Battery cell, battery module

Abstract

This utility model provides a battery cell and a battery module. The battery cell includes a battery cell core and a housing. The battery cell core is disposed inside the housing. A cooling section is integrated on the housing and is thermally connected to the battery cell core. By integrating the cooling section into the housing of the battery cell, the cold plates on the bottom and sides of the battery cell and the thermally conductive adhesive between the cold plates and the battery cell are eliminated, thereby saving space in the battery pack and improving the energy density of the battery pack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of power battery technology, specifically to a battery cell and a battery module. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, sufficient space needs to be left below and on the sides of the battery cell for arranging the cold plate and thermal conductive adhesive. The thermal conductive adhesive is located between the cold plate and the battery cell to bond the liquid cooling plate and the battery cell and conduct heat. Since the cold plate and thermal conductive adhesive occupy a lot of space, it is not conducive to improving the energy density of the battery pack.

[0003] Therefore, in related technologies, the battery cells need to be bonded to the cold plate, resulting in a large space occupation. Utility Model Content

[0004] The embodiments of this utility model provide a battery cell and a battery module, which can improve the technical problem in the prior art where the battery cell needs to be bonded to a cold plate, resulting in a large space occupation.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a battery cell, comprising:

[0006] Battery cell winding core; and

[0007] The outer casing, wherein the battery cell winding is disposed within the outer casing;

[0008] The outer casing integrates a cooling section, which is thermally connected to the battery cell winding core.

[0009] In one embodiment, the cooling section is integrally formed with the housing, or the cooling section is welded to the housing.

[0010] In one embodiment, the cooling section is a protrusion, and a cooling channel is formed within the protrusion.

[0011] In one embodiment, the cooling channel further includes at least one liquid inlet and at least one liquid outlet, and the cooling channel is provided with a cooling medium, which flows in through the liquid inlet and flows out through the liquid outlet.

[0012] In one embodiment, the housing includes a plurality of sides, at least two of the sides forming the cooling channels, and a connecting portion is provided between adjacent cooling channels. One end of the connecting portion is connected to an adjacent cooling channel, and the other end of the connecting portion is connected to another adjacent cooling channel.

[0013] In one embodiment, the side surface includes two large surfaces arranged opposite each other, each of the large surfaces having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet.

[0014] In one embodiment, the cooling medium flowing into the inlet of one of the large surfaces of the cooling channel flows out through the connector from the outlet of the other large surface on the opposite side.

[0015] In one embodiment, the cooling channel includes at least two branches, and the at least two branches are arranged in parallel.

[0016] In one embodiment, at least one of the branches includes an extension section arranged in an "S" shape.

[0017] In one embodiment, the thickness of the housing ranges from 0.9 mm to 3 mm, and the depth of the cooling channel in the direction perpendicular to the housing ranges from 0.3 mm to 2.4 mm.

[0018] In one embodiment, the cooling channel is provided on the large surface of the housing, and the cooling channels on the housing are independent of each other.

[0019] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a battery module, including a battery cell as described in any of the above embodiments, and a filling portion located between adjacent battery cells.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of this utility model are as follows:

[0021] In an embodiment of this utility model, a cooling section is integrated on the outer shell, and the cooling section is thermally connected to the core of the battery cell. This eliminates the need for cold plates on the bottom and sides of the battery cell, as well as the thermally conductive adhesive between the cold plates and the battery cell, thereby saving space within the battery pack and alleviating the technical problem in the prior art where the battery cell needs to be bonded to the cold plate, resulting in a large space occupation. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a first perspective view of the battery cell provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram of the battery cell provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the battery cell provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 4This is a second perspective view of the battery cell provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 The battery cell provided in the embodiment of this utility model is Figure 4 Enlarged view of the central area;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling channel in the battery cell provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0029] Figure 7 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the battery module provided in the embodiment of this utility model.

