Battery module, vehicle and structure determination method of battery module

Abstract

The invention provides a battery module, a vehicle and a structure determination method of the battery module. The battery module comprises a plurality of battery cells, a plurality of gaps and a plurality of filling bodies, the plurality of battery cells are sequentially arranged along a first direction; the plurality of gaps are respectively arranged between two adjacent battery cells; the plurality of filling bodies are respectively arranged in the gaps; the battery module has a constant total gap size, the gap width of each gap is distributed according to the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of each gap in the total expansion characteristic data of the battery module, and the larger the proportion of the expansion characteristic data is, the larger the gap width of the gap is. Therefore, through the differentiated design of the gap width of each gap in the battery module, the performance difference among the battery cells in the battery module can be effectively reduced, and the service life of the battery module is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of power battery technology, and in particular to a method for determining the structure of a battery module, a vehicle, and a battery module. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of electric vehicles and energy storage systems, batteries, as the core component for energy storage and supply, are receiving increasing attention for their performance stability and safety.

[0003] Currently, the gap width between cells in existing battery modules is uniform. However, in actual operation, the cells within the battery module deform during charging and discharging, resulting in expansion forces and causing the cells to expand. Due to the different positions of the cells within the battery module, there is uneven expansion. Cells located in the middle positions experience greater stiffness, resulting in larger deformation and expansion forces, causing accelerated performance degradation. A uniform gap width cannot effectively mitigate the performance degradation problem caused by excessive expansion deformation of cells in the middle positions. Over long-term operation, the performance decline of cells in the middle positions will become increasingly severe. Furthermore, since the performance of the entire battery module is determined by the worst-performing cell, this leads to a shorter lifespan for the entire battery module. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide at least one method for determining the structure of a battery module, a vehicle, and a battery module. By differentiating the gap width of each gap in the battery module, the performance differences between individual cells in the battery module can be effectively reduced, thereby improving the service life of the battery module.

[0005] This application mainly includes the following aspects: In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a battery module having a first direction. The battery module includes multiple battery cells, multiple gaps, and multiple fillers. The multiple battery cells are arranged sequentially along the first direction. The multiple gaps are respectively disposed between two adjacent battery cells. The multiple fillers are respectively disposed within each of the gaps. The battery module has a constant total gap size. The gap width of each gap is allocated according to the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of each gap in the total expansion characteristic data of the battery module. The gap with a larger proportion of expansion characteristic data has a larger gap width.

[0006] Furthermore, the expansion characteristic data of any of the gaps includes the expansion force level and deformation level of the cells on both sides of the gap; wherein, the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of the gap is positively correlated with the increase of the expansion force level or the deformation level.

[0007] Furthermore, when the proportion of expansion characteristic data of the gap located in the middle position of the battery module is much higher than the proportion of expansion characteristic data of any other gap, only the gap width of the gap in the middle position is increased, while the gap width of the other gaps remains unchanged.

[0008] Furthermore, as the proportion of expansion characteristic data of each gap decreases sequentially from the middle position of the battery module towards both ends, the gap width of each gap decreases in a step-like manner from the middle position towards both ends.

[0009] Furthermore, the filler includes a structural support layer and a buffer layer; wherein, the thickness of the structural support layer is fixed and is determined by the preset minimum cell gap of the battery module and the target structural strength; the thickness of the buffer layer is equal to the difference between the gap width of the gap corresponding to the filler and the thickness of the structural support layer.

[0010] Furthermore, when the battery module is a regular battery module, the structural support layer is a U-shaped frame, and the buffer layer is foam.

[0011] Furthermore, when the battery module is a high-energy-density battery module or a fast-charging battery module, the structural support layer is a metal heat sink, and the buffer layer is a thermally conductive adhesive.

[0012] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a vehicle, which includes the battery module described above.

[0013] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide a method for determining the structure of a battery module, applied to the battery module described above, the method comprising: Based on the cell arrangement pattern of each cell in the battery module and the expansion characteristic data of each gap in the cell arrangement pattern, the gap width of each gap is determined. Based on the battery module type of the battery module, the filling material type of the plurality of fillers is determined; The composition structure of the battery module is determined based on the gap width of each gap and the filling material type of the plurality of fillers.

