Battery module, battery pack and electric device

Abstract

The utility model relates to a battery module, a battery pack and an electric device. The battery module comprises a battery monomer group which comprises a plurality of battery monomers which are stacked in parallel, and each battery monomer is provided with a tab structure; the cooling connection structure is electrically connected to the tab structures between the battery monomers, so that at least part of the battery monomers are connected in parallel, and a cooling channel for a cooling medium to flow is formed in the cooling connection structure. According to the battery module provided by the invention, the tab structures between the battery monomers are electrically connected through the cooling connection structures, so that the integrated design of the heat dissipation structure and the connection row structure in the battery module is realized, the structural complexity and the occupied space in the battery module are reduced, and the heat dissipation effect of the battery is improved; the problems of insufficient contact area and non-uniform pressure distribution are avoided, the influence of vibration and temperature change is reduced, the structural stability of the battery module is improved, the safety of the battery is improved, and the service life of the battery is prolonged.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of batteries, in particular to a battery module, a battery pack and a power utilization device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In recent years, accidents such as smoking, spontaneous combustion and fire of electric vehicles have occurred frequently. As a core component, power batteries are developing towards high energy density, long driving range, short charging time, high safety, high space utilization, lightweight and long cycle life.

[0003] At present, the heat dissipation system of the battery module has the problems of complex structure, large space occupation, poor stability, poor heat dissipation effect, which affects the safety of the battery and shortens the service life of the battery. In addition, the connection row structure of the battery module also occupies a lot of space and is easy to cause short circuit. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a battery module, a battery pack and a power utilization device to simplify the heat dissipation system and the connection row structure of the battery, reduce the space occupation, improve the stability of the heat dissipation system, improve the heat dissipation effect of the battery, improve the safety and service life of the battery, and reduce the short circuit risk of the battery.

[0005] The first aspect of the present application provides a battery module, which comprises: a battery monomer group comprising a plurality of battery monomers arranged in parallel and stacked, each battery monomer being provided with a tab structure; and a cooling connection structure electrically connected to the tab structures between the battery monomers, so that at least part of the battery monomers are connected in parallel, and the cooling connection structure has a cooling channel for the flow of a cooling medium.

[0006] In some embodiments, the cooling connection structure comprises an electrically conductive liquid cooling plate electrically connected to the tab structures between the battery monomers, and at least part of the electrically conductive liquid cooling plate is used to connect at least two battery monomers in parallel.

[0007] In some embodiments, the tab structure comprises: a positive tab and a negative tab; the electrically conductive liquid cooling plate comprises: a positive electrically conductive liquid cooling plate and a negative electrically conductive liquid cooling plate; wherein the positive tabs between adjacent battery monomers are connected by the positive electrically conductive liquid cooling plate to form a positive electrode of the battery module, and the negative tabs between adjacent battery monomers are connected by the negative electrically conductive liquid cooling plate to form a negative electrode of the battery module.

[0008] In some embodiments, a part of the electrically conductive liquid cooling plate is used to connect at least two battery monomers in series to form a series monomer group, and a part of the electrically conductive liquid cooling plate is used to connect two series monomer groups in parallel.

[0009] In some embodiments, the conductive liquid cooling plate comprises: a conductive shell and a first cooling channel arranged in the conductive shell; the cooling connection structure further comprises: an insulating liquid cooling plate comprising an insulating shell and a second cooling channel arranged in the insulating shell; wherein the insulating shell is connected with the conductive shell, and the first cooling channel and the second cooling channel are connected to form a cooling channel.

[0010] In some embodiments, the insulating liquid cooling plate is multiple.

[0011] In some embodiments, the diameters of at least part of the second cooling channels are equal.

[0012] In some embodiments, an explosion-proof valve is arranged on each battery monomer, and an avoidance space is formed between the insulating liquid cooling plates, and the avoidance space is arranged correspondingly with the explosion-proof valve.

[0013] The second aspect of the present application provides a battery pack, which comprises a plurality of battery modules provided by the first aspect of the present application, and the plurality of battery modules are arranged in an array.

[0014] The third aspect of the present application provides a power utilization device, which comprises a plurality of battery modules provided by the first aspect of the present application or a battery pack provided by the second aspect of the present application.

