Battery pack and vehicle

Abstract

The utility model provides a battery pack and a vehicle. The battery pack comprises a shell, a plurality of battery cells and a phase change structural member, the shell comprises a heat transfer shell plate; the plurality of battery monomers are distributed in the shell and are electrically connected; the phase change structural member is located in the shell and comprises a heat conduction packaging body and a phase change material; the heat-conducting packaging body is in contact heat conduction with the outer surface of each battery monomer and is in heat conduction with the heat transfer shell plate, the heat-conducting packaging body is provided with an inner cavity, and the phase-change material is accommodated in the inner cavity. According to the battery pack, the problem that the activity of the battery monomers in a low-temperature environment is relatively low is solved at least to a certain extent, and the problem that the heat generation reaction of the battery monomers is aggravated in a high-temperature environment is also solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle technology, specifically to a battery pack and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] With increasing environmental awareness and adjustments to the energy structure, the development and popularization of electric vehicles have accelerated significantly, and electric vehicles rely heavily on battery packs for power.

[0003] The performance of a vehicle's battery pack is highly sensitive to ambient temperature. In low-temperature environments, the activity of individual battery cells within the battery pack is reduced, often leading to capacity decay, decreased charge / discharge rates, or even the inability to charge / discharge normally. This reduces the battery pack's lifespan and affects the vehicle's performance and driving range.

[0004] During the power supply or charging and discharging process, some energy is converted into heat in the battery cells, which intensifies the thermal reaction of the battery cells under high temperature conditions and increases the risk of thermal runaway of the battery cells. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application provides a battery pack and a vehicle that helps to at least partially improve the problem of low activity of battery cells in low-temperature environments, and also helps to improve the problem of increased thermal reaction of battery cells in high-temperature environments.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a battery pack, comprising: a casing, a plurality of battery cells, and a phase change structure. The casing includes a heat transfer shell plate; the plurality of battery cells are distributed within the casing and electrically connected; the phase change structure is located within the casing, and the phase change structure includes a thermally conductive encapsulator and a phase change material; the thermally conductive encapsulator is disposed between the surface of the battery cell and the heat transfer shell plate, the thermally conductive encapsulator is in contact with the outer surface of each battery cell for heat conduction, and is also in contact with the heat transfer shell plate for heat conduction, the thermally conductive encapsulator has an inner cavity, and the phase change material is accommodated within the inner cavity.

[0007] According to the battery pack of this application embodiment, a phase change structure is provided inside the outer casing. The phase change structure includes a thermally conductive encapsulator and a phase change material disposed within the thermally conductive encapsulator. Since the thermally conductive encapsulator is in contact with the outer surface of each battery cell for heat conduction, the heat released by the energy conversion of the battery cell during power supply or charging / discharging can be transferred to the phase change material through the thermally conductive encapsulator. The phase change material absorbs the heat, changes from a first physical state to a second physical state, and stores the heat, thereby assisting in heat dissipation for multiple battery cells and improving the heat dissipation effect for multiple battery cells. At the same time, excess heat can be conducted to the outside of the outer casing through heat conduction between the thermally conductive encapsulator and the heat transfer shell plate, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the battery cells, avoiding the problem of heat accumulation in high-temperature environments, and improving the reliability of the battery pack in high-temperature environments.

[0008] In low-temperature environments, the reverse phase change of phase change materials (i.e., the phase change material changes from the second physical state to the first physical state) can be used to release the heat stored in the phase change material, thereby heating and insulating multiple battery cells. This helps reduce the risk of battery cell capacity decay, reduced charge and discharge rates, or even failure to charge and discharge normally in low-temperature environments, and improves the driving range of vehicles and the lifespan of batteries in low-temperature environments.

[0009] In one implementation of the first aspect of this application, multiple battery cells are divided into multiple rows of battery cells, each row of battery cells includes at least one battery cell; the thermally conductive package includes a first package segment, and a first package segment of the thermally conductive package is arranged between each two adjacent rows of battery cells; the inner cavity includes a sub-inner cavity located in the first package segment; the sub-inner cavities of the multiple first package segments of the thermally conductive package are connected.

