Battery packs and vehicles

Abstract

This application provides a battery pack and a vehicle. The battery pack includes a cell assembly, a thermoelectric assembly, and a terminal cold plate. The thermoelectric assembly includes a busbar and an insulating pad. The cell assembly includes a terminal and a pressure relief valve disposed on its first side. The terminal cold plate is disposed on the first side of the cell assembly. The busbar is disposed on the first side of the cell assembly. The insulating pad is disposed on the busbar and the cell assembly, such that the busbar is disposed between the cell assembly and the insulating pad. The insulating pad includes a thermally conductive insulating portion extending along the busbar that contacts the busbar. The thermally conductive insulating portion contacts the terminal cold plate. The busbar contacts the terminal. The terminal cold plate has an opening at a position corresponding to the pressure relief valve. This battery pack enables heat transfer and electrical insulation between the terminal cold plate and the terminal, facilitating the flow of high-temperature material ejected from the pressure relief valve of the cell in the cell assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery system technology, and more specifically, to a battery pack and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] During the charging and discharging process of automotive battery packs, the terminals, as critical nodes for current input and output, generate a significant amount of Joule heat. If this heat cannot be dissipated in time, it can lead to excessively high local temperatures, accelerating the aging of seals, increasing connection resistance, and even triggering electrolyte leakage or thermal runaway risks. To achieve terminal cooling, battery packs typically incorporate terminal cooling plates.

[0003] The inventors know that the electrode cold plate is typically placed directly on top of the battery cell. Furthermore, the battery cell housing usually has a pressure relief valve for thermal runaway exhaust, which causes the cold plate body to cover the pressure relief valve.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this application, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One aspect of the technical problem to be solved by this application is how to achieve heat transfer and electrical insulation between the pole cold plate and the pole, and how to avoid obstructing the pressure relief valve.

[0006] In addition, other aspects of this application are also intended to solve or alleviate other technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] According to one aspect of this application, a battery pack is provided, comprising a cell assembly, a thermoelectric assembly, and a terminal cold plate. The thermoelectric assembly includes a busbar and an insulating pad. The cell assembly includes a terminal and a pressure relief valve disposed on a first side thereon. The terminal cold plate is disposed on the first side of the cell assembly. The busbar is disposed on the first side of the cell assembly. The insulating pad is disposed on the busbar and the cell assembly such that the busbar is disposed between the cell assembly and the insulating pad. The insulating pad includes a thermally conductive insulating portion extending along the busbar that contacts the busbar. The thermally conductive insulating portion contacts the terminal cold plate. The busbar contacts the terminal. The terminal cold plate has an opening at a position corresponding to the pressure relief valve.

[0008] Optionally, according to one embodiment of this application, the thermally conductive insulating parts are arranged parallel to each other at intervals, the insulating pad also includes a thermally insulating part, the thermally insulating part is adjacent to the thermally conductive insulating part and is arranged at intervals between the thermally conductive insulating parts, the thermally insulating part is arranged on the pressure relief valve, and the pole cold plate covers the thermally conductive insulating part.

[0009] Optionally, according to one embodiment of this application, the side of the thermal insulation portion facing the pole cold plate is higher than the side of the thermally conductive insulation portion facing the pole cold plate, and a protrusion facing the insulating pad is provided on the pole cold plate, the protrusion contacting the thermally conductive insulation portion.

[0010] Optionally, according to one embodiment of this application, the protrusion is configured to include an elastic arc surface that rises toward the thermally insulating portion, and the protrusion contacts the thermally insulating portion through the arc surface.

[0011] Optionally, according to one embodiment of this application, the battery pack includes a housing that accommodates at least a cell assembly, a thermoelectric assembly, and a terminal cold plate. The housing includes side walls and a cover, and an elastic element is provided on the side of the cover facing the terminal cold plate and / or on the side of the terminal cold plate facing the cover. The elastic element is compressed by the cover and the terminal cold plate and applies pressure to the terminal cold plate toward the insulating pad.

[0012] Optionally, according to one embodiment of this application, one side of the pole cold plate is bonded to one side of the thermally conductive insulating part, and the other side of the thermally conductive insulating part is bonded to the busbar.

[0013] Optionally, according to one embodiment of this application, the battery pack includes a housing that accommodates at least a cell assembly, a thermoelectric assembly, and a terminal cold plate. The housing includes a side wall and a cover. A smoke exhaust valve is provided on the side wall. A heat insulation part has a hole at a position opposite to the pressure relief valve. The heat insulation part is sealed to the cell assembly around the hole.

