Battery module, battery pack and battery pack assembly

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of batteries, and particularly relates to a battery module, a battery pack and a battery pack assembly. The safety problem caused by the fact that thermal runaway smoke in an existing energy storage container cannot be discharged timely and accurately is solved. The battery module comprises a shell and a plurality of single batteries arranged in the shell; the inner cavity of each single battery is communicated with the inner cavity of the shell; an explosion venting pipe assembly communicated with an inner cavity of the shell is arranged on the shell; according to the utility model, the explosion venting pipe assemblies of all the battery modules in the battery pack are converged through the explosion venting converging pipe, so that when the single batteries in any battery module of the battery pack are subjected to thermal runaway, the thermal runaway flue gas can be discharged through the explosion venting converging pipe; the thermal runaway diffusion and the bursting risk of the battery module, even the battery pack and the energy storage container are reduced. Meanwhile, the explosion venting pipe assembly is provided with the bending part, so that the problem that thermal runaway substances are backflushed into the inner cavity of the shell is avoided, and the safety of the battery module or the battery pack is further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of batteries, and specifically relates to a battery module, a battery pack and a battery pack assembly. Background Art

[0002] At present, with the continuous growth of global energy demand and the improvement of environmental protection awareness, energy storage technology has gradually become one of the important means to solve energy problems.

[0003] As a new type of energy storage equipment, energy storage containers have the advantages of portability, flexibility, and high efficiency, and are widely used in power systems, transportation, aerospace, and other fields. The existing energy storage containers on the market include a box body, a support frame located in the box body, and multiple battery packs arranged on the support frame; the battery packs are fixed to the support frame through their respective battery pack support frames; each battery pack includes multiple battery modules, and each battery module is composed of a shell and multiple single cells arranged in the shell in parallel, series, or a combination of series and parallel.

[0004] Due to the high concentration of single cells in the energy storage container, thermal runaway can easily occur under the influence of factors such as overcharging, over-discharging, and overheating of individual single cells. If the smoke generated by the thermal runaway cannot be discharged in a timely and accurate manner, thermal runaway will continue to occur and spread. In severe cases, it may cause the battery module or even the battery pack and the energy storage container to explode. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a battery module, a battery pack and a battery pack assembly to overcome the safety problem caused by the inability to timely and accurately discharge the thermal runaway smoke in the existing energy storage container.

[0006] The first aspect of the utility model provides a battery module, which is special in that it includes a shell and a plurality of single batteries arranged in the shell;

[0007] The inner cavity of each single cell is connected with the inner cavity of the outer shell;

[0008] The shell is provided with an explosion relief pipe assembly which is communicated with the inner cavity of the shell;

[0009] The explosion relief pipe assembly includes a first explosion relief component and a second explosion relief component;

[0010] The first explosion relief component is a hollow pipe connected to the housing, and an explosion relief membrane is arranged inside the hollow pipe; the second explosion relief component is a three-way pipe, the first interface of which is sealedly connected to the first explosion relief component, and the second interface and the third interface are respectively used to connect to the flexible pipe section constituting the explosion relief manifold;

[0011] The hollow pipe fitting and / or the tee pipe is provided with a bending portion.

[0012] The utility model uses an explosion-proof manifold to converge the explosion-proof pipe assemblies of all battery modules in a battery pack. When a single battery in any battery module of the battery pack experiences thermal runaway, its thermal runaway smoke can be discharged through the explosion-proof manifold, reducing the risk of thermal runaway spreading, battery module and even battery pack and energy storage container bursting. The explosion-proof pipe assembly of the battery module is designed as a split part, including a three-way pipe, and the three-way pipes of adjacent battery modules are connected by a flexible pipe section to form an explosion-proof manifold. Compared with the explosion-proof manifold using a whole pipe structure, the installation accuracy requirements for the explosion-proof pipe assemblies of each battery module are relatively small. The installation deviation of the explosion-proof pipe assembly can be compensated by the deformation of the flexible pipe section, reducing the difficulty of installing the explosion-proof manifold.

[0013] At the same time, the utility model provides a bending portion in the hollow pipe and / or the tee pipe to avoid the problem of thermal runaway substances rushing back into the inner cavity of the shell under the obstruction of the lateral pipe section of the tee pipe, thereby further improving the safety of such battery modules.

