Battery cluster and energy storage equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides a battery cluster and energy storage equipment, and mainly solves the problem that the existing energy storage equipment has potential safety hazards. The battery cluster comprises a supporting assembly, a heat transfer pipe assembly, a heat transfer plate assembly, a confluence assembly and n battery modules, the heat transfer plate assembly comprises m heat transfer plates; the heat transfer pipe assembly comprises n heat transfer pipes; the confluence assembly comprises a liquid inlet confluence pipe and a liquid return confluence pipe; the n heat transfer pipes are fixed on the clamping parts of the battery modules in a one-to-one correspondence manner; the liquid inlet end of each heat transfer pipe is connected with the liquid inlet collecting pipe, and the liquid outlet end of each heat transfer pipe is connected with the liquid return collecting pipe; the m heat transfer plates and the n battery modules are alternately arranged on the supporting assembly, the liquid inlet end of each heat transfer plate is connected with the liquid inlet collecting pipe, and the liquid outlet end of each heat transfer plate is connected with the liquid return collecting pipe. The combined treatment mode can effectively control the temperatures at different positions of the whole battery module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of batteries, in particular to a battery cluster and energy storage equipment. Background Art

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

[0003] Existing energy storage devices include an energy storage box and multiple battery modules located in the energy storage box. Each battery module is usually composed of multiple single cells connected in parallel or in series or in combination of series and parallel. Due to the high concentration of single cells in the battery module, a large amount of heat will be generated during the charging and discharging process, and the heat will gradually increase. If the generated heat is not released in time, the heat will accumulate, causing uneven battery temperature, thereby reducing the battery life. In severe cases, the thermal balance of the battery is destroyed, triggering a series of self-heating side reactions, and then causing battery safety accidents, and there are certain safety hazards. Summary of the invention

[0004] The utility model aims to provide a battery cluster and energy storage equipment to overcome the problem of potential safety hazards in existing energy storage equipment.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the technical solution provided by the utility model is:

[0006] A battery cluster comprises a support assembly, a heat transfer tube assembly, a heat transfer plate assembly, a manifold assembly and n battery modules; the heat transfer plate assembly comprises m heat transfer plates; the heat transfer tube assembly comprises n heat transfer tubes, wherein m and n are both integers greater than or equal to 1; the manifold assembly comprises a liquid inlet manifold and a liquid return manifold; a clamping portion is provided on the polarity terminal of the battery module, the n heat transfer tubes are fixed on the clamping portion of each battery module in a one-to-one correspondence, and the heat transfer tubes are insulated from each battery module; the liquid inlet end of each heat transfer tube is connected to the liquid inlet manifold, and the liquid outlet end of each heat transfer tube is connected to the liquid return manifold; the m heat transfer plates and the n battery modules are alternately arranged on the support assembly, the liquid inlet end of each heat transfer plate is connected to the liquid inlet manifold, and the liquid outlet end is connected to the liquid return manifold.

[0007] Furthermore, the clamping portion is a through slot or a through hole provided on the polarity terminal of each single battery.

[0008] Furthermore, the heat transfer tube is a metal tube, and the metal tube has at least one of an insulating layer and an insulating sleeve.

[0009] Furthermore, in the battery module, all the single battery polarity terminals located on one side serve as the first polarity terminals of the battery module, and all the single battery polarity terminals located on the other side serve as the second polarity terminals of the battery module; the heat transfer tube includes a first tube, a second tube and a connecting tube; the first tube is fixed in the through groove of the first polarity terminal of the battery module; the second tube is fixed in the through groove of the second polarity terminal of the battery module; and both ends of the connecting tube are respectively connected to the ports of the first tube and the second tube located on the same side.

[0010] Furthermore, the heat transfer plate is a rectangular hollow plate, the liquid inlet end and the liquid outlet end of the heat transfer plate are located on the same side of the rectangular hollow plate, and the liquid inlet end is located below the liquid outlet end.

[0011] Furthermore, the battery module includes an outer shell and a plurality of single cells arranged in the outer shell in the same direction; a shared chamber is provided in the outer shell, and the inner cavity of the shared chamber is connected to the inner cavities of all the single cells; avoidance holes are provided on the top plate of the outer shell corresponding to the polarity terminals of each single cell; the polarity terminals of each single cell extend out of the avoidance holes, and the top plate area of ​​the outer shell corresponding to the avoidance holes is fixedly sealed with the shell of the single cell.

[0012] Furthermore, an insulating sealant layer is laid on the top plate of the shell, and the liquid inlet end and the liquid outlet end of the heat transfer tube extend out of the insulating sealant layer.

[0013] Furthermore, an insulating protective cover is provided on the top of the shell, and polarity terminals of each single battery are located in the insulating protective cover.

[0014] Furthermore, the liquid inlet manifold and the liquid return manifold are embedded and installed in the support assembly.

[0015] The utility model also provides an energy storage device, including an energy storage box and multiple battery clusters arranged in the energy storage box, wherein the battery cluster is any of the battery clusters described above, the multiple battery clusters are stacked, and there are gaps between adjacent battery clusters as natural air cooling channels.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the utility model are:

[0017] 1. In the battery cluster of the utility model, a clamping part is provided at the polarity terminal of the battery module, and the heat transfer tube is fixed by the clamping part, so that the heat transfer tube is in direct contact with the polarity terminal of the battery module, and the heat of the polarity terminal where the heat is most concentrated is transferred to the outside for processing. This heat dissipation method realizes balanced heat dissipation of the top of the battery module, especially the polarity terminal. At the same time, m heat transfer plates and n battery modules are alternated, so that the heat at the battery module shell is transferred to the outside for processing through the heat transfer plate, which can effectively avoid heat accumulation between two adjacent battery modules. This combined processing method can simultaneously perform heat exchange with the battery module shell and the polarity terminal of the battery module, so that the temperature at different positions of the entire battery module can be effectively controlled, avoiding performance problems and safety problems caused by excessively high or low temperature of the battery module, which is of great significance to the safe and stable operation of the battery module.

