Battery cell bin and energy storage system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a battery cell bin and an energy storage system. An inner cavity of the battery cell bin is matched with a single battery cell; the battery cell bin provides a battery access channel exposed at the operable side, so that the battery cells enter and exit from the battery cell bin through the corresponding access channel; electrical connection points are arranged on the battery cell cabins and used for connecting the battery cell cabins into a circuit, and the electrical connection points also provide series electrical connection between the battery monomers in the battery cell cabins and the corresponding battery cell cabins so as to enable the battery monomers to be connected into the circuit. And when a certain battery monomer needs to be replaced, only the battery monomer needs to be taken out and replaced with a new battery monomer, so that the replacement speed is shortened, and the space required for maintenance is reduced. And along with the deterioration of the battery monomers, the battery monomers with closer performance in the energy storage system are put into the same series branch in real time, so that the efficiency of the whole energy storage system is better, the utilization rate of each battery monomer is greatly improved, and the service life of the whole energy storage system is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to an energy storage system, and in particular to a battery cell warehouse and an energy storage system. Background Art

[0002] Energy storage containers are integrated energy storage devices that combine various energy storage technologies with intelligent control systems to achieve efficient storage and release of energy. Energy storage containers can not only provide emergency power support, but also balance grid loads, shift peaks and fill valleys, and improve the utilization rate of renewable resources. This is of great significance to the stability and sustainable development of energy demand.

[0003] The existing energy storage container is constructed by bundling multiple battery cells in series to form a battery cell module. Two to three battery cell modules are connected in series and installed in a battery cell pack with a single positive and negative pole connection point. All battery cell modules in a battery cell pack are connected to other battery cell packs through the single positive and negative poles to form a circuit. Multiple battery cell packs are connected in series to form a battery cluster, and multiple battery cell clusters are connected in series or in parallel to form a battery cell system of the energy storage container.

[0004] For several battery cells connected in series as a whole, due to the existence of the barrel effect, manufacturers will select battery cells with similar health status and connect them in series as a whole when shipping. However, after a period of use or a certain number of charge and discharge times, the health status of a group of battery cells with similar performance may change differently, or even individual battery cells may deteriorate rapidly, resulting in the performance of the entire series branch being restricted.

[0005] Once the above situation occurs, the existing energy storage container structure will cause the entire battery pack to be unable to be used normally. A battery cluster contains multiple battery packs, and there is a high probability that the battery cells in a battery cluster are damaged or seriously deteriorated. In this case, the energy storage container needs to replace the entire battery pack containing damaged or seriously deteriorated batteries in order to continue to use normally. Due to the large size and weight of the entire battery pack, the lifting equipment involved in the replacement is large, resulting in the need to reserve space around the energy storage box for larger lifting equipment when arranging it. The replacement process needs to be completed manually, the maintenance pressure is high and it is usually impossible to replace it in time. In addition, the replacement process requires the entire energy storage container to be shut down from a safety perspective due to the disconnection of the series circuit of the battery cluster, which is not conducive to the energy density and continuous operation of the energy storage container. On the other hand, by replacing the entire battery pack, many other batteries with acceptable performance in the battery pack cannot continue to serve, which leads to a waste of resources. Summary of the invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide a battery cell warehouse and an energy storage system, which are used to realize convenient replacement of battery cells in the energy storage system and extend the service life of the battery cells and the entire energy storage system.

[0007] The battery cell compartment provided by the embodiment of the present invention has an inner cavity adapted to a single battery cell;

[0008] The battery cell compartment provides a battery access channel exposed on the operable side for the battery cell to enter and exit the corresponding battery cell compartment through the corresponding access channel;

[0009] An electrical connection point is provided on the battery cell compartment for connecting the battery cell compartment to a circuit, and the electrical connection point also provides a series electrical connection between the battery cell located in the battery cell compartment and the corresponding battery cell compartment to connect the battery cell to the circuit.

[0010] Further, a compartment door is provided on the battery cell compartment to expose or close the inner cavity relative to the operable side. When the compartment door is in the closed state, the battery cell is fixed in the inner cavity of the battery cell compartment and connected to the electrical connection point. When the compartment door is in the open state, the battery cell is disconnected from the electrical connection point.

[0011] Further, the battery cell compartment also provides a bypass line. After the battery cell compartment is disconnected from the series electrical connection with the battery cell, the bypass line shorts between the series electrical connection points.

