Upper cover assembly, single battery and high-capacity battery

Abstract

The invention belongs to the field of batteries, and particularly relates to an upper cover assembly, a single battery and a high-capacity battery, the upper cover assembly comprises an upper cover plate and a polarity terminal arranged on the upper cover plate; a channel penetrating through the polarity terminal is formed in the polarity terminal, and an inner cavity of the channel serves as a heat exchange medium circulation channel. Partial structures of the polar terminals are in direct contact with the heat exchange medium; after the single battery with the upper cover assembly is used for constructing a high-capacity battery, the connecting pipe assembly is used for communicating the channels on the polar terminals to form a heat exchange channel. And the heat exchange medium directly acts on the polar terminal, so that the utilization efficiency of the heat exchange medium can be improved, and the heat exchange efficiency of the high-capacity battery is further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of batteries, and in particular relates to an upper cover assembly, a single cell and a large-capacity battery. Background Art

[0002] Currently, multiple single cells are connected in parallel, in series, or in series-parallel connection to form large-capacity batteries (also known as battery modules or battery packs).

[0003] However, existing large-capacity batteries have inherent differences among individual cells. Due to the "barrel effect," the performance of the worst cell is often affected, significantly limiting the upper capacity and cycle life of the entire large-capacity battery. Therefore, improving the uniformity of individual cells in large-capacity batteries has become a key and challenging area of ​​research in this field.

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, Chinese patent CN220797038U discloses a large-capacity battery, the structure of which is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, such a large-capacity battery includes a housing and a plurality of single cells.

[0005] Define the length direction of the shell as the x direction, the width direction as the y direction, and the height direction as the z direction;

[0006] A plurality of single cells are arranged in the inner cavity of the housing along the x direction;

[0007] An electrolyte sharing chamber is provided on the bottom plate of the outer shell, and the electrolyte sharing chamber is connected to the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell; the electrolyte in the inner cavity of each single cell is connected through the electrolyte sharing chamber, so that the electrolyte of all single cells is in the same system, reducing the difference between the electrolytes of each single cell, and to a certain extent improving the consistency between the single cells, thereby to a certain extent improving the cycle life of the large-capacity battery.

[0008] The top plate of the shell is provided with avoidance holes that allow the polarity terminals of each single cell to extend out; the polarity terminals of each single cell extend out of the avoidance holes and the top plate area of ​​the shell corresponding to the avoidance holes is fixedly sealed with the upper cover plate of the single cell.

[0009] It should be noted that the above-mentioned single cell polarity terminal can be a single cell pole. If, in order to avoid the single cell pole being unable to smoothly extend out of the avoidance hole as a polarity terminal or the height of the single cell pole extending out of the avoidance hole does not meet the set requirements, a pole adapter can also be connected to the single cell pole, and the overall structure of the single cell pole and the pole adapter can be used as the single cell polarity terminal.

[0010] The above-mentioned large-capacity batteries will release heat during use. If the heat exchange is not timely, the battery life will be greatly shortened, energy loss will be aggravated, and even safety hazards such as spontaneous combustion and fire will occur. Therefore, it is particularly important to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the above-mentioned large-capacity batteries.

[0011] In order to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the above-mentioned large-capacity battery, Chinese patent CN118299714A discloses a large-capacity battery, such as Figure 2 As shown, the patent provides a slot at the polarity terminal of the large-capacity battery extending out of the avoidance hole. A heat exchange element 01 is fixed in the slot, effectively achieving heat exchange for the large-capacity battery. The larger the contact area between the polarity terminal and the heat exchange element, the better the heat exchange effect. In other words, the larger the slot surface area, the greater the contact area between the polarity terminal and the heat exchange element, and the better the heat exchange effect. However, if the slot surface area is too large, it will affect the overall structure of the polarity terminal and thus its conductivity. Summary of the Invention

[0012] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a top cover assembly, a single cell and a large-capacity battery, which can improve the heat exchange performance of the entire large-capacity battery by optimizing the heat exchange structure, shortening the heat exchange path, without affecting the conductive performance.

[0013] A first aspect of the present invention provides an upper cover assembly, comprising an upper cover plate and a polarity terminal disposed on the upper cover plate; a channel penetrating the polarity terminal is provided on the polarity terminal, and an inner cavity of the channel serves as a heat exchange medium circulation channel.