[0018] 2. In the battery cluster of the utility model, the clamping part is a through groove or through hole opened on the polarity terminal of each single battery, and the heat transfer tube is arranged in the through groove or through hole, and directly contacts with the polarity terminal of each battery module, so that the heat transfer tube and the polarity terminal have a larger contact area, further improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0019] 3. In the battery cluster of the utility model, an insulating layer and an insulating sleeve are provided on the heat transfer tube, so that when the heat transfer tube and the battery module perform heat exchange, reliable insulation performance can be maintained, thereby improving the safety of the heat transfer tube and the battery module during use.

[0020] 4. In the battery cluster of the utility model, the heat transfer tube includes a spliced ​​pipe structure of a first pipe, a second pipe and a connecting pipe, and the spliced ​​pipe structure is easy to install.

[0021] 5. In the battery cluster of the utility model, the heat transfer plate is a rectangular hollow plate. At this time, the liquid inlet end of the heat transfer plate is arranged close to the electrolyte shared chamber, and the liquid outlet end is arranged close to the polarity terminal. Since the temperature of the heat transfer medium in the liquid inlet end is lower than the temperature of the heat transfer medium in the liquid outlet end, the heat transfer plate can timely and effectively cool the electrolyte in the electrolyte shared chamber. At the same time, since the heat at the top of the battery module has also been processed by the heat transfer tube, at this time, the liquid outlet end is arranged close to the polarity terminal, which can also ensure the temperature balance of different positions of the entire battery module.

[0022] 6. In the battery module of the battery cluster of the utility model, a plurality of single cells are placed inside a shell having a shared chamber, and the shared chamber is connected with the inner cavities of the single cells in the shell, so that the electrolyte and gas of each single cell are shared to ensure the consistency of each single cell, thereby reducing the difference between the electrolyte and gas of each single cell, improving the consistency between the single cells to a certain extent, and thus improving the cycle life of the battery module to a certain extent.

[0023] 7. In the battery module of the battery cluster of the utility model, an insulating sealant layer is laid on the top plate of the outer shell. When condensation is generated on the surface of the heat transfer tube on the polarity terminal, the condensation cannot penetrate into the gap between the polarity terminal and the avoidance hole due to the blocking of the insulating sealant layer, thereby preventing the battery from short-circuiting.

[0024] 8. In the battery module of the battery cluster of the utility model, an insulating protective cover is used to provide insulation protection for the polarity terminals, thereby avoiding the potential safety hazards of the polarity terminals being exposed during the operation of the battery module, and also avoiding the problem of some foreign objects in the external environment falling into the polarity terminal position causing a short circuit in the battery module, thereby improving the safety of the battery module.

[0025] 9. In the battery module of the battery cluster of the utility model, in addition, the liquid inlet manifold and the liquid return manifold are embeddedly installed on the outside of the supporting assembly. This installation method can not only isolate the battery module from the liquid inlet manifold and the liquid return manifold, avoiding the impact of leakage at the pipe joints on the battery module, but the embedded installation also improves the integration level of the entire battery cluster.

[0026] 10. The energy storage device of the utility model leaves a gap between the upper and lower layers of battery clusters as a natural air cooling channel, which can also ensure that the bottom of each battery module also has a good heat dissipation effect, reduce the volume of the energy storage device, reduce weight, and reduce costs.

[0027] Other advantages, objectives and features of the present invention will be embodied in part through the following description, and in part will be understood by those skilled in the art through research and practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery cluster in Example 1;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery cluster (support components omitted) in Example 1;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a partial exploded schematic diagram of the battery cluster (support assembly omitted) in Example 1;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the heat transfer tube assembly in Example 1;

[0032] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the battery module in Example 1;

[0033] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of the heat transfer tube in Example 1;

[0034] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of the heat transfer plate in Example 1;

[0035] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of the battery module (with an insulating sealant layer) in Example 2;

[0036] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery module in Example 2;

[0037] Fig.10 Schematic diagram of the structure of the battery module (with an insulating protective cover) in Example 2;

[0038] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the support frame in Example 3;

[0039] Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery module and the bracket in Example 3;

[0040] Fig.13 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the battery module and the bracket in Example 3;

[0041] Fig.14 Schematic diagram of the structure of the bracket in Example 3.

[0042] Figure numerals: 1-support assembly, 2-heat transfer tube assembly, 3-heat transfer plate assembly, 4-battery module, 5-collector assembly, 11-support frame, 12-bracket, 13-insulating gasket, 111-U-shaped frame, 112-crossbeam, 121-support member, 122-L-shaped bracket, 21-heat transfer tube, 211-first tube, 212-second tube, 213-connecting tube, 31-heat transfer plate, 311 -liquid inlet channel, 312-liquid return channel, 41-housing, 42-single battery, 43-polarity terminal, 44-insulating sealant layer, 45-insulating protective cover, 46-slit, 47-first electrical connector, 48-second electrical connector, 411-electrolyte shared chamber, 412-gas shared chamber, 413-avoidance hole, 431-clamping part, 51-liquid inlet manifold, 52-liquid return manifold. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the utility model more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the utility model are described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings of the specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the utility model, but not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary persons in the field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0044] The "other embodiments" that appear in different places in this specification do not all refer to the same embodiment, nor are they separate or selective embodiments that are mutually exclusive with other embodiments. In the description of this specification, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. In the description of this utility model, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically limited.

