Cooling device and energy storage container

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of energy storage systems, in particular to a cooling device and an energy storage container. The cooling device comprises an injection pipeline and a fluid control piece, and the injection pipeline is used for guiding a cooling medium; the injection pipeline comprises a first pipe and a second pipe, and the second pipe and a battery cell of the battery module are both located in an inner cavity of a shell of the battery module; the fluid control piece is used for controlling the cooling medium to flow in the injection pipeline; the fluid control piece is fixed on the battery module and is provided with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the fluid inlet is communicated with the first pipe, and the fluid outlet is communicated with the second pipe; when the battery cell is in thermal runaway, the cooling device sprays the cooling medium to the inner cavity of the shell of the battery module to cool the battery module in thermal runaway, so that the adjacent battery module is prevented from being influenced by high temperature generated by the battery cell, and the harm and economic loss generated by the thermal runaway of the battery cell are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of energy storage systems, and in particular to a cooling device and an energy storage container. Background Art

[0002] With the development of energy storage batteries, battery safety issues have received more and more attention, among which thermal runaway of battery cells is an important issue affecting the safety of battery use.

[0003] In the process of implementing this application, the inventors found that there are at least the following problems in the prior art: when thermal runaway occurs in the battery cells within the battery module, the high temperature generated by the thermally runaway battery cells will affect the battery cells in other adjacent battery modules, and ultimately cause thermal runaway and damage to the battery cells in the entire battery pack, posing a major safety hazard and causing significant economic losses. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present application provides a cooling device and an energy storage container for reducing the high temperature generated by thermal runaway of the battery module, thereby avoiding damage to the entire battery pack due to thermal runaway of the battery module.

[0005] In order to achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, a cooling device is provided for cooling a battery module in a battery pack, comprising:

[0007] An injection pipeline for guiding a cooling medium; the injection pipeline includes a first tube and a second tube, and the second tube and the battery cell of the battery module are both located in the inner cavity of the battery module shell;

[0008] A fluid control component is used to control the flow of the cooling medium in the injection pipeline; the fluid control component is fixed to the battery module and has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the fluid inlet is connected to the first tube, and the fluid outlet is connected to the second tube.

[0009] Optionally, the fluid control component is a pressure relief valve;

[0010] The injection pipeline is arranged in the inner cavity of the shell of the battery module, and the first pipe is connected to the flow channel inside the cold plate of the battery module.

[0011] Optionally, the fluid control component is an injector, and the injector is disposed on the housing of the battery module;

[0012] The cooling device further comprises:

[0013] A detection element, disposed in the inner cavity of the shell, for obtaining environmental information of the inner cavity of the shell;

[0014] A controller is electrically connected to the detection element and the injector. The controller can determine whether the battery cell in the housing is in an abnormal state according to the acquired environmental information, and control the injector to inject a cooling medium.

[0015] Optionally, the first tube is connected to a refrigerant circuit of the battery module.

[0016] Optionally, the cooling medium includes a liquid cooling medium;

[0017] The outlet of the second pipe is provided with an atomizing nozzle for atomizing the liquid cooling medium.

[0018] Optionally, the second tube includes:

[0019] A main pipe, one end of which is connected to the fluid outlet;

[0020] The plurality of branch pipes are all connected to the other end of the main pipe, and the outlet ends of the plurality of branch pipes are respectively located at different positions of the inner cavity of the shell of the same battery module.

[0021] Optionally, the outlet of at least one of the branch pipes is located at the front end side of the battery cell in the battery module, and the outlet of at least one of the branch pipes is positioned toward the gap between the top of the battery cell and the shell of the battery module.

[0022] Optionally, the second tube is passed through the side wall of the shell of the battery module, and the connection between the outer wall of the second tube and the side wall is sealed.

[0023] An energy storage container, comprising:

[0024] A battery pack, comprising at least one battery module;

[0025] A direct cooler, wherein the direct cooler and the battery module are connected via a refrigerant circuit;

[0026] A cooling device as described in any one of the above items.

[0027] Optionally, a plurality of the battery modules are provided in the battery pack, and each of the battery modules is provided with at least one cooling device.

[0028] The cooling device provided in this application includes an injection pipeline and a fluid control component. When a battery module equipped with the cooling device in an embodiment of this application experiences thermal runaway, the fluid control component opens, and the injection pipeline sprays a cooling medium into the inner cavity of the housing. The cooling medium absorbs heat to cool the battery module in thermal runaway, preventing the battery module in thermal runaway from transferring heat to other surrounding battery modules, effectively preventing the damage to a large number of battery modules caused by thermal runaway of a single battery module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without any creative work.