[0014] The present invention provides channels on the polarity terminals as circulation channels for the heat exchange medium, i.e., part of the structure of the polarity terminals (the inner wall of the channels) is in direct contact with the heat exchange medium. After constructing a large-capacity battery using single cells having the above-mentioned upper cover assembly, the channels on the polarity terminals are connected using a connecting pipe assembly to form a heat exchange channel.

[0015] In contrast, the solution of Chinese patent CN118299714A shortens the heat exchange path from "heat exchange medium-heat exchange component-polarity terminal" to "heat exchange medium-polarity terminal". The heat exchange medium directly acts on the polarity terminal, which can improve the utilization efficiency of the heat exchange medium and thus improve the heat exchange efficiency of such large-capacity batteries. In addition, due to the use of direct heat exchange, it has a better heat exchange effect. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the channel does not need to be too large, which does not affect the conductive performance of the polarity terminal.

[0016] Furthermore, the inner wall of the channel is provided with a dividing rib plate for increasing the heat exchange area. By providing the dividing rib plate in the channel, the contact area between the heat exchange medium and the polarity terminal can be increased, thereby increasing the heat exchange area and further improving the heat exchange effect.

[0017] Furthermore, there are multiple dividing ribs, which are evenly distributed along the circumference of the channel, so that the temperature uniformity of each part of the polarity terminal is better. Each dividing rib extends axially along the channel without affecting the fluidity of the heat transfer medium in the channel.

[0018] Furthermore, a package opening piece is provided on the upper cover.

[0019] The second aspect of the present invention further provides a single cell, comprising an outer shell and an electrode assembly and an electrolyte located inside the outer shell; wherein the outer shell is enclosed by the upper cover assembly, the barrel, and the lower cover assembly.

[0020] Furthermore, the lower cover assembly is provided with a package opening piece.

[0021] A third aspect of the present invention provides a large-capacity battery, comprising a connecting tube assembly and a plurality of the above-mentioned single cells arranged in the same direction; the connecting tube assembly connects the channels on the polarity terminals of the single cells to form a heat exchange channel; a heat exchange medium is introduced into the heat exchange channel to achieve heat dissipation or heating of the large-capacity battery; by controlling the temperature of the heat exchange medium, it can be ensured that the large-capacity battery always operates at a normal operating temperature.

[0022] Furthermore, the connecting tube assembly includes multiple sections of second sub-connecting tubes; each section is sealed at both ends with channels on the polarity terminals of adjacent cells on the same side, forming two first heat exchange channels at the top of the high-capacity battery. When multiple axially extending dividing ribs are provided within the channels, the end faces of the dividing ribs press against the end faces of the second sub-connecting tubes, limiting the axial position of the second sub-connecting tubes.

[0023] Furthermore, the connecting pipe assembly also includes a first sub-connecting pipe; both ends of the first sub-connecting pipe are respectively insulated and sealedly connected to the channels on the two polarity terminals of the outermost single battery in the large-capacity battery; and the two first heat exchange channels are connected in series based on the first sub-connecting pipe.

[0024] Furthermore, the above-mentioned large-capacity battery also includes a shell; multiple single cells are arranged in the inner cavity of the shell in the same direction; the shell is provided with at least one shared chamber, and the inner cavity of the shared chamber is connected to the inner cavities of all single cells; avoidance holes are opened on the top plate of the shell corresponding to the polarity terminals of each single cell; the polarity terminals of each single cell extend out of the avoidance holes, and the top plate area of ​​the shell corresponding to the avoidance hole is fixedly sealed with the shell of the single cell.

[0025] Furthermore, an insulating sealant layer is provided on the top plate of the shell, the main body of the heat exchange channel is located in the insulating sealant layer, and the liquid inlet and outlet ends of the heat exchange channel extend out of the insulating sealant layer.

[0026] Furthermore, the above-mentioned large-capacity battery also includes an electrical connector assembly, which is connected to the electrical connection parts of each polarity terminal; and the connection parts between the electrical connector assembly and each polarity terminal are all located in the insulating sealant layer.

