High-capacity battery

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of batteries, and relates to a high-capacity battery which comprises a shell and a plurality of single batteries, the plurality of single batteries are arranged in an inner cavity of the shell along the x direction, and a first avoiding hole is formed in a top plate of the shell and corresponds to a polarity terminal of each single battery; each single battery polarity terminal extends out of the first avoiding hole, and the shell top plate area corresponding to the first avoiding hole is fixedly sealed with the single battery shell; a heat exchange device extending in the x direction is arranged on the top of the shell, and an inner cavity of the heat exchange device serves as an insulation heat exchange medium containing cavity. In the z direction, the polar terminal penetrates through the heat exchange device, and part of the structure of the polar terminal is located in the heat exchange device and is in direct contact with the insulating heat exchange medium; and the other part of the structure of the polar terminal is positioned outside the heat exchange device and is used as an electric connection part. On the premise of not changing the structure of the polarity terminal, the heat exchange performance of the whole high-capacity battery is improved by optimizing the heat exchange structure, shortening the heat exchange path and increasing the heat exchange area.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of battery, concretely is a kind of large capacity battery. BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, multiple single batteries are connected in parallel, series or series-parallel to become large capacity battery (also called battery module or battery pack) on the market.

[0003] However, there are differences among each single battery in the existing large capacity battery, and due to the existence of the bucket effect, it is often affected by the worst single battery, resulting in that the capacity upper limit and cycle times of the whole large capacity battery are greatly limited. Therefore, how to improve the uniformity of each single battery in the large capacity battery has become the focus and difficulty of the field research.

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, a large capacity battery is disclosed in Chinese patent CN220797038U, and its structure is as shown in the figure. Figure 1 The large capacity battery includes a shell 1 and a plurality of single batteries 2.

[0005] The length direction of the shell 1 is defined as the x direction, the width direction is defined as the y direction, and the height direction is defined as the z direction.

[0006] The plurality of single batteries 2 are arranged in the inner cavity of the shell 1 along the x direction.

[0007] The shell bottom plate 12 is provided with an electrolyte sharing chamber 13, and the electrolyte sharing chamber 13 is in communication with the electrolyte area in the inner cavity of each single battery 2. The electrolyte in the inner cavity of each single battery 2 is connected through the electrolyte sharing chamber 13, so that the electrolyte of all single batteries 2 is in the same system, reducing the difference between the electrolytes of each single battery 2, and improving the consistency between each single battery 2 to a certain extent, thereby improving the cycle life of the large capacity battery to a certain extent.

[0008] A first avoiding hole 3 is formed on the shell top plate 11, which can make the polarity terminal 21 of each single battery 2 protrude out. The region of the shell top plate 11 corresponding to the first avoiding hole 3 and the single battery 2 upper cover plate are fixed and sealed.

[0009] It should be noted that the polarity terminal 21 of the single battery 2 described above can be a single battery 2 pole, and if the single battery 2 pole cannot smoothly protrude out of the first avoiding hole 3 or the height of the single battery 2 pole protruding out of the first avoiding hole 3 does not meet the set requirements, a pole adapter can also be connected to the single battery 2 pole, and the overall structure of the single battery 2 pole and the pole adapter is used as the single battery 2 polarity terminal 21.

[0010] The above-mentioned large-capacity batteries will release heat during use. If the heat exchange is not timely, the battery life will be greatly shortened, energy loss will be aggravated, and even safety hazards such as spontaneous combustion and fire will occur. Therefore, it is particularly important to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the above-mentioned large-capacity batteries.

[0011] In order to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the above-mentioned large-capacity battery, Chinese patent CN118299714A discloses a large-capacity battery, such as Figure 2 As shown, the patent provides a slot at the location of the polarity terminal 21 of the large-capacity battery extending from the first avoidance hole 3. A heat exchange element 01 is fixed in the slot, effectively achieving heat exchange for the large-capacity battery. The larger the contact area between the polarity terminal and the heat exchange element, the better the heat exchange effect. In other words, the larger the slot surface area, the greater the contact area between the polarity terminal and the heat exchange element, and the better the heat exchange effect achieved. However, if the slot surface area is too large, it will affect the overall structure of the polarity terminal and, in turn, its conductivity. Utility Model Content

[0012] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a large-capacity battery, which improves the heat exchange performance of the entire large-capacity battery by optimizing the heat exchange structure, shortening the heat exchange path, and increasing the heat exchange area without changing the polarity terminal structure.

[0013] The technical solution of the utility model is to provide a large-capacity battery, comprising a housing and a plurality of single cells; the plurality of single cells are arranged in the inner cavity of the housing along the x-direction, and a first avoidance hole is opened on the top plate of the housing corresponding to the polarity terminal of each single cell; the polarity terminal of each single cell extends out of the first avoidance hole, and the area of ​​the top plate of the housing corresponding to the first avoidance hole is fixedly sealed with the housing of the single cell;

[0014] Its characteristics are:

[0015] A heat exchange device extending in the x direction is provided on the top of the shell, and the inner cavity of the heat exchange device serves as a chamber for accommodating an insulating heat exchange medium;

[0016] In the z direction, the polarity terminal passes through the heat exchange device, and part of the structure of the polarity terminal is located inside the heat exchange device and is in direct contact with the insulating heat exchange medium; the other part of the structure of the polarity terminal is located outside the heat exchange device and serves as an electrical connection part.

[0017] The utility model abandons the heat exchange parts and directly forms a heat exchange device on the top plate of the shell. The inner cavity of the heat exchange device serves as a accommodating cavity for the heat exchange medium. At the same time, the polarity terminal penetrates the heat exchange device in the z direction, that is, part of the structure of the polarity terminal is located inside the heat exchange device and is in direct contact with the insulating heat exchange medium; the other part of the structure of the polarity terminal is located outside the heat exchange device and serves as an electrical connection part.

