Cooling unit shell, battery cell frame and battery pack

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a cooling unit shell, a battery cell frame and a battery pack, and relates to the technical field of batteries. The cooling unit shell comprises an inner shell body, an outer shell body and a partition plate, a mounting cavity is defined by the inner shell body, the outer shell body is arranged on the outer side of the inner shell body in a sleeving mode, a spacing cavity is formed between the outer shell body and the inner shell body, the partition plate is arranged in the spacing cavity, and the two side edges of the partition plate are connected with the inner shell body and the outer shell body respectively; the battery cell is fixed in the mounting cavity, the battery cell is peripherally wrapped by the mounting cavity, when a certain battery cell is subjected to thermal runaway damage, the inner shell serves as a first protection to prevent the damaged battery cell from damaging the adjacent intact battery cell, and the outer shell serves as a second protection to limit the damage effect of the damaged battery cell in the outer shell. And the partition plate between the outer shell and the inner shell greatly improves the damage resistance of the inner shell, so that the battery cell is effectively protected. The embodiment of the utility model also provides a battery cell frame and a battery pack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of batteries, and in particular to a cooling unit shell, a battery core frame and a battery pack. Background Art

[0002] As the core component of new energy vehicles, the power battery pack is generally composed of multiple battery modules. The battery module is equipped with a cell rack, through which the battery cells are installed and fixed.

[0003] Most of the existing battery cell racks only provide installation locations for battery cells and cannot protect the battery cells. When a battery cell is damaged or deformed due to thermal runaway, the thermal runaway battery cell can easily damage nearby intact battery cells, further expanding the scope of damage within the battery module. Utility Model Content

[0004] The utility model provides a cooling unit shell, a battery core frame and a battery pack, which solve the problem that the existing battery core frame cannot effectively protect the battery core.

[0005] The embodiment of the present utility model can be implemented as follows:

[0006] An embodiment of the present invention provides a cooling unit housing, which includes:

[0007] The inner shell is surrounded by a mounting cavity, and the mounting cavity is used to circumferentially cover the battery cell;

[0008] An outer shell is sleeved on the outer side of the inner shell, and a spacer cavity is formed between the outer shell and the inner shell;

[0009] The partition is arranged in the partition cavity, and both sides of the partition are respectively connected to the inner shell and the outer shell.

[0010] Optionally, there are multiple partitions, and the multiple partitions are evenly spaced around the circumference of the inner shell.

[0011] Optionally, the inner shell is a cylindrical tube shell, and the partition is arranged along a circumferential tangent of an outer wall of the cylindrical tube shell.

[0012] Optionally, the outer shell is a regular polygonal prismatic shell, one side of the partition is connected to the middle of the flat plate of the prismatic shell, and the other side of the partition is connected to the outer wall of the inner shell.

[0013] Optionally, the outer shell is a regular octagonal prismatic tube shell, and the number of partitions is four, and the four partitions are evenly spaced around the circumferential outer wall of the inner shell.

[0014] An embodiment of the present invention provides a cell rack, comprising the above-mentioned cooling unit shell, wherein outer shells of a plurality of cooling unit shells are connected to form the cell rack.

[0015] Optionally, interconnected cooling channels are provided between adjacent cooling unit shells, the cooling channels are located outside the inner shell, and both ends of the cooling channels are respectively connected to a liquid inlet joint and a liquid outlet joint.

[0016] Optionally, an upper cover plate and a lower cover plate are provided on the battery cell frame, and the upper cover plate and the lower cover plate are detachably connected to the two end surfaces of the cooling unit shell respectively.

[0017] Optionally, the height H of the cell rack is less than or equal to the height h of the cell.

[0018] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a battery pack, comprising the above-mentioned battery cell rack.

[0019] The cooling unit housing, cell rack, and battery pack of the present invention have the following beneficial effects, for example:

[0020] The cooling unit shell includes an inner shell, an outer shell and a partition. The inner shell is surrounded to form an installation cavity. The outer shell is sleeved on the outside of the inner shell, and a partition cavity is formed between the outer shell and the inner shell. The partition is arranged in the partition cavity and the two sides of the partition are respectively connected to the inner shell and the outer shell. The battery cell is fixed in the installation cavity and the battery cell is circumferentially covered by the installation cavity. When a battery cell is damaged by thermal runaway, the inner shell serves as the first line of protection to prevent the damaged battery cell from damaging the adjacent intact battery cell. If the inner shell is damaged, the outer shell serves as the second line of protection to limit the destructive effect of the damaged battery cell to the inside of the outer shell. In addition, a partition support is provided between the outer shell and the inner shell. The performance of the inner shell in resisting damage is greatly improved, which effectively protects the battery cell.