[0014] Optionally, according to one embodiment of this application, a smoke exhaust guide plate is provided on the pole cold plate, the smoke exhaust guide plate defining at least one flow channel extending toward the smoke exhaust valve.

[0015] Optionally, according to one embodiment of this application, the battery pack further includes a side cooling plate and a bottom cooling plate, the cell assembly includes rows of cells, the side cooling plate is arranged between two adjacent cell rows, a first thermally conductive insulating pad is arranged between the side cooling plate and the cell rows, the bottom cooling plate is arranged on the second side of the cell assembly opposite to the first side, and a second thermally conductive insulating pad is arranged between the bottom cooling plate and the cell assembly.

[0016] According to another aspect of this application, a vehicle is provided that includes the aforementioned battery pack.

[0017] The advantages of this application include at least the following: by arranging a thermally conductive insulating part between the terminal cold plate and the busbar in contact with the terminal, heat transfer and electrical insulation between the terminal cold plate and the terminal are achieved, so that the voltage of the terminal will not cause the terminal cold plate or coolant to become charged, while the terminal cold plate can exchange heat with the terminal, and by providing an opening on the terminal cold plate to facilitate the flow of smoke ejected from the pressure relief valve of the cell of the cell assembly, the pressure accumulation inside the battery pack is alleviated when thermal runaway occurs, which helps to discharge smoke to the outside of the battery pack. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the above and other features of this application will become apparent. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Furthermore, similar numbers in the drawings are used to denote similar components, wherein: Figure 1 An exploded view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 2 A perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 3 A partial cross-sectional view of a battery pack at the insulating pad according to one embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 4 A partial cross-sectional view of a battery pack at the insulating pad according to another embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 5 A partial cross-sectional view of a pole plate according to one embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 6 Shown in accordance with Figure 5 A partial cross-sectional view of the battery pack at the terminal cold plate when the terminal cold plate is in place; Figure 7 A perspective view of a pole plate according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0019] It is readily understood that, based on the technical solution of this application, those skilled in the art can propose various interchangeable structural methods and implementations without altering the essential spirit of this application. Therefore, the following detailed embodiments and accompanying drawings are merely illustrative examples of the technical solution of this application and should not be considered as the entirety of this application or as limitations or restrictions on the technical solution of this application.

[0020] The directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, back, front, back, top, and bottom mentioned or possibly used in this specification are defined relative to the structures shown in the accompanying drawings. These are relative concepts and may therefore vary depending on their location and usage. Therefore, these or other directional terms should not be interpreted as restrictive. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and similar expressions are used for descriptive and distinguishing purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying the relative importance of the corresponding components or the order of components or assembly sequence.

[0021] Reference Figure 1 This diagram shows an exploded view of a battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present application. The battery pack 10 includes a housing 110, a terminal cold plate 120, a thermoelectric assembly 130, a cell assembly 140, a side cold plate 150, a bottom cold plate 160, and a bottom insulation layer 170. The housing 110 includes a cover 111, a side wall 112, and a bottom protective plate 113. The housing 110 is capable of accommodating the terminal cold plate 120, the thermoelectric assembly 130, the cell assembly 140, the side cold plate 150, the bottom cold plate 160, and the bottom insulation layer 170. A smoke exhaust valve 114 and an electrical connector (not shown) are also provided on the side wall 112 of the housing 110. Coolant channels 101 (shown in the diagram) are provided in the terminal cold plate 120, the side cold plate 150, and the bottom cold plate 160. Figure 3 (in the middle), mainly used for cooling the battery cell assembly 140.

[0022] Thermoelectric assembly 130 includes busbar 133 (also referred to as "high voltage connection assembly" and "Basbar") and insulating pad 132. Insulating pad 132 includes thermally conductive insulation portion 135 and thermally insulating portion 136. Thermally conductive insulation portion 135 extends along busbar 133 (best shown in...). Figure 2 (Middle). The cell assembly 140 consists of rows of cell arrays 141. The upper side of the cell 142 in the cell array 141 (i.e., the first side of the cell assembly 140) has a terminal post 143 and a pressure relief valve 144. The pressure relief valve 144 is used to eject the gas, smoke, and / or liquid vapor (also referred to as "high-temperature substance" in this application) inside the cell 142 when the internal pressure of the battery pack 10 is abnormally high, so as to prevent the casing of the cell 142 from bursting or exploding. The cell assembly 140, the side cold plate 150, the bottom cold plate 160, and the bottom insulation layer 170 are arranged in the housing 110, and the relative positions between these components do not change when the battery pack 10 is subjected to vibration, shaking, or bumps. The busbar 133 is electrically connected to the terminal post 143, so that current can be conducted between the busbar 133 and the cell 142. Busbar 133 is electrically connected to an electrical connector on the side wall 112 of the enclosure, through which current flows into and out of the battery pack 10.