[0027] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0028] The present invention opens channels on the polarity terminals of the single cells as circulation channels for the heat exchange medium, that is, part of the structure of the polarity terminals (the inner wall of the channel) is in direct contact with the heat exchange medium; after using such single cells to build a large-capacity battery, the single cell channels are connected based on the connecting pipe assembly to form a heat exchange channel.

[0029] In comparison, the solution of Chinese patent CN118299714A, first of all, shortens the heat exchange path, shortening the heat exchange path from "heat exchange medium-heat exchange element-polarity terminal" to "heat exchange medium-polarity terminal". The heat exchange medium directly acts on the polarity terminal, which can improve the utilization efficiency of the heat exchange medium and thus improve the heat exchange efficiency of such large-capacity batteries; in addition, due to direct heat exchange, the channel cross-sectional area does not need to be too large, which does not affect the conductive performance of the polarity terminal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a large-capacity battery in the background technology;

[0031] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of another large-capacity battery in the background technology;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the upper cover assembly in Example 1;

[0033] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upper cover assembly in Example 1;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of another upper cover assembly in Example 1;

[0035] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of a single cell in Example 2;

[0036] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of another single cell in Example 2;

[0037] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of a large-capacity battery in Example 3;

[0038] Figure 9 A partial cross-sectional view of a large-capacity battery in Example 3;

[0039] Figure 10A partial exploded view of a large-capacity battery in Example 3;

[0040] Figure 11 A partial cross-sectional view of another large-capacity battery in Example 3;

[0041] Figure 12 This is a schematic structural diagram of a large-capacity battery in Example 4;

[0042] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of a large-capacity battery in Example 4;

[0043] Figure 14 This is a schematic structural diagram of a large-capacity battery in Example 5;

[0044] Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of a large-capacity battery in Example 5;

[0045] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the explosion of the casing of the large-capacity battery in Example 5;

[0046] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the outer cylinder structure of the large-capacity battery in Example 5;

[0047] The accompanying drawings are denoted as follows:

[0048] 01. Heat exchange components;

[0049] 1. Shell; 11. Shell top plate; 12. Shell bottom plate; 13. Outer cylinder; 131. Outer cylinder side plate; 132. Outer cylinder top plate; 14. End plate; 15. Sealing connector; 2. Single battery; 21. Polarity terminal; 211. Electrical connection component; 22. Channel; 23. Upper cover assembly; 24. Upper cover plate; 25. Splitting rib plate; 26. Cylinder; 27. Lower cover assembly; 28. Opening piece; 3. Connecting pipe assembly; 31. First sub-connecting pipe; 32. Second sub-connecting pipe; 33. Third sub-connecting pipe; 4. Electrolyte shared chamber; 5. Gas shared chamber; 6. Avoidance hole; 7. Insulating sealant layer; 8. First heat exchange channel; 9. Support member; 10. Boss. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the following detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention is given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is obvious that the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary persons in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0051] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art may make similar generalizations without violating the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0052] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "top," "bottom," and so on, indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate and simplify the description of the present invention. They are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and so on, are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0053] Example 1

[0054] This embodiment is a cover assembly 23, and its structure is as follows Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, it includes an upper cover plate 24 and two polarity terminals 21 located on the upper cover plate 24. The polarity of the two polarity terminals 21 is opposite, and they serve as the positive and negative polarity terminals of the single cell 2 respectively. The polarity terminal 21 mentioned here can be the pole of the single cell 2. When the height of the pole of the single cell 2 does not meet the set requirements, a pole adapter can be connected to the pole of the single cell 2, and the overall structure of the pole of the single cell 2 and the pole adapter can be used as the polarity terminal 21 of the single cell 2. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As can be seen from the figure, the polarity terminal 21 of this embodiment is a single cell 2 pole, which is higher than a conventional single cell 2 pole.

[0055] The upper cover plate 24 is used to enclose the lower cover assembly 27 and the cylinder 26 of the single battery 2 to form the outer shell of the single battery 2.

[0056] It should be noted that insulation is maintained between the polarity terminal 21 and the upper cover plate 24 , and a method of maintaining insulation may be pouring insulating glue or providing an insulating rubber sleeve.