[0015] Compared with the conventional technology, the present application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0016] The battery module provided by the present application realizes the integrated design of the heat dissipation structure and the connection row structure in the battery module by electrically connecting the tab structures between the battery monomers through the cooling connection structure, reduces the structural complexity and the occupied space inside the battery module, directly connects the cooling connection structure on the tab structure compared with the way of connecting the cooling device and the battery module by using mechanical connecting pieces in the conventional technology, improves the heat dissipation effect of the battery, avoids the problems of insufficient contact area and uneven pressure distribution, reduces the influence of vibration and temperature change, improves the structural stability of the battery module, improves the safety and service life of the battery. In addition, when charging and discharging, the cooling connection structure realizes the electrical connection of the battery monomers, which makes the electrons flow only between the battery monomers (occurring electrochemical reaction) and the cooling connection structure outside, realizes the cooling connection structure to perform the function of transferring electrons of the connection row, and reduces the short circuit risk of the battery. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is an explosion structure schematic diagram of the battery module in an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a cooling liquid flow direction schematic diagram in the embodiment shown in Figure 1

[0019] ​Figure 3 Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a top structure of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Explanation of Reference Signs

[0021] 1. A battery module;

[0022] 10. A battery cell group; 11. A battery cell; 111. A series cell group; 12. A tab structure; 121. A positive tab; 122. A negative tab; 13. An explosion-proof valve; 14. A liquid injection port;

[0023] 20. A cooling connection structure; 200. A cooling channel; 201. A first cooling channel; 202. A second cooling channel; 203. An inlet port; 204. An outlet port; 21. An electrically conductive liquid cooling plate; 210. An electrically conductive housing; 211. A positive electrically conductive liquid cooling plate; 212. A negative electrically conductive liquid cooling plate; 23. An insulating liquid cooling plate; 230. An insulating housing; 24. An avoidance space;

[0024] 30. An end plate;

[0025] 40. A cable tie;

[0026] 50. An insulation plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the above objectives, features and advantages of the present application more apparent, specific embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present application can be practiced without using some or all of these specific details, and that the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0028] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that if the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0029] In addition, if there are these terms "first", "second", these terms are only used for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first", "second" can be explicitly or implicitly included at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, if there are the terms "a plurality of", the meaning of "a plurality of" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically limited.

[0030] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, if there are terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting", "fixing" and the like, these terms should be broadly understood. For example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrated; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise explicitly limited. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0031] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, if there are similar descriptions such as "first feature on" or "below" the second feature, the meaning can be that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are indirectly in contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature "above", "above" and "above" the second feature can be the first feature directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or only indicates that the first feature is higher than the second feature in horizontal height. The first feature "below", "below" and "below" the second feature can be the first feature directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or only indicates that the first feature is lower than the second feature in horizontal height.

[0032] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as "fixed to" or "provided on" another element, it can be directly on another element or there can be a middle element. If an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to another element or there can be a middle element. If present, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "up", "down", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in the present application are only for the purpose of description, and do not represent the only implementation.

[0033] If not specifically stated, "including" and "containing" mentioned in the present application means open or closed. For example, "including" and "containing" can mean that other components not listed can also be included or contained, or only the listed components can be included or contained.

[0034] If not specifically stated, the term "or" is inclusive in this application. For example, the phrase "A or B" means "A, B, or both A and B." More specifically, any of the following satisfy the condition "A or B": A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present); A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present); or both A and B are true (or present).

[0035] In recent years, electric vehicles have been frequently involved in accidents such as smoking, spontaneous combustion, and fire. As a core component, power batteries are developing towards high energy density, long driving range, short charging time, high safety, high space utilization, lightweight, and long cycle life.

[0036] At present, the heat dissipation system of the battery module has the problems of complex structure, large space occupation, poor stability, poor heat dissipation effect, which affects the safety of the battery and shortens the service life of the battery. In addition, the connection row structure of the battery module also occupies a lot of space and is easy to cause short circuit.

[0037] Therefore, it is urgent to provide a battery module to simplify the heat dissipation system and the connection row structure of the battery, reduce the space occupation, improve the stability of the heat dissipation system, improve the heat dissipation effect of the battery, improve the safety and service life of the battery, and reduce the short circuit risk of the battery.

[0038] Referring to Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the first aspect of the present application, a battery module 1 is provided, which comprises a battery monomer group 10 and a cooling connection structure 20. The battery monomer group 10 comprises a plurality of battery monomers 11 arranged in parallel and stacked, and each battery monomer 11 is provided with a tab structure 12. The cooling connection structure 20 is electrically connected to the tab structure between the battery monomers 11, so that at least part of the battery monomers 11 are connected in parallel, and the cooling connection structure 20 has a cooling channel 200 for the flow of cooling medium.

