cell of the battery cell 102. The bare battery cell is encapsulated in the battery housing 101, and through operations such as baking, injecting electrolyte, standing, forming, aging, sealing, and capacity testing, the battery is prepared.

[0098] On the other hand, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a battery module. As shown in the attached Figure 9 and the attached Figure 10 figure, the battery module includes a module housing 300, the battery 100 described in any one of the above, and a controller 200. The battery 100 is located in the module housing 300.

[0099] The thin film sensor device 10 of the battery 100 is electrically connected to the controller 200. The thin film sensor device 10 is used to detect the thermal runaway signal of the battery cell 102, and the thermal runaway signal includes at least one of a temperature signal and a pressure signal.

[0100] When the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to the threshold, the controller 200 is used to perform at least one of the following operations: cutting off the charging and discharging of the battery, and cutting off the power supply of the thin film sensor device 10.

[0101] The battery module provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure has all the advantages of any one of the above-mentioned batteries 100 provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure. The thin film sensor 10 is used to detect the temperature signal and / or pressure signal of the battery cell 102 and send it to the controller 200. After receiving the above temperature signal and / or pressure signal, the controller 200 compares it with a threshold value. If the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the controller 200 will execute the battery safety management strategy, wherein the battery safety management strategy at least includes at least one of the following operations: cutting off the charge and discharge of the battery 100, and cutting off the power supply of the thin film sensor 10. It can be seen that by cutting off the charge and discharge of the battery 100 and cutting off the power supply of the thin film sensor 10, the current is cut off at the initial stage of the thermal runaway of the battery cell 102, avoiding the continuous rise of the temperature of the battery cell 102, and realizing the flame retardant or fire extinguishing operation at the battery cell level.

[0102] In some examples, for the battery module provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, on the one hand, the controller 200 can extinguish the fire of the battery cell 102 based on the temperature signal and / or pressure signal transmitted by the thin film sensor 10 at the initial stage of thermal runaway. On the other hand, if the thermal runaway continues to develop, in the later stage of thermal runaway, fire extinguishing is carried out based on the flame retardant material in the polymer layer 11, so as to achieve a dual fire extinguishing function and effectively and reliably control the thermal runaway of the battery 100.

[0103] In some implementation manners, as shown in the appendix Figure 9 As shown, the controller 200 includes a first control unit 201 and a second control unit 202. The first control unit 201 is electrically connected to the thin film sensor 10 and the second control unit 202 respectively. The battery 100 includes: a battery housing 101 for accommodating the battery cell 102. The first control unit 201 is located in the battery housing 101. When the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the first control unit 201 is used to perform the following operations: sending the thermal runaway signal to the second control unit 202 and cutting off the power supply of the thin film sensor 10. The second control unit 202 is located in the module housing 300. When the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the second control unit 202 is used to cut off the charge and discharge of the battery.

[0104] For this implementation scheme, the battery module includes a plurality of single-cell batteries 100. Each battery 100 encapsulates the battery cell 102 through its respective battery housing 101, and each battery 100 is correspondingly provided with a first control unit 201. The first control unit 201 is used to sample and preliminarily process the temperature signal and / or pressure signal inside its corresponding battery 100, so as to achieve precise monitoring and fire extinguishing operations for individual single-cell batteries, with stronger pertinence.

[0105] In some examples, the electrical connection between the first control unit 201 and the thin-film sensor device 10 is a wired connection, thus ensuring more reliable signal transmission inside the battery 100.

[0106] In one example, the thin-film sensor device 10 can be directly electrically connected to the tab at the corresponding electrode via its joint end, and electrically connected to the first control unit 201 via the tab. In another example, the thin-film sensor device 10 can also extend its joint end above the current collector 1 where it is located (i.e., on the same side as the tab), and be electrically connected to the first control unit 201 via a cable.

[0107] In some examples, as shown in the appendix Figure 11 The first control unit 201 is located on the top cover of the battery housing 101. Here, the "top cover of the battery housing 101" refers to the wall of the battery housing 101 where the positive electrode terminal 1011 and the negative electrode terminal 1012 are provided.

[0108] By locating the first control unit 201 on the top cover of the battery housing 101, the first control unit 201 and the tab of the battery cell 102 are on the same side, which is beneficial to simplify and facilitate the wiring inside the battery 100.

[0109] In some examples, the electrical connection between the first control unit 201 and the second control unit 202 can be a wired connection or a wireless connection (e.g., via Wireless Fidelity, WiFi communication).

[0110] In some examples, the first control unit 201 can be a chip, and the second control unit 202 can be the battery management unit of the battery module.

[0111] When the first control unit 201 is used to cut off the power supply to the thin-film sensor device 10, the first control unit 201 includes a power supply control circuit, which is used to turn on or off the power supply to the thin-film sensor device 10, so as to cut off the current in time at the initial stage of battery thermal runaway and avoid the continuous rise of the temperature of the battery cell 102.