[0018] Compared with the scheme of Chinese patent CN118299714A, first, the heat exchange path is shortened from "heat exchange medium-heat exchange part-polarity terminal" to "heat exchange medium-polarity terminal", the heat exchange medium directly acts on the polarity terminal, which can improve the utilization efficiency of the heat exchange medium, and further improve the heat exchange efficiency of such large-capacity battery; second, the heat exchange area is increased from "a certain surface area of a clamping groove" to "a part of the structure of the polarity terminal located in the heat exchange device", which can further improve the heat exchange efficiency of such large-capacity battery; finally, without changing the structure of the polarity terminal, the conductivity of the polarity terminal is not affected.

[0019] Further, the shell is provided with at least one shared chamber, and the shared chamber is in communication with the inner cavities of all single batteries. Through the shared chambers (including electrolyte shared chambers and gas shared chambers), the single batteries can be in a unified environment, and the performance and charge-discharge cycle life of the large-capacity battery are improved. When the shared chamber is a gas shared chamber, it can also be used as a pressure relief channel. When the pressure relief membrane at the gas port of any single battery is broken by the inner cavity flue gas, the inner cavity of the single battery and the gas shared chamber are in communication, and the internal flue gas is discharged through the gas shared chamber, which can improve the safety of the large-capacity battery.

[0020] Further, the heat exchange device is a hollow box body with one end open; the open end of the hollow box body is sealingly fixed to the shell; the top plate of the hollow box body is provided with a second avoiding hole corresponding to each single battery polarity terminal; each single battery polarity terminal extends out of the corresponding second avoiding hole, and the polarity terminal and the corresponding second avoiding hole are insulated and sealed. The heat exchange medium located in the hollow box body can not only directly act on the polarity terminal, but also directly contact and act on the top plate of the shell, further increasing the heat exchange area and having a better heat exchange effect on the large-capacity battery.

[0021] Further, the top plate and the side plate of the hollow box body are separate parts; the shell includes a cylinder with two open ends and end plates sealing the two open ends of the cylinder; the end plates are parallel to the yz plane; in the z direction, the side plate of the cylinder is higher than the top plate of the cylinder, and the part of the side plate of the cylinder higher than the top plate of the cylinder is used as the second side plate of the hollow box body, wherein the second side plate is the side plate of the hollow box body parallel to the xz plane. The cylinder can be integrally formed by aluminum extrusion process, which is simple and convenient to process, and at the same time, part of the structure of the side plate of the cylinder is used as the second side plate of the hollow box body, so that when the heat exchange device is constructed, only the top plate and the first side plate of the hollow box body need to be fixed.

[0022] Further, the heat exchange device further comprises a partitioning member arranged in the hollow box; the partitioning member extends along the x direction and divides the hollow box into a first sub-hollow box and a second sub-hollow box; in the z direction, the polarity terminals of the single batteries on one side extend out of the first sub-hollow box top plate through the second avoiding holes, and the polarity terminals of the single batteries on the other side extend out of the second sub-hollow box top plate through the second avoiding holes. When the large-capacity battery comprises a large number of single batteries, the size of the large-capacity battery in the x direction is large, and correspondingly, the size of the hollow box in the x direction is also large, which may cause the hollow box top plate to be easily deformed in the z direction. After the partitioning member is added, the hollow box top plate can be supported, and such problems can be well improved.

[0023] Further, the partitioning member is a boss arranged on the shell top plate and extending along the x direction; the shared chamber comprises a gas shared chamber and an electrolyte shared chamber; the gas shared chamber is a first channel opened on the boss and extending along the x direction, which covers the gas ports of the single batteries; the electrolyte shared chamber is a second channel arranged on the shell bottom plate and extending along the x direction, which is in communication with the electrolyte area of the inner cavities of the single batteries. The boss for forming the gas shared chamber is used as the partitioning member, without introducing external structures, which is simple in structure and low in processing cost.

[0024] Further, in the z direction, the size of the boss is larger than the size of the inner cavity of the hollow box; the hollow box top plate comprises a first sub-top plate and a second sub-top plate; the first sub-top plate and the second sub-top plate are respectively sealed and fixed between the two cylinder side plates and the boss, and respectively serve as the first sub-hollow box top plate and the second sub-hollow box top plate. Compared with the structure in which the hollow box top plate is an integral plate, the use of the hollow box top plate can be saved, and the cost can be reduced.

[0025] Further, the first sub-hollow box and the second sub-hollow box are connected in series.

[0026] Further, a via hole extending along the y direction is opened on the boss, and the via hole and the first channel are independent of each other; the first sub-hollow box and the second sub-hollow box are connected through the via hole. The via hole is directly opened on the boss (i.e. the partitioning member), which can reduce the volume of the large-capacity battery and simplify the structure, so that the large-capacity battery has a high energy density.

[0027] Further, a step structure is arranged on the outer wall of the polarity terminal along the circumferential direction of the polarity terminal; the step surface is coated with a second insulating sealing glue layer, and the heat exchange device is crimped on the second insulating sealing glue layer to realize the sealing between the polarity terminal and the heat exchange device.

[0028] Further, the heat exchange device is provided with a first insulating sealant layer on the top. Based on the first insulating sealant layer, firstly, the short circuit problem caused by the condensation outside the heat exchange device can be avoided, and secondly, the sealing property of the whole heat exchange device can be further improved.

[0029] Further, the electric connecting component assembly is connected with the electric connecting part of each polarity terminal, and the connecting part of the electric connecting component assembly and the electric connecting part of each polarity terminal is located in the first insulating sealant layer, so that the safety performance of the whole large capacity battery can be further improved.