[0023] It should be understood that the above components can be arranged by means of bolt connection, riveting, snap connection, bonding, crimping, limit fit, etc., and the electrical connection of the above components can be achieved by means of laser welding, ultrasonic welding, soldering, electric welding, high temperature fusion welding, fastener connection, plug-in connection, etc.

[0024] Busbar 133 is arranged on the side of cell assembly 140 where terminal post 143 and pressure relief valve 144 are provided. Insulating pad 132 is arranged on busbar 133 and cell assembly 140, such that busbar 133 is arranged between cell assembly 140 and insulating pad 132 (best shown in Figure 3 In the middle), the insulating pad 132 covers the busbar 133 and the cell assembly 140, which enables electrical insulation between the terminal cold plate 120 and the busbar 133 (thereby achieving electrical insulation between the terminal cold plate 120 and the terminal 143) and electrical insulation between the high-temperature material and the cell assembly 140, so as to avoid the voltage of the busbar 133 causing the terminal cold plate 120 and / or the coolant in the terminal cold plate 120 to become charged, and to avoid the high-temperature material as an electrical conductor causing short circuits between cells.

[0025] In some embodiments, the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 is arranged in a continuous extension form along the direction of the busbar 133. This continuous extension form allows for full utilization of the area of ​​the side of the busbar 133 facing the pole cold plate 120 for heat transfer. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 is arranged in a spaced-out extension form along the direction of the busbar 133. Furthermore, since the busbars 133 are generally spaced apart and parallel to each other, the thermally conductive insulation portions 135 may also be arranged spaced apart and parallel to each other.

[0026] In the embodiments of this application, the bus 133 contacts the terminal 143 of the battery cell 142, the 133 contacts the thermally conductive insulating part 135, and the thermally conductive insulating part 135 contacts the terminal cold plate 120 (best shown in...). Figure 3 (in the middle), so that heat can be transferred between the busbar 133 and the terminal cold plate 120 through the thermally conductive insulation part 135, and because the contact between the busbar 133 and the terminal 143 is a thermally and electrically conductive contact, and the busbar 133 itself is both electrically and thermally conductive, so heat can be transferred between the terminal 143 and the terminal cold plate 120.

[0027] The terminal cold plate 120 has an opening 121 at a position corresponding to the pressure relief valve 144. This opening 121 provides a flow passage for the high-temperature material ejected by the pressure relief valve 144, facilitating its flow to the exhaust valve 114 on the side wall 112 and its discharge from the battery pack 10. Figure 1In this embodiment, the openings 121 are positioned directly above the pressure relief valve 144 of the cell 142. The openings 121 allow the electrode cold plate to not obstruct the ejection of high-temperature material from the pressure relief valve 144. Alternatively, in other embodiments not shown, the openings 121 may be positioned diagonally above the pressure relief valve 144; that is, the openings 121 may be positioned at an extension of the ejection direction of the pressure relief valve 144, or at any other location that facilitates the flow of high-temperature material ejected from the pressure relief valve 144. Figure 1 In one embodiment, the opening 121 is rectangular in cross-section along its extending direction, and the rectangular opening can accommodate common cell arrangement methods. Alternatively, in other embodiments not shown, the opening 121 can be any suitable shape, such as an oblique parallelogram or trapezoid, in cross-section along its extending direction. This shape can be determined based on factors such as the outer contour shape of the terminal cold plate 120, the arrangement of the cells 142, and the arrangement of the busbar 133. Figure 1 In one embodiment, the extension direction of the opening 121 is perpendicular to the side of the battery cell 142 with the pressure relief valve 144. This perpendicular extension direction can accommodate common battery cell arrangements, thereby further accommodating the common injection direction of the pressure relief valve 144. Alternatively, in other embodiments not shown, the extension direction of the opening 121 may be inclined relative to the side of the battery cell 142 with the pressure relief valve 144. That is, the extension direction of the opening 121 may be consistent with or inclined relative to the injection direction of the pressure relief valve 144. When the extension direction of the opening 121 is consistent with the injection direction of the pressure relief valve 144, it facilitates the flow of the high-temperature substance ejected by the pressure relief valve 144. When the extension direction of the opening 121 is inclined relative to the injection direction of the pressure relief valve 144, it can partially change the flow direction of the high-temperature substance, facilitating its flow toward the exhaust valve 114.