[0045] In the description of this specification, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the term "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate, or the internal communication of two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this utility model can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0046] At the same time, in the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "top, bottom, inside and outside" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0047] The existing energy storage device includes an energy storage box and multiple battery clusters arranged in the energy storage box. The multiple battery clusters are arranged in sequence in the energy storage box. Each battery cluster includes multiple battery modules. The multiple battery modules are connected in series, in parallel, or in series and parallel to meet different capacity requirements. The above-mentioned battery module refers to a battery module formed by connecting multiple single cells in parallel or in series. A shell is provided on the outside of the battery module for protecting the battery module.

[0048] The above energy storage devices generally have a thermal management system that controls the temperature of the battery module. During the charging and discharging process of the battery module, not only is the temperature inside the battery module high, but the temperature at the electrical connection of the battery module is also high. The existing thermal management system either processes the heat of the battery module shell or processes the heat at the polarity terminals of the battery module. This single processing method cannot timely process the heat generated by the entire battery module. The temperature of the battery module is not effectively controlled in a timely manner, and there are certain safety hazards.

[0049] Based on this, the utility model provides a battery cluster, which includes a support assembly, a heat transfer tube assembly, a heat transfer plate assembly, a confluence assembly, and a plurality of battery modules arranged on the support assembly, wherein the heat transfer tube assembly is mainly used for heat exchange with the polarity terminals of each battery module, and the heat transfer plate assembly is mainly used for heat exchange with the outer shell of each battery module. This combined heat treatment method that can simultaneously perform heat exchange with the outer shell of the battery module and the polarity terminals of the battery module effectively controls the temperature of different positions and regions of the entire battery module, thereby improving the safety of the battery cluster when in use.

[0050] Example 1

[0051] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the battery cluster provided in this embodiment includes a support assembly 1, a heat transfer tube assembly 2, a heat transfer plate assembly 3, a manifold assembly 5 and n battery modules 4, wherein n is an integer greater than 1; the heat transfer plate assembly 3 includes m heat transfer plates 31, m is equal to n-1, n or n+1; the heat transfer tube assembly 2 includes n heat transfer tubes 21; the manifold assembly 5 includes a liquid inlet manifold 51 and a liquid return manifold 52; the polarity terminal 43 of the battery module 4 is provided with a clamping portion 431, The n heat transfer tubes 21 are fixed on the clamping parts 431 of each battery module 4 in a one-to-one correspondence, and the heat transfer tubes 21 are insulated from each battery module 4; the liquid inlet end of each heat transfer tube 21 is connected to the liquid inlet manifold 51, and the liquid outlet end of each heat transfer tube 21 is connected to the liquid return manifold 52; the m heat transfer plates 31 and the n battery modules 4 are alternately arranged on the support assembly 1, and the liquid inlet end of each heat transfer plate 31 is connected to the liquid inlet manifold 51, and the liquid outlet end is connected to the liquid return manifold 52.

[0052] The battery module can be a battery module (also referred to as a battery pack) in the prior art, or can be a battery module Figure 4 and Figure 5 The battery module 4 shown in the figure includes a housing 41 and a plurality of single cells 42, and the plurality of single cells 42 are arranged in the same direction and placed in the housing 41. The housing 41 is provided with a shared chamber, and the inner cavity of the shared chamber is connected to the inner cavities of all single cells 42. The single cells 42 in this embodiment are square shell batteries, and the number can be adjusted according to actual needs. The inner cavity of each single cell 42 includes an electrolyte area and a gas area.

[0053] like Figure 5As shown, the above-mentioned shared chamber can be an electrolyte shared chamber 411, the inner cavity of the electrolyte shared chamber 411 is connected to the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of all the single cells 42, and the electrolyte shared chamber 411 can make each single cell 42 in a unified electrolyte environment, ensuring the uniformity of the electrolyte in each single cell 42, and improving the performance and charge-discharge cycle life of the battery module 4. In this embodiment, the electrolyte shared chamber 411 is a liquid channel arranged between the bottom plate of the shell 41 and each single cell 42.

[0054] The above-mentioned shared chamber may also be a gas shared chamber 412, the inner cavity of the gas shared chamber 412 is connected to the gas area of ​​the inner cavity of all the single cells 42, and the gas balance of each single cell 42 is achieved through the gas shared chamber 412, which can also improve the performance and charge-discharge cycle life of the battery module 4. In this embodiment, the gas shared chamber 412 is a gas channel arranged on the top plate of the shell 41. At this time, the top plate of the shell 41 is provided with a protrusion extending along the arrangement direction of the single cells 42, and a gas channel is formed at the protrusion.

[0055] The above-mentioned shared chamber can also be a gas-liquid shared chamber, the inner cavity of the gas-liquid shared chamber is connected to the electrolyte area and gas area of ​​the inner cavity of all single cells 42. Through a gas-liquid shared chamber, each single cell 42 can be placed in a unified electrolyte environment and gas environment, thereby improving the performance and charge-discharge cycle life of the battery module 4.