[0014] Further, determining the gap width of each gap based on the cell arrangement pattern of each cell in the battery module and the expansion characteristic data of each gap in the cell arrangement pattern includes: An aged battery module with the same cell arrangement pattern as the battery module is subjected to cell expansion force test and cell deformation test to obtain expansion characteristic data of each gap; Based on the expansion characteristic data of each gap, determine the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of each gap in the total expansion characteristic data of all gaps; While keeping the total gap size of the battery module constant, the gap width is allocated to each gap according to the proportion of expansion characteristic data of each gap; wherein the gap with a larger proportion of expansion characteristic data is allocated a larger gap width.

[0015] This application provides a method for determining the structure of a battery module, a vehicle, and a battery module. The battery module includes multiple battery cells, multiple gaps, and multiple fillers. The multiple battery cells are arranged sequentially along a first direction. Multiple gaps are respectively disposed between two adjacent battery cells. Multiple fillers are respectively disposed within each gap. The battery module has a constant total gap size, and the gap width of each gap is allocated according to the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of each gap in the total expansion characteristic data of the battery module. The gap with a larger proportion of expansion characteristic data has a larger gap width. In this way, by differentiating the gap width of each gap in the battery module, the performance differences between the individual battery cells in the battery module can be effectively reduced, and the service life of the battery module can be improved.

[0016] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This illustration shows one of the structural schematic diagrams of a battery module provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a second schematic diagram of the structure of a battery module provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a method for determining the structure of a battery module according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 4 This illustration shows one of the functional block diagrams of a battery module structure determination device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This illustration shows a second functional block diagram of a battery module structure determination device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely represents selected embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0020] To facilitate understanding of this application, the technical solutions provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0021] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of a battery module provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the battery module 10 provided in this application embodiment includes a plurality of battery cells 11, a plurality of gaps 12 and a plurality of fillers 13; the plurality of battery cells 11 are arranged sequentially along a first direction; the plurality of gaps 12 are respectively disposed between two adjacent battery cells 11; the plurality of fillers 13 are respectively disposed in each gap 12.

[0022] The battery module 10 has a constant total gap size. The gap width of each gap 12 is allocated according to the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of each gap 12 in the total expansion characteristic data of the battery module 10. The gap 12 with a larger proportion of expansion characteristic data has a larger gap width.

[0023] In this embodiment, a battery module structure consisting of a group of ten cells connected in parallel (1P10S) is used as an example. The battery module 10 has ten cells 11 arranged sequentially along a first direction. Each cell 11 constitutes a core unit for energy storage and release. Nine gaps 12 are formed between adjacent cells 11, and each gap 12 is filled with a filler 13 to accommodate the expansion deformation during the charging and discharging process. The total gap size of the battery module 10 remains constant, and the gap width of each gap 12 is determined based on the proportion of its corresponding expansion characteristic data in the total expansion characteristic data of the battery module 10. The gap 12 with a larger proportion of expansion characteristic data is allocated a larger gap width. In this way, while maintaining the original cell arrangement, a more suitable gap space is reserved on both sides of the cell with larger deformation and filled with materials of different thicknesses. This gap differentiation design can not only provide sufficient buffer space to slow down the performance degradation of the middle cell due to excessive expansion deformation, but also increase the heat dissipation area of ​​the cell with large deformation. It can also slow down the malignant aging caused by the rapid increase in the cell heat generation due to the rapid increase in the DC internal resistance (DCR) of the cell with faster expansion force. Thus, the expansion difference of the cells 11 at each position can be directly compensated by the differentiated gap width.

[0024] Furthermore, the expansion characteristic data of any gap 12 includes the expansion force level and deformation level of the cells 11 on both sides of the gap 12; wherein, the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of the gap 12 is positively correlated with the increase of the expansion force level or deformation level.