[0112] In some other implementation manners, as shown in the appendix Figure 12 The controller 200 includes a first control unit 201 and a second control unit 202. Both the first control unit 201 and the second control unit 202 are located inside the module housing 300. The first control unit 201 is electrically connected to the thin-film sensor device 10 and the second control unit 202 respectively. When the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to the threshold, the first control unit 201 is used to send the thermal runaway signal to the second control unit 202 to cut off the power supply to the thin-film sensor device 10. When the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to the threshold, the second control unit 202 is used to cut off the charge and discharge of the battery.

[0113] For this embodiment, the battery module can also be regarded as an energy storage module. Multiple battery cells 102 in the battery module are encapsulated by a module housing 300. The first control unit 201 can sample and preliminarily process the temperature signals and / or pressure signals of the multiple battery cells 102 to achieve synchronous control of the multiple batteries 100, which is conducive to the integrated layout of the battery module, simplifies the internal structure of the battery module, and reduces costs.

[0114] As shown in the attached Figure 13 figure, the module housing 300 includes a housing base 301 and a cover plate 302. The housing base 301 has multiple accommodation cavities 3011 to respectively accommodate the multiple battery cells 102. The cover plate 302 is covered at the port of the housing base 301, and the controller 200 is located on the cover plate 302. Among them, the cover plate 302 in the attached Figure 13 figure is in an inverted state to expose its inner surface facing the accommodation cavity 3011.

[0115] As shown in the attached Figure 13 figure, the housing base 301 has multiple accommodation cavities 3011. For example, the multiple accommodation cavities 3011 are sequentially distributed along the length direction of the housing base 301. There are partitions between adjacent two accommodation cavities 3011, and each accommodation cavity 3011 is used to accommodate one battery cell 102.

[0116] The cover plate 302 is of an integral structure. The cover plate 302 is hermetically covered at the port of the housing base 301 to seal the inner cavity of the battery housing 101. It can be seen that the cover plate 302 is hermetically connected to the housing base 301 to form a sealed space for accommodating the battery cells 102 and the electrolyte. One end of the housing base 301 can have an opening, and a cover plate 302 is hermetically covered at this opening. Both opposite ends of the housing base 301 can have openings, and two cover plates 302 are respectively hermetically covered at these two openings.

[0117] By making the controller 200, that is, the first control unit 201 and the second control unit 202, located on the cover plate 302, the controller 200 and the tabs of the battery cells 102 are on the same side, which is conducive to simplifying and facilitating the wiring inside the battery module.

[0118] For this embodiment, the electrical connection mode between the first control unit 201 and the thin film sensor 10 is a wired connection, so as to ensure that the signal is more reliable when transmitted inside the battery 100. The electrical connection between the first control unit 201 and the second control unit 202 can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0119] For example, the thin-film sensor device 10 can be directly electrically connected to the tab at the corresponding pole piece through its joint end, and electrically connected to the first control unit 201 via the tab. Alternatively, the thin-film sensor device 10 can also extend its joint end above the current collector 1 where it is located (i.e., on the same side as the tab), and be electrically connected to the first control unit 201 via a cable.

[0120] In some examples, the first control unit 201 can be a chip structure, and the second control unit 202 can be the battery management unit of the battery module.

[0121] When the first control unit 201 is used to cut off the power supply of the thin-film sensor device 10, the first control unit 201 includes a power supply control circuit, which uses the power supply control circuit to connect or disconnect the power supply of the thin-film sensor device 10, so as to cut off the current in time at the initial stage of battery thermal runaway and avoid the continuous rise of the temperature of the battery cell 102.

[0122] The first control unit 201 and the second control unit 202 can be arranged independently of each other or integrated. In some examples, the first control unit 201 is integrated into the second control unit 202.

[0123] One example is that the first control unit 201 and the second control unit 202 are independently arranged on the surface of the cover plate 302 facing the accommodation cavity 3011.

[0124] Another example is, as shown in the appendix Figure 12 and the appendix Figure 13 shown, the second control unit 202 integrated with the first control unit 201 is arranged on the surface of the cover plate 302 facing the accommodation cavity 3011. For example, the first control unit 201 in the form of a chip is integrated into the battery management unit of the battery module, and the battery management unit can support wired communication or wireless communication.

[0125] In some examples, as shown in the appendix Figure 13 shown, an explosion-proof structure 1013 is also provided at the position of the inner surface of the cover plate 302 corresponding to each accommodation cavity 3011. For example, the explosion-proof structure 1013 can be an explosion-proof valve, etc., to further support the safety and reliability of the battery.