[0056] like Figure 5 As shown, after a plurality of single cells 42 are arranged in the same direction and placed in the outer shell 41, avoidance holes 413 are opened on the top plate of the outer shell 41 corresponding to the polarity terminals 43 of each single cell 42, and the polarity terminals 43 of each single cell 42 extend out of the corresponding avoidance holes 413 as the polarity terminals 43 of the battery module 4 (the polarity terminals of all single cells on one side serve as the first polarity terminals of the battery module, and the polarity terminals of all single cells on the other side serve as the second polarity terminals of the battery module), and the top plate area of ​​the outer shell 41 corresponding to the avoidance holes 413 is fixedly sealed with the shell of the single cell 42, so that the gap between the polarity terminals 43 and the avoidance holes 413 is sealed.

[0057] It should be noted that the polarity terminal of the single cell battery 42 here can be the pole of the single cell battery 42. In order to avoid the pole of the single cell battery 42 from being unable to smoothly extend out of the avoidance hole 413 as the polarity terminal 43, a pole adapter can also be connected to the pole of the single cell battery 42, and the overall structure of the pole of the single cell battery 42 and the pole adapter can be used as the polarity terminal of the single cell battery 42.

[0058] The battery modules 4 are arranged in sequence in the support assembly 1, and the support assembly 1 stably supports each battery module 4. At the same time, in order to enable each battery module 4 to work safely and reliably, a heat transfer tube assembly 2 and a heat transfer plate assembly 3 are added to the battery module 4. The heat transfer tube assembly 2 mainly exchanges heat with the polarity terminals 43 of each battery module 4, and the heat transfer plate assembly 3 mainly exchanges heat with the outer shell 41 of each battery module 4. The heat transfer tube assembly 2 and the heat transfer plate assembly 3 are used in combination, so that the temperature of different positions and different areas of the entire battery module 4 can be effectively controlled, thereby improving the safety of the battery cluster when in use.

[0059] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the heat transfer tube assembly 2 is installed on the polarity terminal 43 of the battery module 4, and is mainly used to control the temperature of the top of the battery module 4, especially the polarity terminal 43 of the battery module 4, to ensure that the battery module 4 operates within the optimal temperature range. During the specific installation, a clamping portion 431 is provided on the polarity terminal 43 of the battery module 4, and the heat transfer tube 21 is fixed in the clamping portion 431, so that the heat transfer tube 21 is directly connected to the polarity terminal 43 of the battery module 4, and the heat on the polarity terminal 43 where the heat is relatively concentrated is timely discharged, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the top of the battery module 4. In addition, when the temperature of the battery module 4 is lower than the set threshold, the battery module 4 is heated by passing a heat transfer medium with a higher temperature into the heat transfer tube 21; by controlling the temperature of the heat transfer medium, it can be ensured that the battery module 4 always operates at a normal operating temperature.

[0060] like Figure 4 As shown, the heat transfer tube 21 is a pipe with a heat exchange function. There is no requirement for the cross-sectional shape of the heat transfer tube 21, as long as it can contact the polarity terminal 43 of the single battery 42 for heat exchange. For example, a square tube, an elliptical tube, a round tube, etc. can be used. In this embodiment, the heat transfer tube 21 is preferably a round tube, which is easy to install and can be made of existing metal tubes, with relatively low cost.

[0061] The heat transfer tube 21 in this embodiment specifically adopts a metal tube with good thermal conductivity, such as an aluminum tube, a copper tube, etc. Preferably, the heat transfer tube 21 adopts an aluminum tube with good thermal conductivity and relatively low cost. In order to ensure the thermal conductivity, the thinner the wall thickness of the aluminum tube, the better. However, if the wall thickness of the aluminum tube is too thin, the aluminum tube is relatively soft and is easy to bend and break during installation. Therefore, in this embodiment, the wall thickness of the aluminum tube is preferably 0.5mm~1mm. The aluminum tube with this wall thickness can maintain its installation reliability while having good thermal conductivity, avoiding the risk of easy bending and damage when the wall thickness of the aluminum tube is thin. In specific use, the diameter of the aluminum tube is generally about 10mm~20mm.

[0062] The heat transfer tube 21 can be manufactured in the following manner:

[0063] First, the heat transfer tube 21 can be made of a whole tube, and the whole aluminum tube is bent into a U-shaped tube, and the two straight tubes of the U-shaped tube are respectively fixed in the through grooves or through holes on the positive terminal 43 and the negative terminal 43 of each single battery 42 in the battery module 4;

[0064] Second, in order to facilitate installation, such as Figure 6 As shown, the heat transfer tube 21 is a spliced ​​pipeline, mainly including a first tube 211, a second tube 212 and a connecting tube 213; the first tube 211 is fixed on the clamping part of the first polarity terminal of each single battery 42 in the battery module 4; the second tube 212 is fixed on the clamping part of the second polarity terminal of each single battery 42 in the battery module 4, and the two ends of the connecting tube 213 are respectively connected to the ports of the first tube 211 and the second tube 212 on the same side.

[0065] When the heat transfer tube 21 is matched with the polarity terminal 43 of the battery module 4, in order to ensure safety, the heat transfer tube 21 and the battery module 4 need to be insulated. Specifically, the insulation treatment can be achieved in the following ways: the heat transfer tube 21 is an insulating pipe made of insulating material, such as a plastic pipe or a ceramic pipe, etc. However, the thermal conductivity of metal pipes, plastic pipes or ceramic pipes is relatively poor. Therefore, in this embodiment, an insulating layer or an insulating sleeve is provided on the metal pipe to ensure the insulation between the metal pipe and the battery module 4 when in use.