[0014] Furthermore, when a bend is provided on the tee, the bend can be located in the vertical section of the tee or in the transverse section of the tee; when located in the transverse section of the tee, a Y-shaped tee is preferably used. The thermal runaway material rushes out of the hollow pipe fitting and directly rushes to the bend of the transverse section of the tee, and changes the direction of movement in the bend. Most of the thermal runaway material flows to the transverse section of the tee, reducing the backwash phenomenon.

[0015] Furthermore, the second explosion relief component is a flexible tee pipe;

[0016] An outer wall of one end of the hollow pipe connected to the second explosion relief component is provided with an external thread; the flexible joint of the second explosion relief component is threadedly connected to the external thread of the outer wall of the hollow pipe as a first interface.

[0017] The second aspect of the utility model provides a battery pack, which is special in that it includes at least two of the above-mentioned battery modules; the second explosion relief components of two adjacent battery modules are connected by a flexible pipe section, the free end of the second explosion relief component of one of the two outermost battery modules is sealed, and the free end of the other battery module is open, serving as a thermal runaway smoke exhaust port for the battery pack.

[0018] Furthermore, the outer walls of the two end joints connecting the second explosion relief component and the flexible pipe section are provided with external threads; the two ends of the flexible pipe section are connected with union nuts; the union nuts of the flexible pipe section are threadedly connected with the external threads of the outer wall of the second explosion relief component.

[0019] A third aspect of the utility model provides a battery pack assembly, which is special in that it includes the above-mentioned battery pack and a battery pack support frame;

[0020] The battery pack is fixed on the battery pack support frame.

[0021] Furthermore, the battery pack support frame is a rectangular frame, including a U-shaped frame and a first beam detachably fixed to an open end of the U-shaped frame.

[0022] Further, the U-shaped frame includes a second beam and a third beam respectively fixed at both ends of the second beam;

[0023] The first beam and the second beam are I-shaped steel, and the explosion venting manifold of the battery pack is located between the upper and lower flanges of the I-shaped steel of the first beam or the second beam. While ensuring the support strength of the entire support frame, the explosion venting manifold is placed between the upper and lower flanges of the I-shaped steel, with a compact layout, which improves the energy density of the entire battery pack assembly.

[0024] The beneficial effects of the utility model are:

[0025] The utility model uses an explosion-proof manifold to converge the explosion-proof pipe assemblies of all battery packs in a battery cluster. When a single battery in any battery pack in the battery cluster experiences thermal runaway, its thermal runaway smoke can be discharged through the explosion-proof manifold, reducing the risk of thermal runaway spreading, battery packs, even battery clusters, and energy storage containers bursting. The explosion-proof pipe assembly of the battery pack is designed as a three-way pipe segment, and the three-way pipe segments of adjacent battery packs are connected by flexible pipe segments to form an explosion-proof manifold. Compared with the explosion-proof manifold using a whole pipe structure, the installation accuracy requirements for the explosion-proof pipe assemblies of each battery pack are relatively small. The installation deviation of the explosion-proof pipe assembly can be compensated by the deformation of the flexible pipe segment, reducing the difficulty of installing the explosion-proof manifold.

[0026] At the same time, the utility model provides a bending portion in the hollow pipe and / or the tee pipe to avoid the problem of thermal runaway substances rushing back into the inner cavity of the shell under the obstruction of the lateral pipe section of the tee pipe, thereby further improving the safety of such battery modules. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery module of Example 1;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a partial explosion diagram of the battery module of Example 1;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of connecting adjacent battery modules in Example 1;

[0030] Figure 4 A partial explosion diagram of a battery module with an insulating protective cover in Example 1;

[0031] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery module in Example 2;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a partial explosion of a battery module in Example 2;

[0033] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection of adjacent battery modules in Example 2;

[0034] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery pack in Example 3;

[0035] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another battery pack in Example 3;

[0036] Fig.10 This is a schematic structural diagram of a battery pack assembly in Example 4;

[0037] Fig.11 This is a schematic structural diagram of another battery pack assembly in Example 4;

[0038] Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery pack support frame in Example 4;

[0039] Fig.13 This is an exploded schematic diagram of the battery pack support frame in Example 4;