[0010] In one implementation of the first aspect of this application, the thermally conductive package further includes a second package segment, which is connected between two adjacent first package segments and located on the same side of the length direction of the two first package segments. The inner cavity includes a conductive cavity located in the second package segment, which communicates with the sub-inner cavities of the two adjacent first package segments.

[0011] In one implementation of the first aspect of this application, there are multiple second encapsulation segments, and two second encapsulation segments connected to the same first encapsulation segment are located at opposite ends of the length direction of the first encapsulation segment.

[0012] In one implementation of the first aspect of this application, the battery cells of each of the two adjacent rows of battery cells are in contact with the first encapsulation segment located between the two rows of battery cells for heat conduction; and / or, each first encapsulation segment has a ventilation hole that penetrates the first encapsulation segment, and the ventilation hole is not connected to the inner cavity.

[0013] In one implementation of the first aspect of this application, the battery pack includes a heat-conducting component located between a heat transfer shell and multiple battery cells. The heat-conducting component is in contact with the multiple battery cells and the heat-conducting package for heat conduction, and is also in contact with the heat transfer shell for heat conduction.

[0014] In one implementation of the first aspect of this application, the thermally conductive component includes a flexible thermally conductive insulating pad that contacts and conducts heat with multiple battery cells and a thermally conductive package.

[0015] In one implementation of the first aspect of this application, the heat-conducting component includes a heat-conducting plate, which is stacked and conducts heat between a flexible thermally conductive insulating pad and a heat transfer shell plate. The thermal conductivity of the heat-conducting plate is greater than that of the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad.

[0016] In one implementation of the first aspect of this application, the heat-conducting component includes a heat-conducting pipe disposed between a heat-conducting plate and a flexible heat-conducting insulating pad, wherein the thermal conductivity of the heat-conducting pipe is greater than that of the heat-conducting plate.

[0017] In one implementation of the first aspect of this application, the surface of the heat-conducting plate facing the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad has a groove, and a heat-conducting pipe is disposed in the groove and contacts the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad for heat conduction.

[0018] In one implementation of the first aspect of this application, both the groove and the heat pipe extend in a non-linear manner.

[0019] In one implementation of the first aspect of this application, the heat pipe is a heat pipe; and / or, the heat-conducting plate is a solid metal plate or a heat spreader.

[0020] In one implementation of the first aspect of this application, the housing includes: a first housing cover and a second housing cover, the first housing cover and the second housing cover being detachably fixed together; the second housing cover has a heat transfer plate.

[0021] In one implementation of the first aspect of this application, the first housing sequentially includes an outer protective layer, a first insulating adhesive layer, a buffer insulation layer, and a second insulating adhesive layer in the direction from the outer surface of the first housing to the inner surface of the first housing; and / or, the first housing has one of a positioning groove and a positioning boss on the opening end face facing the second housing, the second housing has a side plate surrounding the heat transfer shell plate, and the other of a positioning groove and a positioning boss is provided on the end face of the side plate facing the first housing, the positioning boss being adapted to the positioning groove; and / or, the second housing is a metal part.

[0022] In one implementation of the first aspect of this application, the thermally conductive package is made of silicon dioxide; and / or, the phase change material is paraffin wax.

[0023] Secondly, this application provides a vehicle that includes the battery pack described in any of the above-mentioned technical solutions.

[0024] The technical effects of the second aspect of this application can be referred to the first aspect above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the vehicle provided in this application;

[0026] Figure 2 According to Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the vehicle's battery pack;

[0027] Figure 3 According to Figure 2 An exploded view of the battery pack shown.

[0028] Figure 4 According to Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the phase change structure shown;

[0029] Figure 5 According to Figure 4 The cross-sectional view of the phase change structure shown at the BB line;

[0030] Figure 6 According to Figure 5 An enlarged view of the phase change structure shown at point C;

[0031] Figure 7 According to Figure 3 The diagram shows the interaction between the phase change structure and multiple battery cells.