[0012] Further, the compartment door is a flip type.

[0013] Further, the compartment door and the battery cell compartment are locked by a push-button door lock.

[0014] Further, a cooling plate is provided on the battery cell compartment.

[0015] Further, the battery cell compartment includes:

[0016] A housing body with an openable inner cavity;

[0017] A bottom plate is fixed at the bottom of the inner cavity. On the side of the bottom plate facing the inner cavity, a first conductive member is fixed as an electrical connection point for connecting to the two electrodes of the battery cell. On the other side of the bottom plate, a second conductive member is fixed, and the second conductive member is electrically connected in series with the first conductive member;

[0018] It further includes a sliding assembly. The sliding assembly includes a pressure-receiving part, a connecting part, and a base part. The pressure-receiving part and the base part are respectively located on both sides of the bottom plate, and the pressure-receiving part is located on the side of the inner cavity. The connecting part passes through the bottom plate and connects the pressure-receiving part and the base part, so that the first conductive member and the second conductive member are accommodated between the pressure-receiving part and the base part; the pressure-receiving part provides a first through hole adapted to the electrode of the battery cell, so that when the end of the electrode of the battery cell presses on the pressure-receiving part, the electrode of the battery cell passes through the first through hole to the area where the first conductive member is located;

[0019] A pre-compressed spring is provided between the pressed part and the bottom plate; a short circuit wire adapted to the second conductive member is further provided on the base part as a bypass line. When the base part moves towards the bottom plate side, the bypass line contacts the second conductive member and shorts it.

[0020] Furthermore, a spring is connected between the first conductive member and the bottom plate.

[0021] Furthermore, second through holes are provided on the pressed part and the bottom plate, or on the pressed part, the bottom plate and the base part. The second through holes are opposite to the end faces of the battery cells.

[0022] In a second aspect of the invention, an energy storage system is provided, comprising:

[0023] There are a plurality of battery cell bins as described in the foregoing embodiments, and the plurality of battery cell bins are electrically connected.

[0024] Based on the structure of the battery cell bin in the embodiments of the present application, the battery cells can be individually managed to enter and exit the battery cell bin, and the battery cells are connected to the circuit through the battery cell bin. When an energy storage system with a plurality of battery cell bins containing a plurality of battery cells is adopted, it is convenient to realize the precise management of the battery cells in the whole energy storage system; during the operation of the energy storage system, as the battery cells deteriorate, the battery cells with closer performance in the energy storage system can be placed in the same series branch in real time, so that the performance of each battery cell, the whole series branch and even the whole energy storage system in the series branch can be better exerted, and the battery cells can be discarded after their performance is exhausted, greatly improving the utilization rate of each battery cell and thus extending the life of the whole energy storage system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The drawings forming a part of this application are used to provide a further understanding of this application. The schematic embodiments of this application and their descriptions are used to explain this application and do not constitute an improper limitation to this application. In the drawings:

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the battery cell bin in the embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the battery cell bin in the embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery cell wall and the robot in the embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the energy storage container in the embodiment of the present application;

[0030] In the figure, the meanings of the respective reference numerals are as follows:

[0031] 1 - Storage body; 2 - Storage door; 11 - Compressed part; 12 - First conductive member; 13 - Spring; 14 - Base part; 15 - Cooling plate; 16 - Rear cavity; 17 - Bottom plate; 18 - Second conductive member; 21 - Press-type door lock; 3 - Battery cell wall; 4 - Claw; 5 - Horizontal guide rail; 6 - Vertical guide rail; 7 - New battery cell library; 8 - Damaged battery cell library; 100 - Robot; 200 - Energy storage container. Detailed implementation manners

[0032] It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0033] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present application 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 should not be construed as a limitation to the present application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the said features. In the description of the present application, "a plurality of" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0034] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected to" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that can communicate with each other; it may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0035] As Figure 1 shown, it is a schematic structural diagram of a battery cell storage in an embodiment of the present application. It can be seen that the battery cell storage includes a plurality of outer walls, and the plurality of outer walls enclose a hollow inner cavity, and the inner cavity is adapted to a single battery cell. Figure 1 ​

[0036] The battery cell bin provides a battery access channel exposed to the operable side for the battery cells to enter and exit the corresponding battery cell bin through the corresponding access channels. In the figure, the inner cavity has an opening, which realizes the connection between the inner cavity and the outside. The inner cavity also serves as the battery access channel.