[0040] Fig.14 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly process of the battery pack assembly in Example 4;

[0041] The accompanying drawings in the figure are marked as follows:

[0042] 1. Battery module; 11. Shell; 111. Shell bottom plate; 112. Shell top plate; 113. First side plate; 114. Second side plate; 115. Through hole; 12. Single battery; 121. Polarity terminal; 13. Electrolyte shared chamber; 14. Gas shared chamber; 15. Explosion venting pipe assembly; 151. First explosion venting component; 152. Second explosion venting component; 1521. First interface; 1522. Second interface; 1523. Third interface; 16. Liquid cooling pipe; 17. Insulating protective cover; 2. Flexible pipe section; 3. Explosion venting manifold; 4. Battery pack support frame; 41. U-shaped frame; 411. Second beam; 412. Third beam; 42. First beam; 43. Connecting plate. 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] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention, but the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art may make similar generalizations without violating the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0045] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "top, bottom" and the like 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 limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first, second, third, etc." are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0046] The utility model provides a battery module, which comprises a shell and a plurality of single cells; the inner cavity of the single cells comprises an electrolyte area and a gas area; the plurality of single cells are arranged in the shell along the same direction; the inner cavity of the shell is connected with the inner cavities of each single cell.

[0047] The above-mentioned connection effect can be achieved by providing a shared cavity in the outer shell so that the inner cavity of the shared cavity is connected with the inner cavities of all the single cells.

[0048] The above-mentioned shared chamber may be an electrolyte shared chamber, through which each single cell can be placed in a uniform electrolyte environment, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the electrolyte in each single cell and improving the performance and charge-discharge cycle life of the battery module.

[0049] The above-mentioned shared chamber may also be a gas shared chamber, through which the gas balance of each single battery is achieved, and the performance and charge-discharge cycle life of the battery module can also be improved.

[0050] The above-mentioned shared chamber can also be a gas-liquid shared chamber. Through a gas-liquid shared chamber, each single battery can be placed in a unified electrolyte environment and gas environment, thereby improving the performance and charge-discharge cycle life of the battery module.

[0051] In order to lead the thermal runaway smoke out of the shell, the utility model is provided with a venting pipe assembly on the shell that is connected to the inner cavity of the shell; usually, the venting pipe assembly directly penetrates the above-mentioned shared chamber.

[0052] The present invention also provides a battery pack constructed by at least two battery modules as mentioned above. In order to prevent the smoke from thermal runaway of a single battery in an individual battery module from spreading to the entire container and causing safety problems, the present invention considers converging the explosion-proof pipe assemblies of all battery modules in the battery pack using an explosion-proof manifold. When a single battery in any battery module in the battery pack experiences thermal runaway, the smoke from the thermal runaway can be discharged through the explosion-proof manifold, thereby reducing the risk of thermal runaway spreading and explosion of the battery module or even the battery pack and the energy storage container.

[0053] Based on the above analysis, a whole tube can be selected as the explosion-proof manifold, on which multiple branch tubes connected to the explosion-proof pipe assemblies of each battery module are arranged. During assembly, all battery modules are first arranged along the length direction of the explosion-proof manifold, and then the various branch tubes of the explosion-proof manifold are connected to the explosion-proof pipe assemblies of the corresponding battery modules. During the connection, the coaxiality of the branch tube and the explosion-proof pipe assembly needs to be ensured. Due to the installation error of the explosion-proof pipe assembly, the processing error of each branch tube, and the spacing deviation between the battery modules, it will be difficult for the branch tube and the explosion-proof pipe assembly to be coaxial, making it difficult to assemble the explosion-proof manifold and each battery module.

[0054] In order to overcome the above problems, the utility model designs the explosion relief pipe assembly of each battery module as a split part, and also designs the explosion relief manifold as a split part, as follows:

[0055] The utility model designs the explosion relief pipe assembly as a two-part structure. For the convenience of description, the two parts can be defined as a first explosion relief component and a second explosion relief component; wherein the first explosion relief component is a hollow pipe with an explosion relief membrane inside, connected to the battery module housing; the second explosion relief component is a three-way pipe, whose first interface (vertical pipe segment joint) is sealed and connected to the hollow pipe, and the second interface and the third interface (two joints of the transverse pipe segment) are respectively used to connect with the flexible pipe segments constituting the explosion relief manifold. That is to say, in the utility model, the explosion relief manifold is formed by splicing a plurality of transverse pipe segments of a three-way pipe and a plurality of flexible pipe segments.