[0066] Preferably, an insulating layer and an insulating sleeve are provided on the heat transfer tube 21 to form a double insulation structure; this double insulation arrangement enables the heat transfer tube 21 to maintain reliable insulation performance with the battery module 4 when performing heat exchange with the battery module 4, even if one of the insulating layer or the insulating sleeve is damaged, thereby improving the safety of the battery module 4 during use. The specific structure of the heat transfer tube 21 with an insulating layer and an insulating sleeve is described in detail below, taking an aluminum tube as an example.

[0067] When an insulating layer is provided on an aluminum tube, the insulating layer is formed on the tube wall of the aluminum tube and is an integral structure with the aluminum tube. The insulating layer can be implemented in the following ways:

[0068] First, a ceramic coating, i.e., a high-temperature electrical insulation coating, is formed on the wall of the aluminum tube to form an insulating layer. The ceramic coating may be boron nitride, aluminum oxide, or copper fluoride coating. However, the insulating layer formed in this way is easy to fall off and the processing cost is high.

[0069] Second, a layer of insulating material (such as insulating paint, etc.) is coated on the wall surface of the aluminum tube to form an insulating layer; this method is easy to process and implement, and the processing cost is low;

[0070] Third, the aluminum tube is oxidized to form an insulating layer. Oxidation is to use the chemical reaction between the metal surface and oxygen to form an oxide film to improve the insulation performance of the metal surface. For example, electrochemical oxidation method, etc. Specifically, the aluminum tube is oxidized to form a hard oxide layer. The insulating layer formed by this method is not easy to fall off, and the insulation performance is relatively good.

[0071] It should be noted that the tube wall can be the outer tube wall of the aluminum tube or the inner tube wall, preferably the outer tube wall. The thicker the hard oxide layer formed by oxidation treatment, the better the insulation, but its thermal conductivity will be reduced. In this embodiment, the thickness of the hard oxide layer is preferably 20um to 50um. The hard oxide layer of this thickness ensures the insulation performance while also making the side wall of the aluminum tube have better thermal conductivity.

[0072] The above-mentioned insulating sleeve can be specifically made of insulating materials with good thermal conductivity, so that it has excellent thermal conductivity and good insulation performance. In this embodiment, the insulating sleeve adopts a thermally conductive plastic sleeve or a thermally conductive rubber sleeve with good insulation and thermal conductivity, such as a thermally conductive silicone sleeve, etc. At the same time, the thickness of the insulating sleeve is preferably 0.1mm~1.5mm, which can ensure good thermal conductivity while ensuring excellent insulation performance. The cross-sectional shape of the insulating sleeve can be circular, U-shaped, or C-shaped, as long as it can be sleeved on the aluminum tube with an insulating layer to achieve insulation at the contact between the aluminum tube and the polarity terminal 43 of the single battery 42. At the same time, the cross-sectional shape of the above-mentioned insulating sleeve is preferably the same as the cross-sectional shape of the aluminum tube, so that the insulating sleeve can be tightly nested on the aluminum tube to improve the thermal conductivity of the aluminum tube.

[0073] like Figure 5 As shown, when the heat transfer tube 21 is installed, a through groove or through hole is provided at the position where the polarity terminal 43 of the single battery 42 extends out of the avoidance hole 413, as a clamping portion 431; compared with the through hole, the through groove is more convenient for on-site installation, and the installation requirements are relatively low. The through groove is arranged in a C-shaped cross section, and the opening width of the C-shaped through groove is smaller than the widest part of the through groove. Such a design is conducive to the interference fit of the heat transfer tube 21 in the through groove. The arc formed at both ends of the C-shaped through groove has natural tension, which is conducive to the heat transfer tube 21 being tightly clamped in the through groove.

[0074] In this embodiment, the polarity terminal 43 of the single cell 42 is a cylinder. In this case, the through groove can be set on the side wall or end face of the cylinder. The through groove or through hole is set on the side wall. Compared with the through groove set on the end face, the contact area between the heat transfer tube 21 in the through groove or through hole and the inner wall of the through groove or through hole is larger, and the heat exchange efficiency is higher. In addition, when the through groove or through hole is located on the side wall, the entire area of ​​the end face can be used as an electrical connection area. In addition, two through grooves or through holes can be set on the side wall of the pole at the same time to increase the number of heat transfer tubes 21 placed and further improve the heat exchange efficiency.

[0075] The heat transfer tube 21 is fixed in the through groove or through hole of the polarity terminal 43 of the battery module 4 to process the heat on the top of the battery module 4. At this time, a heat transfer plate assembly 3 can also be arranged at the outer shell 41 of the battery module 4 to process the heat generated at the outer shell 41 of the battery module 4, so that the temperature at different positions of the entire battery module 4 can be effectively controlled.