[0032] Figure 8 According to Figure 3 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the first casing at line AA.

[0033] Figure 9 According to Figure 8 The enlarged view of the circled portion at point D of the first casing shown.

[0034] Figure label:

[0035] 100 vehicles;

[0036] Battery pack 10; outer casing 1; first cover 11; outer protective layer 111; first insulating layer 112; buffer insulation layer 113; second insulating layer 114; second cover 12; heat transfer plate 121; battery cell 2; battery cell array 2A; phase change structure 3; thermally conductive encapsulation body 31; first encapsulation section 311; ventilation hole 3111; inner cavity 31A; second encapsulation section 312; phase change material 32; thermally conductive assembly 4; flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41; thermally conductive plate 42; groove 421; thermally conductive pipe 43;

[0037] Body 20; Battery compartment 201;

[0038] Car door 60. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0040] In this application, the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and local features may be enlarged or reduced to more clearly show the details of the local features.

[0041] Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The singular forms "a," "the," and "the" as used in this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0042] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. In the description of this application, "several" means one or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0043] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," "setting," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can also refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0044] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, the terms "above," "over," "on top of," "below," "below," "under," or "below" for "first feature over second feature" can refer to the first and second features being in direct contact, or to the first and second features being in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "below," and "over" for "first feature over second feature" can mean the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than the horizontal height of the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "below" for "first feature over second feature" can mean the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than the horizontal height of the second feature.

[0045] In related technologies, to improve the driving range of vehicles and the lifespan of battery packs in low-temperature environments, insulation materials, such as insulation sheets, are typically added inside the battery pack casing. This insulation material fills the gaps within the casing, reducing airflow and thus retaining heat within the casing to insulate the individual battery cells and meet their insulation requirements in low-temperature environments. However, this method affects the normal heat dissipation of the individual battery cells. When the battery cells are powered or charged / discharged in high-temperature environments, the heat generation reaction of the battery cells intensifies, leading to significant safety hazards for the battery pack.

[0046] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a battery pack and a vehicle having the battery pack, which can improve the heat dissipation of multiple battery cells in high-temperature environments by setting phase change structural components; at the same time, improve the driving range of the vehicle and the lifespan of the battery in low-temperature environments.

[0047] The specific structure of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] This application provides a vehicle. The vehicle includes, but is not limited to, gasoline-powered vehicles, new energy vehicles, and hybrid vehicles. Furthermore, the vehicle includes, but is not limited to, passenger cars and buses.

[0049] Please see Figure 1 The vehicle 100 may include a body 20, doors 60 and a battery pack 10.

[0050] It should be noted that, Figure 1 The diagram only schematically illustrates some of the components included in vehicle 100; the actual shape, size, location, and construction of these components are not subject to change. Figure 1 As well as the limitations of the accompanying figures below.

[0051] The vehicle body 20 has a doorway. A door 60 can be installed at the doorway for opening or closing the doorway. When the door 60 is open, it facilitates entry into the vehicle body 20 and exit from the vehicle body 20.

[0052] Specifically, the door 60 is hinged to the body 20. This hinged connection allows the door 60 to be easily opened or closed. In other embodiments, the door 60 and body 20 may also be slidably connected.

[0053] The battery pack 10 can be installed on the vehicle body 20 to provide power for the movement of the vehicle 100.

[0054] For example, the vehicle body 20 has a battery compartment 201, within which the battery pack 10 is installed. For instance, as... Figure 1 As shown, the battery compartment 201 can be formed at the front of the vehicle body 20.

[0055] In this article, it can be understood that "forward" and "backward", "up" and "down", and "left" and "right" are all relative directions, and are based on vehicle 100 as a reference. The forward direction of vehicle 100 is defined as forward, the backward direction of vehicle 100 is defined as backward, the left side of vehicle 100 is defined as left, the right side of vehicle 100 is defined as right, the top of vehicle 100 is defined as up, and the bottom of vehicle 100 is defined as down.