[0126] In some examples, both the housing base 301 and the cover plate 302 can be obtained by processes such as stamping and casting, and some suitable materials for the housing base 301 and the cover plate 302 include but are not limited to: aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, iron, stainless steel, etc.

[0127] In another aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a battery pack, which includes any one of the above battery modules, and at least one of a liquid cooling module and a fire protection module. The thin film sensor 10 of the battery module is used to detect the thermal runaway signal of the battery cell 102, and the thermal runaway signal includes at least one of a temperature signal and a pressure signal. When the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the controller 200 of the battery module is configured to perform at least one of the following operations, which include: increasing the liquid cooling power of the liquid cooling module, starting the fire protection module, cutting off the charge and discharge of the battery 100, and cutting off the power supply of the thin film sensor 10.

[0128] The battery pack provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure has all the advantages of the battery module involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Further, when thermal runaway occurs, the controller 200 can also increase the liquid cooling power of the liquid cooling module to cool down the battery module, and / or the controller 200 can start the fire protection module to extinguish the fire of the battery module.

[0129] For the liquid cooling module, it can directly cool the batteries in the battery module through the flowing cooling medium, quickly conduct the heat generated inside the battery to the cooling medium, and then dissipate the heat through the heat dissipation system. The liquid cooling module can effectively reduce the working temperature of the battery and improve the life and performance of the battery. The power of the liquid cooling module directly affects its cooling rate for the battery module. The greater the power of the liquid cooling module (for example, the higher the flow rate of the cooling medium), the higher the cooling rate for the battery module. Among them, the power of the liquid cooling module is controlled by the controller 200.

[0130] In some examples, the liquid cooling module includes liquid cooling pipes, liquid cooling plates, etc. The liquid cooling pipes, liquid cooling plates, etc. can be located at least one of the side, bottom, and top positions of the battery module, so as to realize the cooling of at least one of the side, bottom, and top of the batteries in the battery module.

[0131] For the fire protection module, it includes at least one of a fire extinguisher, a sprinkler device, and a smoke detector. It can implement fire protection measures when the battery module has a thermal runaway. The fire protection measures include extinguishing the fire with a fire extinguisher, spraying with a sprinkler device, and alarming with a smoke detector, etc.

[0132] For example, the fire extinguisher and the sprinkler head of the sprinkler device in the fire protection module can be arranged around the side of the battery module or suspended above the battery module, so that the fire extinguishing agent released by the fire extinguisher and the sprinkling medium released by the sprinkler head of the sprinkler device are sprinkled onto the battery module from the side or above of the battery module, realizing the implementation of fire protection measures.

[0133] The smoke detector in the fire protection module can be set at any position outside the battery module. For example, the smoke detector can be suspended above, on the side, or below the central position of the battery module to avoid only being able to detect smoke locally and facilitate smoke sensing of the overall part of the battery module.

[0134] In some implementation manners, the controller 200 includes a first control unit 201 and a second control unit 202. The first control unit 201 is electrically connected to the thin film sensor device 10 and the second control unit 202 respectively. When the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to the threshold, the first control unit 201 is used to send the thermal runaway signal to the second control unit 202 to cut off the power supply of the thin film sensor device 10. When the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to the threshold, the second control unit 202 is used to perform at least one of the following operations: increasing the power of the liquid cooling module, starting the fire protection module, and cutting off the charge and discharge of the battery.

[0135] For the battery pack provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, through the thin film sensor device 10, it can be monitored in real time whether the thermal runaway signals such as the temperature and pressure of the battery cell 102 are abnormal. If the monitored thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to the threshold, there is a thermal runaway abnormality. At this time, the first control unit 201 can cut off the power supply of the thin film sensor device 10 and transmit the thermal runaway signal to the second control unit 202. The second control unit 202 performs at least one of the following operations on the battery: increasing the power of the liquid cooling module (for example, increasing the power of the liquid cooling module to the maximum), starting the fire protection module (for example, starting a fire extinguisher, starting a sprinkler device, etc.), and cutting off the charge and discharge of the battery. In this way, at the initial stage of battery thermal runaway, the fire extinguishing treatment of the battery module can be realized.

[0136] If the fire of the battery cannot be completely contained at the initial stage of thermal runaway, when the temperature of the battery cell 102 reaches the melting point of the polymer matrix 111 of the polymer layer 11 of the current collector 1, the polymer matrix 111 softens or melts and will quickly release the flame retardant material 112 therein. The flame retardant material 112 performs a flame retardant operation, and then controls the thermal runaway to the battery cell 102 on fire, realizing the fire extinguishing operation at the battery cell level.

[0137] Regarding the arrangement and type of the first control unit 201 and the second control unit 202 in the battery pack, the relevant solutions in the above battery module can be referred to and will not be elaborated here.