[0076] The heat transfer plate assembly 3 in this embodiment includes m heat transfer plates 31, and the m heat transfer plates 31 are alternately arranged with n battery modules 4. The liquid inlet end of each heat transfer plate 31 is connected to the liquid inlet manifold 51, and the liquid outlet end is connected to the liquid return manifold 52. Each heat transfer plate 31 contacts with the shell 41 of each battery module 4 for heat exchange, and processes the heat generated by the shell 41 of the battery module 4. The number of heat transfer plates 31 in the above heat transfer plate assembly 3 can be set according to needs, and the specific settings are as follows:

[0077] First, the heat transfer plate assembly 3 includes n-1 heat transfer plates 31. At this time, n battery modules 4 and n-1 heat transfer plates 31 are arranged alternately, and there is a heat transfer plate 31 between adjacent battery modules 4. Only one side of the two outermost battery modules 4 in the battery cluster exchanges heat with the heat transfer plate 31;

[0078] Second, the heat transfer plate assembly 3 includes n heat transfer plates 31, n battery modules 4 and n heat transfer plates 31 are alternately arranged, and there is a heat transfer plate 31 between adjacent battery modules 4. Only one side of a battery module 4 in the battery cluster exchanges heat with the heat transfer plate 31;

[0079] Third, the heat transfer plate assembly 3 includes n+1 heat transfer plates 31, n battery modules 4 and n+1 heat transfer plates 31 are alternately arranged, and there is a heat transfer plate 31 between adjacent battery modules 4. Both sides of all battery modules 4 in the battery cluster exchange heat with the heat transfer plates 31;

[0080] In the above three methods, since the shells of the two outermost battery modules 4 in the battery cluster are exposed to the air, heat can be dissipated through the air. Therefore, the heat transfer plate assembly 3 includes n-1 heat transfer plates 31, which can reduce the production cost of the entire battery cluster while ensuring the heat exchange effect. At this time, the heat transfer plate 31 is arranged between adjacent battery modules 4, and can process the heat generated by the shells 41 of the battery modules 4 in the battery cluster, so that the battery modules 4 in the battery cluster work within a suitable temperature range.

[0081] At the same time, since the heat transfer plate 31 is arranged between adjacent battery modules 4, the heat transfer plate 31 can also suppress the deformation of the shells of two adjacent battery modules 4 due to expansion, avoiding safety hazards such as leakage, internal short circuit and thermal runaway caused by swelling deformation, thereby improving the safety and reliability of the entire battery cluster.

[0082] The specific structure of the heat transfer plate 31 in this embodiment is as follows:

[0083] First, the heat transfer plate 31 is a whole plate structure, specifically a rectangular hollow plate structure. The liquid inlet end of the heat transfer plate 31 is located above the liquid outlet end, and the heat transfer plate 31 has an S-shaped flow through which the heat transfer medium flows.

[0084] Second, if Figure 7 As shown, the heat transfer plate 31 is a whole plate structure, specifically a rectangular hollow plate structure, the liquid inlet end and the liquid outlet end of the heat transfer plate 31 are located on the same side of the rectangular hollow plate, and the liquid inlet end is located below the liquid outlet end. In a specific configuration, for example, the partition in the rectangular hollow plate divides its inner cavity into a liquid inlet channel 311 and a liquid return channel 312, the liquid inlet channel 311 is located below the liquid return channel 312, and the liquid inlet channel 311 is connected to the liquid inlet manifold 51, and the liquid return channel 312 is connected to the liquid return manifold 52;

[0085] The heat transfer plate 31 of the whole plate structure does not need to be assembled and connected, so it is easy to install, has a relatively low risk of leakage, and has relatively good reliability.

[0086] At the same time, compared with the arrangement that the liquid inlet end of the heat transfer plate 31 is located above the liquid outlet end, it is a relatively better arrangement to locate the liquid inlet end of the heat transfer plate 31 below the liquid outlet end. When cooling the battery module 4, the liquid inlet end of the heat transfer plate 31 is located below the liquid outlet end. At this time, the liquid inlet end of the heat transfer plate 31 is arranged close to the electrolyte shared chamber, and the liquid outlet end is arranged close to the polarity terminal. Since the temperature of the heat transfer medium in the liquid inlet end is lower than the temperature of the heat transfer medium in the liquid outlet end. When each single battery 42 in the battery module 4 is working, the electrolyte in the electrolyte shared chamber 411 transfers heat to the housing 41. At this time, the heat transfer medium with a relatively low temperature entering from the liquid inlet end can timely and effectively cool the electrolyte in the electrolyte shared chamber 411. At the same time, since the heat at the top of the battery module 4 has also been processed by the heat transfer pipe 21, arranging the liquid outlet end of the heat transfer plate 31 close to the polarity terminal 43 can ensure the temperature balance of all parts of the entire battery module 4.

[0087] After the heat transfer tube assembly 2, the heat transfer plate assembly 3 and the battery module 4 exchange heat at different positions, the heat transfer medium absorbs heat in the heat transfer tube assembly 2 and the heat transfer plate assembly 3, and then transfers the heat to the external heat treatment device through the confluence assembly 5 for treatment. The heat treatment device is a device with heating and / or cooling functions, which is used to increase or decrease the temperature of the heat transfer medium (specifically, it can be water, ethylene glycol / water, propylene glycol / water, methanol / water, ethanol / water, calcium formate / water, etc.). For example, the heat transfer unit is specifically a heater, a cold and warm machine, or a refrigerator with a compressor, a chiller, etc.

[0088] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the confluence assembly 5 in this embodiment includes a liquid inlet manifold 51 and a liquid return manifold 52. The liquid inlet manifold 51 is mainly used to divert the heat transfer medium to each heat transfer tube assembly 2 and heat transfer plate assembly 3, and the liquid return manifold 52 is mainly used to converge the heat transfer medium in the heat transfer tube assembly 2 and heat transfer plate assembly 3 to the heat treatment device. The liquid inlet manifold 51 has a plurality of interfaces, which are respectively connected to the liquid inlet ends of the heat transfer plate 31 and the heat transfer tube 21 through connecting hoses. At the same time, the liquid return manifold 52 has a plurality of interfaces, which are respectively connected to the liquid outlet ends of the heat transfer plate 31 and the heat transfer tube 21 through connecting hoses.

