Energy storage equipment

Abstract

The invention belongs to the field of batteries, and particularly relates to energy storage equipment. The problem that potential safety hazards exist after thermal runaway flue gas of existing energy storage equipment is exhausted is solved. The energy storage equipment comprises a fire safety system and a battery pack assembly; the battery pack assembly comprises an explosion venting collecting pipe and a battery module, wherein the battery module comprises a shell and a battery unit; each battery unit comprises a second hollow component and a plurality of single batteries; the explosion venting parts of all the single batteries are communicated based on the second hollow component, when any single battery in the shell is subjected to thermal runaway, thermal runaway flue gas breaks through the explosion venting parts to be discharged out of the shell from the second hollow component and enters a fire safety system to be treated, and potential safety hazards generated after the thermal runaway flue gas is discharged are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of batteries, and specifically relates to an energy storage device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of new energy sources such as solar and wind power, energy storage technology has also developed. Due to the advantages of lithium batteries, such as high energy, long service life, high rated voltage, high power handling capacity, and low self-discharge rate, they have gradually become the mainstream energy storage product.

[0003] With the large-scale application of lithium battery energy storage devices, the safe use of lithium-ion batteries has also attracted attention. Due to the high density of battery modules in energy storage devices, factors such as overcharging, over-discharging, overheating, and mechanical impact can easily cause the battery separator to collapse and internal short circuits, leading to thermal runaway and the generation of thermal runaway fumes. After these fumes are released, they can easily accumulate and burn, and in severe cases, cause an explosion, posing a safety hazard. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an energy storage device that solves the safety hazards that exist after thermal runaway flue gas is discharged from existing energy storage devices.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is to provide an energy storage device, including a fire safety system and at least one battery pack assembly;

[0006] The fire safety system includes a primary fire protection unit, which includes a smoke manifold and a smoke treatment unit. The smoke manifold is used to transport the thermal runaway smoke generated by each battery pack component to the smoke treatment unit, which is used to treat the thermal runaway smoke.

[0007] Each battery pack assembly includes a venting manifold and at least one battery module; each battery module includes a housing and n battery cells; the n battery cells are arranged along the y-direction inside the housing.

[0008] Each battery unit includes a second hollow component and m individual cells; the m individual cells are arranged along the x-direction; where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1; and m is an integer greater than 1.

[0009] The second hollow component extends along the x-direction, covering the explosion venting sections of the m individual batteries, and the inner cavity of the second hollow component serves as a thermal runaway flue gas confluence channel, communicating with the explosion venting sections of the m individual batteries; a portion of the structure of the second hollow component extends out of the outer shell, serving as the thermal runaway flue gas discharge end;

[0010] In each battery pack assembly, the thermal runaway smoke exhaust end of each battery module is connected to the explosion relief manifold, and the outlet end of the explosion relief manifold is connected to the smoke manifold of the primary fire protection unit.

[0011] The energy storage device of this invention includes multiple battery modules, each battery module including a shell and multiple battery cells. Multiple individual batteries are placed inside a shell. When an individual battery located inside the shell explodes due to thermal runaway, the flying debris is blocked by the shell and will not pose a threat to the personal safety of people around the energy storage device. At the same time, this invention connects the explosion venting parts of each individual battery based on a second hollow component. When any individual battery inside the shell experiences thermal runaway, the thermal runaway smoke breaks through the explosion venting part and is discharged from the thermal runaway smoke exhaust end of the second hollow component, preventing the thermal runaway smoke from spreading into the inner cavity of the shell and affecting the remaining individual batteries.

[0012] Meanwhile, the present invention sets up a primary fire protection unit in the energy storage device, including a flue gas manifold and a flue gas treatment unit. The thermal runaway flue gas discharge end is connected to the flue gas treatment unit through the explosion relief manifold and the flue gas manifold. The thermal runaway flue gas discharged from the outer shell enters the flue gas treatment unit for treatment in sequence through the explosion relief manifold and the flue gas manifold, further reducing the safety hazards generated after the thermal runaway flue gas is discharged.

[0013] Furthermore, each battery cell also includes a first hollow component assembly; the inner cavity of the first hollow component assembly serves as a heat exchange medium flow channel; the liquid inlet and liquid outlet of the first hollow component assembly extend out of the outer shell; the first hollow component assembly includes a first sub-hollow component and a second sub-hollow component; the first sub-hollow component is a conductive component, connected to the polarity terminal of each individual battery cell to realize the electrical connection of each individual battery cell; the second sub-hollow component is an insulating component, connected between two adjacent first sub-hollow components.

[0014] The present invention provides a first hollow component assembly on the top of each individual battery cell. On the one hand, the inner cavity of the first hollow component assembly serves as a heat exchange medium flow channel, thereby realizing heat exchange between the polar terminals of each individual battery cell and the battery module. On the other hand, the first hollow component assembly can also be used as an electrical connector to realize the electrical connection between each individual battery cell in the battery unit, making the structure of the entire battery module relatively simple.

[0015] Furthermore, hot-melt connectors are fixed to both ends of the first hollow component, and the hot-melt connectors are connected to the second hollow component by hot-melt connection. Based on the hot-melt connection method, the sealing of the connection between the first hollow component and the second hollow component can be ensured.

[0016] Furthermore, through slots are opened on the polarity terminals of each individual cell, and each segment of the first sub-hollow component is inserted into the through slots of the polarity terminals of two adjacent individual cells with different polarities.

[0017] Furthermore, a metal conductive and thermally conductive layer is provided between the outer wall of the first sub-hollow component and the through groove of the polar terminal to optimize the electrical and thermal conductivity between the first sub-hollow component and the polar terminal.

[0018] Furthermore, the aforementioned battery module also includes a third electrical connection plate connected to the polarity terminals of each individual battery cell. The reliability of the battery module can be improved by using the third electrical connection plate.

[0019] Furthermore, the inner wall of the first hollow component is provided with heat dissipation teeth, which increase the heat exchange area between the first hollow component and the heat exchange medium, thereby optimizing the heat exchange effect.

[0020] Furthermore, the second hollow component has m second through holes, each corresponding to one of the m individual cells, and the projection of each second through hole onto the cover plate of the corresponding individual cell completely covers the explosion vent on the cover plate. The inner cavity of the second hollow component is connected to the explosion vents of the m individual cells through the m second through holes. During installation, the concentricity of the second through holes and the explosion vents is not required, resulting in lower requirements for machining accuracy and reducing the impact of machining and assembly accuracy on the product yield.

[0021] Furthermore, various methods can be used to connect the second hollow component to the top cover of each individual battery cell:

[0022] The first method:

[0023] The second hollow component is a split piece, including a flexible base plate and a first half-tube with a U-shaped cross-section;

[0024] m second through holes are opened on the flexible base plate; the flexible base plate is fixedly connected to the top cover of each individual battery; the first half tube is fastened to the flexible base plate and sealed and fixed to the flexible base plate.

[0025] The second method:

[0026] The second hollow component is a split part, including a second half tube with a U-shaped cross section and a second top plate for sealing the open end of the second half tube; m second through holes are opened on the bottom plate of the second half tube; the edge of each second through hole is welded to the top cover plate of the corresponding single cell, and the second top plate is welded and sealed to the second half tube.

[0027] The third method:

[0028] The second hollow component is a split part, including a second half tube with a U-shaped cross-section and a second top plate for sealing the open end of the top of the second half tube; m second through holes are opened on the bottom plate of the second half tube;

[0029] Each individual battery cell has a venting branch pipe on its top cover, and the projection of the venting branch pipe onto the top cover completely covers the venting section on the top cover.

[0030] The free end of the explosion relief branch pipe passes through the corresponding second through hole on the bottom plate of the second half pipe and extends into the inner cavity of the second half pipe; the wall of the explosion relief branch pipe is welded and sealed with the wall of the second through hole; the second top plate is welded and sealed with the second half pipe.

[0031] Furthermore, an insulating separator is installed between adjacent individual cells. This achieves insulation between the two individual cells, improving the safety performance of the battery module. Simultaneously, when an individual cell swells and deforms, the separator undergoes elastic deformation under the pressure of the cell. This elastic deformation provides expansion space for the cell, preventing it from compressing the casing and causing deformation and leakage. This further enhances the performance and safety of the battery module. Additionally, the heat generated during the charging and discharging of each individual cell can be transferred to the outside through the separator, reducing the risk of thermal runaway.

[0032] Furthermore, the outer casing is made of metal, which provides good protection. When the outer casing is made of metal, insulation is required between the outer casing and each individual battery cell. This invention achieves insulation by setting an insulating plate between the n battery cells and the outer casing.

[0033] Furthermore, an insulating sealant layer can be laid between each individual battery cell and the casing. This insulating sealant layer can prevent condensation and short circuits; it can also further improve the sealing performance of various parts of the heat exchange device, and further improve the insulation performance between individual batteries and between individual batteries and the casing.

[0034] Furthermore, the aforementioned flue gas treatment unit includes at least one of a liquid treatment device, a solid treatment device, a flue gas cooling device, and an ignition device; the liquid treatment device is mainly used to treat the electrolyte and gas in the thermal runaway flue gas; the flue gas cooling device is mainly used to cool the thermal runaway flue gas; the solid treatment device is mainly used to adsorb the gas in the thermal runaway flue gas; and the ignition device is used to ignite the thermal runaway flue gas.

[0035] The flue gas treatment unit of the energy storage device of the present invention treats the thermal runaway flue gas generated by the energy storage device in a variety of ways to avoid the safety hazards caused by the discharge of thermal runaway flue gas.

[0036] Furthermore, the aforementioned flue gas treatment unit includes a liquid treatment device, which includes M liquid treatment tanks. Each liquid treatment tank is provided with a flue gas inlet and a flue gas outlet. The first to the (M-1)th liquid treatment tanks are filled with liquid treatment medium, and the Mth liquid treatment tank is empty. Here, M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0037] In the energy storage device of the present invention, since the battery module contains a certain amount of electrolyte, when the battery module experiences thermal runaway, the electrolyte is ejected along with the thermal runaway flue gas and passes through a liquid treatment device. The liquid treatment device effectively treats the electrolyte in the thermal runaway flue gas. At the same time, the Mth liquid treatment tank of the liquid treatment device is an empty tank. When the pressure of the thermal runaway flue gas is too high, the empty tank can collect the liquid treatment medium squeezed out of the liquid treatment tank by the high-pressure thermal runaway flue gas, preventing the liquid treatment medium from being squeezed into subsequent devices and affecting the downstream devices.

[0038] Furthermore, the flue gas treatment unit also includes an ignition device; the ignition device is connected to the flue gas outlet of the Mth liquid treatment tank and is used to ignite the thermal runaway flue gas treated by the liquid treatment device.

[0039] In the energy storage device of this invention, the ignition device controls the ignition of the thermal runaway flue gas after it has been treated by the liquid treatment device. The thermal runaway flue gas after ignition can be directly discharged without causing any potential risks such as combustion or explosion.

[0040] Furthermore, the aforementioned liquid treatment medium is an alkaline solution. This alkaline solution not only effectively treats the electrolyte carried in the thermal runaway flue gas to prevent the vaporized electrolyte from continuing to decompose and produce combustible gases, but also treats some of the gases in the thermal runaway flue gas, significantly reducing the amount of gas in the flue gas after treatment. Among these, a 0.05–0.5 mol / L NaOH solution shows particularly outstanding treatment effect on the thermal runaway flue gas.