[0056] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 3 The battery pack 10 includes: a housing 1, multiple battery cells 2 and a phase change structure 3.

[0057] It should be noted that, Figure 2 and Figure 3 The battery pack 10 is shown only schematically, and the actual shape, size, location, and construction of these components are not subject to change. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As well as the limitations of the accompanying figures below.

[0058] The outer casing 1 has a receiving space. This receiving space is used to accommodate multiple battery cells 2 and phase change structure components 3.

[0059] The outer casing 1 includes a heat transfer shell plate 121. The material of the heat transfer shell plate 121 includes, but is not limited to, metal or thermally conductive plastic. As long as the heat transfer shell plate 121 has thermal conductivity, it is acceptable.

[0060] Multiple battery cells 2 are distributed within the accommodating space of the housing 1. For example, the multiple battery cells 2 can be arranged regularly within the accommodating space according to a predetermined arrangement. Alternatively, the multiple battery cells 2 can be arranged irregularly.

[0061] Multiple battery cells 2 are electrically connected. Here, the electrical connection between the multiple battery cells 2 can be series, parallel, or a subset of battery cells 2 can be connected in series while other subsets are connected in parallel. This application does not impose specific limitations in this regard. For example, multiple parallel battery cells 2 can form a battery module. Multiple battery modules can be connected in series.

[0062] The phase change structural component 3 can be located within the housing space of the outer casing 1.

[0063] In this way, the outer shell 1 serves as a carrier for multiple battery cells 2 and phase change structural components 3. On the one hand, the outer shell 1 protects the battery cells 2 and phase change structural components 3. On the other hand, it facilitates the modularization of multiple battery cells 2, phase change structural components 3 and the outer shell 1 as a whole, which makes it easier to install the battery pack 10 in the vehicle 100.

[0064] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The phase change structure 3 includes a thermally conductive package 31 and a phase change material (PCM) 32. The thermally conductive package 31 has an inner cavity 31A.

[0065] Please see Figure 7 A thermally conductive encapsulation 31 is disposed between the surface of the battery cell 2 and the heat transfer shell 121. The thermally conductive encapsulation 31 conducts heat in contact with the outer surface of each battery cell 2 and also conducts heat in contact with the heat transfer shell 121.

[0066] The heat conduction between the thermally conductive encapsulation body 31 and the heat transfer shell 121 can be either contact heat conduction or conduction through an intermediate heat transfer medium.

[0067] Phase change material 32 refers to a substance that changes its physical state and provides latent heat while maintaining a relatively constant temperature. The process of changing physical states is called a phase change process, during which the phase change material 32 will absorb or release a large amount of heat.

[0068] The phase change material 32 is housed within the inner cavity 31A.

[0069] According to the battery pack 10 of this application embodiment, a phase change structure 3 is provided inside the outer casing 1. The phase change structure 3 includes a thermally conductive encapsulation body 31 and a phase change material 32 disposed within the thermally conductive encapsulation body 31. Since the thermally conductive encapsulation body 31 is in contact with the outer surface of each battery cell 2 for heat conduction, when the battery cell 2 is powered or charged and discharged, the heat released due to energy conversion of the battery cell 2 can be transferred to the phase change material 32 through the thermally conductive encapsulation body 31. The phase change material 32 absorbs the heat and changes from a first physical state to a second physical state, and stores the heat, thereby playing a role in assisting heat dissipation for multiple battery cells 2, which is beneficial to improving the heat dissipation effect of multiple battery cells 2. At the same time, excess heat can be conducted to the outside of the outer casing 1 through the thermal conduction of the thermally conductive encapsulation body 31 and the heat transfer shell plate 121, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the battery cell 2, avoiding the problem of heat accumulation in high-temperature environments, and improving the reliability of the battery pack 10 in high-temperature environments.