[0057] from Figure 3 and Figure 4 As can be seen from the figure, in this embodiment, a channel 22 is provided on each of the two polarity terminals 21, which passes through the polarity terminals 21. The inner cavity of the channel 22 is directly used as a flow cavity for the heat exchange medium, so that the heat exchange medium directly contacts the polarity terminals 21, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0058] In this embodiment, the central axis of the channel 22 is parallel to the plane of the upper cover plate 24. In other embodiments, the extension line of the central axis of the channel 22 may have a certain angle with the upper cover plate 24, and the angle does not need to be equal to 90°.

[0059] The present invention does not limit the shape of the polarity terminal 21, and its cross section can be square or circular. In addition, the present invention does not limit the cross section of the channel 22, and a channel with a relatively regular structure such as a circular or square cross section can generally be used.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the channel 22 should not be too large, as this does not affect the electrical conductivity of the polarity terminal 21. The cross-sectional area of ​​the channel 22 should also not be too small, as this would reduce the heat exchange area and affect the heat exchange effect. While ensuring that the electrical conductivity of the polarity terminal 21 is not affected, the cross-sectional area of ​​the channel 22 can be increased as much as possible to increase the heat exchange area and improve the heat exchange effect.

[0061] like Figure 5 As shown, in order to further optimize the heat exchange effect, this embodiment can also set four dividing ribs 25 in the channel 22, and the four dividing ribs 25 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the channel 22, and each dividing rib 25 extends axially along the channel 22; based on the four dividing ribs 25, the contact area between the heat exchange medium and the polarity terminal 21 can be increased, that is, the heat exchange area is increased, and the heat exchange effect can be effectively improved.

[0062] In some other embodiments, the number and arrangement of the dividing ribs 25 can be adjusted according to the size of the channel, without affecting the circulation of the heat exchange medium.

[0063] Example 2

[0064] This embodiment is a single cell 2, and its structure is as follows Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, it includes an outer shell and an electrode assembly and an electrolyte located inside the outer shell; wherein the outer shell is enclosed by a cylinder 26, a lower cover assembly 27 and the upper cover assembly 23 in Example 1. Figure 6 The single cell shown in Figure 3 The upper cover assembly is shown. Figure 7 The single cell shown in Figure 5 The upper cover assembly is shown.

[0065] The lower cover assembly 27 of this embodiment includes a lower cover plate and an opening piece 28 provided on the lower cover plate. Such an opening piece 28 can be separated from the lower cover plate of the single battery 2 under the action of external force or electrolyte, and form a through hole in the lower cover plate that penetrates the inner cavity of the outer shell; the opening piece 28 adopts an existing structure, for example, it can adopt the opening piece 28 disclosed in Chinese patent CN221327991U, the sealing device disclosed in Chinese patent CN117476997A, and the opening device disclosed in CN117477117A.

[0066] In addition, a similar opening piece 28 may be provided on the upper cover plate 24 , and the opening piece 28 is located between the two polarity terminals 21 .

[0067] Example 3

[0068] This embodiment is a large-capacity battery, the specific structure is as follows Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, Figure 8 and Figure 9 They are respectively a structural schematic diagram and a partial cross-sectional view of the large-capacity battery of this embodiment.

[0069] As can be seen from the figure, the large-capacity battery of this embodiment includes a connecting tube assembly 3 and 12 single cells 2 arranged in the same direction. The single cells 2 are the single cells 2 described in Example 2. In other embodiments, the number of single cells 2 can be adjusted according to actual needs, and the shape of the single cells 2 can also be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0070] For ease of description, in this embodiment, the arrangement direction of the single cells 2 is defined as the x direction, the height direction of the single cells 2 is defined as the z direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the x and z directions is defined as the y direction.

[0071] In this embodiment, the connecting tube assembly 3 is used to connect the channels 22 on the polarity terminals 21 of all the single cells 2 in the large-capacity battery to form a heat exchange channel. A heat exchange medium is introduced into the heat exchange channel to dissipate heat or heat the large-capacity battery. When the temperature of the large-capacity battery is higher than a set threshold, a heat exchange medium with a lower temperature is introduced into the heat exchange channel to cool the large-capacity battery. When the temperature of the large-capacity battery is lower than the set threshold, a heat exchange medium with a higher temperature is introduced into the heat exchange channel to heat the large-capacity battery. By controlling the temperature of the heat exchange medium, the large-capacity battery can be ensured to always operate at a normal operating temperature.