[0025] In this embodiment, based on the analysis results of the deformation and expansion force of each cell within the battery module, the gaps between the cells on both sides of the middle cell are designed differently. The width of the gap in areas with larger deformation is appropriately increased to accommodate more expansion support material. The increase in gap width should be calculated according to the deformation and expansion force of the cells at different locations. Specifically, the expansion characteristic data of any gap 12 includes the expansion force level and deformation level of the cells 11 on both sides of the gap 12; wherein, the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of the gap 12 is positively correlated with the increase of the expansion force level or deformation level.

[0026] For example, taking a 1P10S battery module as an example, by conducting expansion force and deformation tests on an aged 1P10S battery module of the same specification, the measured results of 10 cells 11 are divided into five levels: deformation level I to V (V being the maximum), and expansion force level A to E (E being the maximum). Cell 11, located in the center of the battery module, is the most constrained by both sides, resulting in an expansion force level of E and a deformation level of V, with the highest proportion of expansion characteristic data for the corresponding gap 12. From this point towards both ends, the expansion force and deformation levels of cell 11 decrease sequentially to D / Ⅳ, C / Ⅲ, and so on, until the level combination is A / Ⅰ. Therefore, the proportion of expansion characteristic data for the corresponding gap 12 increases monotonically with the increase of the expansion force or deformation level of the cells 11 on both sides, achieving a precise match where the more severe the expansion, the larger the gap width.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment of this application, when the expansion characteristic data ratio of the gap 12 located in the middle position of the battery module 10 is much higher than the expansion characteristic data ratio of any other gap 12, only the gap width of the gap 12 in the middle position is increased, while the gap widths of the other gaps 12 remain unchanged. "Much higher than" means that the expansion characteristic data is at least 60% higher than that of other gap positions.

[0028] In this embodiment, if the expansion force level and deformation level of the middle cell are the largest, while the expansion force level and deformation level of the other cells are significantly reduced, then the gap width of the gap corresponding to the middle cell is increased separately, while the gap width of the gap corresponding to the other cells remains unchanged.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of this application, when the proportion of expansion characteristic data of each gap 12 decreases sequentially from the middle position of the battery module 10 towards both ends, the gap width of each gap 12 decreases in a step-like manner from the middle position towards both ends.

[0030] In this embodiment, if the expansion force level and deformation level of the cell in the middle position are the largest, and the expansion force level and deformation level of the cell from the middle to the edge position decrease sequentially, then all gaps in the battery module are designed such that the gap width of the gap in the middle position is the largest, and the gap width of the gap from the middle to the edge position decreases in a step-like manner.

[0031] Further, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a second schematic diagram of the structure of a battery module provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, the filler 13 includes a structural support layer 131 and a buffer layer 132.

[0033] The thickness of the structural support layer 131 is fixed and is determined by the preset minimum cell gap of the battery module 10 and the target structural strength; the thickness of the buffer layer 132 is equal to the difference between the gap width of the gap 12 corresponding to the filler 13 and the thickness of the structural support layer 131.

[0034] In this embodiment, the gap width of each gap 12 is quantified based on the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of each gap 12 in the total expansion characteristic data of the battery module 10.