[0041] Furthermore, the aforementioned primary fire protection unit also includes a buffer device, which comprises at least one buffer tank. The buffer tank has a smoke inlet and a smoke outlet communicating with its internal cavity. The buffer device is positioned between the smoke manifold and the smoke treatment unit to buffer the thermal runaway smoke. Adding a buffer tank upstream of the smoke treatment unit not only buffers the thermal runaway smoke, allowing it to enter the unit at a relatively stable flow rate, thus ensuring sufficient treatment by the liquid handling device, but also allows the buffer tank to collect some of the electrolyte carried in the thermal runaway smoke, reducing the amount of liquid used by the downstream liquid handling device.

[0042] Furthermore, the aforementioned primary fire protection unit also includes a safety device, which comprises safety piping and a safety discharge section. The inlet of each safety piping is connected to a flue gas manifold or buffer tank, and the outlet of the safety piping is connected to the external environment. The safety discharge section is installed on the safety piping, and its opening pressure is lower than that of the explosion vent. This safety device can discharge the thermal runaway flue gas through the safety device when the pressure in the flue gas manifold is too high, thereby avoiding safety hazards caused by excessive pressure in the flue gas manifold and improving the safety of handling thermal runaway flue gas.

[0043] Furthermore, the aforementioned flue gas manifold includes a primary manifold and a secondary manifold. The primary manifold is connected to the outlet end of the battery pack assembly explosion relief manifold, and the secondary manifold is connected to each primary manifold, thereby centrally transporting the thermal runaway flue gas in each primary manifold to the flue gas treatment unit.

[0044] Furthermore, the aforementioned fire safety system also includes a secondary fire-fighting unit, which comprises fire-fighting devices and fire-fighting pipelines. The fire-fighting devices contain extinguishing agents, and the fire-fighting pipelines are used to transport these agents to the energy storage device's enclosure. In the event of thermal runaway fumes within the energy storage device's enclosure or combustion or explosion of battery modules, the secondary fire-fighting unit prevents the thermal runaway fumes from igniting open flames or extinguishes fires already occurring in battery modules. Through the cooperation of the primary and secondary fire-fighting units, the safety of the entire energy storage device's battery modules is protected, further enhancing the overall safety of the energy storage device.

[0045] Furthermore, the aforementioned fire safety system also includes a three-level fire suppression unit. This three-level fire suppression unit includes a fire sprinkler system and at least one water mist nozzle installed on the fire sprinkler system. The inlet of the fire sprinkler system is used to connect to an external fire water pipe. This three-level fire suppression unit can continue to extinguish the fire even when multiple batteries experience thermal runaway and large open flames, or after the extinguishing materials in the two-level fire suppression unit have been depleted, further enhancing the safety of the entire energy storage device.

[0046] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0047] The energy storage device of this invention includes multiple battery modules, each battery module including a shell and multiple battery cells. Multiple individual batteries are placed inside a shell. When an individual battery located inside the shell explodes due to thermal runaway, the flying debris is blocked by the shell and will not pose a threat to the personal safety of people around the energy storage device. At the same time, this invention connects the explosion venting parts of each individual battery based on a second hollow component. When any individual battery inside the shell experiences thermal runaway, the thermal runaway smoke breaks through the explosion venting part and is discharged from the thermal runaway smoke exhaust end of the second hollow component, preventing the thermal runaway smoke from spreading into the inner cavity of the shell and affecting the remaining individual batteries.

[0048] Meanwhile, the present invention sets up a primary fire protection unit in the energy storage device, including a flue gas manifold and a flue gas treatment unit. The thermal runaway flue gas discharge end is connected to the flue gas treatment unit through the explosion relief manifold and the flue gas manifold. The thermal runaway flue gas discharged from the outer shell enters the flue gas treatment unit for treatment in sequence through the explosion relief manifold and the flue gas manifold, further reducing the safety hazards generated after the thermal runaway flue gas is discharged. Attached Figure Description

[0049] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the energy storage device structure;

[0050] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the battery pack assembly structure;

[0051] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the battery module structure in Example 1;

[0052] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the battery module in Example 1;

[0053] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the battery module in Example 1;

[0054] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the battery cell structure in Example 1;

[0055] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the partial explosion structure of the battery cell in Example 1. Figure 1 ;

[0056] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a partial exploded structure of the first hollow component assembly in Example 1;

[0057] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a partial explosion structure of a single cell in Example 1;

[0058] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a partial explosion structure of another battery cell in Example 1;

[0059] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the partial explosion structure of the battery cell in Example 1. Figure 2 ;

[0060] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the partial explosion structure of the battery cell in Example 1. Figure 3 ;

[0061] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the battery cell structure in Example 2;

[0062] Figure 14This is a schematic diagram of the battery cell structure in Example 3;

[0063] Figure 15 This is a cross-sectional view of the battery cell in Example 4;

[0064] Figure 16 This is a structural schematic diagram of the fire safety system in Example 5;

[0065] Figure 17 This is a structural schematic diagram of the primary fire protection unit in Example 5;

[0066] Figure 18 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of region a in the middle;

[0067] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid processing device in Example 5;

[0068] Figure 20 This is a cross-sectional view of the liquid processing tank in Example 5;

[0069] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the flue gas treatment unit in Example 5, which includes a liquid treatment device, a solid treatment device, and an ignition unit.

[0070] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of the flue gas treatment unit in Example 5, which includes a buffer tank, a liquid handling device, and an ignition unit.

[0071] Figure 23 This is a structural diagram of the secondary and tertiary fire protection units in Example 5.

[0072] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0073] 1. Outer shell; 11. Barrel body; 12. First top plate; 20. Battery unit; 21. First hollow component assembly; 2110. First sub-hollow component; 212. Second sub-hollow component; 213. Hot-melt connector; 214. Heat dissipation fins; 215. External pipe; 220. Second hollow component; 221. Second through hole; 222. First half-pipe; 223. Flexible bottom plate; 224. Second top plate; 225. Second 23. Half tube; 23. Single cell; 2310. Polar terminal; 232. Terminal post; 233. Terminal post adapter; 2340. Explosion venting section; 235. Through groove; 236. Metal conductive and heat-conducting layer; 237. Explosion venting branch pipe; 238. First end face; 239. Side wall; 240. Third electrical connection plate; 250. First electrical connection plate; 260. Second electrical connection plate; 3. Separator; 4. Insulating plate; 50. Insulating sealant layer;

[0074] 2. Fire safety system; 020. Primary fire protection unit; 021. Secondary fire protection unit; 022. Tertiary fire protection unit; 211. Primary manifold; 2120. Secondary manifold; 22. Smoke treatment unit; 230. Liquid treatment device; 2301. Liquid treatment tank; 2302. Connecting pipeline; 2303. Smoke inlet; 2304. Smoke outlet; 2305. Liquid treatment medium filling port; 2306. Drainage pipe; 2307. Diversion section; 2308. Spiral baffle; 2210. Ignition device; 2220. Safety piping; 2230. Safety discharge section; 231. Solid waste disposal tank; 2321. Flue gas piping; 2322. Smoke exhaust pipe; 2323. Ignition device; 2324. Trigger; 2325. Flame arrester; 234. Buffer tank; 2341. Smoke inlet; 2342. Smoke outlet; 24. Firefighting equipment; 25. Firefighting piping; 26. Fire sprinkler piping; 27. Water mist nozzle;

[0075] 5. Battery pack assembly; 51. Explosion relief manifold; 52. Battery module. Detailed Implementation

[0076] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0077] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the invention. However, the invention may also be practiced in other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0078] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "top," "bottom," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0079] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention discloses an energy storage device, including a fire safety system 2 and at least one battery pack assembly 5.

[0080] The fire safety system 2 includes a primary fire protection unit 020, which includes a smoke manifold and a smoke treatment unit. The smoke manifold is used to transport the thermal runaway smoke generated by each battery pack component 5 to the smoke treatment unit, which is used to treat the thermal runaway smoke.

[0081] like Figure 2 As shown, each battery pack assembly 5 includes a venting manifold 51 and at least one battery module 52. Figure 2 To facilitate the display of the explosion venting manifold 51, only the two outermost battery modules 52 are shown schematically.

[0082] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, each battery module includes a housing 1 and n battery cells 20 located inside the housing 1; where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0083] A rectangular shell 1 is typically used. For ease of description, the length direction of shell 1 is defined as the x-direction, the width direction of shell 1 is defined as the y-direction, and the height direction of shell 1 is defined as the z-direction.

[0084] This invention does not specifically limit the structure of the outer shell 1, but at least the following two structures can be adopted:

[0085] The first structure includes a cylindrical body with open ends (i.e., the port parallel to the yz plane is the open end) and end plates fixed to the two open ends of the cylindrical body (i.e., the end plates are parallel to the yz plane).

[0086] The second type of structure includes a cylindrical body with open ends at the top and bottom (i.e., the port parallel to the xy plane is the open end) and a top plate and a bottom plate fixed to the open ends at the top and bottom of the cylindrical body respectively (i.e., the top plate and the bottom plate are both parallel to the xy plane, and the top plate or the bottom plate can be an integral structure with the cylindrical body).

[0087] n battery cells 20 are arranged along the y direction in the inner cavity of the outer casing 1;

[0088] Each battery cell 20 includes a second hollow component 220 and m individual cells 23; the m individual cells 23 are arranged along the x-direction; where m is an integer greater than 1;

[0089] The outer shell 1 in this invention mainly has the following two functions:

[0090] Firstly, improve the safety performance of the entire battery module;

[0091] 1. When the single battery 23 located inside the outer casing 1 explodes due to thermal runaway, the flying debris will not pose a threat to the personal safety of people around the battery module due to the obstruction of the outer casing 1;

[0092] 2. The outer casing 1 also provides a certain degree of protection for each individual battery cell 23, which can prevent damage caused by direct exposure of each individual battery cell 23.

[0093] Secondly, it facilitates the storage and transportation of the entire battery module;

[0094] Multiple individual battery cells 23 are placed inside a relatively regular outer casing 1, making the battery module easy to store and transport.

[0095] The second hollow component 220 extends along the x-direction and covers the explosion venting section 2340 of the m individual batteries 23. The inner cavity of the second hollow component 220 serves as a thermal runaway flue gas confluence channel and is connected to the explosion venting section 2340 of the m individual batteries 23. A portion of the structure of the second hollow component 220 extends out of the outer shell 1 and serves as the thermal runaway flue gas discharge end.

[0096] When any single cell 23 constituting the battery module experiences thermal runaway, the thermal runaway fumes break through the explosion vent 2340 and are discharged from the second hollow component 220 into the outer casing 1, preventing the thermal runaway fumes from spreading into the inner cavity of the outer casing 1 and affecting the remaining single cells 23, thereby further improving the safety performance of the battery module.

[0097] It should be noted that:

[0098] 1. The single-cell explosion relief section can also be called the single-cell explosion-proof section, pressure relief port, explosion-proof port, etc., and is mainly used for the emission of thermal runaway flue gas from single-cell batteries.

[0099] 2. The aforementioned second hollow component can be understood as a hollow tubular structure, which can be a split structure or an integral structure.

[0100] Combination Figure 2 It can be seen that within each battery pack assembly 5, the explosion vent manifold 51 is connected to the thermal runaway flue gas discharge end of each battery module 52. In the entire energy storage device, the outlet end of the explosion vent manifold 51 of each battery pack assembly is connected to the flue gas manifold.