[0072] Combine Figure 8 、 Figure 9 and Figure 10As can be seen, the connecting pipe assembly 3 of this embodiment includes a first sub-connecting pipe 31 and multiple sections of second sub-connecting pipes 32; the two ends of each section of the second sub-connecting pipe 32 are respectively connected to the polarity terminals 21 and channels 22 of adjacent single batteries 2 located on the same side, forming two first heat exchange channels 8 at the top of the large-capacity battery. The second sub-connecting pipe 32 is used to connect the channels 22 of the two polarity terminals 21 of one of the outermost single batteries 2, thus realizing the series connection of the two first heat exchange channels 8. A U-shaped heat exchange channel is formed at the top of the large-capacity battery, and the two ends of the U-shaped heat exchange channel serve as the liquid inlet and outlet, respectively, for connecting to the outlet and inlet of the heat exchange medium source.

[0073] like Figure 11 As shown, the Figure 7 In the large-capacity battery constructed with the single cells shown, the end face of the second sub-connecting tube 32 abuts against the end face of the dividing rib 25 located in the channel 22. In addition to increasing the contact area between the heat exchange medium and the polarity terminal 21, the dividing rib 25 can also limit the second sub-connecting tube 32 in the axial direction (x direction), further improving the stability of the second sub-connecting tube 32 in the channel 22.

[0074] The free ends of the channels 22 of the two polarity terminals 21 of the other outermost single battery cell 2 (the free ends mentioned here are the ends of the channels 22 that are not connected to the second sub-connecting pipe 32) can directly serve as the two ports of the U-shaped heat exchange channel (i.e., as the liquid inlet and liquid outlet), and are respectively connected to the outlet and inlet of the heat exchange medium source through external pipes.

[0075] In order to facilitate connection with an external pipeline, the present embodiment can also connect a third sub-connecting pipe 33 to the free end of the channel 22 of the polarity terminal 21 serving as the liquid inlet and liquid outlet, and connect to the external pipeline through the third sub-connecting pipe 33, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 and Figure 10 shown.

[0076] In some other embodiments, the two first heat exchange channels 8 can be connected in parallel, that is, the ports of the two first heat exchange channels 8 on one side are used to connect to the outlet of the heat exchange medium source, serving as the liquid inlet end, and the ports of the two first heat exchange channels 8 on the other side are connected to the inlet of the heat exchange medium source, serving as the liquid outlet end.

[0077] It should be noted that:

[0078] 1. Because the polarity terminals 21 of the present invention are in direct contact with the heat exchange medium, the ideal heat exchange medium should possess excellent insulation, high specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity, good flame retardancy, low cost, suitable operating temperature, long life, and be non-corrosive. In the present invention, the heat exchange medium is a common insulating heat exchange medium in the prior art, including, but not limited to, insulating oil and fluorinated liquid.

[0079] 2. Since the connecting tube assembly 3 is in direct contact with the polarity terminal 21, if the polarity terminals 21 of the same single battery 2 are electrically connected through the connecting tube assembly 3, a short circuit will occur. Figure 8 In the structure shown (two first heat exchange channels 8 are connected in series), the first sub-connecting pipe 31 and the two polarity terminals 21 to which it is connected must be insulated;

[0080] Insulation can usually be achieved in the following ways:

[0081] 2.1. Select the first sub-connecting pipe 31 made of insulating material;

[0082] 2.2. If the first sub-connecting tube 31 is made of a non-insulating material, the wall of the first sub-connecting tube 31 may be insulated, for example, by spraying insulating paint or wrapping it with an insulating film. The inner wall where the channel 22 connects to the first sub-connecting tube 31 may also be insulated, for example, by spraying insulating paint. An insulating sleeve may also be provided between the first sub-connecting tube 31 and the channel 22. Of course, for safety reasons, the above methods may be combined to adopt multiple insulation methods to achieve insulation between the first sub-connecting tube of the channel 22 and the polarity terminal 21.

[0083] In this embodiment, the first sub-connecting tube 31 is made of an insulating material to achieve insulation between the first sub-connecting tube 31 and the polarity terminal 21 .