[0035] Specifically, taking the 1P10S battery module as an example, precise tests were conducted on the cell expansion force and deformation of the aged battery module. The results revealed that the cell expansion in the system exhibited a distribution pattern of being concentrated in the middle and decreasing towards both sides. The expansion force level and deformation level of each cell in the aged battery system were measured.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, the expansion force and deformation levels of cells 5 and 6 in the middle of the battery module are the highest, while those of cells 4 and 7, 3 and 8, 2 and 9, and 1 and 10 decrease sequentially. Specifically, cells 5 and 6 have a deformation level of V and an expansion force level of E; cells 4 and 7 have a deformation level of IV and an expansion force level of D; cells 3 and 8 have a deformation level of III and an expansion force level of C; cells 2 and 9 have a deformation level of II and an expansion force level of B; and cells 1 and 10 have a deformation level of I and an expansion force level of A. The deformation level is V > IV > III > II > I; the expansion force level is E > D > C > B > A. Based on the design logic that the gaps need to dynamically match the cell expansion characteristics, this embodiment of the application defines the functions and differences of the nine gaps. Specifically, the gap between cells 5 and 6 matches the core adjustment zone L5 for maximum expansion; the gap between cells 4 and 5 and between cells 6 and 7 matches the secondary core expansion adaptation zone L4; the gap between cells 3 and 4 and between cells 7 and 8 matches the intermediate transition expansion adaptation zone L3; the gap between cells 2 and 3 and between cells 8 and 9 matches the near-edge expansion adaptation zone L2; and the gap between cells 1 and 2 and between cells 9 and 10 matches the edge low expansion adaptation zone L1. With the total gap size of the battery module maintained at a constant 18mm to ensure structural compatibility, and taking the total expansion force of the battery module as 22000N, with L1-L5 corresponding to expansion forces of 1250N, 1750N, 2500N, 3500N, and 4000N respectively, the gap width of each gap can be expressed as: L1 = 1250 / 22000 * 18 = 1.02 mm; L2 = 1750 / 22000 * 18 = 1.43 mm; L3 = 2500 / 22000 * 18 = 2.05 mm; L4 = 3500 / 22000 * 18 = 2.86 mm; L5 = 4000 / 22000 * 18 = 3.27 mm.

[0037] Thus, the gap widths (L1-L5) obtained through differentiated gap design are the optimal theoretical thicknesses based on the cell expansion characteristics and mechanical distribution verification. However, in actual production, customizing fillers 13 with corresponding widths for different gaps would lead to a sharp increase in mold opening complexity and high costs for small-batch processing. Therefore, this application proposes a composite gap filling scheme using a structural support layer 131 and a buffer layer 132. Figure 2 As shown, firstly, a uniform base thickness (e.g., 1 mm) is established for the fixed structural support layer 131. This thickness achieves a balance between the preset minimum cell gap and the target structural strength. Next, for each gap width L1-L5, the difference between the theoretically designed gap width and the base thickness of the support layer 131 is calculated. The difference is then filled into the gap between the cell and the support layer 131 using an easily processed buffer layer 132. This solution utilizes the support layer 131 to provide structural support, acting as a skeleton, while the buffer layer 132 meets the functional requirements of the differentiated gaps. This preserves the adaptability of the differentiated gaps to cell expansion and deformation while significantly reducing the processing difficulty and cost of customizing the corresponding width of the filler 13. In this embodiment, the thicknesses of the buffer layer 132 corresponding to the L1-L5 gap widths are 0.02 mm, 0.43 mm, 1.05 mm, 1.86 mm, and 2.27 mm, respectively.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment of this application, when the battery module 10 is a regular battery module, the structural support layer 131 is a U-shaped frame and the buffer layer 132 is foam.

[0039] In this embodiment, when the battery module 10 is a standard battery module, the structural support layer 131 is a U-shaped frame, and the buffer layer 132 is foam. In this way, the U-shaped frame provides structural support, while the flexible filling of the foam meets the functional requirements of the differentiated gaps. This preserves the adaptability of the differentiated gaps to the expansion and deformation of the battery cells, and significantly reduces the processing difficulty and cost of customizing multi-thickness U-shaped frames.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment of this application, when the battery module 10 is a high-energy-density battery module or a fast-charging battery module, the structural support layer 131 is a metal heat sink and the buffer layer 132 is a thermally conductive adhesive.