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an energy storage container provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Front view of

[0032] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the energy storage container after removing the box body;

[0033] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the energy storage container;

[0034] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Side view of

[0035] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of an energy storage container provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Front view of

[0037] Figure 8 for Figure 6 The schematic diagram of the structure of the energy storage container after removing the box body;

[0038] Figure 9 for Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the energy storage container;

[0039] Figure 10 for Figure 9 side view.

[0040] Reference numerals:

[0041] 1. Battery module, 2. Fluid control components, 3. Detection components, 4. Controller, 5. Refrigerant circuit, 6. Direct cooling machine, 7. Atomizing nozzle, 8. First pipe, 9. Second pipe;

[0042] 101. Cold plate, 102. Battery cell, 103. Housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0044] A battery pack consists of multiple battery modules 1, each a separate unit consisting of a cold plate 101, arrayed battery cells 102, and a housing 103. The battery cells 102 are mounted on the top surface of the cold plate 101, while the housing 103 encloses the battery cells 102 and forms a substantially sealed space with the top surface of the cold plate 101. When thermal runaway occurs in one or more battery cells 102, the temperature rapidly rises, causing the entire battery module 1 to heat up. The high temperature radiated by the runaway battery module 1 can affect other nearby battery modules 1, causing them to also experience thermal runaway, ultimately destroying the entire battery pack. The burning of a large number of battery cells 102 not only creates greater harm but also results in greater economic losses.

[0045] Regarding the above issues, refer to Figures 1-10 , provides a cooling device for cooling a battery module 1 in thermal runaway in a battery pack, the cooling device comprising an injection pipeline and a fluid control member 2, wherein:

[0046] The injection line is a fluid delivery channel for guiding the cooling medium. In specific implementation, the injection line is not limited to being formed by pipes. For example, it can also be formed by pipes in conjunction with flow channels opened on physical components of the battery module 1 (such as the shell 103 and / or cold plate, etc.).

[0047] like Figure 1-Figure 5 as well as Figure 8 As shown, the injection pipeline in the embodiment of the present application includes a first pipe 8 and a second pipe 9, wherein the first pipe 8 is a pipe section for introducing the cooling medium into the injection pipeline, and the second pipe 9 is a pipe section for exporting the cooling medium out of the injection pipeline.

[0048] Further, such as Figure 5 and Figure 10 As shown, the outlet of the second tube 9 and the battery cells 102 of the battery module 1 are both located within the housing cavity of the battery module 1 (i.e., the cavity enclosed by the housing 103 of the battery module 1). Thus, the cooling medium discharged from the second tube 9 can act on the space where the battery cells 102 of the battery module 1 are located, thereby lowering the temperature of the space where the battery cells 102 are located, thereby delaying or even preventing thermal runaway of the battery module 1.

[0049] The fluid control component 2 is a structural component used to control the flow of fluid.

[0050] The fluid control member 2 is fixed to the battery module 1 and has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, wherein the fluid inlet is an opening for the fluid to enter the fluid control member 2, and the fluid outlet is an opening for the fluid to flow out of the fluid control member 2. Figures 1-10 As shown, the fluid inlet of the fluid control component 2 is connected to the first tube 8, and the fluid outlet is connected to the second tube 9. In this way, when the fluid control component 2 is in the open state, the first tube 8 and the second tube 9 will be in a connected state, thereby allowing the cooling medium to act on the inner cavity of the shell of the battery module 1 through the first tube 8, the fluid control component 2 and the second tube 9.

[0051] When a battery module 1 having a cooling device in an embodiment of the present application experiences thermal runaway, the fluid control component 2 opens, and the injection pipeline sprays a cooling medium into the inner cavity of the shell. The cooling medium absorbs heat to cool the battery module 1 in thermal runaway, thereby preventing the battery module 1 in thermal runaway from transferring heat to other surrounding battery modules 1, and effectively curbing the damage of a large number of battery modules 1 caused by thermal runaway of a single battery module 1.

[0052] In an alternative embodiment, if Figures 6-10 As shown, the fluid control component 2 is a pressure relief valve, the injection pipeline is arranged in the inner cavity of the shell of the battery module 1, and the first pipe 8 is connected to the flow channel inside the cold plate 101 of the battery module 1.