[0084] In addition, since the heat exchange medium flows in the heat exchange channel, the sealing of the entire heat exchange channel is particularly important. In order to ensure the sealing of the heat exchange channel, Figure 9 It can be seen that the first sub-connecting pipe 31, the second sub-connecting pipe 32 and the third sub-connecting pipe 33 ( Figure 9 This is a partial cross-sectional view, not showing the third sub-connecting pipe 33) being sealed and connected to the corresponding port of the channel 22 in an interference fit manner.

[0085] In other embodiments, a sealing ring may be added between the two to further improve the sealing performance of the connection portion.

[0086] In some other embodiments, threaded sealing connection may be used to achieve sealed connection between the first sub-connecting pipe 31 , the second sub-connecting pipe 32 and the third sub-connecting pipe 33 and the ports of the corresponding channel 22 .

[0087] During assembly, the ends of the second sub-connecting tube 32 are inserted into the two ends of the channels 22 of the polarity terminals 21 of adjacent cells 2. When the second sub-connecting tube 32 is constructed from a rigid material, the channels 22 on the polarity terminals 21 of adjacent cells 2 must be coaxial for effective connection. However, in some cases, due to manufacturing errors, it is difficult to ensure the coaxiality of the channels 22 on the polarity terminals 21 of adjacent cells 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, the non-connecting portion of the second sub-connecting tube 32 (herein, the non-connecting portion refers to the portion of the second sub-connecting tube 32 that is not connected to the ends of the channels 22, which can also be understood as the middle section of the second sub-connecting tube 32) preferably has a certain degree of flexibility. This deformation of the second sub-connecting tube 32 overcomes these manufacturing errors and facilitates the sealed connection between the second sub-connecting tube 32 and the corresponding ends of the channels 22.

[0088] Furthermore, when the lower cover assembly of each single cell 2 is provided with an opening member 28, this embodiment can also provide an electrolyte sharing chamber 4 at the bottom of the large-capacity battery to connect the electrolyte areas within all the single cells 2, thereby achieving electrolyte sharing. The electrolyte sharing chamber 4 can be a hollow member disposed at the bottom of the large-capacity battery, with a through hole defined in the hollow member. Electrolyte sharing is achieved through this through hole and the through hole formed after the opening member 28 is separated from the lower cover.

[0089] When the upper cover plate 24 assembly of each single cell 2 is provided with an opening piece 28, a gas sharing chamber 5 can also be provided at the top of the large-capacity battery to connect the gas areas of the inner cavities of all single cells 2 to achieve a gas balance effect. The gas sharing chamber 5 can also cover the explosion vent or explosion-proof vent on the top of each single cell 2 in the large-capacity battery, which is provided with an explosion vent membrane. When the explosion vent membrane at the gas vent of any single cell 2 is breached by the internal cavity smoke, the internal cavity of the single cell 2 and the gas sharing chamber 5 are connected, and the internal smoke is discharged through the gas sharing chamber 5, thereby improving the safety of the large-capacity battery.

[0090] For the specific structures of the electrolyte shared chamber 4 and the gas shared chamber 5 , reference may be made to the first hollow member and the second hollow member described in Chinese patent CN117477186A and the electrolyte shared channel 22 described in CN115275453A.

[0091] Example 4

[0092] This embodiment is another large-capacity battery. Its structure is different from that of the embodiment 3. The large-capacity battery in this embodiment also has a shell 1. The specific structure is as follows: Figure 12 and Figure 13 shown.

[0093] from Figure 12 and Figure 13As can be seen, this embodiment adds a housing 1 to the large-capacity battery of Example 3, arranges the individual cells 2 within the inner cavity of the housing 1, and defines a relief hole 6 on the top plate 11 of the housing, through which the polarity terminals 21 of the individual cells 2 extend. Each polarity terminal 21 of the individual cells 2 extends through the corresponding relief hole 6, and a sealing connector 15 is added between the relief hole 6 and the polarity terminal 21 to achieve a fixed seal between the area of ​​the housing top plate 11 corresponding to the relief hole 6 and the housing of the individual cells 2.