[0021] The battery core frame includes the cooling unit shell and has all the functions of the cooling unit shell.

[0022] The battery pack includes the cell rack and has all the functions of the cell rack. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a cooling unit shell provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a cell frame provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a cell frame provided in an embodiment of the present invention with cells installed;

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of an upper cover plate provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of the lower cover provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0029] Figure 6 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the middle AA section;

[0030] Figure 7 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the middle BB section;

[0031] Figure 8 for Figure 6 A partial enlarged view of point D in the middle;

[0032] Figure 9 for Figure 7 A partial enlarged view of point C in the middle.

[0033] Icon: 1-inner shell; 10-installation cavity; 2-outer shell; 20-partition cavity; 201-sub-compartment; 3-partition; 4-cell rack; 40-cooling channel; 401-liquid inlet connector; 402-liquid outlet connector; 41-upper cover; 411-first through hole; 42-lower cover; 421-second through hole; 5-battery cell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0035] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but rather merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are intended to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0037] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that if the terms "upper", "lower", "inside", "outside", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or is the orientation or position relationship in which the utility model product is usually placed when in use. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0038] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc., if used, are merely used to distinguish and describe, and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0039] The terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0040] Unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, terms such as "disposed" and "connected" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connected" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this utility model based on specific circumstances.

[0041] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0042] The battery pack used in new energy vehicles generally includes one or more battery modules, and the battery module is formed by multiple battery cells installed on a battery rack, such as the common cylindrical battery cells. Most of the battery racks used to install and fix the cylindrical battery cells are provided with arc-shaped grooves, and the multiple battery cells are fixed in place by the arc-shaped grooves. Since the arc-shaped grooves cannot separate each battery cell independently, when one or several battery cells suffer from thermal runaway, the runaway battery cells will destroy the surrounding intact battery cells. The battery rack only plays the role of installation and fixation during use, and cannot protect the battery cells.

[0043] In addition, the existing battery modules have many assembly and connection parts. For example, it is necessary to set liquid cooling parts on the battery rack to cool the battery cells through the liquid cooling parts. Another example is that it is necessary to set covers on the sides of the battery cells to fix the battery cells. The more parts like these, the more complicated the assembly will be. Moreover, once the battery rack is produced by the upstream manufacturer, the downstream manufacturers cannot adjust the structure of the battery rack and the number of battery cells installed in the battery rack, which makes it inconvenient for flexible arrangement during use.

[0044] Please refer to Figures 1 to 9 The cooling unit shell, battery cell rack and battery pack provided in the embodiments of the present invention can solve the above problems, which will be described in detail below.

[0045] The battery pack includes battery cells 5 and a battery cell frame 4 , and the battery cells 5 are assembled on the battery cell frame 4 .

[0046] Specifically, the cell rack 4 includes a cooling unit shell, and multiple cooling unit shells are connected to form the cell rack 4; since the cell rack 4 is formed by connecting multiple cooling unit shells, the structure and shape of the cell rack 4 can be changed by changing the arrangement and connection method of the multiple cooling unit shells. The size of the cell rack 4 and the number of installable battery cells 5 can also be changed by connecting different numbers of cooling unit shells together, and the connection can be flexibly configured during use.

[0047] First, the cooling unit case will be described in detail below.

[0048] refer to Figure 1 The cooling unit shell includes an inner shell 1, an outer shell 2 and a partition 3. The inner shell 1 is surrounded by a mounting cavity 10, which circumferentially covers the battery cell 5; the outer shell 2 is sleeved on the outside of the inner shell 1, and a partition cavity 20 is formed between the outer shell 2 and the inner shell 1; the partition 3 is arranged in the partition cavity 20, and the two sides of the partition 3 are respectively connected to the inner shell 1 and the outer shell 2. The outer shell 2 and the inner shell 1 are connected together through the partition 3, and the partition 3 can also increase the deformation resistance of the inner shell 1. The partition cavity 20 includes a plurality of sub-compartments 201 that are not connected to each other. It should be noted that the two sides of the partition 3 refer to the two ends connected to the outer shell 2 and the inner shell 1 respectively, and the two sides of the partition 3 can be flat.

[0049] In order to increase the structural strength of the cooling unit shell, there are multiple partitions 3, and the multiple partitions 3 are evenly spaced around the circumferential outer wall of the inner shell 1. When the battery cell 5 enclosed in the installation cavity 10 has thermal runaway, the battery cell 5 expands and deforms or the adverse effects such as the force generated will first act on the inner shell 1. The inner shell 1 transfers the force to the outer shell 2 through the partition 3, limiting the adverse effects of the thermal runaway battery cell 5 to its own installation cavity 10, avoiding damage to other intact battery cells 5, thereby more effectively protecting the battery cell 5.