[0030] The utility model discloses the beneficial effect is:

[0031] The utility model discloses the beneficial effect is: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 It is the structure schematic drawing of a large capacity battery in the background art;

[0033] Figure 2 It is the structure schematic drawing of another large capacity battery in the background art;

[0034] Figure 3 It is the structure schematic drawing of the large capacity battery in embodiment 1;

[0035] Figure 4 It is the sectional view of the large capacity battery in embodiment 1;

[0036] Figure 5 It is the sectional view of the large capacity battery in other embodiments;

[0037] Figure 6 It is the structure schematic drawing of the large capacity battery in embodiment 2;

[0038] Figure 7 It is the sectional view of the large capacity battery in embodiment 2;

[0039] Figure 8 It is the partial explosion structure schematic drawing of the large capacity battery in embodiment 2;

[0040] Figure 9 It is the shell explosion structure schematic drawing of the large capacity battery in embodiment 2;

[0041] Figure 10Figure 2 is a schematic view of the cylindrical structure of the large capacity battery of Example 2;

[0042] Figure 11 Figure 3 is a sectional view of the large capacity battery of Example 3;

[0043] Figure 12 Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the sectional view of the large capacity battery of Example 3;

[0044] Figure 13 Figure 5 is a sectional view of a large capacity battery of another embodiment;

[0045] Figure 14 Figure 6 is a sectional view of another large capacity battery of another embodiment;

[0046] Figure 15 Figure 7 is a schematic view of a large capacity battery of Example 3;

[0047] Figure 16 Figure 8 is a sectional view of another large capacity battery of Example 3;

[0048] Figure 17 Figure 9 is a schematic view of a portion of the exploded structure of another large capacity battery of Example 3;

[0049] Figure 18 Figure 10 is a schematic view of a large capacity battery of Example 4;

[0050] Figure 19 Figure 11 is a sectional view of the large capacity battery of Example 4;

[0051] Figure 20 Figure 12 is a sectional view of another large capacity battery of Example 4;

[0052] Figure 21 Figure 13 is a schematic view of a portion of the exploded structure of a large capacity battery of Example 5;

[0053] Figure 22 Figure 14 is a sectional view of the large capacity battery of Example 5;

[0054] In the drawings:

[0055] 01, heat exchange element; 1, shell, 11, shell top plate; 12, shell bottom plate; 13, electrolyte sharing chamber; 14, gas sharing chamber; 2, single battery; 21, polarity terminal; 211, electrical connection part; 22, electrical connection assembly; 221, first electrical connection; 222, second electrical connection; 3, first avoiding hole; 4, heat exchange device; 41, first sub heat exchange device; 42, second sub heat exchange device; 43, annular protrusion; 44, first side plate; 45, second side plate; 5, hollow box top plate; 51, second avoiding hole; 52, first sub hollow box top plate; 53, second sub hollow box top plate; 6, partition member; 7, connecting pipe; 8, via hole; 9, first insulating sealant layer; 10, second insulating sealant layer; 15, sealing connector; 16, support; 17, boss; 18, liquid inlet; 19, cylinder; 191, cylinder side plate; 192, cylinder top plate; 20, end plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more apparent and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor should belong to the protection scope of the present application.

[0057] In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application, but the present application can also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar generalizations without departing from the connotation of the present application, therefore the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0058] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship of the terms "top, bottom, etc." is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, therefore it cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, the terms "first, second, etc." are only for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0059] The present application discloses a large-capacity battery, comprising a shell and a plurality of single batteries; the plurality of single batteries are arranged in the same direction and placed in the inner cavity of the shell.

[0060] Generally, a rectangular shell is used, in order to facilitate description, the length direction of the shell is defined as the x direction, the width direction of the shell is defined as the y direction, and the height direction of the shell is defined as the z direction.

[0061] The shell structure is not limited, and at least the following two structures can be used:

[0062] The first structure includes a cylinder with two open ends (i.e., the port parallel to the yz plane is open) and end plates fixed at the two open ends of the cylinder (i.e., the end plates are parallel to the yz plane);

[0063] The second structure includes a cylinder with open ends at the top and bottom (i.e., the port parallel to the xy plane is open) and upper and lower cover plates fixed at the open ends of the top and bottom of the cylinder (i.e., the upper and lower cover plates are parallel to the xy plane, and the lower cover plate can be an integral structure with the cylinder);

[0064] A shared chamber can also be provided in the shell.

[0065] It should be noted that:

[0066] The shared chamber can be an electrolyte sharing chamber, and the inner cavity of the electrolyte sharing chamber and the inner cavities of the individual cells are in communication, so that the individual cells are in a unified electrolyte environment through the electrolyte sharing chamber, ensuring the uniformity of the electrolyte in the individual cells; and the performance and charge-discharge cycle life of the large-capacity battery are improved. The electrolyte sharing chamber described herein is a liquid passage extending along the length of the shell between the shell bottom plate and the individual cells, which can be integrally formed with the shell bottom plate or formed by providing a support between the lower cover plate of the individual cell and the shell bottom plate.

[0067] The shared chamber can also be a gas sharing chamber provided on the top plate of the shell, and the gas sharing chamber covers the gas ports at the top of each individual cell in the large-capacity battery. It should be noted that the gas port includes the following two meanings:

[0068] 1) The gas port is a first through hole directly provided on the upper cover plate of the individual cell and penetrating the inner cavity of the individual cell;

[0069] At this time, the inner cavity of the gas sharing chamber is in communication with the gas area of each individual cell through the gas port, and based on the gas sharing chamber, the gas areas of each individual cell are in communication, achieving gas balance, so that the consistency of each individual cell is guaranteed, and the cycle life of the large-capacity battery is improved to some extent; when thermal runaway occurs in any individual cell, the smoke in the inner cavity of the individual cell enters the gas sharing chamber and is discharged through the gas sharing chamber, improving the safety of the large-capacity battery.

[0070] 2) The gas port is a venting port or explosion-proof port provided on the upper cover plate of the individual cell, and a venting membrane is provided at the venting port or explosion-proof port;

[0071] At this time, the gas sharing chamber is used as an explosion venting channel, when the explosion venting membrane at the gas port of any single battery is broken by the cavity smoke, the cavity of the single battery and the gas sharing chamber are communicated, and the smoke in the cavity is discharged through the gas sharing chamber, thereby improving the safety of the large capacity battery.