[0101] In this invention, each battery cell 20 may further include a first hollow component assembly 21; the inner cavity of the first hollow component assembly 21 serves as a heat exchange medium flow channel; the liquid inlet and liquid outlet of the first hollow component assembly 21 extend out of the outer shell 1; at least a portion of the structure of the first hollow component assembly 21 is a conductive component, which is connected to the polarity terminal 2310 of each individual cell 23 in the battery cell 20; the other portion of the structure is an insulating component to prevent the individual cell 23 from short-circuiting.

[0102] In this invention, the first hollow component assembly 21 has two functions. First, it can be used as a heat exchange device, with its inner cavity serving as a heat exchange medium flow channel. Based on the heat exchange medium, heat exchange is achieved between the polar terminals 2310 of each individual battery cell 23, thereby achieving heat exchange between each individual battery cell 23 and the battery module. Second, it can be used as an electrical connector to achieve electrical connection between each individual battery cell 23 in the battery unit 20.

[0103] It should be noted that:

[0104] 1. The polarity terminal 2310 of the above-mentioned single cell 23 can be the terminal post 232 of the single cell 23. In order to avoid the height of the terminal post 232 of the single cell 23 not meeting the set requirements, a terminal post adapter 233 can be connected to the terminal post 232 of the single cell 23, and the overall structure of the terminal post 232 of the single cell 23 and the terminal post adapter 233 can be used as the polarity terminal 2310 of the single cell 23.

[0105] 2. Heat exchange here can be understood as: heat dissipation or heating; when the temperature of the battery module is higher than the set threshold, the battery module is cooled down by introducing a lower temperature heat exchange medium into the heat exchange device; when the temperature of the battery module is lower than the set threshold, the battery module is heated up by introducing a higher temperature heat exchange medium into the heat exchange device; by controlling the temperature of the heat exchange medium, it can be ensured that the battery module always operates at the normal operating temperature.

[0106] 3. Part of the structure of the first hollow component assembly 21 is a conductive component, which is connected to the polarity terminal 2310 of the single cell 23 to achieve electrical connection; the other part of the structure of the first hollow component assembly 21 is an insulating component, which is connected between the two conductive components to avoid short circuits between the single cells 23; in this invention, for ease of description, the conductive component is defined as the first sub-hollow component 2110, and the insulating component is defined as the second sub-hollow component 212 (see [reference]). Figure 8 The first hollow component 2110 and the second hollow component 212 can both be understood as hollow tubular structures. In this invention, the first hollow component 2110 and the second hollow component 212 can be integral parts, that is, processed by integral molding process; or they can be separate parts, that is, connected by a specific connection method.

[0107] 4. The above-mentioned electrical connections include series, parallel or mixed connections; for different electrical connection methods, the structure of the corresponding first hollow component assembly 21 is slightly different, and the number and length of the main conductive components and insulating components are different; in this invention, the series connection of a single cell 23 is mainly used as an example for explanation.

[0108] 5. The liquid inlet and liquid outlet of the first hollow component assembly 21 extend out of the outer shell 1. While serving as the liquid inlet and liquid outlet, they can also serve as electrical connection terminals of the battery module; or electrical connection pieces can be connected to the liquid inlet and liquid outlet to serve as electrical connection terminals of the battery module.

[0109] 6. The first hollow component assembly 21 is directly connected to the polar terminal 2310 to exchange heat with the polar terminal 2310 of the individual battery 23 where heat is concentrated, thereby improving the heat exchange effect of the battery. There are various ways to connect the first hollow component assembly 21 and the polar terminal 2310. The larger the contact area between the first hollow component assembly 21 and the polar terminal 2310, the better the heat exchange effect between them.

[0110] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, provides a detailed explanation of the specific structures of the battery pack assembly 5, the battery module 52, the fire safety system 2, and the energy storage device.

[0111] Example 1

[0112] This embodiment is a battery pack assembly, such as Figure 2 As shown, it includes a venting manifold 51 and 12 battery modules 52. In some other embodiments, the number of battery modules 52 can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0113] Battery module 52, its structure is as follows Figures 3 to 5 As shown, it includes a housing 1 and a battery cell 20 located inside the housing 1; in some other embodiments, the number of battery cells 20 can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0114] To improve the protective performance of the outer casing 1, in this embodiment, the outer casing 1 is made of metal, typically aluminum or iron; for cost considerations, iron is preferred. Figure 4 As can be seen, this embodiment uses the second type of shell structure, and the bottom plate and the cylinder are an integral structure; for ease of description, in this embodiment, the component with the bottom plate and the cylinder as an integral structure is defined as the barrel 11, and the first top plate 12 is sealed and fixed to the open end of the barrel 11.

[0115] The battery unit 20 in this embodiment includes multiple individual cells 23 arranged along the x-direction. In this embodiment, the individual cells 23 are prismatic cells, and there are 13 of them. In other embodiments, the number and shape of the individual cells 23 can be adjusted according to actual needs. Each individual cell 23 has two polarity terminals 2310 with opposite polarity on its upper cover plate and a venting part 2340 located between the two polarity terminals 2310.

[0116] from Figure 5 and Figure 9As can be seen from the above, the polar terminal 2310 described in this embodiment is an integral structure that combines the single cell 23 terminal post 232 and the terminal post adapter 233; blind holes can be opened on the terminal post adapter 233 along the height direction of the terminal post adapter 233, and the bottom of the blind hole and the single cell 23 terminal post 232 can be welded together.

[0117] In some other embodiments, the polarity terminal 2310 is a single cell 23 terminal 232, which is higher than a conventional single cell 23 terminal 232.

[0118] from Figure 4 As can be seen, the battery unit 20 in this embodiment also includes a first hollow component assembly 21. The first hollow component assembly 21 is fixed on the polar terminals 2310 of each individual battery cell 23. On the one hand, it is used as a heat exchange device, and its inner cavity serves as a heat exchange medium flow channel. Based on the heat exchange medium, heat exchange is realized at the polar terminals 2310 of each individual battery cell 23, thereby realizing heat exchange of each individual battery cell 23 and the battery module. On the other hand, it is used as an electrical connector to realize the electrical connection of each individual battery cell 23 in the battery unit 20. In this embodiment, series connection is taken as an example.

[0119] from Figures 6 to 8 As can be seen from the diagram, the first hollow component assembly 21 in this embodiment is a spliced ​​pipe section, which is spliced ​​together from multiple first sub-hollow components 2110 and multiple second sub-hollow components 212. Since the first hollow component assembly 21 in this embodiment serves as an electrical connector, the part of its structure connected to the polar terminal 2310 must be a conductive component. At the same time, insulating components need to be provided between the conductive components to prevent short circuits of the individual cells 23. In addition, the inner cavity of the first hollow component assembly 21 in this embodiment also serves as a heat exchange medium flow channel, so the sealing of the splicing part is particularly important.

[0120] In this embodiment, the first sub-hollow component 2110 is used as a conductive component and is usually made of metal, such as aluminum or copper; the second sub-hollow component 212 is used as an insulating component and is usually made of plastic or rubber with good thermal conductivity; each segment of the first sub-hollow component 2110 is connected to the polar terminals 2310 of different polarities of two adjacent single cells 23, and each segment of the second sub-hollow component 212 is connected between adjacent first sub-hollow components 2110.

[0121] To ensure the sealing of the connection between the first hollow component 2110 and the second hollow component 212, this embodiment pre-installs heat-fusion connectors 213 at both ends of the first hollow component 2110. The heat-fusion connector 213 is a sleeve structure, which is fixed to both ends of the first hollow component 2110 by injection molding. The diameter of the sleeve should ensure that it can be fitted with the second hollow component 212, and its material should be able to be connected with the second hollow component 212 by heat fusion.

[0122] Specifically, the connection between the first sub-hollow component 2110 and the second sub-hollow component 212 can be completed through the following process:

[0123] First, hot-melt connectors 213 are fitted onto both ends of the first hollow component 2110 using an injection molding process;

[0124] Next, the hot-melt connector 213 is sleeved with the second hollow component 212, and the two are fixed and sealed by hot-melt method.

[0125] In some other embodiments, the connection between the first hollow component 2110 and the second hollow component 212 can also be achieved by a threaded connection. In order to improve the sealing performance, a sealing ring can be added to the threaded connection.

[0126] Combination Figure 3 and Figure 6 As can be seen, in this embodiment, after connecting each individual cell 23 in series using the first sub-hollow component 2110 and the second sub-hollow component 212, two heat exchange channels are formed on the top of each individual cell 23. The two heat exchange channels are connected in series through an insulated external pipe 215, and the liquid inlet and liquid outlet of the two heat exchange channels are led out on the same side of the outer casing 1. In some other embodiments, the two heat exchange channels can be connected in parallel.

[0127] The ends of the two heat exchange channels located on different sides can serve as electrical connection terminals of different polarities for the battery module. In this embodiment, in order to facilitate electrical connection, two electrical connection terminals of different polarities are led out from the same side of the outer casing 1 based on a first electrical connection plate 250, and a second electrical connection plate 260 is added to the liquid inlet and liquid outlet of the two heat exchange channels.

[0128] Combination Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As can be seen, in this embodiment, a through groove 235 is opened on the polar terminal 2310, and the first sub-hollow component 2110 is inserted into the through groove 235 to realize the connection between the two.

[0129] like Figure 9As shown, in this embodiment, the polarity terminal 2310 is a cylindrical body, including a first end face 238, a second end face, and a side wall 239 (the first end face 238 and the second end face are parallel to each other); a through groove 235 is formed on the first end face 238, that is, the opening of the through groove 235 is located on the first end face 238; in some other embodiments, the through groove 235 may also be formed on the side wall 239, that is, the opening of the through groove 235 is located on the side wall 239. The second end face is used for electrical connection with the electrode assembly inside the battery casing.

[0130] The cross-section of the through groove 235 is C-shaped or U-shaped. The opening width of the C-shaped through groove 235 is smaller than the widest part of the through groove 235. This design is conducive to the first hollow component 2110 being interference-fitted into the through groove 235. The arc formed by the two ends of the C-shaped through groove 235 has natural tension, which is conducive to the first hollow component 2110 being tightly fitted into the through groove 235. The cross-section of the U-shaped through groove 235 is rectangular at the opening and semi-circular near the bottom of the groove. The size of the opening is slightly smaller than the widest part of the through groove 235 and also slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the first hollow component 2110. This design is also conducive to the first hollow component 2110 being interference-fitted into the through groove 235 and to fixing the first hollow component 2110 into the through groove 235. The interference fit is mainly in the bottom area of ​​the groove with a semi-circular cross-section.

[0131] To further improve the heat dissipation performance of the first hollow component assembly 21, this embodiment may also provide heat dissipation teeth 214 in the first sub-hollow component 2110 and / or the second sub-hollow component 212. Multiple heat dissipation teeth 214 are arranged circumferentially along the first sub-hollow component 2110 and / or the second sub-hollow component 212, and each heat dissipation tooth 214 extends circumferentially along the first sub-hollow component 2110 and / or the second sub-hollow component 212.

[0132] In addition, such as Figure 10 As shown, in order to optimize the conductivity of the first sub-hollow component 2110, a metal conductive and thermally conductive layer 236 is added between the first sub-hollow component 2110 and the through groove 235 in this embodiment. The metal conductive and thermally conductive layer 236 is usually made of a metal material with good conductivity and thermal conductivity, such as solder material. The solder material can be melted and poured between the first sub-hollow component 2110 and the through groove 235. After cooling, a solder layer is formed between the first sub-hollow component 2110 and the through groove 235.