[0050] Specifically, the inner shell 1 is a cylindrical shell, and the outer shell 2 is a regular polygonal prism shell. One side of the partition 3 is connected to the middle of the flat plate of the prism shell, and the other side of the partition 3 is connected to the circumferential outer wall of the inner shell 1. The middle of the flat plate of the regular polygonal prism shell refers to the axial portion along each side of the prism shell. If the outer shell 2 is a regular octagonal prism shell and the inner shell 1 is a cylindrical shell, the cylindrical shell can be used to enclose cylindrical battery cells. The axis of the outer shell 2 coincides with the axis of the inner shell 1, so that the cylindrical shell is located in the center of the regular octagonal prism shell. In addition, both ends of the inner shell 1 and the outer shell 2 are connected, so that the battery cell 5 can only move axially in the installation cavity 10 and rotate around the central axis within the installation cavity 10, avoiding the need to set up additional battery cell 5 fixing components.

[0051] Furthermore, the inner shell 1 is a cylindrical shell, and the thickness of the cylindrical shell is uniform everywhere, which avoids the inner shell 1 being damaged from the weak point of the inner shell 1 first after a certain battery cell 5 has thermal runaway. The cylindrical shell with uniform thickness is conducive to increasing its own protection capability.

[0052] Four partitions 3 are connected to the inner wall of the regular octagonal prismatic shell, and are evenly spaced around the circumferential outer wall of the cylindrical shell. The partitions 3 can be arranged along the circumferential tangent of the cylindrical shell or along the radial direction of the cylindrical shell. Different arrangements produce different protective effects. When the partitions 3 are arranged along the circumferential tangent of the cylindrical shell, the force generated by the thermally runaway cell 5 acts on the inner shell 1, which transfers the force to the partitions 3. The partitions 3 can undergo slight deformation in the circumferential tangent direction, thus providing a certain degree of buffering. When the partitions 3 are arranged along the radial direction of the cylindrical shell, the force generated by the thermally runaway cell 5 acts on the inner shell 1, which transfers the force to the partitions 3. The partitions 3 directly transfer the force to the outer shell 2. Compared with the arrangement along the circumferential tangent of the cylindrical shell, there is no buffering effect. However, the radial arrangement provides a higher stability in the connection between the inner shell 1 and the outer shell 2.

[0053] Of course, the inner shell 1, the outer shell 2 and the partition 3 can be integrally cast, or connected by welding or bonding.

[0054] In this embodiment, the inner housing 1 is a cylindrical tube, and the cylindrical mounting cavity 10 formed therein is used to enclose cylindrical cells. In other embodiments, the inner housing 1 may also form other shaped cavities, such as square cavities or strip cavities. The square cavity can be used to enclose and install square cells, while the strip cavity can be used to enclose and install blade cells. Therefore, the enclosed and installed cells 5 are related to the shape of the mounting cavity 10 formed by the inner housing 1.

[0055] Continue to refer Figure 2 and Figure 3 The outer shells 2 of multiple cooling unit shells are connected to form a cell frame 4. Each cooling unit shell forming the cell frame 4 has identical structure and dimensions. The multiple cooling unit shells can be connected by welding or bonding. In this embodiment, the inner shell 1 is still a cylindrical shell, and the outer shell 2 is still a regular octagonal prismatic shell.

[0056] Specifically, the cell frame 4 is formed by connecting a plurality of cooling unit shells in a layer, and the cell frame 4 is a box-type structure. In other embodiments, the cell frame 4 can also be set as a cylindrical structure and can be multi-layered in height.

[0057] refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The cell holder 4 is also provided with an upper cover plate 41 and a lower cover plate 42, which are detachably connected to the two end surfaces of the cooling unit shell. Specifically, the upper cover plate 41 defines a plurality of first through-holes 411, the positions and dimensions of which correspond to the plurality of mounting cavities 10 of the cooling unit shell; the lower cover plate 42 defines a plurality of second through-holes 421, the positions and dimensions of which also correspond to the plurality of mounting cavities 10 of the cooling unit shell. By providing the upper cover plate 41 and the lower cover plate 42 on the cell holder 4, the cooling unit shell can be protected, while also enhancing the integrity and connection strength of the plurality of cooling unit shells.

[0058] Since both ends of the partition cavity 20 of each cooling unit shell are through, the battery cells 5 in the installation cavity 10 can be cooled by air cooling without providing the upper cover plate 41 and the lower cover plate 42 .

