Battery module and battery box

Abstract

The application discloses a battery module and a battery box. The battery module comprises a plurality of stacked battery units, each of which comprises a support column and a plurality of cylindrical battery cells wrapped around the support column, each cylindrical battery cell is attached to two adjacent cylindrical battery cells, and all the support columns are coaxial. Compared with the prior art, the structure of the application ensures compact arrangement, and the side of each cylindrical battery cell away from the support column is relatively exposed, which improves the heat dissipation effect of the cylindrical battery cell, facilitates replacement and maintenance of the single cylindrical battery cell, and increases the maintenance convenience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of energy storage equipment technology, and in particular to a battery module and battery box. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of industries such as electronic devices, energy storage systems, power tools, and electric vehicles, higher requirements are being placed on the performance and safety of battery packs. Due to limitations in voltage, capacity, and current output, individual batteries cannot meet the demands of high voltage, high current, and high capacity in practical applications. Therefore, multiple individual batteries are typically combined in series, parallel, or series-parallel configurations to form battery cells or battery modules. This achieves higher supply voltage, greater output current, and longer driving range, while effectively improving the overall performance, safety, and reliability of the battery module.

[0003] To improve assembly density and heat dissipation performance, existing technologies propose a scheme that arranges battery cells in a regular array, sets heat conduction channels between battery cells, and uses sleeves or skeleton components for peripheral limiting and insulation isolation, thereby improving the structural stability and thermal management consistency of the module.

[0004] However, existing battery module structures typically employ a fixed packaging method, making the maintenance, replacement, and upgrade of battery cells difficult, increasing maintenance costs and complexity. Furthermore, the higher packing density leads to poor heat dissipation, particularly in the central area of ​​the battery module, which is prone to localized overheating, affecting battery life and safety. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a battery module with a reasonable structure, compact layout, easy maintenance, and comprehensive protection functions to solve these problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] One objective of this application is to provide a battery module and battery box that address the technical problems of poor heat dissipation and difficult maintenance and replacement in existing densely packed battery packs.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, this application provides a battery module comprising a plurality of stacked battery cells, each battery cell comprising a support post and a plurality of cylindrical cells attached to and wound around the support post, each cylindrical cell being attached to two adjacent cylindrical cells, and all support posts being coaxial.

[0007] In this application, within each battery cell, cylindrical cells are arranged around and attached to each other around a support post. Each cylindrical cell simultaneously forms contact and restraint with two adjacent cylindrical cells and the support post. On one hand, the side of the cell closest to the support post is positioned and constrained, while the side furthest from the support post is relatively exposed, which facilitates the heat dissipation of the cylindrical cell from the side furthest from the support post. On the other hand, the support post and any two adjacent cells form a triangular support structure, that is, the axes of the three are the three edges of the same virtual triangular prism, providing radial and circumferential stability and ensuring the structural stability of the battery cell. Simultaneously, multiple battery cells are stacked along the same axis, and the aforementioned triangular support structure also ensures that the battery cells are aligned with the coaxial support post as a unified reference in the stacking direction, with the battery module extending along the axial direction of the support post.

[0008] Compared with existing technologies, the structure of this application ensures a dense arrangement while exposing the side of each cylindrical cell facing away from the support column. This improves the heat dissipation of the cylindrical cells and facilitates the replacement and repair of individual cylindrical cells, increasing maintenance convenience. Furthermore, by adjusting the number of battery cells included in the battery module, the energy storage capacity and geometric dimensions of the battery module can be configured as needed.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, according to one embodiment of this application, within each battery cell, a first thermally conductive gap is formed between any two adjacent cylindrical cells and the support column, and the first thermally conductive gaps of adjacent battery cells are connected.

[0010] Inside the battery cell, any two adjacent cylindrical cells and support columns form a triangular support structure while creating a first thermally conductive gap between them. In the battery module dimension, the first thermally conductive gaps of adjacent battery cells are connected, which means that as the battery cells are stacked, the first thermally conductive gap of the battery cells in the middle of the stack will not be closed, and the first heat dissipation gap can play a convective heat transfer effect along the entire length of the battery module.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, according to one embodiment of this application, the support post is a cylinder having the same external dimensions as the cylindrical battery cell.