[0028] Reference Figure 2The diagram shows a perspective view of a battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present application, wherein the cover 111 and the terminal cold plate 120 are omitted in the view to clearly show the arrangement of the thermally conductive insulating portion 135 and the heat-insulating portion 136 of the insulating pad 132. The thermally conductive insulating portions 135 are arranged parallel to each other at intervals, and the heat-insulating portion 136 is adjacent to the thermally conductive insulating portion 135 and arranged between two adjacent thermally conductive insulating portions 135 (the arrangement of the thermally conductive insulating portions 135 has been described above). The heat-insulating portion 136 is arranged on the pressure relief valve 144, and the terminal cold plate 120 covers the thermally conductive insulating portion 135. In this embodiment, the battery cells 142 are arranged in rows to form battery cell rows 141, and the terminals 143 are arranged in rows on both sides of the upper side of the battery cell rows 141. Two adjacent battery cell rows 141 have two adjacent rows of terminals 143, thereby arranging two adjacent busbars 133. One of the spaced-apart thermally conductive insulating pads 135 is arranged on the two adjacent busbars 133. In the battery cell 142, the pressure relief valve 144 is located between the terminals 143 of the battery cell 142. The busbars 133 are arranged on and in contact with the terminals 143, while the thermally conductive insulating parts 135 are arranged along the busbars 133 and are not located on the pressure relief valve 144, thereby arranging the thermal insulation parts 136 arranged between two adjacent thermally conductive insulating parts 135 on the pressure relief valve 144. The width of the terminal cold plate 120 relative to the extension direction of the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 is greater than or equal to the width of the thermally conductive insulation portion 135, such that the terminal cold plate 120 completely covers the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 from above, isolating it from the space accessible by the pressure relief valve 144. This arrangement allows for the isolation of the high-temperature material ejected by the pressure relief valve 144 from the cell assembly 140 and / or busbar 133. In the event of thermal runaway of the cell 142, if the high-temperature material comes into thermal contact with the cell assembly 140 and / or busbar 133, it may damage the cell assembly 140, causing high-voltage arcing breakdown and / or electrical short circuit, resulting in a secondary electrical accident. If the high-temperature material comes into conductive contact with the cell assembly 140 and / or busbar 133, it may form an electrical circuit through the high-temperature material, causing a short circuit fault. The thermal insulation portion 136 can separate the high-temperature material from the cell assembly 140, eliminating or mitigating secondary electrical accidents. In addition, the thermal insulation part 136, together with the thermally conductive insulation part 135, achieves electrical insulation between the busbar 133 and the cell assembly 140 as a whole and the terminal cold plate 120.

[0029] In some embodiments, the thermally conductive insulating part 135 and the thermally insulating part 136 can be made of different materials. The thermally conductive insulating part 135 can be made of a high-temperature resistant thermally conductive material or a TC composite tape (Thermally Conductive Composite Tape), such as thermally conductive silicone material, silicone-free thermally conductive material, polyimide film-based thermally conductive insulating material, graphene-based thermally conductive material, ceramic thermally conductive material, mica material, mica composite material, etc. The TC composite tape can be made of acrylic thermally conductive material, organosilicon thermally conductive material, substrate-based thermally conductive material, etc. The thermally insulating part 136 can be made of mica material, mica composite material, aerogel material, aerogel composite thermally insulating material, glass fiber, ceramic insulating material, etc. In some embodiments, the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 and the thermally insulating portion 136 may be made of the same material. To meet the different heat transfer requirements of the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 and the thermally insulating portion 136, they may be configured to have different thicknesses in the direction of heat transfer. For example, the thickness of the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 may be less than or equal to the thickness of the thermally insulating portion 136. When the pressure relief valve 144 sprays high-temperature material, since the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 is covered by the electrode cold plate 120, almost no high-temperature material passes through the gap between the electrode cold plate 120 and the thermally insulating portion 136 to reach the thermally conductive insulation portion 135. Therefore, the low thermal resistance of the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 will prevent high-temperature material from damaging it and the busbar 133 and / or the cell assembly 140 below it. It should be understood that although in this embodiment the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 and the thermally insulating portion 136 are different parts of the same component with a connection between them, in other embodiments, the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 and the thermally insulating portion 136 may be different parts of the same component without a connection between them, or they may be different components. The above-described structure of the insulating pad 132 not only provides electrical insulation between the terminal cold plate 120 and the bus 133, and electrical insulation between the high-temperature material and the cell assembly 140, but also enables heat exchange between the terminal cold plate 120 and the terminal 143 while isolating heat from the high-temperature material with the high-thermal-resistance thermally insulating portion 136 and the low-thermal-resistance thermally conductive insulation portion 135.