[0056] During assembly, each tee pipe is fixed on the corresponding hollow pipe fitting to form a battery module with an explosion relief pipe assembly. Then, multiple battery modules are arranged in a set direction. Finally, two adjacent tee pipes are connected using a flexible pipe section.

[0057] Since the utility model adopts a spliced ​​explosion-proof manifold, and the middle connecting pipe section is a flexible pipe section, the deformation of the flexible pipe section can compensate for the installation error of the explosion-proof pipe assembly and the battery module spacing deviation, thereby reducing the difficulty of installing the explosion-proof manifold.

[0058] It should be noted that in order to further improve safety, the explosion-proof manifold and the battery module should be insulated. For example, flexible pipe sections and / or tees made of insulating and high-temperature resistant (thermal runaway flue gas temperature) materials can be used. Insulating pipe sections can also be added between the hollow pipe fittings and the tee.

[0059] In addition, if the hollow pipe fitting is perpendicular to the transverse section of the tee pipe, when thermal runaway occurs, the thermal runaway substances in the inner cavity of the shell (including thermal runaway smoke and part of the ejected electrolyte) break through the explosion-proof membrane and penetrate vertically from the hollow pipe fitting to the transverse section of the tee pipe. After being blocked by the transverse section of the tee pipe, some of the thermal runaway substances will flow back into the shell, causing safety problems.

[0060] In order to solve this problem, the utility model bends the hollow pipe fitting and / or the vertical pipe section of the tee pipe, so that the thermal runaway material changes its movement direction at the bent portion. Firstly, the flow velocity of the thermal runaway material when it reaches the horizontal pipe section of the tee pipe can be reduced, and no excessive impact will be generated in the horizontal pipe section of the tee pipe, thereby reducing the backwash phenomenon. Secondly, even if some of the thermal runaway material backwashes into the hollow pipe fitting and / or the vertical pipe section of the tee pipe, the blocking of the bent portion can prevent more thermal runaway material from entering the inner cavity of the shell.

[0061] In addition, the utility model can also solve the above problem by bending the horizontal pipe section of the tee pipe (bending the connection part with the vertical pipe section of the tee pipe and bending in the direction away from the vertical pipe section of the tee pipe);

[0062] The thermal runaway material rushes out from the hollow pipe fitting and directly rushes to the bending part of the transverse pipe section of the tee pipe, and changes the movement direction in the bending part. Most of the thermal runaway material flows to the transverse pipe section of the tee pipe, reducing the backwash phenomenon.

[0063] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0064] Example 1

[0065] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the battery module 1 of this embodiment includes a housing 11 and a plurality of single batteries 12 arranged in parallel in the housing 11 .

[0066] The single battery 12 in this embodiment is a square shell battery, and the number is 13. In other embodiments, the number can be adjusted according to actual needs. The inner cavity of each single battery 12 includes an electrolyte area and a gas area.

[0067] For the convenience of description, the length direction of the housing 11 is defined as the x direction, the width direction of the housing 11 is defined as the y direction, and the height direction of the housing 11 is defined as the z direction.

[0068] An electrolyte sharing chamber 13 is provided on the housing bottom plate 111 along the x direction, and the inner cavity of the electrolyte sharing chamber 13 is connected to the inner cavity electrolyte area of ​​each single battery 12 .

[0069] A gas sharing chamber 14 is provided on the housing top plate 112 along the x direction, and the inner cavity of the gas sharing chamber 14 is connected to the inner cavity gas area of ​​each single battery 12 .

[0070] In some other embodiments, only an electrolyte sharing chamber 13 or a gas sharing chamber 14 may be provided, or a gas-liquid sharing chamber may be provided along the x direction on the first side plate 113 of the outer shell 11 (the side plate parallel to the xz plane), and the inner cavity of the gas-liquid sharing chamber is connected to the electrolyte area and the gas area of ​​the inner cavity of each single battery 12.