[0059] refer to Figures 6 to 9 When the cell holder 4 is provided with an upper cover plate 41 and a lower cover plate 42, a cooling channel 40 can be provided within the cell holder 4. The cooling channel 40 connects adjacent cooling unit shells. The cooling channel 40 is located outside the inner shell 1, and its ends are connected to a liquid inlet connector 401 and a liquid outlet connector 402, respectively. Coolant is introduced through the liquid inlet connector 401, flows through the cooling channel 40, and contacts the outer wall of the inner shell 1. The heat-generating cell 5 transfers heat to the inner shell 1, and the inner shell 1 and the coolant complete heat exchange, thereby achieving heat dissipation and cooling of the cell 5. It should be noted that the cooling channel 40 is formed by cutting a portion of the outer shell 2 and the partition 3 of the cooling unit shell.

[0060] Optionally, the height H of the cell frame 4 is less than or equal to the height h of the cell 5 , so that the electrodes of the cell 5 are exposed, thereby facilitating the series or parallel connection or series-parallel connection of multiple cells 5 .

[0061] To sum up, the battery rack 4 provided in the embodiment of the present invention is formed by multiple cooling unit shells, and a single cooling unit shell separates each battery cell 5 independently to prevent the runaway battery cell 5 from damaging the surrounding intact battery cells 5 after one or several battery cells 5 have thermal runaway, thereby effectively protecting the battery cells 5; secondly, the cooling unit shell has the function of both covering the battery cell 5 and cooling the battery cell 5. The battery rack 4 does not need to be additionally arranged with heat dissipation cooling components and other connecting parts, thereby reducing the grouping components of the entire battery module and greatly reducing the difficulty of assembly; finally, the battery rack 4 is formed by connecting multiple cooling unit shells. Manufacturers can flexibly select a certain number of cooling unit shells according to actual conditions and form the required battery rack 4 in a certain arrangement manner, which is very flexible and convenient in use.

[0062] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a battery pack, comprising the above-mentioned cell rack 4. The use of the above-mentioned cell rack 4 can effectively protect the battery cells 5, avoid damage to all battery cells 5 after a local battery cell 5 is out of control, and reduce the number of damaged battery cells 5 in the battery pack.

[0063] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A cooling unit shell, characterized in that: include: An inner shell (1), the inner shell (1) enclosing a mounting cavity (10), the mounting cavity (10) being used for circumferentially wrapping the battery core (5); An outer shell (2), the outer shell (2) being sleeved on the outer side of the inner shell (1), and a spacer cavity (20) being formed between the outer shell (2) and the inner shell (1); A partition (3), the partition (3) is arranged in the partition cavity (20), and two side edges of the partition (3) are respectively connected to the inner shell (1) and the outer shell (2).

2. The cooling unit housing according to claim 1, wherein: There are multiple partitions (3), and the multiple partitions (3) are evenly spaced and distributed around the circumference of the inner shell (1).

3. The cooling unit housing according to claim 1, wherein: The inner shell (1) is a cylindrical tube shell, and the partition (3) is arranged along the circumferential tangent of the outer wall of the cylindrical tube shell.

4. The cooling unit housing according to claim 1, wherein: The outer shell (2) is a regular polygonal prism shell, one side edge of the partition (3) is connected to the middle of the flat plate of the prism shell, and the other side edge of the partition (3) is connected to the outer wall of the inner shell (1).

5. The cooling unit housing according to claim 4, characterized in that The outer shell (2) is a regular octagonal prismatic shell, and the number of the partitions (3) is four, and the four partitions (3) are evenly spaced and distributed around the circumferential outer wall of the inner shell (1).

6. A battery cell frame, characterized in that: The invention comprises a cooling unit shell according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outer shells (2) of a plurality of cooling unit shells are connected to form a cell frame (4).

7. The battery cell frame according to claim 6, characterized in that: Interconnected cooling channels (40) are provided between adjacent cooling unit shells. The cooling channels (40) are located outside the inner shell (1), and both ends of the cooling channels (40) are respectively connected to a liquid inlet connector (401) and a liquid outlet connector (402).

8. The battery cell frame according to claim 6, characterized in that: An upper cover plate (41) and a lower cover plate (42) are provided on the battery core frame (4), and the upper cover plate (41) and the lower cover plate (42) are respectively detachably connected to the two end surfaces of the cooling unit shell.

9. The battery cell frame according to claim 6, characterized in that: The height H of the battery cell frame (4) is less than or equal to the height h of the battery cell (5).

10. A battery pack, characterized in that: A battery cell frame comprising the battery cell frame according to any one of claims 6 to 9.

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