[0030] Reference Figure 3This illustration shows a partial cross-sectional view of a battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present application at the insulating pad 132, showing an abutment arrangement of the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 and the thermally insulating portion 136. In this abutment arrangement, the abutment is located above the busbar, which facilitates the isolation of the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 and the terminal post 143 from the high-temperature material ejected by the pressure relief valve 144. Furthermore, the thermally insulating portion 136 is stacked on the side of the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 facing the terminal post cold plate 120, which further isolates the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 from the high-temperature material ejected by the pressure relief valve 144 by means of the thickness of the thermally insulating portion 136 forming a partial seal on the edge of the thermally conductive insulation portion 135. This partial seal is achieved by making there almost no gap between the terminal post cold plate 120 and the thermally insulating portion 136. The overlapping arrangement of the thermal insulation portion 136 and the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 at their adjacent locations helps to avoid gaps between them, which could affect the electrical insulation between the terminal cold plate 120 and the busbar 133, etc., which can be accessed through the gap. Furthermore, this overlapping arrangement allows the thermal insulation portion 136 to protect the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 from damage by high-temperature substances and also accommodates the manufacturing tolerances of the thermal insulation portion 136 and the thermally conductive insulation portion 135. In the illustrated embodiment, adjacent busbars 133 of two adjacent cell arrays 141 share the same thermally conductive insulation portion 135. In this case, because the high-temperature substances ejected by the pressure relief valve 144 are blocked by the terminal cold plate and cannot reach the adjacent busbars 133, the adjacent busbars 133 share the same thermally conductive insulation portion 135 to simplify the arrangement of the insulating pad 132.

[0031] Reference Figure 4 This illustration shows a partial cross-sectional view of the battery pack 10 according to another embodiment of this application at the insulating pad 132, showing another abutment arrangement between the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 and the thermally insulating portion 136. This abutment arrangement is similar to... Figure 3 The difference between this and the previous method of adjacency is that, in this method, the edges of the thermal insulation part 136 and the thermally conductive insulation part 135 are directly connected to each other. This direct connection reduces the total thickness at the adjacency point, making it easier to arrange in a limited space.

[0032] exist Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, the side of the thermal insulation portion 136 facing the pole cold plate 120 is higher than the side of the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 facing the pole cold plate, which is also the usual case. This is because, to achieve the thermal insulation function, the thickness of the thermal insulation portion 136 is usually greater than the thickness of the thermally conductive insulation portion 135. Figure 3The overlapping arrangement shown causes the thermal insulation portion 136 to be higher than the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 on the side facing the terminal cold plate 120. Normally, the terminal cold plate 120 contacts the insulating pad 132 planarly. This planar contact causes the terminal cold plate 120 to partially cross the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 above it via the higher thermal insulation portion 136, creating a gap between the terminal cold plate 120 and the thermally conductive insulation portion 135. Such a gap may reduce the rate of heat transfer between the terminal cold plate 120 and the thermally conductive insulation portion 135, which is detrimental to heat transfer between the terminal cold plate 120 and the cell terminal 143. (Refer again) Figure 3 The document also illustrates a terminal cold plate 120 of a battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment, the terminal cold plate 120 has a protrusion 122 facing the insulating pad 132. The protrusion 122 may have a stepped structure protruding from the side of the terminal cold plate 120 facing the insulating pad 132. The stepped structure may have a height greater than or equal to the height difference between the thermal insulation portion 136 and the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 facing the terminal cold plate 120. After arrangement, the side of the stepped structure facing the edge of the thermal insulation portion 136 has a gap greater than or equal to zero with the edge of the thermal insulation portion 136, allowing the lower surface of the protrusion 122 to extend into the recess formed by the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 and the thermal insulation portion 136 and to contact the thermally conductive insulation portion 135. This enables sufficient contact between the terminal cold plate 120 and the thermally conductive insulation portion 135, facilitating heat transfer between the terminal cold plate 120 and the cell terminal 143.

[0033] Continue to refer to Figure 3 The protrusion 122 of the electrode cold plate 120 can be two protrusions 122 extending along the busbar 133 on different cell blocks 141. By providing two protrusions 122 for contacting the busbar 133 on different cell blocks 141, the angle difference between the contact surfaces of the protrusion 122 and the busbar 133 (and the thermally conductive insulation part 135) caused by the deviation in the assembly position of the cell block 141 (which leads to the deviation in the assembly position of the busbar 133) can be reduced. That is, the bottom surface of the protrusion 122 is inclined relative to the upper surface of the busbar 133 (and the thermally conductive insulation part 135) because it is supported by two busbars 133 with a height difference. Providing two protrusions 122 is beneficial to sufficient contact between the protrusion 122 and the thermally conductive insulation part 135. Furthermore, this arrangement creates a recess between the two protrusions 122, which can accommodate other components such as sensors, wires, and side cooling plates extending above the busbars 122. It should be understood that although two protrusions 122 are shown in this embodiment, more protrusions 122 may be included if the solid portion between adjacent openings 121 of the pole plate 120 is used to cool more busbars 133. Alternatively, referring again... Figure 4 The solid portion between adjacent openings 121 of the pole cold plate 120 can simultaneously contact the busbars 133 on different cell arrays 141 with a protrusion 122.