[0133] To prevent molten solder from failing to flow into the gap between the first hollow component 2110 and the through-slot 235, a solder sheet can be pre-wrapped around the first hollow component 2110, then inserted into the through-slot 235, and heated. The molten solder sheet melts and welds the first hollow component 2110 and the through-slot 235 together. These two methods can also be used in combination: a solder sheet is wrapped around the first hollow component 2110, then inserted into the through-slot 235. Molten solder material is then poured between the first hollow component 2110 and the through-slot 235, heated again, and the solder sheet melts. After cooling, the first hollow component 2110 and the through-slot 235 are successfully welded together.

[0134] By setting the metal conductive and thermally conductive layer 236, the bonding strength and thermal conductivity between the first hollow component 2110 and the polar terminal 2310 can be further improved.

[0135] In some other embodiments, a through hole can be made on the side wall of the polar terminal 2310, and the first sub-hollow member 2110 can be inserted into the through hole to achieve the connection between the two.

[0136] from Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 11 and Figure 12 As can be seen from the diagram, the battery unit 20 in this embodiment also includes a second hollow component 220. Thirteen second through holes 221 arranged along the x-direction are formed on the wall of the second hollow component 220. Each second through hole 221 corresponds to a venting portion 2340 on the cover plate of a single battery cell 23. The inner cavity of the second hollow component 220 communicates with the venting portions 2340 of the 13 single batteries 23 through the 13 second through holes 221. In this embodiment, one end of the second hollow component 220 is closed, and the other end extends out of the outer shell 1, serving as a thermal runaway gas exhaust port. In other embodiments, both ends of the second hollow component 220 can extend out of the outer shell 1, serving as thermal runaway gas exhaust ports.

[0137] To reduce the precision requirements between each second through hole 221 and the corresponding explosion vent 2340 during installation, the orthographic projection of each second through hole 221 onto the cover plate of the corresponding single cell 23 completely covers the explosion vent 2340 on the cover plate. During installation, it is not required that the second through hole 221 and the explosion vent 2340 be concentric; it is only necessary to ensure that the second through hole 221 covers the explosion vent 2340.

[0138] like Figure 11As shown, the second hollow component 220 in this embodiment is a split component, including a flexible base plate 223 and a first half-tube 222 with a U-shaped cross-section; the flexible base plate 223 is usually made of high-temperature resistant rubber or plastic material, where high temperature usually refers to the battery thermal runaway temperature; 13 second through holes 221 are opened on the flexible base plate 223; the first half-tube 222 is fastened to the flexible base plate 223 and sealed and fixed with the flexible base plate 223.

[0139] like Figure 12 As shown, in this embodiment, the second hollow component 220 can be connected to the upper cover plate of each individual battery cell 23 through the following process:

[0140] First, the flexible base plate 223 is bonded to the top cover of each individual battery cell 23 using sealant, ensuring that the projection of each second through hole 221 completely covers the corresponding explosion vent 2340. To improve the bonding strength between the flexible base plate 223 and the top cover of the individual battery cell 23, the size of the flexible base plate 223 can be increased, thereby increasing the contact area between the flexible base plate 223 and the top cover. Specifically, the projection of the flexible base plate 223 on the xy plane can be larger than the projection of the first half-tube 222 on the xy plane. Furthermore, the surface of the flexible base plate 223 can be treated to further enhance the bonding strength.

[0141] Next, the first half-tube 222 is fastened onto the flexible base plate 223, and sealant is applied to the contact area between the first half-tube 222 and the flexible base plate 223 to bond the first half-tube 222 to the flexible base plate 223.

[0142] To improve the bonding strength between the second hollow component 220 and the upper cover plate, the second hollow component 220 and the upper cover plate can be connected by an L-shaped connecting piece. Specifically, the L-shaped connecting piece can be connected to the first half-tube 222 and the upper cover plate by welding.

[0143] In this embodiment, when the dimensions of each individual battery cell 23 differ in the height direction due to processing errors, and if the lower covers of each individual battery cell 23 are located on the same plane, the upper covers of each individual battery cell 23 will inevitably not be able to remain on the same plane. Therefore, this invention can compensate for the height difference between the upper covers by deforming the flexible base plate 223 and adjusting the thickness of the sealing adhesive layer. Thus, this embodiment has lower requirements for the flatness of each upper cover, i.e., each explosion vent 2340. Furthermore, placing the flexible base plate 223 between the upper cover of the individual battery cell 23 and the first half-tube 222 can serve as a sealing gasket, improving the sealing performance between the first half-tube 222 and the upper cover.

[0144] In this embodiment, an insulating layer can also be provided on the outer wall of the second hollow component 220 to prevent the second hollow component 220 from contacting the first electrical connection plate 250 and causing a short circuit.

[0145] In some other embodiments, the second hollow component 220 can be a single piece, fixed to the upper cover plate of each individual battery cell 23 by adhesive bonding. Furthermore, before installing the second hollow component 220, positioning marks can be pre-set on the upper cover plate and the second hollow component 220 according to the designed dimensions, so that the second through hole 221 can accurately cover the corresponding explosion vent 2340.

[0146] like Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, a separator 3 can also be provided between two adjacent single cells 23. The separator 3 is made of insulating material. For each single cell 23 near the middle, the side walls (large surface of the single cell) on both sides are in contact with the separator 3. For the two single cells 23 near the outermost edge, one side wall is in contact with the separator 3, and the other side wall is in contact with the outer casing 1.

[0147] In this embodiment, the partition 3 has at least the following advantages:

[0148] Firstly, it can achieve insulation between the two individual cells 23, thereby improving the safety performance of the battery module.

[0149] Secondly, improve the installation stability of each individual battery cell 23 within the casing;

[0150] Thirdly, the separator 3 has a certain degree of elasticity. When the single cell 23 swells and deforms, the separator 3 is squeezed by the single cell 23 and undergoes elastic deformation. After the separator 3 undergoes elastic deformation, it can provide expansion space for the expansion of the single cell 23, so that the expansion and deformation of the single cell 23 will not squeeze the outer shell 1, avoiding the deformation and leakage problems caused by the squeezing of the outer shell 1, thereby improving the performance and safety of the battery module.

[0151] Fourthly, the heat generated during the charging and discharging of each individual battery cell 23 can be transferred to the outside through the separator 3, reducing the risk of thermal runaway.

[0152] Combination Figure 4 and Figure 5 As can be seen, in this embodiment, an insulating plate 4 is provided between the battery unit 20 and the outer casing 1 for insulation between the outer casing 1 and the battery unit 20. In this embodiment, five insulating plates 4 are included, respectively disposed between the four side walls of the battery unit 20 and the four side walls of the outer casing 1, and between the bottom of the battery unit 20 and the bottom plate of the outer casing 1. In some other embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, an insulating plate 4 can also be provided between the top of the battery unit 20 and the outer casing 1. The insulating plate 4 can also serve as a seal between the first top plate 12 and the barrel 11.

[0153] like Figure 5As shown, in this embodiment, an insulating sealant layer 50 can also be laid between each individual battery cell 23 and the outer casing 1. The insulating sealant layer 50 is mainly laid in the space between the top of each individual battery cell 23 and the outer casing 1. The first hollow component assembly 21 inside the outer casing 1 is located within the insulating sealant layer 50; the second hollow component 220 inside the outer casing 1 is also located within the insulating sealant layer 50. When there is a gap between each individual battery cell 23, the insulating sealant liquid can also penetrate into the gap to form the insulating sealant layer 50. When there is a gap between the four side walls and the bottom of each individual battery cell 23 and the outer casing 1, the insulating sealant liquid can also penetrate into the gap to form the insulating sealant layer 50.

[0154] In this embodiment, the insulating sealant layer 50 has at least the following advantages:

[0155] I. Further improve the sealing performance of each part of the first hollow component assembly 21;

[0156] Specifically, the insulating sealant liquid constituting the insulating sealant layer 50 penetrates into the gap between the first sub-hollow component 2110 and the second sub-hollow component 212, further sealing the gap radially (the insulating sealant liquid cannot flow into the heat exchange medium flow cavity through the gap);

[0157] II. Preventing condensation;

[0158] During long-term use, due to the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the first hollow component 21, condensation will form on the surface. When the condensation accumulates to a certain amount, it may cause a short circuit. By laying an insulating sealant layer 50 to completely wrap the first hollow component 21, when condensation forms on the surface of the first hollow component 21, the insulating sealant layer 50 can prevent the battery from short-circuiting.

[0159] III. Further improve the insulation performance between each individual cell 23 and the outer casing 1;

[0160] The insulating sealant penetrates into the gaps between the battery cell 20 and the insulating plate 4, and between the insulating plate 4 and the outer casing 1, which can further improve the insulation performance between each individual battery cell 23 and the outer casing 1.

[0161] IV. Further improve the insulation performance between individual cells 23;

[0162] The insulating sealant penetrates into the gaps between each battery cell 20, which can further improve the insulation performance between each individual battery cell 23.

[0163] V. Improve the bonding strength and sealing performance between the second hollow component 220 and the top cover of each individual battery cell 23;

[0164] The insulating sealant layer 50 covers the second hollow component 220, which can further press the second hollow component 220 onto the cover plate of each individual battery 23. At the same time, the insulating sealant liquid can penetrate into the gap between the second hollow component 220 and the cover plate to further seal the gap (the insulating sealant liquid cannot flow into the inner cavity of the second hollow component 220 through the gap).

[0165] In this embodiment, a protrusion or groove can be provided on the tube wall of the second hollow component 220 to form a stop fit structure with the insulating sealant layer 50, thereby improving the stability of the insulating sealant layer 50.

[0166] Example 2

[0167] Unlike Example 1, as Figure 13 As shown, in this embodiment, a third electrical connection plate 240 can also be connected to the first end face of the polarity terminal 2310 to realize the series connection of adjacent single cells 23. When there is a problem with the electrical connection between the first sub-hollow component and the polarity terminal in Embodiment 1, the electrical connection can also be realized based on the third electrical connection plate 240, further improving the reliability of the battery module.

[0168] Example 3

[0169] Unlike the above embodiments, this embodiment uses a second hollow component 220 with a different structure, and the connection method between the second hollow component 220 and the cover plate of each individual battery 23 is also different from the above embodiments.

[0170] like Figure 14 As shown, the second hollow component 220 in this embodiment is a split component, including a second half-tube 225 with a U-shaped cross-section and a second top plate 224 for sealing the open end of the top of the second half-tube 225; 13 second through holes 221 are opened on the bottom plate of the second half-tube 225.

[0171] Based on the split design, in this embodiment, the second hollow component 220 can be fixed to the upper cover plate of the single battery 23 by welding. Specifically, this can be achieved through the following process:

[0172] The second half tube 225 is positioned on the cover plate of each individual battery 23 so that the projection of each second through hole 221 completely covers the corresponding explosion vent 2340.

[0173] The welding head is inserted from the open end of the second half tube 225 into the edge of the second through hole 221, and the edge of each second through hole 221 is sealed and welded to the upper cover plate of the corresponding single cell 23; so that the explosion vent 2340 of each single cell 23 is connected to the corresponding second through hole 221.

[0174] The second top plate 224 is sealed and welded to the open end of the top of the second half-tube 225.

[0175] It should be noted that the welding head mentioned here refers to the component that the welding equipment extends into the part to be welded. If electric arc welding or argon arc welding is used, then the welding head here refers to the end of the welding rod. If laser welding is used, then the welding head here refers to the laser beam.