[0094] The sealing connector 15 includes a hollow member; the bottom of the hollow member is used to seal and connect with the first area of ​​the single cell 2, and the top of the hollow member is sealed and connected with the second area of ​​the outer shell top plate 11; wherein the first area is the area around any polarity terminal 21 on the upper cover plate 24 of the single cell 2 of any single cell 2; wherein the area around the polarity terminal 21 is the area around the insulating sealing gasket on the polarity terminal 21. The insulating sealing gasket is a part on the single cell 2 used to insulate between the polarity terminal 21 and the upper cover plate 24 of the single cell 2. The second area is the area of ​​the outer shell top plate 11 corresponding to any avoidance hole 6 on the outer shell top plate 11. The area of ​​the outer shell top plate 11 corresponding to the avoidance hole 6 is the area around the outer surface of the outer shell top plate 11 corresponding to any avoidance hole 6; or the area of ​​the outer shell top plate 11 corresponding to the avoidance hole 6 is the hole wall of the avoidance hole 6.

[0095] A support member 9 extending along the x-direction is provided between the housing bottom plate 12 and each unit cell 2 , forming a liquid channel between each unit cell and the housing bottom plate, serving as an electrolyte sharing chamber 4 .

[0096] Figure 12 and Figure 13 In the figure, a boss 10 extending along the x-direction is provided on the top plate 11 of the shell, and a gas channel is opened on the boss 10. The gas channel is connected to the inner cavity of the shell 1 and serves as a gas sharing chamber 5, which is connected to the gas area of ​​the inner cavity of each single battery 2; when the inner cavity of the single battery 2 produces gas, the inner cavity of the gas channel can also serve as a gas receiving chamber to alleviate the problem of swelling of the shell 1 caused by gas production.

[0097] In some other embodiments, only the electrolyte sharing chamber 4 or the gas sharing chamber 5 may be provided.

[0098] Example 5

[0099] This embodiment is another large-capacity battery. Different from the embodiment 4, this embodiment is based on the embodiment 4 and lays an insulating sealant layer 7 on the top of the large-capacity battery of the embodiment 4.

[0100] The specific structure is as Figure 14 and Figure 15As shown, the insulating sealant layer 7 covers the top of the large-capacity battery, and the main part of the heat exchange channel (the main part of the heat exchange channel can be understood as including each first sub-connecting tube and the channel on each polarity terminal) is located in the insulating sealant layer. The liquid inlet and outlet ends of the heat exchange channel are both exposed to the insulating sealant layer 7, which is convenient for connection with the heat exchange medium source. At the same time, the insulating sealant layer 7 also fills the space between the polarity terminal 21 and the sealing connector 15.

[0101] In this embodiment, the electrical connection parts of all polarity terminals 21 extend out of the insulating sealant layer 7 to facilitate connection with the electrical connector assembly (where the electrical connector assembly is an electrical connector for connecting the individual cells 2 in the large-capacity battery in parallel and / or connecting adjacent large-capacity batteries in series).

[0102] Laying the insulating sealant layer 7 on top of the large-capacity battery has at least the following advantages:

[0103] 1. Further improve the sealing performance of the heat exchange channel;

[0104] Specifically, the insulating sealant constituting the insulating sealant layer 7 penetrates into the tiny gap between the two ends of the channel 22 and the connecting pipe assembly 3 (including the first sub-connecting pipe, the second sub-connecting pipe, and the third sub-connecting pipe) (the insulating sealant cannot enter the inner cavity of the heat exchange channel through the tiny gap), further sealing the gap in the radial direction;

[0105] 2. Secondary sealing of avoidance hole 6;

[0106] Even if there is a small gap between the sealing connector 15 and the housing of the single battery 2 and the housing top plate 11 (the gap does not allow the insulating sealant to pass through), the insulating sealant can be filled in the space between the polarity terminal 21 and the sealing connector 15 to seal such a small gap, thereby further improving the sealing performance of the avoidance hole 6.

[0107] 3. Anti-condensation;

[0108] During long-term use, condensation may form on the surface of the second sub-connecting tube 32 due to the temperature difference between the inside and outside. When the condensation accumulates to a certain amount, it may cause a short circuit. The second sub-connecting tube 32 is wrapped with an insulating sealant layer 7. When condensation forms on the surface of the second sub-connecting tube 32, the insulating sealant layer 7 protects it from short circuiting.