[0072] The sharing chamber can also be a gas-liquid sharing chamber, and through the gas-liquid sharing chamber, each single battery can be in a unified electrolyte environment and gas environment, thereby improving the performance and charge-discharge cycle life of the large capacity battery.

[0073] In order to facilitate the electrical connection of such a large capacity battery, a first avoiding hole corresponding to each single battery polarity terminal is formed on the shell top plate (in the shell of the first structure, the shell top plate here is the cylinder top plate; in the shell of the second structure, the shell top plate here is the upper cover plate); each single battery polarity terminal extends out of the corresponding first avoiding hole as a large capacity battery polarity terminal, and the region of the shell top plate corresponding to the first avoiding hole is fixedly sealed with the single battery shell, so that the first avoiding hole part of the shell top plate is sealed.

[0074] It should be noted that the single battery polarity terminal described here can be a single battery pole, and if the single battery pole cannot be smoothly extended out of the first avoiding hole or the height of the single battery pole extended out of the first avoiding hole does not meet the set requirements, a pole adapter can also be connected to the single battery pole, and the whole structure of the single battery pole and the pole adapter in cooperation can be used as the single battery polarity terminal.

[0075] In order to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the above-mentioned large capacity battery, the utility model adopts a similar utility model concept as Chinese patent CN118299714A, that is, mainly to heat exchange for the single battery polarity terminal which is relatively concentrated in heat, but different from Chinese patent CN118299714A, the utility model considers that by optimizing the heat exchange structure, a direct heat exchange mode is adopted, so that the polarity terminal is directly contacted with the heat exchange medium, and the heat exchange of the polarity terminal is realized. Compared with the effect of indirectly exchanging heat of the heat exchange medium on the polarity terminal through the heat exchange piece, firstly, the heat exchange path is short, which can improve the utilization efficiency of the heat exchange medium; secondly, the heat exchange area is large, which improves the heat exchange efficiency, and further improves the heat exchange efficiency of such a large capacity battery.

[0076] Based on the utility model concept, the utility model discards the heat exchange piece, directly forms a heat exchange device on the top of the shell, and the inner cavity of the heat exchange device is used as a containing cavity of the heat exchange medium. At the same time, the polarity terminal penetrates the heat exchange device in the z direction, that is, part of the structure of the polarity terminal is located in the heat exchange device and directly contacts with the insulating heat exchange medium; the other part of the structure of the polarity terminal is located outside the heat exchange device as an electrical connection part.

[0077] It should be noted that:

[0078] 1. Because the polarity terminals of this utility model are in direct contact with the heat exchange medium, the ideal heat exchange medium should have good insulation, high specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity, good flame retardancy, low cost, suitable operating temperature, long life, and non-corrosive properties. In this utility model, the insulating heat exchange medium is a common insulating heat exchange medium in the prior art, which can be, but is not limited to, insulating oil and fluorinated liquid;

[0079] 2. The heat exchanger is prone to contact with the polarity terminals. If the heat exchanger is conductive, the positive and negative polarity terminals of the same single battery will be directly connected through the heat exchanger, causing a short circuit. Therefore, the heat exchanger is preferably made of insulating materials. If non-insulating materials are used, an insulating seal can be added between the polarity terminals and the heat exchanger to overcome this problem. The heat exchanger can also be insulated, such as spraying insulating paint or wrapping with insulating film. For safety reasons, multiple insulation methods can be used in combination with the above methods to overcome this problem.

[0080] 3. When using liquid heat exchange medium, it is necessary to ensure the sealing of the heat exchange device, especially where the polarity terminal passes through the heat exchange device.

[0081] The heat exchange device can adopt different structures, which can be an independent hollow box, a hollow box with one end open, or a part of the structure of the shell. It is described in detail below with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0082] Example 1

[0083] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 , which are respectively a schematic structural diagram and a cross-sectional view of the large-capacity battery of this embodiment. As can be seen from the figures, the large-capacity battery of this embodiment includes a housing 1 and a plurality of single cells 2 arranged in the housing 1 along the x direction.

[0084] The single cells 2 in this embodiment are prismatic cells, numbering 12. Each single cell 2 has an inner cavity comprising an electrolyte region and a gas region. In other embodiments, the number of single cells 2 can be adjusted based on actual needs, and the shape of the single cells 2 can also be adjusted based on actual needs.

[0085] The top plate 11 of the housing is provided with a first avoidance hole 3 which allows the polarity terminal 21 of each single battery 2 to extend out; Figure 4As shown, the polarity terminal 21 of the single battery 2 in this embodiment is a single battery 2 pole, which has a higher height than the conventional single battery 2 pole. Each single battery 2 polarity terminal 21 extends out of the corresponding first avoiding hole 3, and a sealing connector 15 is additionally arranged between the first avoiding hole 3 and the polarity terminal 21, to realize the fixed sealing of the area of the first avoiding hole 3 corresponding to the top plate 11 of the shell and the shell of the single battery 2.

[0086] The sealing connector 15 comprises a hollow member; the bottom of the hollow member is used for sealing connection with the first area of the single battery 2, and the top of the hollow member is sealingly connected with the second area of the top plate 11 of the shell; wherein the first area is the area around any polarity terminal 21 on the cover plate of the single battery 2 of any single battery 2; wherein the area around the polarity terminal 21 is the area around the insulating sealing gasket on the polarity terminal 21. The insulating sealing gasket is a part for insulating the polarity terminal 21 and the cover plate of the single battery 2. The second area is the area of the top plate 11 corresponding to any one of the first avoiding holes 3 of the top plate 11. The area of the top plate 11 corresponding to the first avoiding hole 3 is the peripheral area of the top plate 11 corresponding to any one of the first avoiding holes 3 on the outer surface of the top plate 11; or the area of the top plate 11 corresponding to the first avoiding hole 3 is the hole wall of the first avoiding hole 3.