[0012] The support column and cylindrical cells have the same external dimensions and are both cylindrical. That is, each battery cell contains one support column and six cylindrical cells arranged around it. Specifically, on any virtual plane perpendicular to the axis of the support column, the intersection of the axes of two adjacent cylindrical cells with the virtual plane, and the line connecting the intersection of the column axis with the virtual plane, form an equilateral triangle, giving the battery cell better structural stability. The lines connecting the intersections of the axes of the six cylindrical cells with the virtual plane form a regular hexagon, allowing multiple battery modules to be spatially densely packed in three-dimensional space, perpendicular to the battery cell stacking direction.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, according to one embodiment of this application, the battery module further includes an insulating sleeve that is sleeved over a plurality of battery cells and that is in contact with a plurality of cylindrical cells.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, according to one embodiment of this application, a second thermally conductive gap is formed between any two adjacent cylindrical cells and the insulating sleeve, and two adjacent second thermally conductive gaps are connected in the battery cell stacking direction.

[0015] Inside the battery cell, a second thermally conductive gap is formed between any two adjacent cylindrical cells and the insulating sleeve. In the battery module dimension, the second thermally conductive gaps of adjacent battery cells are connected. This ensures that as the battery cells are stacked, the second thermally conductive gap of the battery cells in the middle of the stack will not be closed. The second heat dissipation gap can play a convective heat transfer effect along the entire length of the battery module.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, according to one embodiment of this application, the insulating sleeve is recessed toward the support post in the area corresponding to two adjacent cylindrical cells of the same battery cell, so as to fit the surface of the cylindrical cell.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, according to one embodiment of this application, the support post is a support cell, and the support cell has the same shape and size as the cylindrical cell.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, according to one embodiment of this application, the support columns of adjacent battery cells are fixedly connected, or the support columns of adjacent battery cells are an integral structure.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, according to one embodiment of this application, the battery module further includes an insulating sheet sandwiched between adjacent battery cells.

[0020] Secondly, this application also provides a battery box, including multiple battery modules according to the above embodiments.

[0021] The beneficial effects of the second aspect can be referred to in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, and will not be elaborated here. Based on the implementations provided in the above aspects, this application can also be further combined to provide more implementations.

[0022] Other advantages, objectives and features of this application will be partly apparent from the description below, and partly understood by those skilled in the art through study and practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the battery module provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is an exploded structural diagram of the battery module provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of line AA in the middle; Figure 4 This is an exploded structural diagram of a battery module provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0025] Explanation of icon numbers: 10. Battery cell; 11. Support column; 12. Cylindrical cell; 20. First thermally conductive gap; 30. Insulating sleeve; 40. Second thermally conductive gap; 50. Insulating sheet. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] To meet the application requirements of high voltage, high current, and high capacity, multiple individual cells are often connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel to form battery cells and battery modules. To improve assembly density and structural stability, existing solutions generally adopt the approach of regularly arraying the cells and forming modular units in the stacking direction. That is, by densely arranging them in a plane and stacking multiple units in the axial direction to form a battery module, and supplementing it with peripheral limiting and insulating isolation components to achieve centering, fixation, and electrical insulation, thereby achieving better volume utilization and assembly consistency.

[0028] However, battery modules formed by dense arrangement and axial multi-layer stacking often have shortcomings in terms of heat dissipation paths and ease of maintenance: high stacking density limits the exposed area of ​​the outer surface of the cells, and the convection and heat conduction channels in the central area of ​​the module are not smooth, which easily leads to heat accumulation and local overheating, affecting cycle life and safety; at the same time, after the individual cells are encapsulated as a whole or constrained by surrounding limiting components, the space for disassembly and assembly is limited, and the process of replacing individual cells and performing local maintenance is complicated and time-consuming, which is not conducive to later maintenance and upgrades. Based on this, it is urgent to optimize the heat dissipation effect and reduce the difficulty of disassembly and assembly while taking into account the stacking structure and assembly density, so as to improve heat dissipation efficiency and ease of maintenance.