[0071] A through hole 115 penetrating the electrolyte shared chamber 13 is provided on the second side plate 114 of the housing 11 (the side plate parallel to the yz plane), and the explosion relief pipe assembly 15 is connected to the through hole 115 .

[0072] In this embodiment, the explosion relief pipe assembly 15 includes a first explosion relief component 151 and a second explosion relief component 152; wherein the first explosion relief component 151 is a hollow pipe, and an explosion relief membrane is provided inside it, which is used to connect with the shell 11. In order to fix it at the through hole 115 of the shell 11, in this embodiment, an annular plate is provided on the outer wall of one end of the first explosion relief component 151, and the annular plate is sealed and connected to the through hole 115 around by friction welding; the second explosion relief component 152 is a three-way pipe, and its first interface 1521 is sealed and connected to the first explosion relief component 151, and the second interface 1522 and the third interface 1523 are respectively used to connect with the flexible pipe section 2 constituting the explosion relief manifold 3. The first interface 1521 is a joint of the vertical pipe of the three-way pipe, and the second interface 1522 and the third interface 1523 are respectively the joints of the horizontal pipe of the three-way pipe ( Figure 2 The two end joints of the pipe segment parallel to the y direction.

[0073] The first interface 1521 can be connected to the first explosion relief component 151 by threaded connection, welding or interference fit. In this embodiment, a flexible tee is selected, that is, a flexible nut is connected to one end of the vertical pipe of the tee as a flexible joint; an external thread is provided on the outer wall of the end where the first explosion relief component 151 is connected to the second explosion relief component 152; the flexible joint of the second explosion relief component 152 is threadedly connected to the external thread of the outer wall of the hollow pipe. The flexible joint can be conveniently connected to the first explosion relief component 151 directly, and a sealing gasket is provided at the free end of the first explosion relief component 151 to ensure the sealing performance of the connection part.

[0074] from Figures 1 to 3It can be seen that the first explosion relief component 151 of the present embodiment is provided with a bending portion, which can also be understood as the present embodiment using a curved pipe as the first explosion relief component 151, preferably bent downward, when thermal runaway occurs, the thermal runaway substance breaks through the explosion relief membrane and enters the first explosion relief component 151, and changes the direction of movement at the bending portion, so that the flow rate of the thermal runaway substance when it reaches the transverse section of the three-way pipe is reduced, and no excessive impact is generated in the transverse section of the three-way pipe, reducing the backwash phenomenon; inevitably, some thermal runaway substances will backwash into the hollow pipe fitting, and the blocking of the bending portion can also prevent more thermal runaway substances from entering the inner cavity of the shell.

[0075] In other embodiments, a bending portion may be further provided on the vertical pipe section of the tee pipe, and its function is the same as that of the bending portion of the first explosion relief component 151 of the present embodiment.

[0076] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the top plate 112 of the battery module 1 shell is provided with avoidance holes that allow the polarity terminals 121 of each single battery 12 to extend out; the polarity terminals 121 of each single battery 12 extend out of the corresponding avoidance holes and the area of ​​the shell 11 around the avoidance holes is fixedly sealed with the shell of the single battery 12.

[0077] In this embodiment, a through groove is provided at the portion where the polarity terminal 121 of the single battery 12 protrudes out of the avoidance hole, serving as a clamping portion for the liquid cooling tube 16; the liquid cooling tube 16 is fixed in the through groove, and when the temperature of the battery module 1 is higher than a set threshold, a heat transfer medium with a lower temperature is introduced into the liquid cooling tube 16 to cool the battery module 1; when the temperature of the battery module 1 is lower than the set threshold, a heat transfer medium with a higher temperature is introduced into the liquid cooling tube 16 to heat the battery module 1; and by controlling the temperature of the heat transfer medium, it can be ensured that the battery module 1 always operates at a normal operating temperature.

[0078] In order to prevent condensation generated by the liquid cooling tube 16 from causing safety problems, the present embodiment can also lay an insulating sealant layer on the top plate 112 of the outer shell, and a partial area of ​​the polarity terminal 121 of each single battery cell 12 is covered by the insulating sealant layer, and the electrical connection part (i.e., the upper end surface) of the polarity terminal 121 of each single battery cell 12 extends out of the insulating sealant layer and is connected to the electrical connector (based on the electrical connector, the single batteries 12 can be connected in parallel, or the battery modules 1 can be connected in series); the main parts of the liquid cooling tube 16 are covered by the insulating sealant layer, and the liquid inlet and outlet ends of the liquid cooling tube 16 extend out of the insulating sealant layer for connection with the liquid cooling equipment.