[0037] The battery cell bin is provided with electrical connection points for connecting the battery cell bin to a circuit. The electrical connection points also provide a series electrical connection between the battery cells located within the battery cell bin and the corresponding battery cell bin, so that the battery cells are connected to the circuit.

[0038] With the above battery cell bin structure, the battery cells can easily enter and exit the battery cell bin, and through the electrical connection between the battery cell bin and the battery cells and the electrical connection between the battery cell bins, the electrical connection between the battery cells can be realized. Therefore, with the cooperation of the above battery cell bin and the battery cells, due to the small volume and light weight of a single battery cell, the operation of quickly replacing a single battery cell can be realized. In some preferred embodiments, the robot 100 can be used to control the gripper 4 to grasp the battery cell monomer to enter and exit the battery cell bin to realize the replacement of the battery cell monomer.

[0039] The battery cell can be a lithium-ion battery cell, a sodium-ion battery cell, a sodium-lithium-ion battery cell, a lithium-metal battery cell, a sodium-metal battery cell, a lithium-sulfur battery cell, a magnesium-ion battery cell, a nickel-metal hydride battery cell, a nickel-cadmium battery cell, a lead-acid battery cell, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0040] The battery cell generally includes an electrode assembly. The electrode assembly includes a positive electrode sheet, a negative electrode sheet, and a separator. During the charge and discharge process of the battery cell, active ions (such as lithium ions) are embedded and extracted back and forth between the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet. The separator is disposed between the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet, which can prevent the short circuit between the positive and negative electrodes and at the same time allow the active ions to pass through.

[0041] As an example, the battery cell can be a prismatic battery cell, a soft-pack battery cell, or a battery cell of other shapes. The prismatic battery cell includes a square-shell battery cell, a blade-shaped battery cell, a multi-prismatic battery cell, and the multi-prismatic battery cell is, for example, a hexagonal-prismatic battery cell, etc., and the present application has no special limitation.

[0042] As Figure 1 shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, the battery cell bin is generally in a long and straight shape and is adapted to a battery cell of an approximate cuboid shape. The battery cell is provided with positive and negative electrodes, and a plurality of grooves are provided on its inner cavity wall along the depth direction of the inner cavity for the gripper 4 for grasping the battery cell to move.

[0043] In order to fix the battery cell within the battery cell compartment, a limiting structure is provided on the battery cell compartment. In some embodiments, a compartment door 2 is provided on the battery cell compartment to expose or enclose the inner cavity relative to the operable side. When it is exposed relative to the operable side, the battery cell can move from outside the battery cell compartment to inside the battery cell compartment or from outside the battery cell compartment to inside the battery cell compartment through the battery access channel. When it is enclosed relative to the operable side, the battery cell cannot enter or exit the battery cell compartment.

[0044] When the compartment door 2 is in the closed state, the battery cell is fixed in the inner cavity of the battery cell compartment and connected to the electrical connection point. When the compartment door 2 is in the open state, the battery cell disconnects from the electrical connection of the battery cell compartment. By switching between the above different electrical connection methods, the battery cell can complete connecting to the circuit and disconnecting from the circuit during the movement process.

[0045] Since the battery cell and the battery cell compartment are connected in series, when the connection between the battery cell and the battery cell compartment is disconnected, an open circuit will be formed at the battery cell compartment. Therefore, in some embodiments, the battery cell compartment also provides a bypass line. When the battery cell needs to be disconnected from the battery cell compartment, preferably before the series electrical connection between the battery cell compartment and the battery cell is disconnected, the bypass line is short-circuited between the series electrical connection points. In this way, when the connection between the battery cell and the battery cell compartment is disconnected, the series branch where the battery cell compartment is located remains in a connected state.

[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the compartment door 2 is a flip type. The compartment door 2 and the battery cell compartment are locked through a push-button door lock 21.

[0047] In some preferred embodiments, a cooling plate 15 is provided on the battery cell compartment. The cooling plate 15 is used to cool and dissipate heat from the battery cell. The cooling plate 15 can use a water-cooling method, and a cooling water pipe is built inside the cooling plate 15.