[0176] In this embodiment, the second hollow component 220 is configured as a split structure, which makes it easier to fix it from the top open end of the second half tube 225 to the top cover plate of each individual battery cell 23, reducing the processing difficulty and increasing the yield.

[0177] This embodiment only needs to ensure that the orthographic projection of the second through hole 221 onto the cover plate of each individual battery 23 covers the corresponding explosion vent 2340, and that each explosion vent 2340 and each second through hole 221 are located on the same plane as much as possible. There is no need to consider the concentricity of the explosion vent 2340 and the second through hole 221, or the consistency of each explosion vent 2340 and the second through hole 221. The requirements for processing accuracy are low, which weakens the impact of processing accuracy and assembly accuracy on the product yield. Moreover, during welding, the welding head extends from the open end without any obstruction, and the welding of the edge of the second through hole 221 to the cover plate of each individual battery 23 can be completed in one go. The process is simple and the sealing effect is good.

[0178] Example 4

[0179] Unlike Embodiment 3, this embodiment uses a different method to achieve the connection between the second hollow component 220 and the top cover of each individual battery cell 23.

[0180] like Figure 15 As shown, in this embodiment, each individual battery cell 23 has a venting branch pipe 237 on its upper cover plate. The orthographic projection of the venting branch pipe 237 on the upper cover plate completely covers the venting part 2340 on the upper cover plate.

[0181] The free end of the explosion relief branch pipe 237 passes through the corresponding second through hole 221 on the bottom plate of the second half pipe 225 and extends into the inner cavity of the second half pipe 225; the pipe wall of the explosion relief branch pipe 237 and the hole wall of the second through hole 221 are welded and sealed.

[0182] In this embodiment, the explosion venting branch pipe 237 is generally a thin-walled tubular structure, which can be integrally formed with the upper cover plate by means of integral processing, or it can be fixed to the upper cover plate by means of riveting, welding or injection molding. The horizontal cross-section (the cross-section along its radial direction) of the explosion venting branch pipe 237 can be a rectangular ring or a circular ring. In order to better adapt to the shape of the explosion venting part 2340, the horizontal cross-section of the explosion venting branch pipe 237 is usually annular.

[0183] In this embodiment, the second hollow component 220 can be connected to the upper cover plate of each individual battery cell 23 through the following process:

[0184] The second half tube 225 is positioned on the cover plate of each individual battery 23, so that each explosion relief branch tube 237 corresponds to each second through hole 221, and ensures that each explosion relief branch tube 237 is inserted into the second through hole 221.

[0185] The welding head is inserted from the open end of the second half-pipe 225 into the edge of the second through hole 221, and the edge of each second through hole 221 is welded to the outer wall of the corresponding explosion relief branch pipe 237 to achieve a seal.

[0186] The second top plate 224 is sealed and welded to the open end of the top of the second half-tube 225.

[0187] In this embodiment, when the dimensions of each individual battery cell 23 differ in the height direction due to processing errors, if the lower cover plates of each individual battery cell 23 are located on the same plane, it will inevitably lead to the upper cover plates of each individual battery cell 23 not being able to maintain the same plane. In this invention, the explosion venting section 2340 and the second through hole 221 are connected by the explosion venting branch pipe 237. The explosion venting branch pipe 237 can compensate for the height difference between each upper cover plate in the height direction. Therefore, this embodiment has a low requirement for the flatness of each upper cover plate, i.e., each explosion venting section 2340. When there is a certain height difference between the upper cover plates of each individual battery cell 23, the explosion venting branch pipe 237 can also ensure the sealed connection between the explosion venting section 2340 and the second through hole 221.

[0188] Example 5

[0189] This embodiment is an energy storage device, including a fire safety system and at least one battery pack assembly as described in the above embodiments.

[0190] like Figure 16 As shown, the fire safety system 2 includes a primary fire protection unit 020, the structure of which is as follows: Figure 17 As shown, the system includes a flue gas manifold and a flue gas treatment unit 22. The flue gas manifold is used to transport the thermal runaway generated by the battery module 52 to the flue gas treatment unit 22; the flue gas treatment unit 22 is used to treat the thermal runaway flue gas generated by each battery module 52. The structure of the flue gas manifold and the flue gas treatment unit 22 will be described in detail below.

[0191] In this embodiment, the flue gas manifold includes a primary manifold 211 and a secondary manifold 2120. The primary manifold 211 is connected to the outlet end of the explosion relief manifold 51 of each battery pack assembly 5, and the secondary manifold 2120 is connected to each primary manifold 211, so as to centrally transport the thermal runaway flue gas in each primary manifold 211 to the flue gas treatment unit 22.

[0192] Combination Figure 1In this embodiment, the battery pack components 5 of the energy storage device are arranged along the z-direction to form a battery cluster, comprising a total of 4 battery clusters; for this energy storage device, combined with Figure 1 and Figure 17 As can be seen, this embodiment includes four primary busbars 211, each of which is connected to the outlet end of the explosion venting busbar 51 of each battery pack assembly 5 within each battery cluster (e.g., Figure 18 As shown, Figure 18 for Figure 1 (Enlarged schematic diagram of region a); The secondary manifold 2120 is connected to each primary manifold 211, and the thermal runaway flue gas in each primary manifold 211 is centrally transported to the flue gas treatment unit 22.

[0193] The aforementioned flue gas manifold collects the thermal runaway flue gas generated by each battery cluster and leads it to the subsequent flue gas treatment unit 22 for processing. However, each battery module 52 contains a certain amount of free electrolyte in its shared chamber. This electrolyte, when the battery module 52 experiences thermal runaway, is ejected along with the thermal runaway flue gas, posing a certain safety hazard. Based on this, and in conjunction with… Figure 19 In this embodiment, the flue gas treatment unit 22 includes a liquid treatment device 230. The inlet of the liquid treatment device 230 is connected to the outlet of the secondary manifold 2120. It is mainly used to fully treat the electrolyte carried in the thermal runaway flue gas of the battery module 52 to prevent the vaporized electrolyte from continuing to decompose and generate combustible gas, thereby reducing the content of combustibles (electrolyte and combustible gas) in the thermal runaway flue gas.

[0194] The liquid handling device 230 in this embodiment includes M liquid handling tanks 2301, each filled with a liquid handling medium. The number of liquid handling tanks 2301 can be set according to the number and requirements of the battery modules 52 in the energy storage device. If there are multiple liquid handling tanks 2301, they can be connected in series via connecting pipes 2302. The shape of the liquid handling tanks 2301 is not limited; they can be rectangular, circular, elliptical, etc., with circular tanks being the most preferred due to their good pressure-bearing capacity.

[0195] All of the above M liquid treatment tanks 2301 can be filled with liquid treatment medium. Specifically, during filling, the liquid treatment medium is filled to about 2 / 3 of the inner cavity of the liquid treatment tank 2301 to avoid the liquid treatment medium in the previous liquid treatment tank 2301 being squeezed into the next liquid treatment tank 2301, resulting in poor treatment effect.

[0196] In actual use, the pressure of the thermal runaway flue gas during the initial deflation of the battery module 52 may be too high, and the liquid treatment medium in the last liquid treatment tank 2301 may be squeezed out of the liquid treatment tank 2301 by the thermal runaway flue gas. Based on this, the last liquid treatment tank 2301 can be set as an empty tank. For example, the liquid treatment device 230 includes 9 liquid treatment tanks 2301, of which the first to eighth liquid treatment tanks 2301 are filled with liquid treatment medium, and the ninth liquid treatment tank 2301 is an empty tank. When the pressure of the thermal runaway flue gas discharged from the battery module 52 is too high, the empty tank can collect the liquid treatment medium squeezed out by the high-pressure thermal runaway flue gas, preventing the liquid treatment medium from being squeezed out of the liquid treatment tank 2301 and improving the safety of the liquid treatment device 230 during use.

[0197] like Figure 19 As shown, the liquid treatment tank 2301 is equipped with a flue gas inlet 2303, a flue gas outlet 2304, and a liquid treatment medium filling port 2305. The flue gas inlet 2303 is used to input the thermal runaway flue gas into the liquid treatment tank 2301, the flue gas outlet 2304 is used to discharge the treated thermal runaway flue gas, and the liquid treatment medium filling port 2305 is used to fill the liquid treatment medium. Specifically, the flue gas inlet 2303 can be located at the top or bottom of the liquid treatment tank 2301. To facilitate the connection of each liquid treatment tank 2301, it is preferable to locate both the flue gas inlet 2303 and the flue gas outlet 2304 at the top of the liquid treatment tank 2301. In this case, the connection of each liquid treatment tank 2301 only needs to be achieved at the top, improving the connectability of the entire thermal runaway flue gas treatment device and the compactness of the pipeline layout. In addition, the aforementioned connecting pipe 2302 can be made of metal corrugated pipe. After the metal corrugated connection is used, each liquid treatment tank 2301 can be arranged according to the requirements of the installation space, meeting various installation requirements and saving installation space.

[0198] like Figure 20 As shown, after the flue gas inlet 2303 is positioned at the top of the liquid treatment tank 2301, a guide pipe 2306 is connected to the flue gas inlet 2303 to ensure sufficient contact between the thermal runaway flue gas and the liquid treatment medium inside the liquid treatment tank 2301. At least a portion of the guide pipe 2306 can be submerged in the liquid treatment medium. Ideally, the guide pipe 2306 extends to the bottom of the liquid treatment tank 2301 and can be completely submerged in the liquid treatment medium. When the thermal runaway flue gas passes through the liquid treatment tank 2301, it fully contacts the liquid treatment medium inside the liquid treatment tank 2301, allowing the liquid treatment medium to perform more thorough treatment of the thermal runaway flue gas and improving the treatment effect of the liquid treatment medium.

[0199] A diversion section 2307 is provided at one end of the aforementioned drainage pipe 2306 that is immersed in the liquid treatment medium. This diversion section 2307 disperses and diverts the thermal runaway flue gas before it reacts with the liquid treatment medium in the liquid treatment tank 2301. This allows for a large inflow and a small outflow of the thermal runaway flue gas, facilitating its dispersion and ensuring sufficient contact and reaction between the flue gas and the liquid treatment medium, thereby improving the treatment effect of the liquid treatment medium. In this embodiment, the diversion section 2307 can be a foamed copper column. Foamed copper columns are easy to install and have a good dispersing and diversion effect. During installation, it is fixed to the port of the drainage pipe 2306 that is immersed in the liquid treatment medium. Foamed copper has a structure with numerous three-dimensional pores in a copper matrix, which has a dispersing and buffering effect on the fluid. In use, it is processed into a columnar structure, and the thermal runaway flue gas flows out from the foamed copper column through the drainage pipe 2306, and then flows out through the side wall or bottom of the foamed copper column to achieve the dispersion and buffering effect of the thermal runaway flue gas, so as to ensure that the diverted thermal runaway flue gas is in full contact with the liquid treatment medium.