[0053] The cold plate 101 of the battery module 1 is a heat exchange plate used to cool the battery module 1. Figure 10 As shown, the cold plate 101 is connected to the housing 103 of the battery module 1 and, together with the housing 103 of the battery module 1, forms an inner cavity of the housing. The battery cells 102 disposed in the inner cavity of the housing are thermally connected to the cold plate 101. During operation of the battery module 1, the cold plate 101 is used to absorb heat generated by the battery cells 102 to prevent heat accumulation in the inner cavity of the housing, thereby reducing the probability of the battery module 1 malfunctioning due to overheating.

[0054] Furthermore, the flow channel inside the cold plate 101 refers to the flow channel inside the cold plate 101 for guiding the cooling medium. In the exemplary embodiment, the battery module 1 is cooled by the direct cooler 6. The pipeline of the direct cooler 6 for guiding the cooling medium is connected to the flow channel inside the cold plate 101 to form a refrigerant circuit 5.

[0055] In this embodiment, when the battery module 1 is in a thermal runaway state, the temperature of the flow channel inside the cold plate 101 will rise rapidly, thereby causing the pressure in the flow channel to increase. When the pressure in the flow channel reaches the preset pressure, the injection pipeline is connected to the flow channel, and the pressure relief valve opens. Since the pressure in the flow channel is greater than the pressure in the shell cavity, the cooling medium in the flow channel is sprayed into the shell cavity under the action of the pressure difference, and cools the battery module 1 in thermal runaway.

[0056] The above-mentioned preset pressure is the opening pressure of the pressure relief valve. It should be noted that the size of the preset pressure can be adaptively designed according to needs during specific implementation. This application does not make specific restrictions on this. However, it should be ensured that under the preset pressure, the battery module 1 should be in the early stage of thermal runaway.

[0057] As described above, this embodiment utilizes the fact that pressure within the flow channel increases with temperature, allowing the injection line to automatically open when thermal runaway occurs in the battery module 1. This arrangement eliminates the need for a cooling medium drive structure and eliminates the need for detection structures such as the temperature detector 3 for monitoring the status of the battery module 1. Therefore, the structure is simple and the cost is low.

[0058] In an alternative embodiment, if Figure 1-Figure 5 As shown, the fluid control component 2 is an ejector, which is mounted on the housing 103 of the battery module 1. When the battery module 1 heats up due to thermal runaway, the ejector sprays a cooling medium into the housing 103. The cooling medium absorbs heat and cools the battery module 1 in thermal runaway, preventing the battery module 1 in thermal runaway from transferring heat to other surrounding battery modules 1. This effectively prevents damage to a large number of battery modules 1 caused by thermal runaway of a single battery module 1.

[0059] In addition, the cooling device also includes a detection member 3, which is arranged in the inner cavity of the shell 103 and is used to obtain environmental information of the shell 103. The environmental information can be one or more of temperature information, pressure information, and gas concentration information within the shell 103, so as to detect the status of the battery module 1 in different ways. Preferably, the detection member 3 is fixed to the inner wall of the shell 103 or the upper surface of the cold plate 101, and the distance between the detection member 3 and the battery cell 102 is small. When the battery cell 102 has thermal runaway, the detection member 3 can quickly detect that the battery cell 102 is in an abnormal state, and then determine that the battery module 1 is in an abnormal state.

[0060] The cooling device also includes a controller 4, which is electrically connected to the detection element 3 and the injector. The controller 4 can determine that the battery module 1 is in an abnormal state based on the acquired environmental information and control the injector to spray the cooling medium. In one embodiment, the controller 4 is preset with normal information (one or more of temperature, pressure and gas concentration). When the battery module 1 thermally runs away, the environmental information in the shell 103 changes and differs from the preset normal information. The controller 4 compares the environmental information in the shell 103 with the preset normal information to determine that the battery module 1 is in an abnormal state, and then determines that the battery module 1 is in an abnormal state. Subsequently, the controller 4 controls the injector provided in the shell 103 to start, thereby achieving cooling of the battery module 1 in an abnormal state.