[0079] Furthermore, since the polarity terminal 121 is directly exposed to the external environment, there is a great safety hazard during use due to the polarity terminal 121 being charged. Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, in this embodiment, an insulating protective cover 17 is provided on the top of the battery module 1 to provide insulating protection for the polarity terminal 121, thereby avoiding the potential safety hazard of the polarity terminal 121 being exposed during the operation of the battery module 1, and also avoiding the problem of some foreign matter from the external environment falling into the position of the polarity terminal 121 and causing a short circuit in the battery module 1, thereby improving the safety of the battery module 1.

[0080] It should be noted that if the insulating protective cover 17 completely wraps the polarity terminal 121, it will make the electrical connection of such battery module 1 more difficult. Therefore, in this embodiment, a slit is opened on the side wall of the insulating protective cover 17 parallel to the xz plane, through which the electrical connector can be connected to the polarity terminal 121, thereby achieving electrical connection.

[0081] It should also be noted that a channel for the liquid inlet and outlet ends of the liquid cooling tube 16 to extend out needs to be provided on the side wall of the insulating protective cover 17 .

[0082] Example 2

[0083] like Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, different from the first embodiment, this embodiment provides a bending portion in the transverse pipe section of the tee pipe.

[0084] As can be seen from the figure, the connecting portion between the horizontal pipe section of the tee pipe and the vertical pipe section of the tee pipe is bent and bent in a direction away from the vertical pipe section of the tee pipe.

[0085] In this embodiment, a Y-shaped tee may be directly used.

[0086] The thermal runaway material rushes out from the hollow pipe fitting and directly rushes to the bending part of the transverse pipe section of the tee pipe, and changes the movement direction in the bending part. Most of the thermal runaway material flows to the transverse pipe section of the tee pipe, reducing the backwash phenomenon.

[0087] Example 3

[0088] like Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery pack of this embodiment, which is composed of 13 battery modules 1 in embodiment 1 or embodiment 2, and the second explosion relief components 152 of two adjacent battery modules 1 are connected by a flexible pipe section 2 (see Figure 3 and Figure 7 ), the free end of the second explosion relief member 152 of one of the two outermost battery modules 1 is sealed, and the free end of the other battery module 1 is open, serving as a thermal runaway smoke exhaust outlet for the battery pack.

[0089] In this embodiment, the pipe section connected by the second explosion relief component 152 and the flexible pipe section 2 is defined as the explosion relief manifold 3 (wherein the second explosion relief component 152 is a common structure of the explosion relief pipe assembly 15 and the explosion relief manifold 3), and the thermal runaway smoke is discharged through the thermal runaway smoke exhaust port.

[0090] from Fig. 9 It can be seen that when the battery module in Example 2 is used, each flexible pipe segment 2 and the Y-shaped tee connected at both ends thereof form a semi-circular arc tube, and the thermal runaway material rushes out of the hollow pipe and flows to the semi-circular arc tubes on both sides, which can further reduce the backwash phenomenon.

[0091] In order to clearly display the explosion relief manifold 3, Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Only two outermost battery modules 1 are schematically shown. In other embodiments, the number of battery modules 1 can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0092] The flexible pipe section 2 and the second explosion relief member 152 can be connected by welding or screwing. Welding is more complicated than screwing, so the present embodiment adopts screwing. In the present embodiment, the flexible pipe section 2 adopts a metal bellows with union nuts at both ends, which is resistant to high temperature and has certain flexibility. In order to connect with it, it is necessary to provide external threads on the outer walls of the two ends of the transverse pipe section of the second explosion relief member 152, and the union nuts of the flexible pipe section 2 are threadedly connected with the external threads on the outer wall of the second explosion relief member 152. In order to improve the sealing performance of the connection part, a sealing gasket can be provided at the connection part.

[0093] In this embodiment, the battery pack can be assembled by the following steps:

[0094] Arrange 13 battery modules 1 in a set direction, then connect the second explosion relief components 152 of two adjacent battery modules 1 using a flexible pipe section 2, and seal the free end of the second explosion relief component 152 of the outermost battery module 1 to obtain the battery pack of this embodiment.