[0034] Reference Figure 5 This image shows a partial cross-sectional view of an electrode cooling plate 120 according to one embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment, a stepped protrusion 122 on the electrode cooling plate 120 facing the insulating pad 132 may include a resilient arcuate surface 123 that rises toward the thermally insulating portion 135. (See also...) Figure 6 It shows according to Figure 5 A partial cross-sectional view of the battery pack 10 at the terminal cold plate 120 when the terminal cold plate 120 is in place. The protrusion 122 contacts the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 through the arc surface 123. Because the arc surface 123 bulges towards the thermally conductive insulation portion 135, the arc surface 123 contacts the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 with its protrusion (e.g., the middle portion). The two ends of the arc surface 123 can be higher than the thermal insulation portion 136, so that the height of the thermal insulation portion 136 above the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 does not hinder the contact between the terminal cold plate 120 and the thermally conductive insulation portion 135. Because the arc surface 123 is elastic, the contact point between the arc surface 123 and the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 is in a surface contact state due to deformation, thereby achieving a sufficient heat transfer contact area. Furthermore, since the arc surface 123 makes contact through elastic deformation, the protrusion 122 with the arc surface 123 can better accommodate such errors than the protrusion 122 with only a stepped structure when there are errors in the dimensions of the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 and the thermally insulating portion 136 relative to the electrode cold plate protrusion 122 (e.g., the dimensions of the thermally conductive insulation portion exposed toward the electrode cold plate after the arrangement is completed). This allows sufficient heat transfer contact area to be achieved on each cell 142.

[0035] In some embodiments, the protrusion 122 on the pole cooling plate 120 facing the insulating pad 132 may be a flexible arc surface 123. In some embodiments, the entire side of the pole cooling plate 120 facing the insulating pad 132 may be a flexible arc surface 123. It should be understood that the material of the protrusion 122 should have good thermal conductivity, and its material may be the same as or different from the material of the pole cooling plate 120. Furthermore, the protrusion 122 may be an integrally formed structure with the pole cooling plate 120, or it may be a component manufactured separately from the pole cooling plate 120.

[0036] In some embodiments, the cover 111 of the housing 110 has an elastic element (not shown) on the side facing the terminal cold plate 120. After the battery pack 10 is assembled, this elastic element is compressed by the cover 111 and the terminal cold plate 120, applying pressure to the terminal cold plate 120 towards the insulating pad 132. This pressure presses the terminal cold plate 120 against the insulating pad 132, ensuring sufficient contact between the terminal cold plate 120 and the thermally conductive insulating portion 135 in the insulating pad 132. Simultaneously, this pressure facilitates sufficient contact between the thermally conductive insulating portion 135 and the terminal 143, enabling sufficient heat transfer contact area between them. The elastic element can be multiple elastic elements distributed on the side of the cover 111 facing the terminal cold plate 120, ensuring sufficient contact between the terminal cold plate 120 and each contact portion of the insulating pad 132. This distribution can be uniform, ensuring that the terminal cold plate 120 contacts the insulating pad 132 with a uniform force distribution, avoiding uneven contact deformation that could lead to insufficient contact in certain areas. Alternatively, the distribution can be non-uniform, in which the elastic elements are sparsely distributed near the fixed connection of the terminal cold plate 120 and densely distributed away from the fixed connection, thereby reducing the number of elastic elements and lowering costs. Furthermore, the elastic element can also be a single elastic element located on the side of the cover 111 facing the terminal cold plate 120, in which case the elastic element can have a larger contact area with the terminal cold plate 120. Moreover, the implementation using a single elastic element can also be used when the number of cells 142 in the battery pack 10 is small and their distribution is relatively concentrated. It should be understood that the above distribution methods are only some embodiments and do not exclude the possibility of other embodiments. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the elastic element is located on the side of the terminal cold plate 120 facing the cover 111 of the housing 110, as if it were located on the cover 111. The elastic element can also be one or more elastic elements, and in the case of multiple elastic elements, the distribution can be uniform or non-uniform.