[0039] The battery module 1 provided in the present application realizes the integrated design of the heat dissipation structure and the connecting row structure in the battery module 1 by electrically connecting the tab structures 12 between the battery monomers 11 through the cooling connection structure 20, reduces the structural complexity and the occupied space inside the battery module 1, compared with the way of connecting the cooling device and the battery module 1 by using mechanical connecting pieces in the traditional technology, the cooling connection structure 20 is directly connected to the tab structure 12, which improves the heat dissipation effect of the battery, avoids the problems of insufficient contact area and uneven pressure distribution, reduces the influence of vibration and temperature change, improves the structural stability of the battery module 1, and improves the safety and service life of the battery. In addition, when charging and discharging, the cooling connection structure 20 realizes the electrical connection of the battery monomers 11, which makes the electrons flow only between the battery monomers 11 (occurring electrochemical reaction) and the cooling connection structure 20 outside, realizes the cooling connection structure 20 to exercise the function of transferring electrons of the connecting row, and reduces the short circuit risk of the battery.

[0040] It can be understood that by connecting at least part of the battery monomers 11 in parallel, the capacity of the battery module 1 is improved, and at the same time if a single battery monomer 11 fails, other battery monomers 11 can still provide power, improving the reliability of the battery module 1.

[0041] In some embodiments, the cooling connection structure 20 includes an electrically conductive liquid cooling plate 21, the electrically conductive liquid cooling plate 21 is electrically connected to the tab structure 12 between the battery monomers 11, and at least part of the electrically conductive liquid cooling plate 21 is used to connect at least two battery monomers 11 in parallel.

[0042] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 1 The tab structure 12 includes a positive tab 121 and a negative tab 122. The electrically conductive liquid cooling plate 21 includes a positive electrically conductive liquid cooling plate 211 and a negative electrically conductive liquid cooling plate 212. Among them, the positive tabs 121 between adjacent battery monomers 11 are connected to form a battery module positive electrode through the positive electrically conductive liquid cooling plate 211, and the negative tabs 122 between adjacent battery monomers 11 are connected to form a battery module negative electrode through the negative electrically conductive liquid cooling plate 212. In this embodiment, by connecting adjacent positive tabs 121 and negative tabs 122 through positive electrically conductive liquid cooling plates 211 and negative electrically conductive liquid cooling plates 212 respectively, the heat dissipation effect is improved, and at the same time the electrical connection between the battery monomers 11 is realized, the structure of the battery module 1 is simplified, and there is no need for additional connecting row structure, which simplifies the structural design inside the battery module 1 and reduces the occupied space inside the battery module 1.

[0043] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3As shown, a part of the conductive liquid cooling plate 21 is used to connect at least two battery monomers 11 in series to form a series monomer group 111, and a part of the conductive liquid cooling plate 21 is used to connect at least two series monomer groups 111 in parallel. In this embodiment, by connecting the battery monomers 11 in series to form the series monomer group 111 first, and then connecting the series monomer groups 111 in parallel, both the voltage and the capacity of the battery module 1 can be improved, and if a single series monomer group 111 fails, other series monomer groups 111 can still provide power, improving the reliability of the battery module 1.

[0044] It can be understood that, in the case of avoiding short circuit between battery monomers in the battery module 1, the directions of the positive and negative poles in the tab structure 12 of the battery monomer 11 can be adjusted, so that the conductive liquid cooling plate 21 plays the role of series connection, parallel connection and series-parallel hybrid connection. The series-parallel combination design makes the output characteristics of the battery module 1 more flexible, which can be configured according to actual needs, thereby adapting to complex application scenarios and improving the practicality of the battery module 1.

[0045] In some embodiments, the conductive liquid cooling plate 21 includes a conductive shell 210 and a first cooling channel 201 arranged in the conductive shell. The cooling connection structure 20 further includes an insulating liquid cooling plate 23, which includes an insulating shell 230 and a second cooling channel 202 arranged in the insulating shell 231. The insulating shell 230 is connected to the conductive shell 210, and the first cooling channel 201 and the second cooling channel 202 are connected to form a cooling channel 200. In this embodiment, by connecting the second cooling channel 202 of the insulating liquid cooling plate 23 with the first cooling channel 201, efficient circulation of the cooling medium is achieved, and the heat dissipation capacity is improved. In addition, the insulating shell 230 is connected to the conductive shell 210, and the flow of electrons at the insulating shell 230 is reduced, reducing the risk of short circuit of the battery.