[0070] In low-temperature environments, the reverse phase change of the phase change material 32 (that is, the phase change material changes from the second physical state to the first physical state) can be used to release the heat stored in the phase change material 32, thereby heating and keeping multiple battery cells 2 warm. This helps to reduce the risk of capacity decay, charge / discharge rate reduction, or even failure to charge / discharge normally in low-temperature environments, and improves the driving range of the vehicle 100 and the lifespan of the battery in low-temperature environments.

[0071] Please refer to some embodiments of this application. Figure 7Multiple battery cells are divided into multiple rows of 2A battery cells. For example, Figure 7 The image only shows three rows of 2A battery cells, but in reality, more or fewer rows can be set.

[0072] Each row of battery cells 2A includes at least one battery cell 2. That is, each row of battery cells 2A may include one battery cell 2 or multiple battery cells 2.

[0073] Please continue reading. Figure 4 and Figure 7 The thermally conductive package 31 includes a first package segment 311. A first package segment 311 of the thermally conductive package 31 is arranged between each pair of adjacent rows of battery cells 2A. The inner cavity 31A includes a sub-inner cavity located within the first package segment 311. The sub-inner cavities of the multiple first package segments 311 of the thermally conductive package 31 are interconnected. This results in a simple structure, which is beneficial for optimizing the structural layout of the battery pack 10 and improving heat transfer efficiency.

[0074] For example, the first encapsulation segment 311 can be flat. For instance, the first encapsulation segment 311 can be rectangular flat or irregularly shaped flat.

[0075] In some specific examples, multiple battery cells 2 can be divided into at least three rows of battery cell rows 2A. Thus, in the thermally conductive package 31, there are multiple first package segments 311, that is, at least two first package segments 311. Based on this, in order to achieve the connection and conduction of multiple first package segments 311, simplify the processing technology of the entire thermally conductive package 31, and reduce manufacturing costs, the thermally conductive package 31 also includes a second package segment 312. The second package segment 312 is connected between two adjacent first package segments 311 and is located on the same side of the length direction of the two first package segments 311. The inner cavity 31A includes a conductive cavity located in the second package segment 312, and the conductive cavity connects to the sub-inner cavities of the two adjacent first package segments 311.

[0076] For example, the shape of the second encapsulation segment 312 includes, but is not limited to, a flat plate or an arcuate plate.

[0077] For example, multiple first encapsulation segments 311 are arranged in parallel. Of course, this application is not limited to this; in other embodiments, any two adjacent first encapsulation segments 311 may also have an included angle greater than 0° and less than 90°.

[0078] Furthermore, the multiple battery cells 2 can be divided into at least four rows of battery cell rows 2A. In this way, in the thermally conductive package 31, there are at least three first package segments 311 and multiple second package segments 312, that is, at least two second package segments 312.

[0079] Based on this, two second packaging segments 312 connected to the same first packaging segment 311 are located at both ends of the length direction of the first packaging segment 311. In this way, the thermally conductive package 31 can extend in a roughly serpentine shape, so that the shape of the thermally conductive package 31 can be adapted to the arrangement direction between the multiple battery cells 2, thereby optimizing the structure of the thermally conductive package 31 and improving the heat transfer effect.

[0080] In some specific examples, the battery cells 2 of each pair of adjacent rows of battery cells 2A are in contact with the first encapsulation segment 311 located between the two rows of battery cells 2A for heat conduction. This helps to improve the heat conduction efficiency between the thermally conductive encapsulation 31 and the battery cells 2.

[0081] In some specific examples, each first encapsulation segment 311 has a ventilation hole 3111 extending through the first encapsulation segment 311. The ventilation hole 3111 is not conductive to the inner cavity 31A. The ventilation hole 3111 on the first encapsulation segment 311 facilitates the radiation of heat between different battery cell rows 2A through the ventilation hole 3111, which helps to improve the heat uniformity between different battery cell rows 2A to at least a certain extent, and avoids safety hazards caused by local overheating inside the casing 1.

[0082] For example, the number of ventilation holes 3111 on each first package segment 311 can be multiple or one.