[0037] In some embodiments, one side of the terminal cold plate 120 is bonded to one side of the thermally conductive insulation portion 135, and the other side of the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 is bonded to the busbar 133. Thermally conductive adhesives, such as silicone thermally conductive adhesives, epoxy resin thermally conductive adhesives, polyurethane thermally conductive adhesives, acrylate thermally conductive adhesives, and non-silicone thermally conductive fixing adhesives, can be used for bonding. The thermally conductive adhesive is liquid or paste-like during the bonding process, which can fill the gaps between the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 and the terminal cold plate 120 and / or the thermally conductive insulation portion 135 caused by mismatched shapes of their mating surfaces, thus reducing the loss of heat transfer area. Alternatively, high-temperature resistant adhesives can also be used for the above bonding; even with a small thickness, the high-temperature resistant adhesive can still function as a heat transfer agent. High-temperature resistant adhesives include phenolic resin adhesives, polyimide adhesives, high-temperature epoxy resin adhesives, high-temperature silicone adhesives, silicate / phosphate-based adhesives, etc.

[0038] Refer again Figure 2 In some embodiments, the thermal insulation portion 136 of the insulating pad 132 has a hole 137 at a position opposite to the pressure relief valve 144, and the thermal insulation portion 136 is sealed to the battery cell 142 around the hole 137. The hole 137 on the thermal insulation portion 136 is positioned above the pressure relief valve 144, so that the nozzle of the pressure relief valve 144 is exposed to the space above the thermal insulation portion 136, allowing high-temperature substances ejected by the pressure relief valve 144 to enter this space without damaging the battery cell 142 itself. To achieve this sealed connection, the area around the hole 137 can be tightly attached to the area around the pressure relief valve 144 by adhesive and / or snap-fit, to prevent high-temperature substances from entering the gap between the insulating pad 132 and the battery cell 142 and damaging the battery cell 142, causing a secondary electrical accident. This adhesive can be achieved with a high-temperature resistant adhesive to facilitate the arrangement of the insulating pad 132. Alternatively, the engagement can also be achieved by a protrusion extending toward the hole 137 around the battery cell 142 and / or the pressure relief valve 144, which can form an interference fit with the hole 137 to form a sealed connection. It should be understood that the above-described methods of achieving the sealed connection are only some embodiments, and other embodiments are not excluded.

[0039] Reference Figure 7 This illustration shows a perspective view of an electrode cooling plate 120 according to another embodiment of this application. In this embodiment, a smoke exhaust guide plate 124 is provided on the electrode cooling plate 120, the smoke exhaust guide plate 124 defining at least one flow channel extending toward the smoke exhaust valve 114. Figure 6As shown, the exhaust guide plate 124 is located on the side of the terminal cold plate 120 facing the cover 111. After the battery pack is assembled, the flow channel can be defined by the exhaust guide plate 124, the cover 111, and the terminal cold plate 120. The exhaust guide plate 124 guides high-temperature substances entering the space between the terminal cold plate 120 and the cover 111 through the opening 121 of the terminal cold plate 120 toward the exhaust valve 114. This helps to reduce the pressure buildup inside the battery pack 10 during thermal runaway, helps to avoid local pressure buildup and irregular interference of high-temperature substances, facilitates the rapid discharge of high-temperature substances outside the battery pack 10, reduces the risk of impact and heat spread to adjacent cells 142, reduces the speed of thermal runaway spread inside the battery pack 10, and can extend the reaction time of occupants in the vehicle to thermal runaway of the battery pack 10. In some embodiments, the exhaust guide plate 124 may be disposed on the side of the electrode cold plate 120 facing the insulating pad 132 (not shown). In this case, the exhaust guide plate 124 further facilitates reducing the propagation rate of high-temperature material to the cells 142 on both sides of the thermal runaway cell 142. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the exhaust guide plate 124 may be disposed in the opening 121. In this case, the exhaust guide plate 124 may be disposed obliquely relative to the injection direction of the pressure relief valve 144 to change the flow direction of the high-temperature material and guide it further toward the exhaust valve 114. It should be understood that although the exhaust guide plate 124 in the figures is straight, the exhaust guide plate 124 may also be arc-shaped or a combination of arc and straight shapes.