[0087] In order to further improve the sealing performance of this part, an insulating sealing glue can also be laid in the space between the sealing connector and the polarity terminal.

[0088] A support 16 extending in the x direction is arranged between the shell bottom plate 12 and each single battery 2, to form a second channel as an electrolyte sharing chamber 13.

[0089] On the top plate 11 of the shell, a boss 17 extending in the x direction is arranged, and a first channel is formed on the boss 17, which penetrates the inner cavity of the shell 1 and serves as a gas sharing chamber 14, and is in communication with the gas area of the inner cavity of each single battery 2; after the inner cavity of the single battery 2 produces gas, the inner cavity of the first channel can also serve as a gas containing chamber, to relieve the problem of the shell 1 swelling due to gas production. In other embodiments, the boss 17 structure can not be arranged, that is, the top plate 11 of the shell adopts Figure 5 As shown, the flat plate structure, each single battery 2 can realize gas communication through the first through hole penetrating the inner cavity thereof, to achieve gas balance.

[0090] In other embodiments, only the electrolyte sharing chamber 13 or the gas sharing chamber 14 can be arranged.

[0091] The heat exchange device 4 is arranged on the top of the shell. In order to ensure the compactness of the large-capacity battery structure, a component with a shape and size matching the top plate 11 of the shell is usually used as the heat exchange device 4. After the heat exchange device 4 is fixed on the top of the shell, the polar terminal 21 penetrates the heat exchange device 4 in the z direction, that is, part of the structure of the polar terminal 21 is located in the heat exchange device 4 and directly contacts the heat exchange medium, and the other part of the structure of the polar terminal 21 is located outside the heat exchange device 4 and serves as an electrical connection part 211.

[0092] The heat exchange device 4 can have at least two different structures as follows:

[0093] The first structure is as follows:

[0094] The hollow box body matches the size of the top plate of the shell. In this embodiment, the top plate of the shell is a rectangular plate, so a cubic box body is used. Second avoiding holes are formed in the bottom plate and the top plate of the hollow box body and correspond to the polar terminals of each single battery. When the heat exchange device with this structure is fixed on the top of the shell, the electrical connection parts of the polar terminals of each single battery penetrate the second avoiding holes in the bottom plate and extend out of the second avoiding holes in the top plate of the hollow box body.

[0095] The second structure is as follows:

[0096] For details, please refer to Figure 4 The hollow box body with an open end matches the size of the top plate 11 of the shell. As mentioned above, the top plate 11 of the shell is a rectangular plate, so the hollow box body is a cubic box body. Second avoiding holes are formed in the top plate 5 of the hollow box body opposite to the open end and correspond to the polar terminals 21 of each single battery 2. That is, the second structure is the structure obtained by removing the bottom plate of the cubic box body of the first structure.

[0097] When the heat exchange device 4 with this structure is fixed on the top of the shell, it needs to be buckled on the top of the shell and sealed with the shell 1 (here, the shell 1 can be the top plate 11 of the shell or the side plate of the shell 1, and the side plate of the shell here includes the side plate parallel to the xz plane and the side plate parallel to the yz plane). The electrical connection parts 211 of the polar terminals 21 of each single battery 2 extend out of the second avoiding holes 51 in the top plate 5 of the hollow box body and are sealed between the polar terminals 21 and the second avoiding holes 51.

[0098] In the heat exchange devices 4 with the above two structures, part of the structure of the polar terminal 21 is located in the heat exchange device 4 and directly contacts the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange device 4, so the heat exchange effect is good.

[0099] But relative to the first structure, the heat exchange medium in the second structure heat exchange device 4 can also be in direct contact with the shell top plate 11, and the heat exchange medium can also directly act on the shell top plate 11, which has a better heat exchange effect on large-capacity batteries. In the first structure heat exchange device 4, the heat exchange medium cannot be in direct contact with the shell top plate 11 due to the presence of the hollow box bottom plate, so the heat exchange effect on large-capacity batteries is weaker than the second structure.

[0100] In addition, in the first structure, for each polarity terminal 21, sealing is required between it and the second avoiding hole 51 of the hollow box top plate and bottom plate, making the sealing process more complex. In the second structure, for each polarity terminal 21, only the sealing between it and the second avoiding hole 51 of the hollow box top plate 5 is required, and then the sealing between the open end and the shell 1 can be performed, which is simpler than the sealing process of the first structure.

[0101] Based on the above analysis, the second structure heat exchange device 4 is selected in this embodiment.

[0102] As shown in Figures 3 to 5 , this embodiment selects a hollow box with one end open made of insulating material, which is buckled on the shell top plate 11. To ensure that the polarity terminal 21 electric connection part 211 of each single battery 2 can smoothly pass through the corresponding second avoiding hole 51 on the hollow box top plate 5, the second avoiding hole 51 needs to have an area slightly larger than the corresponding polarity terminal electric connection part 211 in the xy plane, and in the z direction, the vertical distance between the bottom end of the polarity terminal and the hollow box top plate 5 needs to be smaller than the size of the polarity terminal. Ensure that the corresponding polarity terminal electric connection part 211 can smoothly pass through the corresponding second avoiding hole 51.

[0103] In some cases, the cross-sectional area of the polarity terminal electric connection part and the rest is completely equal, so it can be considered that only "the second avoiding hole 51 in the xy plane has an area slightly larger than the corresponding polarity terminal in the xy plane, and in the z direction, the vertical distance between the bottom end of the polarity terminal and the hollow box top plate 5 needs to be smaller than the size of the polarity terminal", that is, to ensure that the corresponding polarity terminal electric connection part 211 can smoothly pass through the corresponding second avoiding hole 51.