[0029] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, firstly, please refer to... Figures 1 to 3 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the battery module provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is an exploded structural diagram of the battery module provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional structural diagram of the AA line. This application provides a battery module, which includes multiple stacked battery units 10. Each battery unit 10 includes a support post 11 and multiple cylindrical cells 12 that are attached to and wrapped around the support post 11. Each cylindrical cell 12 is attached to two adjacent cylindrical cells 12, and all the support posts 11 are coaxial.

[0030] In this application, within each battery cell 10, cylindrical cells 12 are arranged around and attached to each other around a support post 11. Each cylindrical cell 12 simultaneously forms a contact limit with two adjacent cylindrical cells 12 and the support post 11. On the one hand, the side of the cell closest to the support post 11 is positioned and constrained, while the side furthest from the support post 11 is relatively exposed, which facilitates the heat dissipation of the cylindrical cell 12 from the side furthest from the support post 11. On the other hand, the support post 11 and any two adjacent cells form a triangular support structure, that is, the axes of the three are the three edges of the same virtual triangular prism, providing radial and circumferential stability limits and ensuring the structural stability of the battery cell 10. At the same time, multiple battery cells 10 are stacked along the same axis, and the aforementioned triangular support structure also ensures that the battery cells 10 are aligned with the coaxial support post 11 as a unified reference in the stacking direction, and the battery module extends along the axial direction of the support post 11.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the structure of this application ensures a dense arrangement while exposing the side of each cylindrical cell 12 facing away from the support column 11. This improves the heat dissipation of the cylindrical cell 12 and facilitates the replacement and repair of individual cylindrical cells 12, increasing maintenance convenience. Furthermore, by adjusting the number of battery cells 10 included in the battery module, the energy storage capacity and geometric dimensions of the battery module can be configured as needed.

[0032] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment of this application, within each battery cell 10, a first thermally conductive gap 20 is formed between any two adjacent cylindrical cells 12 and the support column 11, and the first thermally conductive gaps 20 of adjacent battery cells 10 are connected.

[0033] Inside the battery cell 10, any two adjacent cylindrical cells 12 and support columns 11 form a triangular support structure, while a first thermally conductive gap 20 is formed between the three. In the battery module dimension, the first thermally conductive gaps 20 of adjacent battery cells 10 are connected, which means that as the battery cells 10 are stacked, the first thermally conductive gaps 20 of the battery cells 10 in the middle of the stack will not be closed, and the first heat dissipation gap can play a convective heat transfer effect along the entire length of the battery module.

[0034] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment of this application, the support post 11 is a cylinder having the same outer dimensions as the cylindrical battery cell 12.

[0035] The support column 11 and the cylindrical cells 12 have the same external dimensions and are both cylindrical. That is, each battery cell 10 has one support column 11 and six cylindrical cells 12 arranged around the support column 11. Specifically, on any virtual plane perpendicular to the axis of the support column 11, the intersection of the axes of two adjacent cylindrical cells 12 with the virtual plane and the line connecting the intersection of the column axis with the virtual plane form an equilateral triangle, which gives the battery cell 10 better structural stability. The line connecting the intersections of the axes of the six cylindrical cells 12 with the virtual plane forms a regular hexagon, which allows multiple battery modules to be spatially densely packed in three-dimensional space in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cell 10.

[0036] It should be understood that the support posts 11 of adjacent battery cells 10 can be fixedly connected, or, as shown in the reference... Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the battery module provided in another embodiment of this application. The support pillars 11 of adjacent battery cells 10 are integral structures, that is, a support pillar 11 of the same length as the battery module runs through all battery cells 10. In the embodiment where the support pillars 11 of adjacent battery cells 10 are integral structures, if the technical solution is to make the support pillars 11 cylinders with the same outer dimensions as the cylindrical cells 12, it should be understood that the battery module is disassembled into discrete battery cells 10, and the support pillars 11 are cut off and distributed in each battery cell 10. At this time, the support pillars 11 belonging to each battery cell 10 are cylinders with the same outer dimensions as the cylindrical cells 12.