[0061] In one embodiment, reference Figure 5, the controller 4 is the control terminal in the direct cooler 6, that is, the control terminal in the direct cooler 6 can control the cooling medium to circulate in the refrigerant circuit 5 in the cooling mode, heating mode or defrost mode, thereby realizing different functions. At the same time, the control terminal can be electrically connected to the detection component 3, and the environmental information detected by the detection component 3 is fed back to the control terminal, which determines the working status of the battery module 1 and controls the corresponding injector to start when it is determined that the battery module 1 has thermal runaway, so as to cool down and extinguish the thermal runaway battery module 1. This setting method designs the functions of the existing control terminal and does not need to set up a separate structure, thereby reducing the cost of using the controller 4. Of course, the controller 4 can also be a separate structure different from the control terminal of the direct cooler 6, so as to achieve separate control of the thermal runaway management of the battery module 1.

[0062] Furthermore, an alarm device (not shown in the figure) is provided. When the cooling device is started, the data of the cooling device startup is uploaded to the control center and an alarm is sounded to remind the maintenance personnel that the battery module 1 is abnormal, so that the maintenance personnel can carry out timely maintenance.

[0063] Reference Figure 3-Figure 5 The battery module 1 includes a cold plate 101, which is used to exchange heat with the battery cells 102 of the battery module 1. The cold plate 101 is connected to a refrigerant circuit 5, and the ejector inlet is connected to the refrigerant circuit 5. A cooling medium flows through the refrigerant circuit 5. When the battery pack is operating normally, the direct cooler 6 controls the flow of the cooling medium within the refrigerant circuit 5. The cooling medium exchanges heat with the battery cells 102 through the cold plate 101, maintaining the battery cells 102 at their normal operating temperature.

[0064] In some embodiments, the first tube 8 is connected to the refrigerant circuit 5. When the battery cell 102 experiences thermal runaway, the fluid control component 2 is activated to spray the cooling medium within the refrigerant circuit 5 and the cold plate 101 into the interior of the housing 103 of the battery module 1. The cooling medium is preferably a phase change material. The cooling device sprays a liquid cooling medium or a liquid-gas mixed cooling medium into the housing 103. After the liquid cooling medium is discharged into the housing 103, its pressure decreases, causing the liquid cooling medium to convert into a gaseous cooling medium. During this conversion, heat is absorbed, thereby cooling the battery module 1.

[0065] In this embodiment, since the first tube 8 is connected to the refrigerant circuit 5, the refrigerant circuit 5 serves as the cooling source for the cooling device. Therefore, there is no need for an additional cooling medium storage device, simplifying the overall structure. Furthermore, after maintenance is completed, the cooling medium can be refilled into the refrigerant circuit 5, allowing the cooling device to be reused, reducing operating costs.

[0066] Furthermore, if the fluid control element 2 is an ejector, a medium storage device (not shown) may also be provided, with the first tube 8 communicating with the inner cavity of the medium storage device. The medium storage device stores a cooling medium. When thermal runaway of the battery cell 102 causes changes in the environmental information within the housing 103, the controller 4 determines that the battery module 1 is thermally runaway and activates the ejector to discharge the cooling medium stored in the medium storage device into the housing 103, thereby cooling the battery module 1. This configuration facilitates maintenance, replacement, and refilling of the medium in the medium storage device.

[0067] As mentioned above, when the battery module 1 heats up due to thermal runaway, the injector injects a cooling medium into the housing 103, utilizing the cooling medium to absorb heat and cool the battery module 1. In some feasible implementations, the cooling medium includes a liquid cooling medium. In this regard, the injector includes an atomizing nozzle 7 (not shown) for atomizing the liquid cooling medium.

[0068] Under the above-described configuration, when the temperature inside the battery module 1 rises abnormally, the liquid cooling medium will be converted from liquid to gas at the atomizing nozzle 7 during the process of the injector spraying the cooling medium into the housing 103. On the one hand, the process of converting the liquid cooling medium into the gaseous cooling medium is an endothermic process, which can accelerate cooling and thereby reduce the probability of danger. On the other hand, compared to directly injecting the liquid cooling medium into the outer housing 103, after converting the liquid cooling medium into the gaseous cooling medium, the cooling medium has a wider range of action, which is conducive to the cooling medium directly acting on the temperature-rising point, thereby improving the cooling effect and cooling speed.

[0069] It should be noted that, in the above implementation, the cooling medium includes a liquid cooling medium, which does not mean that it can only include a liquid cooling medium. For example, in an optional embodiment, the cooling medium can be a mixture of a gaseous cooling medium and a liquid cooling medium.