[0041] In this embodiment, when the battery module 10 is a high-energy-density battery module or a fast-charging battery module, the structural support layer 131 is a metal heat sink, and the buffer layer 132 is a thermally conductive adhesive. Specifically, current power battery technology is rapidly developing towards high energy density and high charging rate. Under fast charging (or even supercharging) conditions, the electrochemical reaction rate inside the cell increases exponentially, and the heat generation rate increases significantly. If the heat cannot be dissipated in time, it is easy to trigger cell deformation, leading to increased expansion force. Increased expansion force leads to increased internal resistance, increased internal resistance leads to aggravated heat generation, aggravated heat generation leads to accelerated aging, and accelerated aging leads to a vicious cycle of deformation deterioration, seriously restricting the cycle life and safety boundary of the battery. To address this industry pain point, this embodiment further upgrades the gap filling scheme based on differentiated gap design by replacing the combination of the U-shaped frame and foam with a combination of metal heat sink and adhesive. The reasons are as follows: Metal heat sinks (such as aluminum and copper alloys) have a much higher thermal conductivity than foam, which can efficiently dissipate the heat generated by the large deformation of the battery cells in the middle, breaking the vicious cycle mentioned above from the perspective of thermal management and providing thermal safety for high-energy-density battery cells in fast charging / supercharging scenarios; Secondly, the adhesive is responsible for filling the difference between the thickness of the metal heat sink and the gap width. Its thickness calculation logic is the same as that of the foam thickness mentioned above, that is, it is derived based on the expansion characteristics of each gap, and the corresponding adhesive thicknesses are 0.02mm, 0.43mm, 1.05mm, 1.86mm, and 2.27mm; In addition, from the perspective of structural support, the metal heat sink can also serve as a structural support component, ensuring the structural stability of the battery system throughout the entire charge and discharge cycle. Through an integrated design that combines structural support, enhanced heat dissipation, and flexible adaptation, it not only meets the extreme heat dissipation requirements of high-energy-density cells under fast charging and supercharging conditions, but also maintains the precise adaptability of differentiated gaps to cell expansion deformation, providing a feasible and forward-looking technical path for the coordinated thermal, mechanical, and structural design of next-generation fast-charging power batteries.

[0042] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, the battery module 10 also includes an end plate 14. The end plate 14 is used to provide structural constraints and assembly references for the battery module, including total gap dimension constraints and total expansion force constraints of the battery module.

[0043] This application provides a battery module 10, including multiple battery cells 11, multiple gaps 12, and multiple fillers 13. The multiple battery cells 11 are arranged sequentially along a first direction; the multiple gaps 12 are respectively disposed between two adjacent battery cells 11; the multiple fillers 13 are respectively disposed within each gap 12; the battery module 10 has a constant total gap size, and the gap width of each gap 12 is allocated according to the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of each gap 12 in the total expansion characteristic data of the battery module 10, with the gap 12 having a larger proportion of expansion characteristic data having a larger gap width. In this way, by differentiating the gap width of each gap in the battery module, the performance differences between the individual battery cells in the battery module can be effectively reduced, thereby improving the service life of the battery module.

[0044] Based on the same concept, this application also provides a vehicle that includes the battery module provided in the above embodiments.

[0045] Based on the same concept, this application also provides a method for determining the structure of a battery module, applicable to the battery module provided in the above embodiments. Please refer to... Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining the structure of a battery module provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, the method for determining the structure of the battery module includes: S301, based on the cell arrangement pattern of each cell 11 of the battery module 10 and the expansion characteristic data of each gap 12 in the cell arrangement pattern, determine the gap width of each gap 12.

[0046] S302, based on the battery module type of the battery module 10, determine the filling material type of the plurality of fillers 13.

[0047] S303, based on the gap width of each gap 12 and the filling material type of the plurality of fillers 13, determine the composition structure of the battery module 10.

[0048] Further, determining the gap width of each gap 12 based on the cell arrangement pattern of each cell 11 of the battery module 10 and the expansion characteristic data of each gap 12 in the cell arrangement pattern includes: Step a1: Perform cell expansion force test and cell deformation test on the aged battery module with the same cell arrangement pattern as the battery module 10 to obtain the expansion characteristic data of each gap 12.

[0049] Step a2: Based on the expansion characteristic data of each gap 12, determine the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of each gap 12 in the total expansion characteristic data of all gaps 12.

[0050] Step a3: While keeping the total gap size of the battery module 10 constant, the gap width of each gap 12 is allocated according to the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of each gap 12; wherein the gap 12 with a larger proportion of expansion characteristic data is allocated a larger gap width.

[0051] Furthermore, the method also includes: Step b1: Based on the composition structure of the battery module 10, perform performance testing on the battery module 10; the performance testing includes at least one of charge-discharge cycle testing, temperature cycle testing, vibration and shock testing, and safety testing.