[0109] In some other embodiments, after the electrical connection assembly is connected to the polarity terminal 21, an insulating sealant layer 7 can be laid on the top of the large-capacity battery, that is, the insulating sealant layer 7 completely covers the polarity terminal 21 of the single battery 2 and the connection part between the electrical connection assembly and the polarity terminal 21; in the entire large-capacity battery, after the outer shell 1 is insulated, only the free end of the electrical connection assembly (used to realize the series connection of large-capacity batteries) is exposed and charged, and the rest of the parts are insulated, so that such large-capacity batteries have higher safety performance.

[0110] In order to prevent the problem of glue overflow during the glue injection process, the local structure of the shell 1 is used as a glue baffle. Figure 16 and Figure 17 , the structure of the housing 1 of this embodiment is described in detail.

[0111] like Figure 16 As shown in the figure, it is a schematic diagram of the explosion structure of the shell 1 of this embodiment, in which the shell 1 is disassembled into an outer cylinder 13 with two open ends and an end plate 14 covering the open ends of the outer cylinder 13. Figure 17 As shown, the outer cylinder 13 has open ends at both ends, i.e., the open ends are parallel to the yz plane. In the z-direction, the height of the outer cylinder side panels 131 is higher than that of the outer cylinder top panel 132. The portion of the outer cylinder side panels 131 that is higher than the outer cylinder top panel 132 serves as a rubber baffle. The outer cylinder 13 can be integrally formed using an aluminum extrusion process, which is easy to process and has better sealing performance than a separate structure.

Claims

1. A top cover assembly, characterized in that: It includes an upper cover plate and a polarity terminal arranged on the upper cover plate; a channel penetrating the polarity terminal is provided on the polarity terminal, and the inner cavity of the channel serves as a heat exchange medium circulation channel.

2. The upper cover assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The inner wall of the channel is provided with a dividing rib plate for increasing the heat exchange area.

3. The upper cover assembly according to claim 2, wherein: There are multiple dividing ribs, which are evenly distributed along the circumference of the channel, and each dividing rib extends axially along the channel.

4. The upper cover assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The upper cover is also provided with a package opening piece.

5. A single battery, characterized in that: It comprises an outer shell and an electrode assembly and an electrolyte located inside the outer shell; wherein the outer shell is enclosed by an upper cover assembly, a cylinder and a lower cover assembly; the upper cover assembly is the upper cover assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The single cell according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lower cover assembly is provided with an opening piece.

7. A large-capacity battery, characterized in that: A connecting tube assembly and a plurality of single cells according to claim 5 or 6 arranged in the same direction; The connecting pipe assembly connects the channels on the polarity terminals of the single cells to form a heat exchange channel.

8. The large-capacity battery according to claim 7, characterized in that: The connecting pipe assembly includes multiple sections of second sub-connecting pipes; Both ends of each section of the second sub-connecting pipe are respectively sealed and connected to the channels on the polarity terminals of the adjacent single cells on the same side, forming two first heat exchange channels on the top of the large-capacity battery.

9. The large-capacity battery according to claim 8, characterized in that: The connecting pipe assembly further includes a first sub-connecting pipe; Both ends of the first sub-connecting tube are respectively insulated and sealedly connected to channels on two polarity terminals of the outermost single battery in the large-capacity battery.

10. The large-capacity battery according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The invention also includes a shell; a plurality of single cells are arranged in the same direction in the inner cavity of the shell; The housing is provided with at least one shared chamber, and the inner cavity of the shared chamber is connected to the inner cavities of all the single batteries; The top plate of the shell is provided with avoidance holes corresponding to the polarity terminals of each single battery; the polarity terminals of each single battery extend out of the avoidance holes, and the top plate area of ​​the shell corresponding to the avoidance holes is fixedly sealed with the single battery shell.

11. The large-capacity battery according to claim 10, characterized in that: An insulating sealant layer is provided on the top plate of the shell, the main body of the heat exchange channel is located in the insulating sealant layer, and the liquid inlet and outlet ends of the heat exchange channel extend out of the insulating sealant layer.

12. The large-capacity battery according to claim 11, characterized in that: It also includes an electrical connector assembly, which is connected to the electrical connecting parts of each polarity terminal; and the connecting parts of the electrical connector assembly and each polarity terminal are all located in the insulating sealant layer.

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