[0089] like Figure 2 As shown, during specific installation, the liquid inlet manifold 51 and the liquid return manifold 52 can also be embedded and installed outside the support assembly 1. This installation method can not only isolate the battery module 4 from the liquid inlet manifold 51 and the liquid return manifold 52, but also prevent leakage at the pipe joints from affecting the battery module 4. At the same time, the embedded installation also improves the integration of the entire battery cluster.

[0090] Example 2

[0091] The battery cluster in this embodiment has a similar structure to that in Embodiment 1. The difference from Embodiment 1 is that the battery module 4 in this embodiment is slightly different from that in Embodiment 1.

[0092] During long-term use of the battery module 4, condensation will be generated on the surface due to the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the heat transfer tube 21. When the condensation accumulates to a certain amount, it will penetrate into the gap between the polarity terminal 43 of the single battery 42 and the avoidance hole 413, causing the polarity terminal 43 of the single battery 42 to be electrically conductive with the shell 41, which may cause the same single battery 42 to short-circuit.

[0093] like Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, this embodiment overcomes the above problems by optimizing the top structure of the battery module 4 and laying an insulating sealant layer 44 on the top plate of the shell 41. The end face of the polarity terminal 43 of each single battery 42 extends out of the insulating sealant layer 44, which is used to connect with the first electrical connector 47 or the second electrical connector 48; the liquid inlet end and the liquid outlet end of the heat transfer tube 21 extend out of the insulating sealant layer 44, which is used to connect with the liquid inlet manifold 51 and the liquid return manifold 52. The first electrical connector 47 is a connecting device for connecting each single battery 42 in parallel, and the second electrical connector 48 is a connecting device for connecting two battery modules 4 in series, and can also be a connecting device for connecting the battery module 4 to an external load.

[0094] like Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, in this embodiment, an insulating sealant layer 44 is laid on the top plate of the shell 41, and a part of the polarity terminal 43 of each single battery 42 is covered by the insulating sealant layer 44, and the end face of the polarity terminal 43 of each single battery 42 extends out of the insulating sealant layer 44 and is connected to the first electrical connector 47 and / or the second electrical connector 48; the main parts of the heat transfer tube 21 are all covered by the insulating sealant layer 44, and the liquid inlet end and the liquid outlet end of the heat transfer tube 21 extend out of the insulating sealant layer 44 for connecting with the liquid inlet manifold and the liquid return manifold.

[0095] In some other embodiments, the thickness of the insulating sealant layer 44 can be smaller, lower than the main part of the heat transfer tube 21, or cover a part of the main part of the heat transfer tube 21, as long as condensation cannot enter the gap between the polarity terminal 43 of the single battery 42 and the avoidance hole 413.

[0096] The insulating sealant used in this embodiment is generally a battery potting glue commonly used in batteries, such as a silicone thermal conductive potting glue, which has good sealing, insulation, vibration resistance, heat dissipation and waterproofing functions.

[0097] In order to prevent the insulating sealant from overflowing, in the present embodiment, during the glue injection process, a glue injection mold can be added around the edges of the top plate of the housing 41 to ensure that the insulating sealant can be injected smoothly. After the glue injection is completed, demoulding is performed.

[0098] like Fig.10 As shown, on the basis of the above structure, this embodiment further provides an insulating protective cover 45 on the top of the battery module 4, thereby providing insulating protection for the polarity terminal 43, avoiding the potential safety hazard of the polarity terminal 43 being exposed during the operation of the battery module 4, and also avoiding the problem of some foreign matter in the external environment falling into the position of the polarity terminal 43 and causing the battery module 4 to short-circuit, thereby improving the safety of the battery module 4.

[0099] It should be noted that if the insulating protective cover 45 completely wraps the polarity terminal 43, it will make the electrical connection of such battery module 4 more difficult. Therefore, in this embodiment, a slit 46 is opened on the side wall of the insulating protective cover 45, through which the second electrical connector 48 can be connected to the polarity terminal 43 of the single battery 42, thereby achieving electrical connection.

[0100] It should also be noted that the side wall of the insulating protective cover 45 needs to be provided with channels for the liquid inlet and liquid outlet ends of the heat transfer tube 21 to extend out.

[0101] Example 3

[0102] The battery cluster in this embodiment is similar in structure to the battery cluster in Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2. The difference from Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2 is that this embodiment further defines the structure of the support assembly 1 .

[0103] like Figure 1 As shown, in the battery cluster, n battery modules 4 and m heat transfer plates are alternately arranged on a support assembly 1, and the support assembly 1 stably supports the n battery modules 4 and the m heat transfer plates. The support assembly 1 may specifically be a structure having a frame and a support bottom plate, and the n battery modules and the m heat transfer plates are placed on the support bottom plate. However, this structure is not conducive to heat dissipation at the bottom of the battery module 4.

[0104] like Figures 11 to 14 As shown, the support assembly 1 in this embodiment includes a support frame 11 and a plurality of brackets 12 . The support frame 11 is a rectangular frame. The n battery modules 4 are fixed on the support frame 11 along the same direction through their respective brackets 12 .