[0200] To further ensure sufficient reaction between the thermal runaway flue gas and the liquid treatment medium, a spiral baffle 2308 or multiple baffles are installed on the aforementioned drainage pipe 2306. The spiral baffle 2308 or multiple baffles increase the travel distance of the thermal runaway flue gas as it passes through the liquid treatment tank 2301, allowing for more thorough contact between the flue gas and the liquid treatment medium. The thermal runaway flue gas enters from the flue gas inlet 2303 of the liquid treatment tank 2301, then flows through the drainage pipe 2306 to the bottom of the liquid treatment medium. It is then dispersed by the foamed copper columns, and as it rises from the bottom, the spiral baffle 2308 or multiple baffles ensure sufficient contact between the thermal runaway flue gas and the liquid treatment medium within the liquid treatment tank 2301, thus enabling appropriate treatment. Specifically, the spiral baffle 2308 can be fixed to the drainage pipe 2306. The baffle is a semi-circular baffle, and multiple baffles are arranged from bottom to top and fixed on the flow pipe 2306 respectively, with adjacent baffles installed in a staggered manner.

[0201] After the aforementioned liquid treatment tank is pressure tested and leak-proofed, it is filled with liquid treatment medium. This liquid treatment medium is mainly used to fully treat the electrolyte carried in the thermal runaway flue gas, so as to prevent the vaporized electrolyte from continuing to decompose and produce combustible gases, thereby reducing the content of combustibles (electrolyte and combustible gases) in the thermal runaway flue gas. The liquid treatment medium can specifically use the following substances:

[0202] First, the liquid treatment medium can be an organic solvent. Based on the principle of "like dissolves like," organic solvents can effectively treat the electrolyte carried in the thermal runaway flue gas, while also preventing the vaporized electrolyte from further decomposing. Specifically, these organic solvents can be ester solvents, alcohol solvents, or aldehyde solvents. Ester solvents can specifically include diethyl phthalate, methyl salicylate, ethyl acetate, or butyl acetate, etc.; alcohol solvents can specifically include benzyl alcohol, isoamyl alcohol, isobutanol, isopropanol, isooctanol, n-propanol, or cyclohexanol, etc.; and aldehyde solvents can include benzaldehyde, heptanal, phenylpropanal, or methylnonacetaldehyde, etc.

[0203] Secondly, the liquid treatment medium is an alkaline solution, specifically an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or barium hydroxide. The alkaline solution reacts with carbonates in the electrolyte, preventing the vaporized electrolyte from continuing to produce harmful gases, thus treating the thermal runaway gas at its source. Simultaneously, the alkaline solution cools the thermal runaway gas, fully dissolving the electrolyte vapors within it. Furthermore, the alkaline solution is highly effective at treating acidic substances such as CO2, POF3, and HF, enabling effective treatment of the thermal runaway gas.

[0204] In the two liquid treatment media mentioned above, the alkaline solution not only treats the electrolyte in the thermal runaway flue gas, preventing the vaporized electrolyte from continuing to decompose, but also treats some of the gas. The amount of thermal runaway flue gas treated with this concentration of alkaline solution is significantly reduced. Therefore, the alkaline solution is more effective than organic solvents in its treatment.

[0205] Generally, higher concentrations of alkaline solutions result in better treatment of thermal runaway flue gas. However, the inventors have discovered that lower concentrations of alkaline solutions are more effective than higher concentrations, especially alkaline solutions of 0.05–0.5 mol / L. When thermal runaway flue gas passes through an alkaline solution of this concentration, the amount of gas collected is minimal, and the treatment effect is superior to that of alkaline solutions with concentrations above 0.5 mol / L. Therefore, by overcoming the biases of existing technologies, using low-concentration alkaline solutions to treat thermal runaway flue gas enables effective treatment of the gas.

[0206] The following uses NaOH solution as an example to conduct a large number of battery thermal runaway tests. After comparing the treatment effects of water and NaOH solutions of different concentrations on thermal runaway flue gas, it was found that the gas volume collected after treatment with 0.05-0.5 mol / L NaOH solution was the smallest, the effect after treatment with 0.1-0.2 mol / L NaOH solution was significant, and the effect after treatment with 0.1 mol / L NaOH solution was the best.

[0207] When thermal runaway flue gas is introduced into a NaOH solution, the NaOH solution reacts with the electrolyte, CO2, POF3, and HF, among other acidic substances, in the flue gas. For example, the ester in the electrolyte reacts with the NaOH solution: CHOOCR + NaOH = RCOONa + CHOH; CO2 reacts with the NaOH solution: 2NaOH + CO2 = Na2CO3 + H2O; subsequently, CO2 also undergoes the reaction: Na2CO3 + CO2 + H2O = 2NaHCO3; POF3 reacts with the NaOH solution: POF3 + 2NaOH = NaPF2O2 + NaF + H2O; HF reacts with the NaOH solution: NaOH + HF = NaF + H2O. Through these reactions, the volume of the thermal runaway flue gas is significantly reduced.

[0208] Table 1. Unprocessed runaway data of fully charged 32650 batteries

[0209]

[0210]

[0211] Table 2 Results of treatment with NaOH solutions of different concentrations

[0212]

[0213]

[0214] Based on the above experimental data, it was found that the volume of gas collected after the thermal runaway of a fully charged 32650 battery without any treatment was 4L. When the thermal runaway gas from a fully charged 32650 battery was passed through a NaOH solution with a concentration of 0.5 mol / L or higher, the collected gas volume was generally greater than 2L, indicating unsatisfactory treatment results. After passing the thermal runaway gas from a fully charged 32650 battery through a NaOH solution with a concentration of 0.05–0.5 mol / L, the gas volume was significantly smaller, all below 2L. Treatment with 0.1–0.2 mol / L sodium hydroxide showed significant effects, with the smallest collected gas volume (approximately 1L) after treatment with 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide, demonstrating the best effect. Therefore, a 0.05–0.5 mol / L NaOH solution has a good treatment effect on the thermal runaway gas from a battery.

[0215] like Figure 21As shown, the flue gas treatment unit in this embodiment may also include a solid treatment device. As can be seen from the above test results, an alkaline solution of a certain concentration can effectively treat thermal runaway flue gas, thereby significantly reducing the volume of the treated thermal runaway flue gas. On this basis, a solid treatment device can be used to treat the remaining gas, so that the treated thermal runaway flue gas is completely non-combustible.

[0216] from Figure 21 As can be seen, the solid-state treatment device is located at the rear end of the liquid-state treatment device and is used to treat the thermal runaway flue gas after the liquid-state treatment device has processed it. This solid-state treatment device includes at least one solid-state treatment tank 231. The number of solid-state treatment tanks 231 can be set according to the number and requirements of the battery modules in the energy storage device. If there are multiple solid-state treatment tanks, they can be connected in series. In this case, the flue gas inlet of the first solid-state treatment tank is connected to the flue gas outlet of the last liquid-state treatment tank in the liquid-state treatment device. The specific structure of the solid-state treatment tank is similar to that of the liquid-state treatment tank; its interior is filled with a solid adsorption medium for treating the thermal runaway flue gas after the liquid-state treatment tank has processed it.

[0217] The solid adsorption medium in the aforementioned solid treatment tank can specifically be activated carbon, graphene, carbon nanotubes, graphite, alumina, montmorillonite, silicates, phosphates, or porous glass, etc., used to treat residual gases after liquid treatment, for example, adsorbing excess H2, CO, methane, ethylene, etc. Preferably, activated carbon is selected as the solid adsorption medium due to its relatively low cost and excellent treatment effect. Generally, activated carbon with a high iodine value or modified activated carbon is selected. This type of activated carbon easily adsorbs low molecular weight gases in thermal runaway flue gas, for example, it easily reacts with hydrogen, methane, etc.

[0218] Table 3 Adsorption test results of NaOH solution combined with activated carbon

[0219]

[0220] Experimental data showed that using NaOH solution and activated carbon (PB-3 activated carbon from filter canister No. 1) was very effective in treating the thermal runaway gas from the battery. After multiple experiments, it was found that the thermal runaway gas from a fully charged 32650 battery was first treated with 1500 mL of 0.1 mol / L NaOH solution, and then adsorbed by 270 g of activated carbon. The collected gas volume was 0.3–0.5 L, and the collected gas was non-flammable.

[0221] In this embodiment, the flue gas treatment system introduces the thermal runaway flue gas generated by the thermal runaway of the battery module into a liquid treatment tank for treatment. The liquid treatment tank specifically treats the electrolyte and some gases carried in the battery thermal runaway flue gas, preventing the vaporized electrolyte from continuing to decompose and react to produce gas, thereby reducing the amount of thermal runaway gas produced. The subsequent solid treatment tank can complete the treatment of thermal runaway flue gas with a smaller amount of solid adsorption medium. At the same time, the treated gas is non-flammable, improving the safety of the energy storage device.

[0222] In some embodiments, the flue gas treatment unit may also include only a solid-state treatment device, where the thermal runaway flue gas generated by the battery module is directly transported to the solid-state treatment device through the flue gas manifold for treatment.

[0223] The flue gas treatment unit in this embodiment may further include an ignition device 2210. For example... Figure 21 As shown, the ignition device 2210 is located at the rear end of the liquid processing device or solid processing device, and performs controllable ignition treatment on the thermal runaway flue gas after processing by the liquid processing device or solid processing device. The ignition device 2210 can adopt the structure disclosed in Chinese patents CN220324645U, CN219453979U, CN218523576U, CN218498146U, CN218414927U, etc.

[0224] In some embodiments, the flue gas treatment unit may also include only an ignition device. The thermal runaway flue gas generated by the battery module is directly transported to the ignition device through the flue gas manifold, and the ignition device directly and individually ignites all the thermal runaway flue gas.

[0225] like Figure 21 As shown, the ignition device 2210 includes a flue gas pipeline 2321 and at least one set of ignition components. The flue gas pipeline 2321 is connected to the flue gas outlet 2304 of the Mth liquid treatment tank 2301 in the liquid treatment device 230 (taking the absence of a solid adsorption device as an example). The ignition components are connected to the flue gas pipeline 2321. The number of ignition components can be set according to requirements, and can be set to 1, 2, 3, or 4 sets, etc. Setting multiple sets not only ensures that the thermal runaway flue gas is fully ignited and reliable ignition is guaranteed, but also avoids the safety hazards caused by the inability to reliably ignite the thermal runaway flue gas when a single ignition component fails or malfunctions.

[0226] like Figure 21As shown, each ignition assembly includes an exhaust pipe 2322 and an igniter 2323 located at the outlet of the exhaust pipe 2322. The exhaust pipe 2322 is connected to the flue gas pipeline 2321 (when there are multiple ignition assemblies, the inlets of the exhaust pipes 2322 of all ignition assemblies are connected to the flue gas pipeline 2321). The igniter 2323 is activated when any battery module 52 experiences thermal runaway. Subsequently, the thermal runaway flue gas, after being treated by the liquid handling device 230, is transported to the exhaust pipe 2322 through the flue gas pipeline 2321, and the igniter 2323 ignites the thermal runaway flue gas discharged from the exhaust pipe 2322. The igniter 2323 can be activated by a trigger 2324 or by the BMS (Battery Management System). When activated by trigger 2324, which can be a sensor of different structures and can be installed inside the exhaust pipe 2322 or on the flue gas duct 2321, the trigger 2324 can detect parameters such as temperature, pressure, or gas volume fraction in real time. When these parameters exceed a set threshold, a signal is sent to activate igniter 2323. Specifically, trigger 2324 can be at least one of a pressure sensor, a gas sensor, or a temperature sensor. When activated by trigger 2324, a flame arrester 2325 can also be installed on the exhaust pipe 2322. The flame arrester 2325 is preferably a pipeline flame arrester 2325, used to prevent flames from propagating downwards through the exhaust pipe 2322 and damaging devices such as trigger 2324. When activated by BMS, the BMS monitors the voltage, current, and temperature of each battery module 52 in the energy storage device in real time. When any battery module 52 experiences thermal runaway, and the voltage, current, or temperature exceeds a threshold, igniter 2323 is activated.