[0095] Example 4

[0096] like Fig.10 and Fig.11 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery pack assembly of this embodiment, including the battery pack in Embodiment 3 and a battery pack support frame 4 for supporting the battery pack.

[0097] Among them, the structure of the battery pack support frame 4 is as follows Fig.11 and Fig.12As shown, it is a rectangular frame. In order to facilitate the fixing of the battery pack on the battery pack support frame 4, the battery pack support frame 4 is designed as a split structure in this embodiment, including a U-shaped frame 41 and a first beam 42 fixed to the open end of the U-shaped frame 41. For the convenience of description, the U-shaped frame 41 is split into three parts in this embodiment, which are defined as a second beam 411 and two third beams 412 respectively fixed at both ends of the second beam 411; in order to improve the structural strength of the entire battery pack support frame 4, the first beam 42 and the second beam 411 opposite to the first beam 42 in this embodiment are made of I-shaped steel, see Fig.12 and Fig.13 The third beam 412 is made of square steel. In addition, in order to facilitate the assembly of the battery pack assembly and the container, a roller is further provided at the bottom of the third beam 412 in this embodiment.

[0098] During assembly, the battery pack is first fixed to the U-shaped frame 41, and then the first beam 42 is fixed to the open end of the U-shaped frame 41 using the connecting plate 43, and the explosion relief manifold 3 is embedded in the inner space between the upper flange and the lower flange of the first beam 42 (see Fig.10 , Fig.11 and Fig.14 ). The explosion venting manifold 3 does not need to occupy additional space, thereby improving the energy density of the battery pack assembly.

[0099] In some other embodiments, an integrated rectangular frame may be used, but compared with this embodiment, the assembly of the battery pack and the rectangular frame is more difficult.

Claims

1. A battery module, characterized in that: It includes a housing and a plurality of single cells arranged in the housing; The inner cavity of each single cell is connected with the inner cavity of the outer shell; The shell is provided with an explosion relief pipe assembly which is communicated with the inner cavity of the shell; The explosion relief pipe assembly includes a first explosion relief component and a second explosion relief component; The first explosion relief component is a hollow pipe connected to the housing, and an explosion relief membrane is arranged inside the hollow pipe; the second explosion relief component is a three-way pipe, the first interface of which is sealedly connected to the first explosion relief component, and the second interface and the third interface are respectively used to connect to the flexible pipe section constituting the explosion relief manifold; The hollow pipe fitting and / or the tee pipe is provided with a bending portion.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bending portion of the tee pipe is located in the pipe section between the second interface and the third interface.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The tee pipe is a Y-shaped tee.

4. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second explosion relief component is a flexible tee pipe; An outer wall of one end of the hollow pipe connected to the second explosion relief component is provided with an external thread; the flexible joint of the second explosion relief component is threadedly connected to the external thread of the outer wall of the hollow pipe as a first interface.

5. A battery pack, characterized in that: The invention comprises at least two battery modules as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4; the second explosion relief components of two adjacent battery modules are connected by a flexible pipe section, the free end of the second explosion relief component of one of the two outermost battery modules is sealed, and the free end of the other battery module is open to serve as a thermal runaway smoke exhaust port of the battery pack.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5, characterized in that: The outer walls of the two end joints connecting the second explosion relief component and the flexible pipe section are provided with external threads; the two ends of the flexible pipe section are connected with union nuts; the union nuts of the flexible pipe section are threadedly connected with the external threads of the outer wall of the second explosion relief component.

7. A battery pack assembly, characterized in that: A battery pack and a battery pack support frame comprising claim 5 or 6; The battery pack is fixed on the battery pack support frame.

8. The battery pack assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The battery pack support frame is a rectangular frame, including a U-shaped frame and a first beam detachably fixed to an open end of the U-shaped frame.

9. The battery pack assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The U-shaped frame includes a second beam and a third beam respectively fixed at both ends of the second beam; The first beam and the second beam are I-shaped steels, and the explosion-proof manifold of the battery pack is located between the upper and lower flanges of the I-shaped steel of the first beam or the second beam.

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