[0052] Step b2: Adjust the composition structure of the battery module 10 based on the test results of the performance test.

[0053] In this embodiment of the application, the battery module with optimized gap design is subjected to rigorous performance testing and verification. The performance testing includes at least one of charge-discharge cycle testing, temperature cycle testing, vibration and shock testing, and safety testing to ensure that the battery module can exhibit good performance and safety under various working conditions.

[0054] This application provides a method for determining the structure of a battery module, comprising: determining the composition structure of a battery module 10 based on the gap width of each gap 12 and the filling material type of each filler 13; determining the filling material type of each filler 13 based on the battery module type of the battery module 10; and determining the composition structure of the battery module 10 based on the gap width of each gap 12 and the filling material type of each filler 13. In this way, by differentiating the gap width of each gap in the battery module, the performance differences between individual cells in the battery module can be effectively reduced, thereby improving the service life of the battery module.

[0055] Based on the same application concept, this application also provides a battery module structure determination device corresponding to the battery module structure determination method provided in the above embodiments. Since the principle of the device in this application to solve the problem is similar to the battery module structure determination method in the above embodiments of this application, the implementation of the device can refer to the implementation of the method, and the repeated parts will not be described again.

[0056] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is one of the functional block diagrams of a battery module structure determination device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 As shown, the battery module structure determination device 400 includes: The gap width determination module 410 is used to determine the gap width of each gap 12 based on the cell arrangement pattern of each cell 11 of the battery module 10 and the expansion characteristic data of each gap 12 in the cell arrangement pattern.

[0057] The filling material determination module 420 is used to determine the filling material type of the plurality of fillers 13 based on the battery module type of the battery module 10.

[0058] The composition structure determination module 430 is used to determine the filling material type of the plurality of fillers 13 based on the battery module type of the battery module 10.

[0059] Furthermore, when determining the gap width of each gap 12 based on the cell arrangement pattern of each cell 11 of the battery module 10 and the expansion characteristic data of each gap 12 under the cell arrangement pattern, the gap width determination module 410 is specifically used for: An aging battery module with the same cell arrangement pattern as the battery module 10 is subjected to cell expansion force test and cell deformation test to obtain expansion characteristic data of each gap 12. Based on the expansion characteristic data of each gap 12, determine the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of each gap 12 in the total expansion characteristic data of all gaps 12; While keeping the total gap size of the battery module 10 constant, the gap width of each gap 12 is allocated according to the proportion of expansion characteristic data of each gap 12; wherein the gap 12 with a larger proportion of expansion characteristic data is allocated a larger gap width.

[0060] For further details, please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a second functional block diagram of a battery module structure determination device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, the battery module structure determination device 400 further includes: The battery performance testing module 440 is used to perform performance testing on the battery module 10 according to its composition structure; the performance testing includes at least one of charge-discharge cycle testing, temperature cycle testing, vibration and shock testing, and safety testing.

[0061] The component structure adjustment module 450 is used to adjust the component structure of the battery module 10 according to the test results of the performance test.

[0062] This application provides a battery module structure determination device, comprising: a gap width determination module 410, used to determine the composition structure of the battery module 10 based on the gap width of each gap 12 and the filling material type of the plurality of fillers 13; a filling material determination module 420, used to determine the filling material type of the plurality of fillers 13 based on the battery module type of the battery module 10; and a composition structure determination module 430, used to determine the composition structure of the battery module 10 based on the gap width of each gap 12 and the filling material type of the plurality of fillers 13. Thus, by differentiating the gap widths of each gap in the battery module, the performance differences between individual cells in the battery module can be effectively reduced, thereby improving the service life of the battery module.

[0063] Based on the same application concept, please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 As shown, the electronic device 600 includes a processor 610, a memory 620, and a bus 630.