[0083] For some embodiments of this application, please refer back to the previous section. Figure 3 The battery pack 10 includes a heat-conducting component 4. The heat-conducting component 4 is located between the heat transfer shell 121 and multiple battery cells 2. The heat-conducting component 4 is in contact with both the multiple battery cells 2 and the heat-conducting encapsulation 31 for heat conduction, and is also in contact with the heat transfer shell 121 for heat conduction. In this way, when the battery cells 2 are supplying power or charging / discharging, the heat released due to energy conversion during battery cell 2 operation can be transferred to the heat transfer shell 121 through the heat-conducting component 4, improving heat dissipation and preventing safety hazards caused by heat accumulation in the battery cells 2 in high-temperature environments.

[0084] In some specific examples, the thermally conductive component 4 includes a flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41. The flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41 contacts and conducts heat with multiple battery cells 2 and the thermally conductive package 31. In this way, on the one hand, the thermal conductivity of the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41 can be used to transfer heat to the heat transfer shell 121, preventing heat from accumulating at the battery cells 2 and reducing the operating temperature of the battery cells 2; on the other hand, the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41 has a certain degree of flexibility and deformation capability, so it can protect the battery cells 2 when the battery pack 10 is impacted or dropped.

[0085] For example, the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41 can be a silicone pad or thermally conductive foam.

[0086] For example, the heat-conducting component 4 includes a heat-conducting plate 42. The thermal conductivity of the heat-conducting plate 42 is greater than that of the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41. The heat-conducting plate 42 is stacked and conducts heat between the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41 and the heat transfer shell plate 121. In this way, compared with the heat-conducting component 4 including only the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41, it is beneficial to reduce the thickness of the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41 and use the heat-conducting plate 42 with better thermal conductivity for heat conduction, thereby further improving the heat dissipation effect of the battery cell 2 and avoiding heat accumulation at the battery cell 2.

[0087] For example, the heat-conducting plate 42 can be a solid metal plate, such as an aluminum plate or a copper plate, which results in low cost, good thermal conductivity, and prevents heat from accumulating at the battery cell 2. As another example, the heat-conducting plate 42 can also be a heat spreader. Heat spreaders have better thermal conductivity.

[0088] For example, since the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41 has a relatively low thermal conductivity, the thermally conductive assembly 4 includes a heat-conducting pipe 43 to improve the heat transfer efficiency between the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41 and the heat-conducting plate 42. The heat-conducting pipe 43 is disposed between the heat-conducting plate 42 and the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41. The thermal conductivity of the heat-conducting pipe 43 is greater than that of the heat-conducting plate 42. This helps to further improve the heat dissipation effect.

[0089] For example, the surface of the heat-conducting plate 42 facing the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41 has a groove 421, and the heat-conducting pipe 43 is disposed in the groove 421 and contacts the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41 for heat conduction. This helps to reduce the overall thickness of the heat-conducting assembly 4, thereby reducing the thickness of the battery pack 10.

[0090] For example, both the groove 421 and the heat pipe 43 extend in a serpentine shape. This increases the contact area between the heat pipe 43 and the heat-conducting plate 42, as well as with the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad 41, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency. Of course, this application is not limited to this. In other embodiments, both the groove 421 and the heat pipe 43 extend in a zigzag shape, or both extend in a combination of serpentine and zigzag shapes, as long as the groove 421 and the heat pipe 43 do not extend in a straight line.

[0091] For example, heat pipe 43 is a heat pipe. A heat pipe is a highly efficient heat transfer device that utilizes the principle of phase change (liquid evaporation and condensation) to achieve rapid heat transfer. The heat pipe's casing contains a working fluid and a porous wick, which transports the working fluid through capillary action. Heat pipes offer superior heat transfer performance.

[0092] Please refer to some embodiments of this application. Figure 2 and Figure 3The outer casing 1 includes a first casing 11 and a second casing 12. The first casing 11 and the second casing 12 are detachably fixed together. The second casing 12 has a heat transfer plate 121. This facilitates the disassembly, assembly, maintenance, and replacement of multiple battery cells 2 and phase change structure components 3.