[0227] The structure of the igniter 2323 can be varied. For example, it can be an existing arc igniter 2323 or a resistance wire igniter 2323. Specifically, the arc igniter 2323 can be a pulse igniter 2323. The power supply of the igniter 2323 can be dry cell batteries or AC power, depending on the site environment.

[0228] When the battery module 52 experiences thermal runaway, the thermal runaway flue gas generated by the thermal runaway of the battery module 52 enters the liquid treatment device 230 through the flue gas manifold. The liquid treatment device 230 treats the electrolyte and some gases carried in the thermal runaway flue gas. Subsequently, the ignition device 2210 performs controllable ignition treatment on the thermal runaway flue gas after it has been treated by the liquid treatment device 230, so as to reduce the safety hazards caused by the discharge of the thermal runaway flue gas.

[0229] In this embodiment, the flue gas treatment unit 22 may also include a buffer device, which is disposed between the flue gas manifold and the flue gas treatment unit 22 to buffer the thermal runaway flue gas entering the flue gas treatment unit 22.

[0230] like Figure 22As shown, the buffer device includes N buffer tanks 234, each buffer tank 234 having a smoke inlet 2341 and a smoke outlet 2342 communicating with its inner cavity; the flue gas inlet 2303 of the first liquid treatment tank 2301 is connected to the smoke outlet 2342 of the Nth buffer tank 234, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. Figure 22 The flue gas treatment unit 22 shown includes a buffer device, a liquid treatment device 230, and an ignition device 2210. The buffer device is located at the front end of the liquid treatment device 230, and the ignition device 2210 is located at the rear end of the liquid treatment device 230. In other embodiments, the buffer device may also be located at the front end of the ignition device 2210.

[0231] In the aforementioned buffer device, the number of buffer tanks 234 can be set according to the number and requirements of the battery modules 52. If there are multiple buffer tanks 234, they can be connected in series through connecting pipes 2302. The shape of the buffer tank 234 is not limited and can be a rectangular tank, a circular tank, or an elliptical tank, etc. A circular tank is preferred because it has good pressure-bearing performance.

[0232] In this embodiment, there is one buffer tank 234. The buffer tank 234 is an empty tank, which is not filled with any material. It is located between the flue gas manifold and the flue gas treatment unit 22, and mainly has the following functions:

[0233] First, buffer the thermal runaway flue gas;

[0234] A buffer tank 234 is installed in front of the flue gas treatment unit 22. The buffer tank 234 buffers the thermal runaway flue gas, slows down the speed of the thermal runaway flue gas, and reduces the pressure of the thermal runaway flue gas, so that the thermal runaway flue gas enters the liquid treatment tank 2301 or the ignition device 2210 at a relatively stable flow rate. The liquid treatment medium can treat the thermal runaway flue gas more fully. Alternatively, when the thermal runaway flue gas is ignited by the ignition device 2210, the combustion flame is more stable, avoiding the defect that the thermal runaway flue gas with a large instantaneous pressure can quickly pass through the liquid treatment medium and cannot be fully treated, thus improving the treatment effect of the liquid treatment medium.

[0235] Second, collect the electrolyte in the thermal runaway flue gas;

[0236] The battery module 52 with the shared chamber contains a certain amount of free electrolyte. When the battery module 52 experiences thermal runaway, the free electrolyte is ejected along with the thermal runaway fumes. Especially when the explosion relief zone is located at the bottom of the outer casing 1, almost all the free electrolyte inside the shared chamber is ejected along with the thermal runaway fumes. A buffer tank 234 is installed in front of the liquid treatment device 230. The buffer tank 234 buffers the thermal runaway fumes and performs gas-liquid separation on the thermal runaway fumes, so that the electrolyte carried by the thermal runaway fumes is collected in the buffer tank 234, thereby reducing the amount of liquid treatment medium used in the subsequent liquid treatment device 230.

[0237] When the battery module 52 experiences thermal runaway, almost all the free electrolyte inside the battery module 52 is ejected with the thermal runaway flue gas. The electrolyte and combustible gas are ignited together. At this time, the liquid electrolyte carried in the thermal runaway flue gas may cause hazards such as flame splashing when burning. At the same time, when the thermal runaway flue gas is ignited, the electrolyte and combustible gas in the thermal runaway flue gas participate in combustion simultaneously, producing a large number of combustion flames. A large number of combustion flames may affect the devices near the ignition device 2210, posing a certain safety hazard. A buffer tank 234 is installed in front of the ignition device 2210. The buffer tank 234 buffers the thermal runaway flue gas and performs gas-liquid separation on the thermal runaway flue gas, so that the electrolyte carried by the thermal runaway flue gas is collected in the buffer tank 234. This not only prevents the vaporized electrolyte from continuing to decompose and produce combustible gas, thus reducing the amount of combustible gas, but also ensures that when the thermal runaway flue gas is ignited, only the combustible gas burns (the electrolyte has been collected by the buffer tank 234), thus reducing the size of the flame when the thermal runaway flue gas is ignited and reducing the safety hazards to the surrounding environment.

[0238] Third, remove impurities from the thermal runaway flue gas;

[0239] When the battery module 52 experiences thermal runaway, the internal temperature of each individual battery cell 23 is approximately between 140°C and 850°C. At this temperature, easily fusible components such as separators, plastic films, and plastic parts inside the individual battery cell 23 are melted by the high temperature. The molten material is ejected from the battery cavity along with the high-temperature and high-pressure thermal runaway flue gas. As it flows through the flue gas manifold to the subsequent thermal runaway flue gas treatment device, the molten material gradually solidifies and clumps as the temperature of the thermal runaway flue gas decreases, which can easily block the pipes in the flue gas treatment unit 22. At this time, by adding the buffer tank 234, the impurities such as molten material discharged with the thermal runaway flue gas will be deposited and collected in the buffer tank 234 when the thermal runaway flue gas is buffered in the buffer tank 234, thus avoiding the problem of blockage in the subsequent pipes.

[0240] Fourth, collect the backflushed liquid treatment medium;

[0241] When the battery module 52 experiences thermal runaway, the instantaneously ejected thermal runaway flue gas has a high pressure. This high-pressure thermal runaway flue gas enters the liquid treatment tank 2301 through the flue gas manifold. Since the liquid treatment tank 2301 is filled with liquid treatment medium and has a diversion section 2307, the thermal runaway flue gas cannot be discharged from the liquid treatment tank 2301 in time, and pressure buildup occurs in the liquid treatment tank 2301. At this time, the following phenomenon may occur: the liquid treatment medium in the liquid treatment tank 2301 is backflushed into the flue gas manifold by the high-pressure gas in the liquid treatment tank 2301, and the flue gas manifold becomes blocked, causing the subsequent thermal runaway flue gas to be unable to be discharged smoothly into the liquid treatment tank 2301 through the flue gas manifold.

[0242] A buffer tank 234 is added in front of the liquid treatment tank 2301. When the liquid treatment medium in the liquid treatment tank 2301 is backflushed, the liquid treatment medium is backflushed and collected in the buffer tank 234 in front, and will not flow into the flue gas manifold, thereby avoiding the blockage problem of the flue gas manifold, so that the thermal runaway flue gas can be smoothly discharged to the liquid treatment device 230 for treatment.

[0243] like Figure 22 As shown, the buffer tank 234 is provided with a smoke inlet 2341 and a smoke outlet 2342 communicating with its inner cavity. The smoke inlet 2341 is mainly used to connect with the flue gas manifold, which transports the thermal runaway flue gas generated by the thermal runaway of the battery module 52 to the buffer tank 234. The smoke outlet 2342 is mainly used to discharge the thermal runaway flue gas in the buffer tank 234. The aforementioned smoke inlet 2341 and smoke outlet 2342 can be specifically set on the side wall of the buffer tank 234 or on the top of the buffer tank 234. In this embodiment, both the smoke inlet 2341 and the smoke outlet 2342 are set on the top of the buffer tank 234. Setting the smoke inlet 2341 on the top of the buffer tank 234 has two advantages: first, it allows the solid impurities and electrolyte carried by the thermal runaway flue gas to be deposited at the bottom of the buffer tank 234 under the action of gravity; second, it makes it difficult for the liquid in the buffer tank 234 to be squeezed into the flue gas manifold in front through the smoke inlet 2341 at the top. Setting the smoke outlet 2342 on the top of the buffer tank 234 has two advantages: first, it prevents the solid impurities and electrolyte carried by the thermal runaway flue gas from being discharged smoothly; second, it allows the gas in the thermal runaway flue gas to be discharged smoothly from the buffer tank 234.

[0244] In addition, a drain valve can be installed at the bottom of the buffer tank 234 to promptly discharge the liquid inside. To facilitate the standardization and integration of energy storage equipment, the buffer tank 234 can adopt a structure similar to that of the liquid handling tank 2301.

[0245] refer to Figure 22The flue gas treatment system in this embodiment may also include at least one safety device (each safety device includes a safety pipeline 2220 and a safety emission unit 2230).

[0246] If the flue gas treatment system lacks safety devices, the following problems may occur:

[0247] First, if multiple battery modules 52 experience thermal runaway simultaneously, the excessive pressure of the thermal runaway flue gas may cause the explosion relief section of the battery module 52 to open in reverse, affecting the battery modules 52 that have not experienced thermal runaway and creating a safety hazard. Alternatively, it may damage the seal at the connection of the flue gas manifold, causing leakage in the flue gas manifold and creating a safety hazard.

[0248] Secondly, because the liquid treatment tank 2301 is filled with liquid treatment medium and has a diversion section 2307, thermal runaway flue gas cannot be discharged from the liquid treatment tank 2301 in time. The thermal runaway flue gas accumulates and is suppressed in the flue gas manifold. When the pressure is too high, it will open the explosion relief section of the battery module 52 in the reverse direction, affecting the battery module 52 that has not experienced thermal runaway, creating a safety hazard. Alternatively, it may damage the seal at the connection of the flue gas manifold, causing leakage in the flue gas manifold, creating a safety hazard.

[0249] Based on this, the energy storage device in this embodiment may also include at least one safety device, which can discharge the thermal runaway flue gas through the safety device when the thermal runaway flue gas pressure in the flue gas manifold is too high, so as to avoid the safety hazards caused by excessive pressure in the flue gas manifold and improve the safety of the energy storage device.

[0250] like Figure 22 As shown, each safety device includes a safety conduit 2220 and a safety discharge section 2230. The inlet of the safety conduit 2220 is connected to the flue gas manifold or buffer tank 234, and the outlet is connected to the external environment. Alternatively, the outlet of the safety conduit 2220 is connected to the flue gas outlet 2304 of the Mth liquid handling tank 2301, or the outlet of the safety conduit 2220 is connected to the flue gas outlet 2304 of the last solid handling tank 231, or the outlet of the safety conduit 2220 is connected to the flue gas conduit 2321 of the ignition device 2210. The safety discharge section 2230 is installed on the safety conduit 2220, and its opening pressure is less than the opening pressure of the explosion vent of the battery module 52. This safety device is used to discharge thermal runaway flue gas from the safety pipeline 2220 when the pressure of thermal runaway flue gas in the flue gas manifold is too high and a safety hazard is generated. This is to prevent the thermal runaway flue gas from affecting the battery modules that have not experienced thermal runaway, or from affecting the sealing of the flue gas manifold connection, thereby improving the safety of the energy storage device during use.