[0046] In some embodiments, the insulating liquid cooling plate 23 is multiple. In this embodiment, by arranging multiple insulating liquid cooling plates 23, the heat dissipation efficiency and temperature uniformity are further improved, thereby improving the overall operation stability of the battery module 1.

[0047] In some embodiments, the diameters of at least part of the second cooling channels 202 are equal. In this embodiment, by arranging the second cooling channels 202 with equal diameters, the flow and flow rate of the cooling medium in each second cooling channel 202 are consistent, thereby ensuring that the cooling effect of each battery monomer 11 is balanced, avoiding temperature differences caused by uneven cooling, and further improving the life and safety of the battery.

[0048] In some embodiments, an explosion-proof valve 13 is arranged on each battery cell 11, and an avoidance space 24 is formed between the insulation liquid cooling plates 23, and the avoidance space 24 is arranged corresponding to the explosion-proof valve 13. The explosion-proof valve 13 is arranged between the positive electrode lug 121 and the negative electrode lug 122 of each battery cell 11, and the avoidance space 24 is formed between the insulation liquid cooling plates 23, and the avoidance space 24 is arranged corresponding to the explosion-proof valve 13. In this embodiment, the avoidance space 24 is arranged between the explosion-proof valve 13 and the cooling structure, so that when the internal pressure of the battery is too large, the explosion-proof valve 13 can normally release the pressure, avoiding the risk of battery damage or explosion, thereby further improving the safety of the battery module 1.

[0049] In some embodiments, the explosion-proof valve 13 is arranged between the positive electrode lug 121 and the negative electrode lug 122, and the avoidance space 24 is arranged corresponding to the explosion-proof valve 13.

[0050] In some embodiments, a liquid injection port 14 is arranged on each battery cell 11, and the liquid injection port 14 is arranged corresponding to the avoidance space 24. In this embodiment, the corresponding arrangement of the liquid injection port 14 and the avoidance space 24 makes the process of injecting electrolyte into the battery cell 11 more convenient.

[0051] In some embodiments, the liquid injection port 14 is arranged between the positive electrode lug 121 and the negative electrode lug 122, and the avoidance space 24 is arranged corresponding to the liquid injection port 14.

[0052] In some embodiments, one end of the cooling flow channel is provided with a liquid inlet 203, and the other end of the cooling flow channel is provided with a liquid outlet 204. In this embodiment, the cooling medium is injected from the liquid inlet 203, flows through the cooling channel 200, and is discharged from the liquid outlet 204, thereby taking away the heat in the battery module 1, improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0053] In some embodiments, the battery module 1 further comprises an end plate 30 and a cable tie 40. The end plate 30 is arranged at opposite ends of the battery cell group 10. The cable tie 40 is arranged around the battery cell group 10 to fix the battery cell group 10 and the end plate 30. In this embodiment, the battery cell group 10 is fixed by the end plate 30 and the cable tie 40, which enhances the structural strength and stability of the battery module 1, avoids displacement or loosening of the battery due to vibration or external force, and also improves the overall durability and shock resistance of the battery module 1.

[0054] In some embodiments, the battery module 1 further comprises a heat insulation plate 50. The heat insulation plate 50 is arranged between the battery monomer group 10 and the end plate 30. In this embodiment, the heat insulation plate 50 can block the heat transfer between the battery monomers 11 and the end plate 30, so that the battery monomers 11 close to the insulation plate in the plurality of battery monomers 11 are not easy to change in temperature due to contact with the end plate 30, which is beneficial to improve the consistency of the temperature of the plurality of battery monomers 11 in the battery module 1 and prolong the service life of the battery module 1.

[0055] The second aspect of the present application provides a battery pack, which comprises a plurality of battery modules 1 provided by the first aspect.

[0056] The battery pack provided by the present application improves the space utilization of the battery pack by comprising a plurality of battery modules 1 provided by the first aspect, and improves the overall heat dissipation efficiency and temperature uniformity of the battery pack through the cooperative heat dissipation of the plurality of battery modules 1, thereby ensuring the safety and stability of the battery pack and meeting the demand for high energy density and long endurance performance in application scenarios such as electric vehicles.