[0048] In some preferred embodiments, such as Figure 2 shown, the battery cell compartment includes:

[0049] A housing 1 with an openable inner cavity;

[0050] A bottom plate 17 is fixed at the bottom of the inner cavity. A first conductive member 12 is fixed on one side of the bottom plate 17 facing the inner cavity as an electrical connection point for connecting to the two electrodes of the battery cell. A second conductive member 18 is fixed on the other side of the bottom plate 17, and the second conductive member 18 is electrically connected in series with the first conductive member 12.

[0051] It further includes a sliding component, which includes a pressure-receiving part 11, a connecting part, and a base part 14. The pressure-receiving part 11 and the base part 14 are respectively located on both sides of the bottom plate 17, and the pressure-receiving part 11 is located on one side of the inner cavity. The connecting part passes through the bottom plate 17 and connects the pressure-receiving part 11 and the base part 14, so that the first conductive part 12 and the second conductive part 18 are accommodated between the pressure-receiving part 11 and the base part 14; the pressure-receiving part 11 provides a first through hole adapted to the electrode of the battery cell, so that when the end where the electrode of the battery cell is located presses on the pressure-receiving part 11, the electrode of the battery cell passes through the first through hole to the area where the first conductive part 12 is located.

[0052] A pre-compressed spring 13 is arranged between the pressure-receiving part 11 and the bottom plate 17. Preferably, the connecting part is of a columnar structure, and the spring 13 is sleeved on the connecting part. A short circuit wire adapted to the second conductive part 18 is also arranged on the base part 14 as a bypass line. When the base part 14 moves towards the bottom plate 17, the bypass line contacts the second conductive part 18 and shorts it.

[0053] In some specific embodiments, both the first conductive part 12 and the second conductive part 18 include two columnar bodies corresponding to the positive and negative electrodes one by one, and an electrical connection corresponding one by one is also formed between the columnar bodies of the first conductive part 12 and the second conductive part 18.

[0054] With the above structure, when putting a battery cell into the battery cell compartment, the side where the electrode of the battery cell is located faces the bottom plate 17, and the battery cell moves from the open side of the housing 1 towards the bottom plate 17. The battery cell first contacts the pressure-receiving part 11, and the electrode of the battery cell is exposed to the area where the first conductive part 12 is located. However, when the battery cell just contacts the pressure-receiving part 11, the electrode of the battery cell has not yet contacted the first conductive part 12. The battery cell presses against the pressure-receiving part 11 and continues to move towards the bottom plate 17 of the battery cell compartment. During this process, the entire sliding component moves synchronously, and subsequently the electrode of the battery cell moves to contact the first conductive part 12 to realize the series connection between the battery cell and the battery cell compartment.

[0055] When removing the battery cell from the cell bin, the bin door 2 is opened, so that the limit on the battery cell by the bin door 2 disappears. The battery cell moves towards the open side of the bin body 1, and the electrodes of the battery cell are disconnected from the first conductive member 12. During this process, due to the action of the pre-compressed spring 13, the sliding assembly will initially move along the movement direction of the battery cell, causing the sliding assembly to return to its original position. During the return process of the sliding assembly, the base portion 14 on the side of the second conductive member 18 moves towards the second conductive member 18 synchronously, so that the short circuit wire located on the base is lapped on the second conductive member 18 to achieve a short circuit.

[0056] In some preferred embodiments, the bin door 2 has an elastic switch. Since the bin door 2 has a certain amount of backward movement towards the outside of the bin when it is closed, in order to enable the bin door 2 to cooperate with the inner cavity to achieve good limitation on the battery cell, a spring 13 is connected between the first conductive member 12 and the bottom plate 17. When the battery cell moves towards the inside of the bin and contacts the first conductive member 12, the spring 13 will be compressed and shortened. When the bin door 2 is closed and moves backward, the spring 13 rebounds a certain distance so that the first conductive member 12 always maintains the connection with the electrode.

[0057] In some preferred embodiments, in order to prevent the battery from expanding due to high internal pressure, second through holes are provided on both the pressure-receiving portion 11 and the bottom plate 17, or on the pressure-receiving portion 11, the bottom plate 17 and the base portion 14, and the second through holes are opposite to the end face of the battery cell. Through the second through holes, the gas that may be released is discharged from the inner cavity to reduce the pressure of the battery cell and the inner cavity.