[0037] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment of this application, the battery module further includes an insulating sleeve 30, which is sleeved on the outside of a plurality of battery cells 10 and contacts a plurality of cylindrical cells 12.

[0038] The insulating sleeve 30 serves both electrical safety and structural limiting purposes. Specifically, on one hand, the insulating sleeve 30 forms a continuous insulating barrier around the outer periphery of the multiple battery cells 10, i.e., the entire outer periphery of the battery module, preventing accidental electrical connections between the cylindrical cells 12 and external conductive components or adjacent modules, thus reducing the risk of creepage and short circuits between adjacent electronic devices. On the other hand, the insulating sleeve 30 contacts the surface of the cylindrical cell 12 away from the support column 11, providing flexible circumferential holding and uniform support for the battery cells 10. At the level of the battery cells 10, this suppresses vibration and relative displacement of the cylindrical cells 12; at the level of the battery module, the insulating sleeve 30 provides positioning and fixing between the battery cells 10, improving the overall rigidity and impact resistance of the battery module.

[0039] In addition, the insulating sleeve 30 can also play an auxiliary role in the assembly process. Taking the commonly used cross-linked polyolefin tube as an example, the following process can be used to assemble the cross-linked polyolefin insulating sleeve 30 on the outside of the stacked multiple battery cells 10: B1. Stack multiple battery cells 10 and complete the series and parallel configuration between battery cells 10; B2. The insulating sleeve 30 is fitted onto the outer periphery of the stacked battery cells 10; B3. Heat the insulating sleeve 30, causing the insulating sleeve 30 to contract and tightly hug the cylindrical battery cell 12.

[0040] In step B3, due to the heat-shrinkable nature of the insulating sleeve 30, the battery module is simultaneously tensioned in the radial and axial directions, the structure is tightened, and the requirements for structural compactness during initial stacking are reduced.

[0041] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this application, a second thermally conductive gap 40 is formed between any two adjacent cylindrical cells 12 and the insulating sleeve 30, and two adjacent second thermally conductive gaps 40 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 10 are connected.

[0042] Inside the battery cell 10, a second thermally conductive gap 40 is formed between any two adjacent cylindrical cells 12 and the insulating sleeve 30. In the battery module dimension, the second thermally conductive gaps 40 of adjacent battery cells 10 are connected, which means that as the battery cells 10 are stacked, the second thermally conductive gaps 40 of the battery cells 10 in the middle of the stack will not be closed, and the second heat dissipation gap can play a convective heat transfer effect along the entire length of the battery module.

[0043] Typically, for thermoplastic insulating sleeves 30, as mentioned in previous embodiments, during the assembly process of insulating sleeves 30, they shrink and hold the battery cell 10, so that the portion between adjacent cylindrical cells 12 is tightened, naturally forming a second thermally conductive gap 40.

[0044] Considering that under certain operating conditions there may not be conditions to continuously introduce cooling airflow into the second thermally conductive gap 40 to achieve convective heat transfer, in order to avoid the air remaining in the second thermally conductive gap 40 becoming a heat insulation layer, in one embodiment of this application, the area of ​​the insulating sleeve 30 corresponding to two adjacent cylindrical cells 12 of the same battery cell 10 is recessed toward the support column 11 to fit the surface of the cylindrical cell 12.

[0045] In this embodiment, by recessing the insulating sleeve 30 into the corresponding areas of two adjacent cylindrical cells 12 towards the support column 11, the tight surface contact between the insulating sleeve 30 and the cylindrical cell 12 can improve the solid-state heat conduction path and heat diffusion capability between the cell and the sleeve, thereby reducing the thermal resistance between the cell and the sleeve, even in conditions lacking convective heat dissipation. Furthermore, from a structural perspective, the recessed structure of this embodiment can also provide circumferential restraint and anti-slip constraint for the cylindrical cell 12, suppressing vibration and relative displacement, and maintaining the structural stability of the battery cell 10.