[0104] Generally, the shape of the second avoiding hole 51 is matched with the cross-sectional shape of the polar terminal electric connection part. If the second avoiding hole 51 is a round hole and the cross-section of the polar terminal electric connection part is circular, the caliber of the second avoiding hole 51 needs to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the polar terminal electric connection part. If the second avoiding hole 51 is a square hole and the cross-section of the polar terminal electric connection part is square, the area of the second avoiding hole 51 needs to be slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of the polar terminal electric connection part. Of course, the shape of the second avoiding hole 51 can also not be matched with the cross-sectional shape of the polar terminal electric connection part, as long as it can ensure that the polar terminal electric connection part can smoothly pass through the corresponding second avoiding hole 51 and can realize the sealing between the two.

[0105] When the heat exchange medium adopts a liquid heat exchange medium, the sealing performance of the hollow box is particularly important. In order to ensure the sealing performance of the hollow box, the first side plate 44 of the hollow box is provided with a first avoiding hole 52, and the second side plate 45 of the hollow box is provided with a second avoiding hole 51. The polar terminal 21 is arranged in the first avoiding hole 52 and the second avoiding hole 51, and the polar terminal 21 is arranged in the first avoiding hole 52 and the second avoiding hole 51. Figure 4 As can be seen, the present embodiment is provided with a step structure on each polar terminal 21 along the circumferential direction, and a second insulating sealing glue layer 10 is laid on the step surface. When the electric connection part of the polar terminal extends out of the second avoiding hole of the hollow box top plate, the area around the second avoiding hole of the hollow box top plate is crimped on the second insulating sealing glue layer, and at the same time, the second insulating sealing glue layer penetrates into the gap between the second avoiding hole and the polar terminal, realizing the sealing between the polar terminal 21 and the second avoiding hole 51. In other embodiments, an O-shaped sealing ring can also be sleeved between the polar terminal 21 and the second avoiding hole 51 to realize the sealing between the two.

[0106] An annular groove is arranged on the top plate 11 of the shell, and an annular protrusion 43 matched with the annular groove is arranged on the open end face of the hollow box. The annular protrusion 43 is inserted into the annular groove, and sealing glue is coated at the matching part to realize the sealing and fixing of the hollow box and the top plate 11 of the shell. In other embodiments, a flange connection can also be used to realize the sealing and fixing of the hollow box and the shell 1.

[0107] In other embodiments, a hollow box with one end open can be selected from metal materials. In order to ensure the insulation between the polar terminal 21 and the second avoiding hole 51, an O-shaped insulating sealing ring can be additionally arranged between the two to realize the insulation and sealing between the two. The open end of the hollow box and the shell 1 can be welded to realize the sealing and fixing.

[0108] In addition, when the heat exchange medium adopts a liquid heat exchange medium, when a battery pack is formed based on such a large-capacity battery, the heat exchange devices 4 of the respective large-capacity batteries can be connected in parallel or in series. Therefore, it is necessary to open the liquid inlet 18 and the liquid outlet on the heat exchange device 4. As shown in the figure, the present embodiment opens the liquid inlet 18 and the liquid outlet on the first side plate 44 of the hollow box (of which the first side plate 44 is two side plates parallel to the yz plane). Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the present embodiment opens the liquid inlet 18 and the liquid outlet on the first side plate 44 of the hollow box (of which the first side plate 44 is two side plates parallel to the yz plane). Figure 3 The liquid outlet is not shown in the figure.

[0109] It should be noted that, as shown in Figure 4 In the z direction, the height of the boss 17 provided by the top plate 11 of the shell of the present embodiment for forming the gas sharing chamber 14 is lower than the height of the inner cavity of the hollow box.

[0110] Embodiment 2

[0111] Unlike embodiment 1, the present embodiment takes part of the structure of the shell 1 as part of the structure of the heat exchange device 4 (a hollow box with one end open).

[0112] As shown in Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 , in the present embodiment, part of the structure of the side plate of the shell 1 (the side plate is parallel to the xz plane) is taken as the second side plate 45 of the heat exchange device 4 (the second side plate 45 is a side plate parallel to the xz plane).

[0113] The structure of the shell 1 of the present embodiment will be described in detail below in conjunction with Figure 9 and Figure 10 .

[0114] As shown in Figure 9 , the exploded structure diagram of the shell 1 of the present embodiment is shown, which is disassembled into a cylinder 19 with both ends open and an end plate 20 covering the open end of the cylinder 19. The structure of the cylinder 19 is shown in Figure 10 , both ends of the cylinder 19 are open ends, i.e. the open ends of the cylinder 19 are parallel to the yz plane; in the z direction, the height of the side plate 191 of the cylinder is higher than the height of the top plate 192 of the cylinder; the part of the side plate 191 of the cylinder higher than the top plate 192 of the cylinder is taken as the second side plate 45 of the heat exchange device 4.

[0115] On the top plate 192 of the cylinder, the gas sharing chamber 14 is provided along the x direction, and the gas sharing chamber 14 is in communication with the gas area of the inner cavity of each single battery 2.

[0116] The cylinder 19 can be integrally formed by aluminum extrusion process, which is convenient to process, and at the same time, has good sealing compared to a split structure.

[0117] In conjunction with Figure 7 , it can be seen that the present embodiment is provided with a support 16 between the bottom plate of the cylinder 19 and each single battery 2 to form the electrolyte sharing chamber 13.

[0118] In some other embodiments, only the electrolyte sharing chamber 13 or the gas sharing chamber 14 can be provided.

[0119] The present embodiment can assemble the heat exchange device 4 through the following process:

[0120] As shown in Figure 8As shown, the two first side panels 44 of the heat exchange device 4 are respectively fixed and sealed at the two ends of the two second side panels 45, and the hollow box top panel 5 is sealed and fixed to the first side panels and the second side panels; the installation order of the hollow box top panel 5 and the first side panels 44 is not specifically limited, that is, the hollow box top panel 5 can be installed first and then the first side panels 44, or the first side panels 44 can be installed first and then the hollow box top panel 5.