[0058] As Figure 1 shown, in some embodiments, the cell bin further includes a cover shell, which is fixed on the bin body 1 and disposed outside the base portion 14 so that the base portion 14 is built-in. As Figure 1 shown, the cover shell is located behind the inner cavity, and a rear cavity 16 is formed between the cover shell and the inner cavity bottom plate 17, and the base portion 14 is located in this cavity, which is beneficial to protecting the base portion 14 from the influence of dust, water vapor, etc.

[0059] As Figures 3 - 4 described, a schematic structural diagram of an energy storage system provided by some other embodiments of the present invention is shown. The energy storage structure supplies power to the electrical device, and the electrical device can be a vehicle, a mobile phone, a portable device, a laptop computer, a ship, a spacecraft, an electric toy, an electric tool, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not make special restrictions on the above electrical devices.

[0060] In the figure, the energy storage system includes:

[0061] A plurality of battery cell compartments with electrical connections, wherein the inner cavity of each of the battery cell compartments is adapted to a single battery cell. Each of the battery cell compartments in the energy storage system can adopt the structure in each of the above embodiments of the battery cell compartments.

[0062] Each of the battery cell compartments provides a battery access channel exposed on the operable side for the battery cell to enter and exit the corresponding battery cell compartment through the corresponding access channel. That is, when each battery cell compartment is assembled, its respective battery access channel is located on the operable side, which does not affect the operation of taking and placing batteries in each battery cell compartment.

[0063] Each of the battery cell compartments provides a series electrical connection between the battery cell located in the battery cell compartment and the corresponding battery cell compartment, so that electrical connections are formed between multiple battery cells located in the battery cell compartment.

[0064] For the energy storage system composed of the above battery cell compartments, when a certain battery cell in the energy storage system needs to be replaced, only need to take out the battery cell from the battery cell compartment and replace it with a new battery cell. At the same time, the purpose that the battery cell can be quickly connected to the circuit and disconnected from the circuit is realized. Since the battery cell is light and small in volume, the replacement speed and the space required for replacement and maintenance can be shortened.

[0065] In order to facilitate the operation of the battery cells in each battery cell compartment at the same time, in some embodiments, the access channels of each of the battery cell compartments are exposed on the interconnected operable side. The operation of the target battery cell compartment can be realized by moving to the corresponding battery cell compartment position within the operable side area.

[0066] In some preferred embodiments, the energy storage system further includes a robot 100, the robot 100 is arranged on the operable side of the battery cell compartment, and the robot 100 takes / puts the battery cell from / to the corresponding battery cell compartment in response to receiving the take / put task of the battery cell so that the battery cell enters and exits the corresponding battery cell compartment.

[0067] As Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, it is a battery cell wall 3 composed of a plurality of battery cell compartments. In these embodiments, the outside of the battery cell compartment is a relatively regular structure, such as the cuboid structure adopted in this embodiment, so that multiple battery cell compartments can be conveniently stacked and fixed to each other. The fixation between the battery cell compartments can preferably be detachable. As shown in the figure, multiple battery cell compartments are stacked in sequence in the vertical direction so that the battery cell wall 3 has a certain height, and multiple battery cell compartments are also stacked in sequence in the horizontal direction so that the battery cell wall 3 has a certain width. And when arranging, the inner cavity of each battery cell compartment is arranged along the plane formed perpendicular to the above vertical direction and horizontal direction, and the opening of the inner cavity is located on the same side of the battery cell wall 3.

[0068] As a preferred embodiment, a new battery cell library 7 and a damaged battery cell library 8 are further arranged on the battery cell wall 3. Their composition forms can be battery cell bins with the same outer shape as those in the battery cell wall 3 in the above embodiment, but these battery cell bins are not connected to the circuit. Their positions can be arranged integrally with the battery cell wall 3, preferably on both sides of the battery cell wall 3, with one side as the new battery cell library 7 and the other side as the damaged battery cell library 8.