[0093] For example, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 can be aligned vertically, with the second housing 12 located below the first housing 11. In other embodiments, the second housing 12 can also be located above the first housing 11. Furthermore, for example, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 can also be aligned horizontally or vertically.

[0094] For example, the first housing 11 has one of a positioning groove (not shown) and a positioning boss (not shown) on its open end face facing the second housing 12, and the second housing 12 has a side plate 122 surrounding the heat transfer shell plate 121. The side plate 122 has the other of a positioning groove and a positioning boss on its end face facing the first housing 11, and the positioning boss is adapted to the positioning groove. That is, the first housing 11 has a positioning groove on its open end face facing the second housing 12, and the side plate 122 has a positioning boss on its end face facing the first housing 11, and the positioning boss is adapted to the positioning groove; or, the first housing 11 has a positioning boss on its open end face facing the second housing 12, and the side plate 122 has a positioning groove on its end face facing the first housing 11, and the positioning boss is adapted to the positioning groove.

[0095] In this way, the cooperation between the positioning boss and the positioning groove can, on the one hand, play an auxiliary positioning role in the assembly of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, making it less prone to displacement and improving the assembly efficiency of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12.

[0096] For example, both the positioning boss and the positioning groove are annular. The cooperation between the positioning boss and the positioning groove can reduce the gap between the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, thereby achieving a good sealing effect, improving structural strength, preventing deformation at the gap under long-term use, preventing external moisture from entering the housing 1, and improving the reliability of the battery pack 10.

[0097] For example, the assembly relationship between the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 includes, but is not limited to, screw connections or snap-fit ​​connections.

[0098] For example, the shape of the first shell 11 and the shape of the second shell 12 can be the same, or they can be different. For example, the first shell 11 is shaped like a spherical crown.

[0099] For example, please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9From the outer surface to the inner surface of the first housing 11, the first housing 11 sequentially includes an outer protective layer 111, a first insulating adhesive layer 112, a buffer insulation layer 113, and a second insulating adhesive layer 114. In this way, the buffer insulation layer 113 provides insulation and protection for the battery cell 2, while the first insulating adhesive layer 112 connects and buffers the outer protective layer 111 and the buffer insulation layer 113. The second insulating adhesive layer 114 provides insulation between the first housing 11 and the battery cell 2, and also provides some buffering.

[0100] For example, the outer sheath 111 can be made of carbon fiber reinforced composite material, which has many advantages such as high strength, corrosion resistance, fatigue resistance, high temperature resistance, and lightweight.

[0101] For example, the material of the buffer insulation layer 113 is foam, which has good insulation and heat insulation effect, further improving the heat insulation performance, and also has good impact resistance and cushioning performance, improving the safety of the battery cell 2.

[0102] It is understood that the construction of the first housing 11 is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the first housing 11 may be defined only by the outer protective layer 111 described above.

[0103] For example, in order to simplify the processing of the second housing 12 and reduce manufacturing costs, the second housing 12 is made of metal, such as aluminum or copper. In this way, the entire second housing 12 has a thermal conductivity.

[0104] In some embodiments of this application, the phase change material 32 is paraffin wax. Paraffin wax can effectively absorb or release heat during phase change, and it is low in cost and has stable performance.

[0105] In other embodiments, the phase change material 32 can also be an organic phase change material such as fatty acid or alcohol phase change material like ethylene glycol. Of course, this application is not limited to this; in other embodiments, the phase change material 32 can also be an inorganic phase change material, a eutectic phase change material, a composite phase change material, etc.

[0106] In some embodiments of this application, the thermally conductive encapsulator 31 is made of silicon dioxide. Silicon dioxide has stable thermal conductivity, does not change significantly with temperature and pressure variations, can conduct heat evenly, and has good high-temperature resistance and oxidation resistance, so its thermal conductivity is not easily damaged in high-temperature and high-oxidation environments. Of course, this application is not limited to this; in other embodiments, the thermally conductive encapsulator 31 can also be made of other types of materials.