[0251] The aforementioned safety emission section 2230 can be implemented using the following structures: First, it employs a diaphragm or diaphragm valve; the diaphragm or diaphragm valve is installed on the safety pipeline 2220; Second, it employs a safety valve that can open under a set pressure; this safety valve can be a pressure valve that can automatically open under a certain pressure; this pressure valve has a set opening threshold, and when the pressure in the flue gas manifold exceeds this threshold, the pressure valve automatically opens, ensuring high reliability. Furthermore, the installation of the safety valve is relatively convenient; Third, it employs a pressure measuring device and a control valve; the pressure measuring device is used to monitor the pressure of the gas in the flue gas manifold, and opens the control valve when the gas pressure in the flue gas manifold exceeds the threshold. Specifically, the pressure measuring device can be a pressure sensor, and the control valve is a solenoid valve. This solenoid valve is signal-connected to the pressure measuring device, and the pressure measuring device controls the opening of the solenoid valve based on the pressure in the flue gas manifold.

[0252] Combination Figure 16 and Figure 23 In this embodiment, the fire safety system 2 may further include a secondary fire-fighting unit 021, which mainly includes a fire-fighting device 24 and a fire-fighting pipeline 25. The fire-fighting device 24 stores fire extinguishing materials, and the fire-fighting pipeline 25 is used to transport the fire extinguishing materials in the fire-fighting device 24 to the energy storage device's housing. The inlet of the fire-fighting pipeline 25 is connected to the fire-fighting device 24, and the outlet is located inside the energy storage device's housing.

[0253] In this embodiment, at least one fire extinguishing agent nozzle is installed on the fire-fighting pipeline 25. The fire extinguishing agent nozzle is located on the top of the energy storage device's enclosure. The fire extinguishing agent is sprayed through the fire extinguishing agent nozzle to ensure that the fire extinguishing agent can cover all battery modules 52. The aforementioned fire-fighting device 24 stores a certain amount of fire extinguishing agent, specifically perfluorohexanone, heptafluoropropane, aerosol, water, etc. At the same time, a control valve is installed at the outlet of the fire-fighting device 24. The control valve is activated by the BMS or by a sensor installed inside the energy storage device's enclosure. When activated by the sensor, the sensor includes at least two of the following: a temperature sensor, a gas sensor, and a smoke detector. The sensors monitor the environment inside the energy storage device's enclosure in real time and open the control valve based on the detection data.

[0254] When battery module 52 experiences thermal runaway, the primary fire suppression unit 020 can extract and treat the thermal runaway fumes, preventing their thermal propagation and avoiding the possibility of other batteries or even the entire energy storage device exploding due to thermal propagation from a single battery module 52. It also prevents the accumulation of high-temperature, high-pressure gases in a confined space, thus avoiding potential hazards. If thermal runaway fumes are present inside the energy storage device's enclosure, the secondary fire suppression unit 021 activates, spraying extinguishing agents onto the thermal runaway fumes and burning / exploding batteries inside the enclosure to further prevent further thermal runaway. The primary and secondary fire suppression units 020 and 021 can cool and extinguish the thermal runaway batteries as needed, significantly improving the safety of the energy storage device.

[0255] Combination Figure 16 He Ru Figure 23 The fire safety system 2 in this embodiment may further include a three-level fire-fighting unit 022. The three-level fire-fighting unit 022 includes a fire sprinkler pipe 26 and at least one water mist nozzle 27 installed on the fire sprinkler pipe 26. The inlet of the fire sprinkler pipe 26 is used to connect to an external fire water pipe, and the water mist nozzle 27 is installed on the top of the energy storage device's enclosure. This fire sprinkler pipe 26 can cooperate with the two-level fire-fighting unit 021 to extinguish multiple batteries in the event of thermal runaway and large-scale fire. Alternatively, after the extinguishing agent in the two-level fire-fighting unit 021 is depleted, the three-level fire-fighting unit 022 can be activated to continue extinguishing the battery modules 52, further enhancing the safety of the entire energy storage device. In other embodiments, the fire safety system 2 may not include a three-level fire-fighting unit 022; or, when the extinguishing agent in the two-level fire-fighting unit 021 is water, the three-level fire-fighting unit 022 is a fire water connector installed on the fire pipe 25, which is used to connect to an external fire water pipe.

[0256] The working principle of the above-mentioned fire safety system 2 is as follows:

[0257] When the battery modules 52 inside the energy storage device are working normally, the primary fire suppression unit 020, the secondary fire suppression unit 021, and the tertiary fire suppression unit 022 are all inactive. When a battery module 52 experiences thermal runaway, the thermal runaway flue gas generated by the thermal runaway is transported to the flue gas treatment unit 22 through the flue gas manifold for treatment. When the flue gas manifold leaks or the flue gas treatment device fails, and thermal runaway flue gas exists inside the energy storage device, or when the battery module 52 burns or explodes, the secondary fire suppression unit 021 is activated, and the fire suppression device 24 sprays extinguishing material through the fire suppression pipeline 25. The extinguishing material prevents the thermal runaway flue gas from igniting open flames or extinguishes the already burned or exploded battery. If the fire cannot be controlled after the secondary fire suppression unit 021 is activated, the tertiary fire suppression unit 022 connects to the external fire water supply and uses water mist nozzles 27 to extinguish the fire. Or, if multiple battery modules 52 simultaneously experience thermal runaway and a large open flame, the secondary fire-fighting unit 021 and the tertiary fire-fighting unit 022 will be activated simultaneously to begin extinguishing the fire.

[0258] It should be noted that when the secondary fire protection unit 021 and the tertiary fire protection unit 022 are activated, the ignition device 2210 in the primary fire protection unit 020 will not work.

Claims

1. An energy storage device, characterized in that: Includes a fire safety system and at least one battery pack component; The fire safety system includes a primary fire protection unit, which includes a smoke manifold and a smoke treatment unit. The smoke manifold is used to transport the thermal runaway smoke generated by each battery pack component to the smoke treatment unit, which is used to treat the thermal runaway smoke. Each battery pack assembly includes a venting manifold and at least one battery module; Each battery module includes a housing and n battery cells; the n battery cells are arranged along the y-direction inside the housing. Each battery unit includes a second hollow component and m individual cells; the m individual cells are arranged along the x-direction; where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1; and m is an integer greater than 1. The second hollow component extends along the x-direction, covering the explosion venting sections of the m individual batteries, and the inner cavity of the second hollow component serves as a thermal runaway flue gas confluence channel, communicating with the explosion venting sections of the m individual batteries. Part of the second hollow component extends out of the outer shell, serving as the exhaust end for thermal runaway flue gas; In each battery pack assembly, the thermal runaway smoke exhaust end of each battery module is connected to the explosion relief manifold, and the outlet end of the explosion relief manifold is connected to the smoke manifold of the primary fire protection unit.

2. The energy storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each battery cell also includes a first hollow component assembly; the inner cavity of the first hollow component assembly serves as a heat exchange medium flow channel; the liquid inlet and liquid outlet of the first hollow component assembly extend out of the outer shell; the first hollow component assembly includes a first sub-hollow component and a second sub-hollow component; the first sub-hollow component is a conductive component, connected to the polarity terminal of each individual battery cell to realize the electrical connection of each individual battery cell; the second sub-hollow component is an insulating component, connected between two adjacent first sub-hollow components.

3. The energy storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first hollow component has hot-melt connectors fixed at both ends, and the hot-melt connectors are connected to the second hollow component by hot-melt.

4. The energy storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each individual cell has a through slot on its polarity terminal, and each segment of the first hollow component is inserted into the through slot of the polarity terminal of two adjacent individual cells with different polarities.

5. The energy storage device according to claim 4, characterized in that: A metal conductive and heat-conducting layer is provided between the outer tube wall of the first hollow component and the through groove of the polar terminal.

6. The energy storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each battery module also includes a third electrical connection board connected to the polarity terminals of each individual battery cell.

7. The energy storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner wall of the first hollow component is provided with heat dissipation teeth.

8. The energy storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second hollow component has m second through holes, each of which corresponds to one of the m individual cells. The projection of each second through hole onto the cover plate of the corresponding individual cell completely covers the explosion venting part on the cover plate. The inner cavity of the second hollow component is connected to the explosion venting parts of the m individual cells through the m second through holes.

9. The energy storage device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The second hollow component is a split piece, including a flexible base plate and a first half-tube with a U-shaped cross-section; m second through holes are opened on the flexible base plate; the flexible base plate is fixedly connected to the cover plate of each individual battery; the first half tube is fastened on the flexible base plate and sealed and fixed to the flexible base plate. or, The second hollow component is a split part, including a second half tube with a U-shaped cross section and a second top plate for sealing the open end of the top of the second half tube; m second through holes are opened on the bottom plate of the second half tube; the edge of each second through hole is welded to the top cover plate of the corresponding single cell, and the second top plate is welded to the second half tube for sealing. or, The second hollow component is a split part, including a second half tube with a U-shaped cross-section and a second top plate for sealing the open end of the top of the second half tube; m second through holes are opened on the bottom plate of the second half tube; Each individual battery cell has a venting branch pipe on its top cover, and the projection of the venting branch pipe onto the top cover completely covers the venting section on the top cover. The free end of the explosion relief branch pipe passes through the corresponding second through hole on the bottom plate of the second half pipe and extends into the inner cavity of the second half pipe; the wall of the explosion relief branch pipe is welded and sealed with the wall of the second through hole; the second top plate is welded and sealed with the second half pipe.

10. The energy storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An insulating separator is provided between adjacent individual cells; the outer casing is made of metal; it also includes an insulating plate; the insulating plate is placed between the n cell units and the outer casing.

11. The energy storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An insulating sealant layer is laid between each individual battery cell and the outer casing.

12. The energy storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The flue gas treatment unit includes at least one of a liquid treatment device, a solid treatment device, a flue gas cooling device, and an ignition device; The liquid handling unit is mainly used to treat the electrolyte and gas in thermal runaway flue gas; Flue gas cooling devices are mainly used for cooling thermal runaway flue gas; The solids processing unit is mainly used for adsorption treatment of gases in thermal runaway flue gas; The ignition device is used to ignite the thermal runaway flue gas.

13. The energy storage device according to claim 12, characterized in that: The flue gas treatment unit includes a liquid treatment device, which includes M liquid treatment tanks. Each liquid treatment tank is equipped with a flue gas inlet and a flue gas outlet. The first to the (M-1)th liquid treatment tanks are filled with liquid treatment medium, and the Mth liquid treatment tank is empty. Here, M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

14. The energy storage device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The flue gas treatment unit also includes an ignition device; the ignition device is connected to the flue gas outlet of the Mth liquid treatment tank and is used to ignite the thermal runaway flue gas treated by the liquid treatment device.

15. The energy storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The primary fire protection unit also includes a buffer device, which includes at least one buffer tank. The buffer tank has a smoke inlet and a smoke outlet communicating with its inner cavity. The buffer device is located between the smoke manifold and the smoke treatment unit and is used to buffer the thermal runaway smoke.

16. The energy storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The fire safety system also includes a secondary fire protection unit, which includes fire protection devices and fire protection pipelines. The fire protection devices contain fire extinguishing substances, and the fire protection pipelines are used to transport the fire extinguishing substances in the fire protection devices to the energy storage equipment.

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