[0069] Specifically, as Figure 3 shown, it is a schematic structural diagram of a battery cell wall 3 with one side. A robot 100 is arranged on the opening side of the inner cavity of the battery cell bin in the battery cell wall 3. A horizontal guide rail 5 parallel to the battery cell wall 3 is provided at the bottom of the robot 100. The motor driving the automated robot 100 to move along the horizontal guide rail 5 is defined as the X-axis motor. The robot 100 includes a vertical guide rail 6 and a mechanical fixture moving along the vertical guide rail 6. The motor driving the mechanical fixture to move along the vertical guide rail 6 is defined as the Z-axis motor. The mechanical fixture includes a jaw 4 that can extend and retract forward and backward. The motor driving the jaw 4 to extend and retract forward and backward is defined as the Y-axis motor. The X-axis motor, Y-axis motor, and Z-axis motor are communicatively connected to the PLC control system and receive driving signals sent from the PLC control system.

[0070] For convenience of calculation, the first battery cell in the lower left corner of the battery cell wall 3 can be set as the coordinate origin. The length direction of the battery cell wall 3 is the positive direction of the X-axis, and the height direction is the positive direction of the Y-axis. Each battery cell on the battery cell wall 3 corresponds to a unique X and Y axis coordinate. The coordinate information of each battery cell is pre-input into the PLC control system. When a battery cell needs to be replaced, the PLC control system issues driving signals for the X-axis motor, Y-axis motor, and Z-axis motor to control the jaw 4 to move to the coordinate position of the corresponding battery cell. By respectively controlling the start and stop of the X-axis motor, Y-axis motor, and Z-axis motor, the displacement of the jaw 4 can be accurately controlled. After the jaw 4 moves to the corresponding position, it takes out the battery cell from the battery cell wall 33 and replaces it with a new battery cell.

[0071] In some embodiments, the specific process for the robot 100 to perform operations is as follows: obtain the position coordinate information of the battery cell to be taken out, transmit the position coordinate information to the PLC control system, and the PLC control system controls the start and stop of the X-axis motor, Y-axis motor, and Z-axis motor according to the received coordinate information, so as to move the gripper 4 to the specified position, open the battery cell bin door 2 (which can be controlled to open by the system or operated by the robot 100 to open), extend the gripper 4 into the bin body 1, pick up the battery cell, and the gripper 4 drives the battery cell to exit the battery cell bin. If there is a corresponding new battery cell bin for this battery cell to be loaded, the robot 100 drives it to move to the position of this battery cell bin, puts the battery cell into the new battery cell bin, then the gripper 4 exits, and the bin door 2 of the new battery cell bin closes (which can be controlled to close by the system or operated by the robot 100 to close). If this battery cell can no longer be used, the battery cell is grabbed to the battery recycling area, such as the damaged battery cell warehouse 8 in the above embodiment, and no longer participates in energy storage.

[0072] In some other embodiments, please refer to Figure 4 the structural schematic diagram of the energy storage container 200 shown. A single energy storage container 200 includes two battery cell walls 3. The sides of the two battery cell walls 3 where the battery cells are installed are arranged opposite to each other. The robot 100 is arranged between the two battery cell walls 3. A steering mechanism for controlling the turning of the gripper 4 is provided on the robot 100. Through the rotation of the steering mechanism, the gripper 4 on the automated robot 100 performs the operation of taking and replacing the battery cells on the two battery cell walls 3 at the same time. The two battery cell walls 3 increase the number of battery cells, and the electric energy volume of the energy storage container 200 is greatly increased. At the same time, only one robot 100 is still needed, saving floor space and ensuring the energy storage density.

[0073] In addition to the energy storage container 200, this embodiment can also be applied to other forms of energy storage systems, such as energy storage cabinets.

[0074] In some other embodiments, more battery cell walls 3 can also be set, and a path for the robot 100 to walk is established between the battery cell walls 3. The path can be realized through a track, such as the track arranged on the bottom plate 17 of the energy storage container 200 shown in the above embodiment, or can be an aerial track or a track arranged on the top plate of the container. The path can also be realized without a track, for example, by using a trackless robot 100 that can move freely.

[0075] In the above embodiments, in order to manage and operate the battery cells and even the entire battery cell wall 3 more scientifically and efficiently, a cell bin cluster-level structure with series connection is formed among multiple cell bins, and a parallel connection is formed among multiple cell bin cluster-level structures, and the cell bin cluster-level structures are arranged in sequence. Thus, according to the cask effect of battery series connection, the performance of the battery cells belonging to the same cell bin cluster-level structure should be as close as possible, so that the battery bin cluster-level structure can exert the maximum efficiency.