[0057] In some embodiments, the battery pack further comprises a temperature sensor and a battery management module. Each battery module 1 is provided with a temperature sensor. The battery management module is configured to selectively open the liquid inlet 203 of the cooling flow channel of the cooling connection structure 20 in the corresponding battery module 1 according to the temperature of the battery module 1 measured by the temperature sensor, so as to introduce the cooling medium into the cooling flow channel. In this embodiment, the temperature sensor monitors the temperature of each battery module 1 in real time, and the battery management module selectively opens the liquid inlet 203 of the cooling flow channel in the corresponding battery module 1 according to the measurement result of the temperature sensor, so as to improve the utilization efficiency of the cooling medium by dynamically adjusting the opening and closing of the cooling flow channel, reduce the energy consumption, and at the same time maintain the heat dissipation effect of the battery module 1, thereby improving the safety performance and service life of the battery pack.

[0058] The third aspect of the present application provides a power utilization device, which comprises a plurality of battery modules 1 provided by the first aspect or a battery pack provided by the second aspect. The battery module 1 or the battery pack is used to provide electric energy for the power utilization device.

[0059] The power utilization device provided by the present application uses the battery module 1 or the battery pack to provide electric energy for the power utilization device, and has higher safety performance and longer service life by using the battery module of the first aspect or the battery pack of the second aspect.

[0060] The electric device can be a vehicle, a mobile phone, a portable device, a notebook computer, a ship, a spacecraft, an electric toy, and an electric tool, etc. The vehicle can be a fuel automobile, a gas automobile, or a new energy automobile, and the new energy automobile can be a pure electric automobile, a hybrid electric automobile, or a range extended automobile, etc. The spacecraft includes an airplane, a rocket, a space shuttle, and a spacecraft, etc. The electric toy includes a fixed or mobile electric toy, such as a game machine, an electric automobile toy, an electric ship toy, and an electric airplane toy, etc. The electric tool includes a metal cutting electric tool, a grinding electric tool, an assembling electric tool, and a railway electric tool, such as an electric drill, an electric grinder, an electric wrench, an electric screwdriver, an electric hammer, an impact electric drill, a concrete vibrator, and an electric planer, etc. The electric device is not specially limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0061] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description simple, all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are not described, however, as long as the combinations of the technical features do not exist contradictory, they should be considered as the scope of the present application.

[0062] The above embodiments only express several implementation manners of the present application, and the description is more specific and detailed, however, it should not be understood as a limitation on the scope of the patent of the present application. It should be pointed out that, for those skilled in the art, without departing from the technical concept of the present application, several modifications and improvements can be made, which belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery module, characterized by, The battery module comprises: a battery cell group comprising a plurality of battery cells arranged in parallel stacks, each of the battery cells being provided with a tab structure; and a cooling connection structure electrically connected to the tab structures between the battery cells, such that at least some of the battery cells are connected in parallel, the cooling connection structure having a cooling channel for a cooling medium to flow through.

2. The battery module of claim 1, wherein, The cooling connection structure comprises an electrically conductive liquid cooling plate electrically connected to the tab structures between the battery cells, at least some of the electrically conductive liquid cooling plates being used to connect at least two of the battery cells in parallel.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the tab structure comprises a positive tab and a negative tab; the electrically conductive liquid cooling plate comprises a positive electrically conductive liquid cooling plate and a negative electrically conductive liquid cooling plate; wherein the positive tabs between adjacent battery cells are connected by the positive electrically conductive liquid cooling plate to form a positive electrode of the battery module, and the negative tabs between adjacent battery cells are connected by the negative electrically conductive liquid cooling plate to form a negative electrode of the battery module.

4. The battery module of claim 2, wherein, Some of the electrically conductive liquid cooling plates are used to connect at least two of the battery cells in series to form a series cell group, and some of the electrically conductive liquid cooling plates are used to connect two of the series cell groups in parallel.

5. The battery module according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein the electrically conductive liquid cooling plate comprises an electrically conductive shell and a first cooling channel arranged in the electrically conductive shell; the cooling connection structure further comprises an insulating liquid cooling plate comprising an insulating shell and a second cooling channel arranged in the insulating shell; wherein the insulating shell is connected to the electrically conductive shell, and the first cooling channel and the second cooling channel are connected to form the cooling channel.

6. The battery module of claim 5, wherein, There are a plurality of insulating liquid cooling plates.

7. The battery module of claim 6, wherein, At least some of the second cooling channels have equal diameters.

8. The battery module of claim 6, wherein, Each of the battery cells is provided with an explosion-proof valve, and the insulating liquid cooling plates form an avoidance space corresponding to the explosion-proof valve.

9. A battery pack, characterized by, A plurality of battery modules according to any one of claims 1-8 are arranged in an array.

10. An electrical device, characterized by A battery pack according to claim 9 or a battery module according to any one of claims 1-8.

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