[0046] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment of this application, the support post 11 is a support cell, and the support cell has the same shape and size as the cylindrical cell 12.

[0047] In applications requiring high energy density, the support column 11 can be configured as an energy storage unit, i.e., the support column 11 in this embodiment is a support cell. This can further improve the energy storage density. Moreover, the support cell is only separated from the external environment by a cylindrical cell 12, resulting in a shorter heat dissipation path and making it less prone to heat accumulation.

[0048] It should be understood that the supporting cell mentioned in this embodiment is only for distinguishing it from the cylindrical cell 12 in order to explain the technical solution, and does not imply any difference between the supporting cell and the cylindrical cell 12 in any dimension such as structure or performance. In the actual assembly process, seven identical cylindrical cells can be densely stacked to form the battery unit 10. In this case, the cell surrounded by the other cells is the supporting cell, and the one wrapped around the outside is the cylindrical cell 12 in this structure.

[0049] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment of this application, the battery module further includes an insulating sheet 50, which is sandwiched between adjacent battery cells 10.

[0050] An insulating sheet 50 is sandwiched between adjacent battery cells 10. On the one hand, it can achieve the smallest possible electrical clearance and creepage distance under compact stacking conditions, reducing the risk of breakdown caused by accidental contact or casing deformation. On the other hand, the insulating sheet 50, as a fixed-thickness partition, helps to limit the position of the battery module during assembly, stabilize the force path, and suppress vibration friction and mutual compression.

[0051] Furthermore, based on the series and parallel connection of the cylindrical cells 12, an insulating sheet 50 can also be provided within the battery unit 10 to prevent interference between the parallel cylindrical cells 12.

[0052] It should be understood that, depending on the material of the insulating sheet 50, the insulating sheet 50 can also serve as a flame-retardant barrier and an obstacle to electrolyte penetration, thereby improving the safety redundancy of the battery module under extreme conditions such as thermal runaway propagation and contaminant intrusion, and avoiding interference between adjacent battery cells 10. Those skilled in the art can configure it as needed based on experience.

[0053] Secondly, this application also provides a battery box, including multiple battery modules of the above embodiments.

[0054] The beneficial effects of the second aspect can be referred to in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, and will not be elaborated here. Based on the implementations provided in the above aspects, this application can also be further combined to provide more implementations.

[0055] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0056] It should also be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or may be connected to an intermediary component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or indirectly connected to the other component through an intermediary component.

[0057] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this application is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0058] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the design concept of this application and the contents of the specification and drawings of this application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A battery module, characterized in that, The battery includes multiple stacked battery cells, each of which includes a support post and multiple cylindrical cells attached to and wound around the support post, each of the cylindrical cells being attached to two adjacent cylindrical cells, and all the support posts being coaxial.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, Within each battery cell, a first thermally conductive gap is formed between any two adjacent cylindrical cells and the support column, and the first thermally conductive gaps of adjacent battery cells are connected.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support column is a cylinder with the same external dimensions as the cylindrical battery cell.

4. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery module also includes an insulating sleeve, which is sleeved over the plurality of battery cells and contacts the plurality of cylindrical cells.

5. The battery module according to claim 4, characterized in that, A second thermally conductive gap is formed between any two adjacent cylindrical cells and the insulating sleeve, and two adjacent second thermally conductive gaps are connected in the battery cell stacking direction.

6. The battery module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The insulating sleeve is recessed towards the support column in the area corresponding to two adjacent cylindrical cells of the same battery cell, so as to fit the surface of the cylindrical cell.

7. The battery module according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The support column is a support cell, and the support cell has the same shape and size as the cylindrical cell.

8. The battery module according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The support columns of adjacent battery cells are fixedly connected, or the support columns of adjacent battery cells are an integral structure.

9. The battery module according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The battery module also includes an insulating sheet sandwiched between adjacent battery cells.

10. A battery box, characterized in that, Includes the battery module according to any one of claims 1-9.

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