[0076] In some embodiments, at least one of the cell bins is provided with sensors to detect the environment inside the cell bin and / or the performance of the battery cells, and the environment or performance includes at least one of the following: temperature, voltage, current, and internal resistance. By using the above sensors to achieve precise monitoring of the inside of the cell bin and the battery cells, it is beneficial to obtain the operation status of each battery cell and facilitate making references for the decision-making of managing the battery cell.

[0077] In some embodiments, a spare battery area is further provided on the operable side, and the spare battery area is used to store a number of unused battery cells. When a battery cell in the battery cell wall 3 is missing due to various reasons, the battery cell wall 3 can be replenished with the battery cells in the spare battery area.

[0078] In some preferred embodiments, each cell bin further provides a bypass line. When the cell bin is disconnected from the battery cells inside it in series electrical connection, the bypass line is short-circuited between the series electrical connection points. The specific implementation manner of the bypass line can adopt the structure in the above cell bin embodiments, and whether the bypass line is short-circuited is automatically switched by the movement of the battery cells without an additional control system.

[0079] The above are only the embodiments of the present application and are not used to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, various changes and modifications can be made to the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. Battery cell compartment, characterized in that: The inner cavity of the battery cell compartment is adapted to a single battery cell; The battery cell compartment provides a battery access channel exposed on the operable side for the battery cell to enter and exit the corresponding battery cell compartment through the corresponding access channel; An electrical connection point is provided on the battery cell compartment for connecting the battery cell compartment to a circuit, and the electrical connection point also provides a series electrical connection between the battery cell located in the battery cell compartment and the corresponding battery cell compartment so that the battery cell is connected to the circuit.

2. The battery cell compartment according to claim 1, wherein A door is provided on the battery cell compartment to expose or close the inner cavity relative to the operable side. When the door is in the closed state, the battery cell is fixed in the inner cavity of the battery cell compartment and connected to the electrical connection point. When the door is in the open state, the battery cell is disconnected from the electrical connection point.

3. The battery cell bin according to claim 1, wherein, The battery cell compartment also provides a bypass line. When the battery cell compartment is disconnected from the series electrical connection with the battery cell, the bypass line shorts between the series electrical connection points.

4. The battery cell bin according to claim 2, characterized in that, The door is a flip type.

5. The battery cell bin according to claim 2, wherein, The door and the battery cell compartment are locked by a push-button door lock.

6. The cell bin according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Comprising: A housing body with an openable inner cavity; A bottom plate is fixed at the bottom of the inner cavity. On one side of the bottom plate facing the inner cavity, a first conductive member is fixed as an electrical connection point for connecting to the two electrodes of the battery cell. On the other side of the bottom plate, a second conductive member is fixed, and the second conductive member is electrically connected in series with the first conductive member; A sliding assembly is further included. The sliding assembly includes a pressure-receiving part, a connecting part, and a base part. The pressure-receiving part and the base part are respectively located on both sides of the bottom plate, and the pressure-receiving part is located on one side of the inner cavity. The connecting part passes through the bottom plate and connects the pressure-receiving part and the base part, so that the first conductive member and the second conductive member are accommodated between the pressure-receiving part and the base part; the pressure-receiving part provides a first through hole adapted to the electrode of the battery cell so that when the end of the electrode of the battery cell presses on the pressure-receiving part, the electrode of the battery cell passes through the first through hole to the area where the first conductive member is located; A pre-compressed spring is provided between the pressure-receiving part and the bottom plate; a short-circuit wire adapted to the second conductive member is also provided on the base part as a bypass line. When the base part moves towards the bottom plate side, the bypass line contacts the second conductive member and shorts it.

7. The battery cell bin according to claim 6, characterized in that, A spring is connected between the first conductive member and the bottom plate.

8. The battery cell bin according to claim 6, wherein, Second through holes are provided on the pressure-receiving part and the bottom plate, or on the pressure-receiving part, the bottom plate and the base part, and the second through holes are opposite to the end face of the battery cell.

9. The battery cell bin according to claim 6, wherein, A cover shell is further included. The cover shell is fixed on the housing body and is arranged outside the base part so that the base part is built-in.

10. Energy storage system, characterized in that, Comprising: There are multiple battery cell compartments as described in any one of claims 1-9, and the multiple battery cell compartments are electrically connected.

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