[0138] On the other hand, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a battery management method, where the battery management method is applied to any of the above-mentioned battery modules or the above-mentioned battery pack.

[0139] As shown in the attached Figure 14 figure, the battery management method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure includes:

[0140] Step S11: Detect the thermal runaway signal inside the battery cell through the thin-film sensor device and transmit it to the controller. The thermal runaway signal includes at least one of a temperature signal and a pressure signal.

[0141] Step S12: Determine, through the controller, whether the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to a threshold value. When the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the controller 2 is configured to perform at least one of the following operations: cut off the charging and discharging of the battery, and cut off the power supply to the thin-film sensor device.

[0142] In some implementation manners, as shown in the appendix Figure 15 Step S12 further includes: Determine, through the controller, whether the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to a threshold value. When the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the controller is further configured to perform at least one of the following operations: increase the power of the liquid cooling module, and activate the fire protection module.

[0143] In some examples, the controller includes a first control unit and a second control unit. The first control unit is electrically connected to the thin-film sensor device and the second control unit respectively. For this technical solution, as shown in the appendix Figure 16 The battery management method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure includes:

[0144] Step S21: Detect the thermal runaway signal inside the battery cell through the thin-film sensor device and transmit it to the first control unit. The thermal runaway signal includes at least one of a temperature signal and a pressure signal.

[0145] Step S22: Determine, through the first control unit, whether the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to a threshold value. When the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the first control unit performs the following operations: send the thermal runaway signal to the second control unit, cut off the power supply to the thin-film sensor device, and the second control unit performs at least one of the following operations: cut off the charging and discharging of the battery, increase the power of the liquid cooling module, and activate the fire protection module.

[0146] The above description is only for the convenience of those skilled in the art to understand the technical solutions of the present disclosure, and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure shall be included within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery, characterized in that, The battery (100) includes: a battery cell (102), the battery cell (102) includes a positive electrode plate (1021) and a negative electrode plate (1022), and a current collector (1) of at least one of the positive electrode plate (1021) and the negative electrode plate (1022) is internally provided with a thin film sensor device (10), and the thin film sensor device (10) is at least one of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor.

2. The battery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The current collector (1) is a composite current collector, and the composite current collector includes: a polymer layer (11), two metal layers (12), and the thin film sensor device (10); The polymer layer (11) is located between the two metal layers (12); The thin film sensor device (10) is internally provided in at least one of the polymer layer (11) and the metal layer (12).

3. The battery according to claim 2, characterized in that, The polymer layer (11) includes: a polymer matrix (111) and a flame retardant material (112) dispersed in the polymer matrix (111), and the melting point or boiling point of the flame retardant material (112) is greater than or equal to the melting point of the polymer matrix (111).

4. The battery according to claim 3, wherein The polymer matrix (111) is at least one of the following polymers: polymethyl methacrylate, polyaniline, polyvinyl acetate, polythiophene, polyphenylene sulfide, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyacetylene, polyparaphenylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, poly-N-isopropylacrylamide, polypyrrole, polyfuran, polyimide.

5. The battery according to claim 3, wherein The flame retardant material (112) is at least one of halogenated organic compounds, phosphoric acid esters, phosphorous acid esters, fluorinated phosphoric acid esters, brominated phosphoric acid esters, and aromatic phosphoric acid esters.

6. A battery module, characterized in that, The battery module includes: a module housing (300), the battery (100) according to any one of claims 1-5, and a controller (200), and the battery (100) is located inside the module housing (300); The thin film sensor device (10) of the battery (100) is electrically connected to the controller (200), and the thin film sensor device (10) is used to detect a thermal runaway signal of the battery cell (102), and the thermal runaway signal includes at least one of a temperature signal and a pressure signal; When the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to a threshold value, the controller (200) is used to perform at least one of the following operations: cut off the charging and discharging of the battery, and cut off the power supply of the thin film sensor device (10).

7. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein The module housing (300) includes a housing base (301) and a cover plate (302), the housing base (301) has a plurality of accommodation cavities (3011) to respectively accommodate a plurality of the battery cells (102), the cover plate (302) is covered at the port of the housing base (301), and the controller (200) is located on the cover plate (302).

8. A battery pack, characterized in that, The battery pack includes the battery module according to any one of claims 6-7, and at least one of a liquid cooling module and a fire protection module; The thin film sensor device (10) of the battery module is used to detect a thermal runaway signal inside the battery cell (102), and the thermal runaway signal includes at least one of a temperature signal and a pressure signal; When the thermal runaway signal is greater than or equal to a threshold value, the controller (200) of the battery module is configured to perform at least one of the following operations, which include: increasing the liquid cooling power of the liquid cooling module, starting the fire protection module, cutting off the charge and discharge of the battery, and cutting off the power supply to the thin film sensor device (10).

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