[0105] like Fig.11 As shown, in order to facilitate fixing the battery module 4 on the support frame 11, the support frame 11 is designed as a split structure in this embodiment, including a U-shaped frame 111 and a beam 112 fixed to the open end of the U-shaped frame 111, and the battery module 4 is assembled through the open end of the U-shaped frame 111.

[0106] like Fig.12 , Fig.13 and Fig.14 As shown, the bracket 12 includes a support member 121 and two L-shaped support plates 122; the support member 121 is placed at the bottom of the battery module 4 to support the battery module 4; one end of the two L-shaped support plates 122 are respectively fixed to the two ends of the support member 121, and the other ends of the two L-shaped support plates 122 are respectively used to fix the side beams opposite to the support frame 11. The support member 121 is a support plate that matches the shape of the bottom of the battery module 4 and supports the battery module 4. In order to reduce the weight of the support plate, a weight-reducing hole can be opened on the support plate. However, it should be noted that the opening of the weight-reducing hole is based on the premise that it does not affect the support strength.

[0107] In order to improve the stability of the battery module 4 on the bracket 12, the present embodiment further opens a threaded hole on the L-shaped bracket 122, and the L-shaped bracket 122 is fixedly connected to the battery module 4 by screw fastening.

[0108] During assembly, the battery module 4 is placed on the support member 121. In order to insulate the bracket 12 from the battery module 4, an insulating gasket 13 may be provided between the support member 121 and the battery module 4. Then, the bracket 12 and the battery module 4 housing 41 may be fixed with screws. Fig.13 shown.

[0109] In addition, when installing each heat transfer plate 31 in the battery cluster, the above bracket can also be used to fix it on the support frame 11.

[0110] Example 4

[0111] This embodiment provides an energy storage device, which includes an energy storage box and multiple battery clusters in Example 1, Example 2 or Example 3 arranged in the energy storage box; in the height direction of the battery module 4, the multiple battery clusters are stacked, and there are gaps between adjacent battery clusters as natural air cooling channels.

[0112] The energy storage device in this embodiment leaves a gap between the upper and lower layers of battery clusters as a natural air cooling channel, which can also ensure that the bottom of each battery module also has a good heat dissipation effect, reduce the volume of the energy storage device, reduce weight, and reduce costs.

Claims

1. A battery cluster, characterized in that: It includes a support assembly, a heat transfer tube assembly, a heat transfer plate assembly, a confluence assembly and n battery modules; The heat transfer plate assembly comprises m heat transfer plates; The heat transfer tube assembly includes n heat transfer tubes, wherein m and n are both integers greater than or equal to 1; The manifold assembly includes a liquid inlet manifold and a liquid return manifold; The polarity terminals of the battery modules are provided with clamping parts, and n heat transfer tubes are fixed on the clamping parts of each battery module one by one, and the heat transfer tubes are insulated from each battery module; the liquid inlet end of each heat transfer tube is connected to the liquid inlet manifold, and the liquid outlet end of each heat transfer tube is connected to the liquid return manifold; The m heat transfer plates and the n battery modules are alternately arranged on the support assembly, the liquid inlet end of each heat transfer plate is connected to the liquid inlet manifold, and the liquid outlet end is connected to the liquid return manifold.

2. The battery cluster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping portion is a through slot or through hole formed on the polarity terminal of each single battery.

3. The battery cluster according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heat transfer tube is a metal tube, and the metal tube has at least one of an insulating layer and an insulating sleeve.

4. The battery cluster according to claim 3, characterized in that: In the battery module, the polarity terminals of all the single cells on one side serve as the first polarity terminals of the battery module, and the polarity terminals of all the single cells on the other side serve as the second polarity terminals of the battery module; The heat transfer tube includes a first tube, a second tube and a connecting tube; The first tube is fixed in the first polarity terminal through slot of the battery module; The second tube is fixed in the second polarity terminal through groove of the battery module; the two ends of the connecting tube are respectively connected to the ports of the first tube and the second tube located on the same side.

5. The battery cluster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat transfer plate is a rectangular hollow plate, the liquid inlet end and the liquid outlet end of the heat transfer plate are located on the same side of the rectangular hollow plate, and the liquid inlet end is located below the liquid outlet end.

6. The battery cluster according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The battery module includes an outer shell and a plurality of single cells arranged in the outer shell in the same direction; a shared chamber is provided in the outer shell, and the inner cavity of the shared chamber is connected to the inner cavities of all the single cells; avoidance holes are provided on the top plate of the outer shell corresponding to the polarity terminals of each single cell; the polarity terminals of each single cell extend out of the avoidance holes, and the top plate area of ​​the outer shell corresponding to the avoidance holes is fixedly sealed with the shell of the single cell.

7. The battery cluster according to claim 6, characterized in that: An insulating sealant layer is laid on the top plate of the shell, and the liquid inlet end and the liquid outlet end of the heat transfer tube extend out of the insulating sealant layer.

8. The battery cluster according to claim 7, characterized in that: An insulating protective cover is arranged on the top of the shell, and polarity terminals of each single battery are located inside the insulating protective cover.

9. The battery cluster according to claim 7, characterized in that: The liquid inlet manifold and the liquid return manifold are embedded and installed in the supporting assembly.

10. An energy storage device, characterized in that: It comprises an energy storage box and a plurality of battery clusters arranged in the energy storage box, wherein the battery cluster is the battery cluster according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the plurality of battery clusters are stacked, and there are gaps between adjacent battery clusters as natural air cooling channels.

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