[0070] In some embodiments, the second tube 9 includes a main tube and multiple branch tubes, one end of the main tube is connected to the fluid outlet of the fluid control component 2, and the multiple branch tubes are all connected to the other end of the main tube, and the outlet ends of the multiple branch tubes are respectively located at different positions in the shell cavity of the same battery module 1.

[0071] In this embodiment, the cooling medium can be guided to different positions in the shell cavity under the action of multiple branch pipes, which is more conducive to the diffusion of the cooling medium in the shell cavity, can increase the effective range of the cooling medium, and reduce or even avoid the generation of dead zones, thereby helping to improve the cooling effect of the cooling medium.

[0072] Furthermore, based on the above-mentioned second tube 9 including multiple branch tubes, the outlet of at least one branch tube is located on the front end side of the battery cell 102 in the battery module 1, and the outlet of at least one branch tube is positioned toward the gap between the top of the battery cell 102 and the shell 103; that is, the second tube 9 has an outlet located on the front end side of the battery cell 102 in the battery module 1, and an outlet toward the gap between the top of the battery cell 102 and the shell 103.

[0073] Specifically, the battery cell 102 has a front side and a rear side, and the cold plate 101 has a front side corresponding to the front side of the battery cell 102 and a rear side corresponding to the rear side of the battery cell 102. The horizontal distance between the front side of the battery cell 102 and the front side of the cold plate 101 is greater than the horizontal distance between the rear side of the battery cell 102 and the rear side of the cold plate 101. This allows the cold plate 101 to form a mounting area in front of the front side of the battery cell 102. The connection end of the refrigerant circuit 5 connected to the cold plate 101 is disposed on the front side of the cold plate 101. Furthermore, the outlet of the first tube 8 is located at the front side of the battery cell 102, meaning that the outlet of the first tube 8 can be vertically projected onto the mounting area. In this way, after the cooling device sprays the cooling medium into the housing 103, the cooling medium can first diffuse within the three-dimensional space formed above the installation area. After diffusion, it enters the gaps between the different side walls of the battery cells 102 and the inner wall of the housing 103. The cooling medium fully fills the inner cavity of the housing 103, allowing the cooling medium to fully contact the outer surface of the battery cells 102, thereby improving the cooling effect on the battery cells 102. In addition, the outlet of the first tube 8 is set in the installation area, making full use of the existing installation area. When connecting the cold plate 101 and the refrigerant circuit 5, the first tube 8 can be installed simultaneously, making the installation process of the first tube 8 simple and taking up little space.

[0074] Preferably, the outlet of at least one branch pipe is oriented toward the gap between the top of the battery cell 102 and the shell 103, so that the cooling medium sprayed out by the cooling device can directly enter the top of the battery cell 102, thereby avoiding the situation where the cooling medium cannot quickly act on the top of the battery cell 102 due to lack of driving force after being sprayed into the inner cavity of the shell, thereby helping to improve the cooling effect.

[0075] In addition, it should be noted that when the second tube 9 has only one outlet, Figure 5 and Figure 10 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, the outlet of the second tube 9 is disposed at the front end side of the battery cell 102 in the battery module 1 and is positioned toward the gap between the top of the battery cell 102 and the shell 103 of the battery module 1 .

[0076] On the basis that the fluid control component 2 is an injector, in some embodiments, the injector includes a solenoid valve, which is arranged on the injection pipeline and is used to control the on and off of the injection pipeline; in addition, the solenoid valve is electrically connected to the controller 4, and the solenoid valve is arranged outside the shell 103 and is fixedly connected to the cold plate 101 of the battery module 1.

[0077] The inlet of the injection pipeline is connected to the refrigerant circuit 5. The solenoid valve is used to control the opening and closing of the first tube 8. The cooling medium in the refrigerant circuit 5 has a certain pressure. When the controller 4 controls the solenoid valve to open, the cooling medium is discharged from the atomizing nozzle 7 through the first tube 8 under the action of pressure and released into the housing 103. The atomizing nozzle 7 can be set as a fixed structure or a movable structure according to actual needs. When the atomizing nozzle 7 is set as a movable structure, the atomizing nozzle 7 can rotate within a certain angle relative to the first tube 8 under the output pressure of the cooling medium, thereby circulating the cooling medium to different locations in the housing 103 and increasing the diffusion rate of the cooling medium. The solenoid valve is arranged outside the inner cavity of the housing and in front of the front side of the cold plate 101. The arrangement of the solenoid valve does not occupy the inner cavity of the housing 103, making the structure of the housing 103, the cold plate 101 and the battery cell 102 a conventional structure, eliminating the need for structural redesign and reducing usage costs.