[0040] Refer again Figure 1 In some embodiments, a first thermally conductive insulating pad is disposed between the battery cell array 141 and the side cold plate 150. The first thermally conductive insulating pad is in contact with the battery cell array 141 and the side cold plate 150 on both sides by bonding or pressing, thereby achieving electrical insulation between the battery cell array 141 and the side cold plate 150, and allowing heat to be transferred between the battery cell array 141 and the side cold plate 150 through the first thermally conductive insulating pad. A second thermally conductive insulating pad is disposed between the battery cell array 141 and the bottom cold plate 160. The second thermally conductive insulating pad is in contact with the battery cell array 141 and the bottom cold plate 160 on both sides by bonding or pressing, thereby achieving electrical insulation between the battery cell array 141 and the bottom cold plate 160, and allowing heat to be transferred between the battery cell array 141 and the bottom cold plate 160 through the second thermally conductive insulating pad. The thermally conductive contact between the cell 142 and the terminal cold plate 120, the bottom cold plate 160, and the side cold plates 150 on both sides of the cell 142 allows the cell 142 to be cooled through its four sides. Cooling the four sides of the cell 142 enhances the cooling performance of the cell assembly 140, which helps to keep the temperature of the cell 142 within a suitable range when the battery pack 10 is charged and discharged at high rates.

[0041] In summary, the battery pack and vehicle according to this application achieve heat transfer and electrical insulation between the terminal cold plate and the terminal by using a thermally conductive insulating part with an insulating pad placed between the busbar and the terminal cold plate. Furthermore, an opening is provided on the cold plate to facilitate the flow of high-temperature material ejected by the pressure relief valve, wherein the position of the opening corresponds to the position of the pressure relief valve.

[0042] It should be understood that all the above embodiments are exemplary and not restrictive, and any modifications or variations made by those skilled in the art to the specific embodiments described above under the concept of this application should be within the scope of legal protection of this application.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising a cell assembly, a thermoelectric assembly, and a terminal cold plate, wherein the thermoelectric assembly includes a busbar and an insulating pad, the cell assembly includes a terminal and a pressure relief valve disposed on a first side thereof, and the terminal cold plate is disposed on the first side of the cell assembly, characterized in that, The busbar is arranged on the first side of the cell assembly, and the insulating pad is arranged on the busbar and the cell assembly such that the busbar is arranged between the cell assembly and the insulating pad. The insulating pad includes a thermally conductive insulating portion extending along the busbar that contacts the busbar. The thermally conductive insulating portion contacts the terminal cold plate. The busbar contacts the terminal. The terminal cold plate has an opening at a position corresponding to the pressure relief valve.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thermally conductive insulating parts are arranged parallel to each other at intervals. The insulating pad also includes a thermally insulating part, which is adjacent to the thermally conductive insulating part and arranged between two adjacent thermally conductive insulating parts. The thermally insulating part is arranged on the pressure relief valve, and the pole cold plate covers the thermally conductive insulating part.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The side of the heat-insulating part facing the pole cold plate is higher than the side of the heat-conducting insulating part facing the pole cold plate. A protrusion facing the insulating pad is provided on the pole cold plate, and the protrusion is in contact with the heat-conducting insulating part.

4. The battery pack according to claim 3, characterized in that, The protrusion is configured to include an elastic arcuate surface that rises toward the thermally conductive insulating portion, and the protrusion contacts the thermally conductive insulating portion through the arcuate surface.

5. The battery pack according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterized in that, The battery pack includes a housing that houses at least a cell assembly, a thermoelectric assembly, and a terminal cold plate. The housing includes side walls and a cover, and an elastic element is provided on the side of the cover facing the terminal cold plate and / or on the side of the terminal cold plate facing the cover. The elastic element is compressed by the cover and the terminal cold plate and applies pressure to the terminal cold plate toward the insulating pad.

6. The battery pack according to claim 3, characterized in that, One side of the pole cold plate is bonded to one side of the thermally conductive insulating part, and the other side of the thermally conductive insulating part is bonded to the busbar.

7. The battery pack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The battery pack includes a housing that accommodates at least a cell assembly, a thermoelectric assembly, and a terminal cold plate. The housing includes a side wall and a cover. A smoke exhaust valve is provided on the side wall. The thermal insulation part has a hole at a position opposite to the pressure relief valve. The thermal insulation part is sealed to the cell assembly around the hole.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, characterized in that, A smoke exhaust guide plate is provided on the pole cold plate, the smoke exhaust guide plate defines at least one flow channel, the flow channel extends toward the smoke exhaust valve.

9. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery pack further includes a side cooling plate and a bottom cooling plate. The cell assembly includes rows of cells. The side cooling plate is arranged between two adjacent rows of cells. A first thermally conductive insulating pad is arranged between the side cooling plate and the cell row. The bottom cooling plate is arranged on the second side of the cell assembly opposite to the first side. A second thermally conductive insulating pad is arranged between the bottom cooling plate and the cell assembly.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle includes a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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