[0064] The memory 620 stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor 610. When the electronic device 600 is running, the processor 610 and the memory 620 communicate through the bus 630. When the machine-readable instructions are executed by the processor 610, they perform the steps of the battery module structure determination method provided in the above embodiment. For specific implementation details, please refer to the method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0065] Based on the same concept, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When the computer program is run by a processor, it executes the steps of the battery module structure determination method provided in the above embodiments. For specific implementation details, please refer to the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0066] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working process of the above-described apparatus and unit can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0067] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. The apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Additionally, the displayed or discussed mutual couplings, direct couplings, or communication connections may be through some communication interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0068] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0069] In addition, the functional units in the embodiments provided in this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0070] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0071] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0072] Finally, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments are merely specific implementations of this application, used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. The protection scope of this application is not limited thereto. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art can still modify or easily conceive of changes to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features, within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application; and these modifications, changes, or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application. All should be covered within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A battery module having a first orientation, characterized in that, The battery module (10) includes multiple battery cells (11), multiple gaps (12), and multiple fillers (13); the multiple battery cells (11) are arranged sequentially along the first direction; the multiple gaps (12) are respectively disposed between two adjacent battery cells (11); the multiple fillers (13) are respectively disposed within each of the gaps (12); wherein, The battery module (10) has a constant total gap size. The gap width of each gap (12) is allocated according to the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of each gap (12) in the total expansion characteristic data of the battery module (10). The gap (12) with a larger proportion of expansion characteristic data has a larger gap width.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The expansion characteristic data of any of the gaps (12) includes the expansion force level and deformation level of the cells (11) on both sides of the gap (12); wherein, the proportion of the expansion characteristic data of the gap (12) is positively correlated with the increase of the expansion force level or the deformation level.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the expansion characteristic data ratio of the gap (12) located in the middle position of the battery module (10) is much higher than the expansion characteristic data ratio of any other gap (12), only the gap width of the gap (12) in the middle position is increased, while the gap width of the other gaps (12) remains unchanged.

4. The battery module according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the proportion of expansion characteristic data of each gap (12) from the middle position of the battery module (10) towards both ends decreases sequentially, the gap width of each gap (12) decreases in a step-like manner from the middle position towards both ends.

5. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filler (13) includes a structural support layer (131) and a buffer layer (132); wherein, the thickness of the structural support layer (131) is fixed and is determined by the preset minimum cell gap of the battery module (10) and the target structural strength; the thickness of the buffer layer (132) is equal to the difference between the gap width of the gap (12) corresponding to the filler (13) and the thickness of the structural support layer (131).

6. The battery module according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the battery module (10) is a regular battery module, the structural support layer (131) is a U-shaped frame and the buffer layer (132) is foam.

7. The battery module according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the battery module (10) is a high-energy-density battery module or a fast-charging battery module, the structural support layer (131) is a metal heat sink and the buffer layer (132) is a thermally conductive adhesive.

8. A vehicle, characterized in that, Includes the battery module (10) as described in any one of claims 1-7.

9. A method for determining the structure of a battery module, characterized in that, Applied to the battery module (10) as described in any one of claims 1-7, the method comprises: Based on the cell arrangement pattern of each cell (11) of the battery module (10) and the expansion characteristic data of each gap (12) in the cell arrangement pattern, the gap width of each gap (12) is determined. Based on the battery module type of the battery module (10), the filling material type of the plurality of fillers (13) is determined; The composition structure of the battery module (10) is determined based on the gap width of each gap (12) and the filling material type of the plurality of fillers (13).

10. The method for determining the structure of a battery module according to claim 9, characterized in that, The method for determining the gap width of each gap (12) based on the cell arrangement pattern of each cell (11) of the battery module (10) and the expansion characteristic data of each gap (12) in the cell arrangement pattern includes: Cell expansion force test and cell deformation test are performed on the aged battery module with the same cell arrangement pattern as the battery module (10) to obtain the expansion characteristic data of each gap (12); Based on the expansion characteristic data of each gap (12), determine the proportion of expansion characteristic data of each gap (12) in the total expansion characteristic data of all gaps (12); While keeping the total gap size of the battery module (10) constant, the gap width of each gap (12) is allocated according to the proportion of expansion characteristic data of each gap (12); wherein the gap (12) with a larger proportion of expansion characteristic data is allocated a larger gap width.

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