[0078] In one embodiment, the solenoid valve is fixed to the outer wall of the housing 103. Alternatively, the solenoid valve is fixed to the surface of the cold plate 101. The solenoid valve and the housing 103 or the cold plate 101 are fixed by bolting, welding, or bonding.

[0079] Further, in some embodiments, referring to Figure 5 The second tube 9 is provided through the side wall of the housing 103 of the battery module 1, and the connection between the outer wall of the second tube 9 and the side wall of the housing 103 is sealed. In this way, the inner cavity of the housing 103 can still be maintained as a substantially sealed space. On the one hand, it prevents temperature loss in the inner cavity of the housing 103 and ensures the normal operation of the battery cell 102. On the other hand, when the cooling medium is discharged into the inner cavity of the housing 103, it is not easy for the cooling medium to escape from the housing 103 and affect other battery modules 1.

[0080] In addition, as mentioned above, when the fluid control component 2 is an ejector, the cooling device further includes a detection component 3. In a specific implementation, the detection component 3 includes a temperature detector, preferably a temperature sensor, for obtaining temperature information within the inner cavity of the housing 103; and / or a pressure detector, preferably a pressure sensor, for obtaining pressure information within the inner cavity of the housing 103; and / or a gas detector, preferably a detection device capable of detecting one or more gas concentrations, for obtaining smoke concentration information within the inner cavity of the housing 103. By providing one or more detectors, one or more parameters within the housing 103 are detected to determine the status of the battery module 1.

[0081] Specifically, when thermal runaway occurs in the battery module 1, the temperature of the battery cell 102 inside it will undergo a series of significant changes. In the initial stage, the self-heating starting temperature is about 85.03°C. At this time, the reaction inside the battery cell 102 is relatively slow, and the SEI film and electrolyte begin to decompose and are accompanied by slight gas production. Subsequently, the thermal runaway trigger temperature is 186.19°C, the side reactions intensify, the positive electrode surface film further thickens, and the internal materials of the battery undergo irreversible changes. During the thermal runaway process, the maximum temperature can reach 350.1°C, the battery separator is completely destroyed, and the positive and negative electrode powders fall off over a large area. In summary, by setting a temperature detector to detect the temperature of the battery cell 102 in the shell 103, the state of the battery module 1 can be judged.

[0082] Furthermore, when thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell 102, the electrolyte evaporates faster as the internal temperature of the battery cell 102 rises, generating a large amount of gases, such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The rapid accumulation of these gases causes the pressure within the housing 103 to rise. A pressure detector is provided to monitor the pressure within the housing 103, and the status of the battery module 1 can be determined by the pressure. Similarly, the generated gases, such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen, can also be detected by a gas detector, and the status of the battery module 1 can be determined by measuring the gas concentration.

[0083] Furthermore, when the fluid control element 2 is an ejector, the working principle of the cooling device is as follows:

[0084] Normal information of the environment inside the shell 103 is preset on the controller 4, and the controller 4 and the detection component 3 are started to make the cooling device work.

[0085] The detection element 3 detects the environmental information within the housing 103 and sends it to the controller 4. The detection element 3 detects the environmental information (one or more of temperature, pressure, and gas concentration) within the housing 103 in real time and feeds the environmental information data back to the controller 4, which determines whether the battery module 1 is in a thermal runaway state.

[0086] When the battery module 1 is in thermal runaway, the environmental information fed back to the controller 4 by the detection component 3 is different from the preset normal information. The controller 4 determines that the battery module 1 is in thermal runaway and determines the location of the battery module 1 in thermal runaway.

[0087] Then the controller 4 controls the solenoid valve corresponding to the thermal runaway battery module 1 to start, so that the cooling medium in the refrigerant circuit 5 is discharged into the shell 103 through the atomizing nozzle 7, thereby cooling the thermal runaway battery module 1.

[0088] Second, as Figures 1-10 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides an energy storage container, which includes a battery pack, including at least one battery module 1; a direct cooler 6, which is connected to the battery module 1 through a refrigerant circuit 5; and a cooling device such as any of the above. The battery pack is used for energy storage, the direct cooler 6 is used to control the flow direction of the cooling medium in the refrigerant circuit 5, so that the cooling medium exchanges heat with the battery cell 102 through the cold plate 101, and the cooling device is used to monitor the working status of the battery module 1. When the battery heat medium is in a thermal runaway state, the cooling device starts a cooling operation, discharges the cooling medium in the refrigerant circuit 5 to the battery cell 102 in the thermal runaway battery module 1, and cools the battery cell 102.