[0121] In order to facilitate the fixation of the hollow box top plate 5, this embodiment provides a step structure on the cylinder side plate 191, and lays a second insulating sealant layer 10 on the step surface. The hollow box top plate 5 is sealed and fixed to the cylinder side plate 191 through the second insulating sealant layer 10.

[0122] In some other embodiments, the two first side panels 44 may be integrated with the end panel 20 of the outer shell 1 , and when constructing the heat exchange device 4 , it is only necessary to fix the hollow box top panel 5 .

[0123] Example 3

[0124] Unlike the above embodiment, in this embodiment, a dividing member 6 is provided in the heat exchange device 4 along the x direction to divide the heat exchange device 4 into a first sub-heat exchange device 41 and a second sub-heat exchange device 42; the polarity terminal 21 of each single battery 2 on one side passes through the first sub-heat exchange device 41, and the polarity terminal 21 of each single battery 2 on the other side passes through the second sub-heat exchange device 42.

[0125] Figures 11 to 13 Taking Example 2 as an example, the partition member 6 is added. That is, within a hollow box with one end open, a partition member 6 extending along the x-direction is provided to divide the hollow box into a first sub-hollow box and a second sub-hollow box. The first sub-hollow box and the second sub-hollow box serve as the first sub-heat exchange device 41 and the second sub-heat exchange device 42, respectively. In the z-direction, the polarity terminal 21 of each single battery cell 2 on one side extends out of the top plate 52 of the first sub-hollow box, corresponding to the second avoidance hole 51, while the polarity terminal 21 of each single battery cell 2 on the other side extends out of the top plate 53 of the second sub-hollow box, corresponding to the second avoidance hole 51.

[0126] like Figure 11 As shown, in this embodiment, the boss 17 provided on the shell top plate 11 for forming the gas sharing chamber 14 is used as the dividing member 6. In addition, in this embodiment, in order to ensure that the first sub-hollow box body and the second sub-hollow box body are completely independent, the size of the boss 17 is larger than the size of the inner cavity of the heat exchange device 4 in the z direction, and the hollow box body top plate 5 is divided into the first sub-top plate and the second sub-top plate; the two long edges of the first sub-top plate and the second sub-top plate are respectively sealed and fixed to the cylinder side plate 191 and the boss 17; that is, see Figure 11The first sub-top plate is sealed and fixed between one of the cylinder side plates 191 and the boss 17 as a first sub-hollow box top plate 52. The second sub-top plate is sealed and fixed between the other cylinder side plate 191 and the boss 17 as a second sub-hollow box top plate 53.

[0127] From Figure 11 and Figure 12 It can be seen that the embodiment sets a step structure on the boss 17, lays the second insulating sealing glue layer 10 on the step surface, and press-welds the first sub-top plate and the second sub-top plate on the second insulating sealing glue layer 10 to achieve fixation.

[0128] In other embodiments, in the z direction, the size of the boss 17 can be slightly smaller than the size of the inner cavity of the heat exchange device 4, as shown in Figure 13 At this time, it is necessary to ensure the sealing between the top end of the boss 17 and the hollow box top plate 5.

[0129] In other embodiments, the hollow box can also be divided into a first sub-hollow box and a second sub-hollow box by using the Figure 14 dividing member 6, which are respectively used as a first sub-heat exchange device 41 and a second sub-heat exchange device 42. Figure 14 Among them, the baffle is arranged on the inner surface of the hollow box top plate 5 along the x direction, and the baffle is tightly sealed with the outer shell top plate 11 after the hollow box top plate 5 is fixed on the cylinder side plate 191.

[0130] The first sub-hollow box and the second sub-hollow box can be connected in parallel, and can also be connected in series, for example, as shown in Figure 15 , Figure 16 and Figure 17 Taking the series connection as an example; Figure 15 Among them, the first side plate 44 of the first sub-hollow box and the second sub-hollow box is provided with a communication interface, which can be defined as a first through hole and a second through hole respectively, and the first through hole and the second through hole are connected based on the external connecting pipe 7 to realize the series connection of the first sub-hollow box and the second sub-hollow box. Figure 16 and Figure 17 Among them, the via hole 8 for communicating the first sub-hollow box and the second sub-hollow box is directly arranged on the boss 17 (the via hole 8 and the first channel as the gas sharing chamber are independent of each other, that is, they are isolated from each other), to realize the series connection of the first sub-hollow box and the second sub-hollow box; compared with Figure 15 the structure shown in Figure 16 The structure is relatively simple, and can reduce the size of the large-capacity battery in the length direction, and improve the energy density of such large-capacity batteries.

[0131] Embodiment 4

[0132] Different from the above embodiment, the first insulating sealant layer 9 is laid on the top of the heat exchange device 4 based on the above embodiment.

[0133] The specific structure is shown in Figure 18 、 Figure 19 and Figure 20 , Figure 18 and Figure 19 , and the first insulating sealant layer 9 is laid on the top of the heat exchange device 4 based on the above embodiment. Figure 20 The first insulating sealant layer 9 is laid on the top of the heat exchange device 4 based on the above embodiment.

[0134] As can be seen from Figures 18 to 20 , the electrical connection part 211 of the polar terminal 21 in the embodiment extends out of the first insulating sealant layer 9, so as to be connected with the electrical connection component 22. The electrical connection component 22 is an electrical connection component for realizing parallel connection of each single battery in a large-capacity battery and / or series connection of adjacent large-capacity batteries.

[0135] Laying the first insulating sealant layer 9 on the top of the heat exchange device 4 has at least the following advantages:

[0136] I. Further improving the sealing performance of each part of the heat exchange device 4;

[0137] Specifically, the first insulating sealant constituting the first insulating sealant layer 9 penetrates into the gap between the second avoiding hole 51 and the polar terminal 21, and further seals the gap in the radial direction; for the structure shown in Figure 19 , the first insulating sealant layer 9 covers the connecting part of the first sub-hollow box top plate 52 and the boss 17 and the second sub-hollow box top plate 53 and the boss 17, which can further improve the sealing performance of the part.