[0107] In some embodiments of this application, the thermally conductive package 31 is a one-piece molded part, which helps to simplify the processing technology and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0108] It is understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0109] It is understood that the various implementation methods described in this application can be implemented individually or in combination, and the embodiments of this application are not limited in this respect.

[0110] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method implementations, and will not be repeated here.

[0111] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A battery pack, characterized in that, include: The housing includes a heat transfer shell plate; Multiple battery cells are distributed within the housing and electrically connected. A phase change structure is located within the housing. The phase change structure includes a thermally conductive encapsulator and a phase change material. The thermally conductive encapsulator is disposed between the surface of the battery cell and the heat transfer shell plate. The thermally conductive encapsulator contacts the outer surface of each battery cell to achieve heat conduction and conducts heat with the heat transfer shell plate. The thermally conductive encapsulator has an inner cavity in which the phase change material is accommodated.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of battery cells are divided into multiple rows of battery cell rows, and each row of battery cell rows includes at least one of the battery cells; The thermally conductive package includes a first package segment, and one of the first package segments of the thermally conductive package is arranged between each two adjacent rows of battery cells. The inner cavity includes a sub-inner cavity located in the first encapsulation segment; the sub-inner cavities of the plurality of first encapsulation segments of the thermally conductive package are interconnected.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The thermally conductive package further includes a second package segment, which is connected between two adjacent first package segments and located on the same side of the length direction of the two first package segments. The inner cavity includes a conductive cavity located in the second package segment, which connects to the sub-inner cavities of two adjacent first package segments.

4. The battery pack according to claim 3, characterized in that, There are multiple second packaging segments, and two second packaging segments connected to the same first packaging segment are located at both ends of the length direction of the first packaging segment.

5. The battery pack according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the battery cells in each of two adjacent rows of battery cells is in contact with the first encapsulation segment located between the two rows of battery cells for heat conduction; and / or, each of the first encapsulation segments has a ventilation hole that penetrates the first encapsulation segment, and the ventilation hole is not in communication with the inner cavity.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes a heat-conducting component, which is located between the heat transfer shell and the plurality of battery cells. The heat-conducting component is in contact with the plurality of battery cells and the heat-conducting package for heat conduction, and is also in contact with the heat transfer shell for heat conduction.

7. The battery pack according to claim 6, characterized in that, The thermally conductive component includes a flexible thermally conductive insulating pad, which is in contact with the plurality of battery cells and the thermally conductive package for heat conduction.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, characterized in that, The heat-conducting component includes a heat-conducting plate, which is stacked and conducts heat between the flexible heat-conducting insulating pad and the heat transfer shell plate. The thermal conductivity of the heat-conducting plate is greater than that of the flexible heat-conducting insulating pad.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8, characterized in that, The heat-conducting component includes a heat-conducting pipe disposed between the heat-conducting plate and the flexible heat-conducting insulating pad, and the thermal conductivity of the heat-conducting pipe is greater than that of the heat-conducting plate.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, characterized in that, The surface of the heat-conducting plate facing the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad has a groove, and the heat-conducting tube is disposed in the groove and contacts the flexible thermally conductive insulating pad for heat conduction.

11. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer casing includes: a first housing and a second housing, wherein the first housing and the second housing are detachably fixed together; The second housing has the heat transfer shell plate.

12. The battery pack according to claim 11, characterized in that, From the outer surface of the first housing to the inner surface of the first housing, the first housing sequentially includes an outer protective layer, a first insulating layer, a cushioning and heat-insulating layer, and a second insulating layer; and / or, The first housing has one of a positioning groove and a positioning boss on its open end face facing the second housing. The second housing has a side plate surrounding the heat transfer shell plate. The side plate has the other of a positioning groove and a positioning boss on its end face facing the first housing. The positioning boss is adapted to the positioning groove; and / or, The second housing is a metal component.

13. A vehicle, characterized in that, Includes the battery pack according to any one of claims 1-12.

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