[0089] In one possible implementation, referring to Figures 1-10 , a plurality of battery modules 1 are provided in the battery pack, and each battery module 1 is provided with at least one cooling device. Exemplary:

[0090] Four battery modules 1 are arranged in the battery pack. The four battery modules 1 are stacked in the vertical direction. The four battery modules 1 are connected to the direct cooler 6 through the refrigerant circuit 5. The control terminal in the direct cooler 6 is used to control the cooling medium to flow in the refrigerant circuit 5.

[0091] Based on the above-mentioned battery pack structure, each battery module 1 is equipped with a corresponding cooling device. When one battery module 1 experiences thermal runaway, the controller 4 can identify the battery module 1 experiencing thermal runaway and control the cooling device installed on the battery module 1 experiencing thermal runaway to start spraying cooling medium to cool the battery module 1 experiencing thermal runaway. This prevents the temperature of the battery module 1 experiencing thermal runaway from rising and affecting other adjacent battery modules 1, thereby reducing the risk of thermal runaway of the battery modules 1. When maintaining a battery pack experiencing thermal runaway, the battery module 1 experiencing thermal runaway is replaced while ensuring that the other battery modules 1 can be used normally, thereby reducing economic losses.

[0092] Alternatively, each battery module 1 is provided with multiple cooling devices, for example, two, three, or four, and the multiple cooling devices are arranged on different side walls of the housing 103, with outlets of the multiple cooling devices corresponding to different side walls of the battery cells 102. In the event of thermal runaway of the battery module 1, the multiple cooling devices operate simultaneously, allowing the cooling medium to quickly fill the inner cavity of the housing 103, thereby rapidly cooling the battery module 1 and improving cooling efficiency.

[0093] Finally, it should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are merely used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.

[0094] Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0095] The above description of the disclosed embodiments will enable those skilled in the art to implement or use the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be construed in the widest manner consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A cooling device, characterized in that: Used to cool the battery modules in the battery pack, including: An injection pipeline for guiding a cooling medium; the injection pipeline includes a first tube and a second tube, and the second tube and the battery cell of the battery module are both located in the inner cavity of the battery module shell; A fluid control component is used to control the flow of the cooling medium in the injection pipeline; the fluid control component is fixed to the battery module and has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the fluid inlet is connected to the first tube, and the fluid outlet is connected to the second tube.

2. The cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fluid control component is a pressure relief valve; The injection pipeline is arranged in the inner cavity of the shell of the battery module, and the first pipe is connected to the flow channel inside the cold plate of the battery module.

3. The cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fluid control component is an injector, and the injector is arranged on the housing of the battery module; The cooling device further comprises: A detection element, disposed in the inner cavity of the shell, for obtaining environmental information of the inner cavity of the shell; A controller is electrically connected to the detection element and the injector. The controller can determine whether the battery cell in the housing is in an abnormal state according to the acquired environmental information, and control the injector to inject a cooling medium.

4. The cooling device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first tube is connected to the refrigerant circuit of the battery module.

5. The cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling medium includes a liquid cooling medium; The outlet of the second pipe is provided with an atomizing nozzle for atomizing the liquid cooling medium.

6. The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The second tube comprises: a main pipe, one end of which is connected to the fluid outlet; The plurality of branch pipes are all connected to the other end of the main pipe, and the outlet ends of the plurality of branch pipes are respectively located at different positions of the inner cavity of the shell of the same battery module.

7. The cooling device according to claim 6, characterized in that: An outlet of at least one of the branch pipes is located at a front end side of the battery cell in the battery module, and the outlet of at least one of the branch pipes is positioned toward a gap between a top of the battery cell and a housing of the battery module.

8. The cooling device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second tube is passed through the side wall of the shell of the battery module, and the connection between the outer wall of the second tube and the side wall is sealed.

9. An energy storage container, characterized in that: include: A battery pack, comprising at least one battery module; A direct cooler, wherein the direct cooler and the battery module are connected via a refrigerant circuit; The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The energy storage container according to claim 9, characterized in that: A plurality of battery modules are provided in the battery pack, and each battery module is provided with at least one cooling device.

Images