[0138] II. Preventing condensation;

[0139] During long-term use, due to the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the heat exchange device 4, condensation may be generated on the surface. When the condensation accumulates to a certain amount, it may cause a short circuit problem. By laying the first insulating sealant layer 9 on the top of the heat exchange device 4, when condensation is generated on the surface of the heat exchange device 4, the battery short circuit can be prevented under the protection of the first insulating sealant layer 9.

[0140] Embodiment 5

[0141] Different from the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 21 and Figure 22As shown, the large-capacity battery of the embodiment further comprises an electrical connection component assembly 22; the electrical connection component assembly 22 comprises a first electrical connection component 221 and a second electrical connection component 222, wherein the first electrical connection component 221 is a long strip-shaped electrical connection plate, extending along the x direction, connected with the electrical connection part 211 of the polarity terminal 21 of all monomer batteries 2 in the large-capacity battery, realizing parallel connection of each monomer battery 2 in the large-capacity battery; the second electrical connection component 222 is a z-shaped connecting plate corresponding to each monomer battery polarity terminal, one end of which is connected with the electrical connection part 211 of the corresponding monomer battery 2 polarity terminal 21, and the other end is a free end, used for connecting with the free end of the second electrical connection component 222 of another large-capacity battery, realizing series connection between the large-capacity batteries.

[0142] After the electrical connection of the electrical connection component assembly and the electrical connection part 211 of the monomer battery 2 polarity terminal 21 is completed, a first insulating sealing glue layer 9 is laid on the top of the heat exchange device 4, that is, the first insulating sealing glue layer 9 completely covers the monomer battery 2 polarity terminal 21 and the connection part of the electrical connection component and the polarity terminal 21; in the whole large-capacity battery, after the shell 1 is insulated, only the free end of the second electrical connection component 222 is exposed to electricity, and the rest is insulated, so that such a large-capacity battery has higher safety performance.

Claims

1. A large capacity battery, comprising a shell and a plurality of single batteries;The plurality of single batteries are arranged in the shell cavity along the x direction, and the first avoiding hole corresponding to the polarity terminal of each single battery is arranged on the top plate of the shell;Each single battery polarity terminal extends out of the first avoiding hole, and the area of the top plate of the shell corresponding to the first avoiding hole is fixed and sealed with the single battery shell; Characterized in that: A heat exchange device extending along the x direction is arranged on the top of the shell, and the inner cavity of the heat exchange device is used as an insulating heat exchange medium containing cavity; In the z direction, the polarity terminal penetrates through the heat exchange device, and part of the structure of the polarity terminal is located in the heat exchange device and directly contacts with the insulating heat exchange medium;The other part of the structure of the polarity terminal is located outside the heat exchange device as an electrical connection part.

2. The high capacity battery of claim 1, wherein: The shell is provided with at least one shared chamber, and the inner cavity of the shared chamber and the inner cavities of all single batteries are communicated.

3. The battery of claim 2, wherein: The heat exchange device is a hollow box with one open end;The open end of the hollow box is sealed and fixed with the shell;The top plate of the hollow box is provided with a second avoiding hole corresponding to the polarity terminal of each single battery;Each single battery polarity terminal extends out of the corresponding second avoiding hole, and the polarity terminal and the corresponding second avoiding hole are insulated and sealed.

4. The battery of claim 3, wherein: The top plate and the side plate of the hollow box are separate parts; The shell comprises a cylinder with two open ends and end plates sealed at both open ends of the cylinder;The end plate is parallel to the yz plane; In the z direction, the side plate of the cylinder is higher than the top plate of the cylinder, and the part of the side plate of the cylinder higher than the top plate of the cylinder is used as the second side plate of the hollow box, wherein the second side plate is the side plate of the hollow box parallel to the xz plane.

5. The high capacity battery of claim 4, wherein: The heat exchange device further comprises a partition member arranged in the hollow box;The partition member extends along the x direction, dividing the hollow box into a first sub hollow box and a second sub hollow box; In the z direction, the polarity terminal of each single battery on one side extends out of the first sub hollow box top plate corresponding to the second avoiding hole, and the polarity terminal of each single battery on the other side extends out of the second sub hollow box top plate corresponding to the second avoiding hole.

6. The battery of claim 5, wherein: The partition member is a boss arranged on the top plate of the shell and extending along the x direction; The shared chamber includes a gas shared chamber and an electrolyte shared chamber; The gas shared chamber is a first channel arranged on the boss and extending along the x direction, which covers above the gas port of each single battery; The electrolyte shared chamber is a second channel arranged on the bottom plate of the shell and extending along the x direction, which is communicated with the electrolyte area of each single battery inner cavity.

7. The battery of claim 6, wherein: In the z direction, the size of the boss is larger than the size of the inner cavity of the hollow box; The top plate of the hollow box comprises a first sub top plate and a second sub top plate; The first sub top plate and the second sub top plate are respectively sealed and fixed between the two cylinder side plates and the boss, and are respectively used as the first sub hollow box top plate and the second sub hollow box top plate.

8. The high capacity battery of claim 6, wherein: The first sub hollow box and the second sub hollow box are connected in series.

9. The battery of claim 8, wherein: A via hole extending along the y direction is arranged on the boss, which is independent of the first channel;The first sub hollow box and the second sub hollow box are communicated through the via hole.

10. The high capacity battery of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: A step structure is arranged on the outer wall of the polarity terminal along the circumferential direction of the polarity terminal;The step surface is coated with a second insulating sealing glue layer, and the heat exchange device is pressed on the second insulating sealing glue layer to realize the sealing between the polarity terminal and the heat exchange device.

11. The high capacity battery of claim 10, wherein: The top of the heat exchange device is provided with a first insulating sealing glue layer.

12. The battery of claim 11, wherein: The electric connector assembly is connected with the electric connection part of each polarity terminal, and the connection part of the electric connector assembly and the electric connection part of each polarity terminal is located in the first insulating sealant layer.

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