[0030] 1. Battery cell; 2. Filling section; 11. Outer shell; 12. Electrode tab; 13. Cover plate; 14. Pressure relief valve; 15. Battery cell winding core; 16. Cooling channel; 11-21. Connecting section; 111. Liquid inlet; 112. Liquid outlet; 113. Microchannel inner cavity. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model. In addition, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for illustration and explanation of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. In the present utility model, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "upper" and "lower" generally refer to the upper and lower positions of the device in actual use or operation, specifically the drawing directions in the accompanying drawings; while "inner" and "outer" refer to the outline of the device.

[0032] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and similar words do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different technical features. The terms "multiple" and similar words indicate two or more unless otherwise expressly specified.

[0033] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 The battery cell 1 provided in the embodiment of this utility model includes a battery cell core 15 and a housing 11, wherein the battery cell core 15 is disposed inside the housing 11; wherein, a cooling part is integrated on the housing 11, and the cooling part is thermally connected to the battery cell core 15.

[0034] It is understandable that the design of setting cold plates on the bottom and sides of the cell 1 in the related technology requires sufficient space for arranging liquid cooling plates and thermal conductive adhesive, which occupies a large space. However, this utility model integrates the cooling part into the outer shell 11 of the cell 1, eliminating the cold plates on the bottom and sides of the cell 1 and the thermal conductive adhesive between the cold plates and the cell 1, thereby saving space in the battery pack and improving the energy density of the battery pack.

[0035] It should be noted that in related technologies, the heat generated by the cell core 15 needs to be transferred from the cell core 15 to the outer casing 11 of the cell 1, then through the thermally conductive adhesive to the cold plate, and then through the cold plate to the coolant inside the cold plate. The heat dissipation path of the heat generated by the cell core 15 is too long. When facing the continuous large amount of heat generated by the high-rate and high-capacity cell 1, the heat dissipation is insufficient, which affects the performance of the battery. However, this utility model removes the cold plate and the thermally conductive adhesive and directly places the cooling part in the outer casing 11 of the cell 1. This can reduce the heat dissipation path of the heat generated by the cell core 15. The heat dissipation path only needs to go through the cell core 15 to the outer casing 11 and then to the cooling part of the outer casing 11 to achieve heat dissipation, thereby improving the heat dissipation capacity of the cell 1.

[0036] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The cooling section is integrally formed with the outer shell 11, or the cooling section is welded to the outer shell 11.

[0037] It is understandable that the cooling section can be welded to the outer casing 11 as an independent component, or it can be integrally formed with the outer casing 11. The cooling section and the outer casing 11 are thermally connected, so that the heat of the battery cell core 15 can be thermally connected through the outer casing 11 and the cooling section, thereby improving the heat dissipation capacity of the battery cell 1.

[0038] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The cooling section is a protrusion, and a cooling channel 16 is formed inside the protrusion.

[0039] The cooling section includes multiple interconnected subsections, which can be any of the following: a broken line segment, a straight line segment, or an arc segment.

[0040] The cooling channel 16 is equipped with a cooling medium, which circulates within the cooling channel 16 and carries away and releases the heat generated by the battery core 15, thereby achieving heat dissipation.

[0041] It is understandable that the cooling section is a protrusion, and the interior of the protrusion is hollow to form a cooling channel 16. The flow direction of the cooling channel 16 is set along the extension direction of the cooling section, and the cooling medium flows in the cooling channel 16, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the cooling section.

[0042] In one embodiment, the cooling channel 16 further includes an inlet 111 and an outlet 112. The cooling channel 16 is provided with a cooling medium. The cooling medium flows in through the inlet 111, exchanges heat with the battery core 15 through the cooling channel 16, and finally flows out from the outlet 112 to the storage container of the cooling medium.

[0043] The inlet 111 and outlet 112 can have the same pipe diameter, so that the flow rate of the cooling medium at the inlet 111 and outlet 112 is the same, which helps to ensure the amount of cooling medium in the cooling channel 16 and maintain heat exchange with the battery core 15.

[0044] One end of the liquid inlet 111 is connected to the liquid inlet of the cooling channel 16, and one end of the liquid outlet 112 is connected to the liquid outlet of the cooling channel 16. The other ends of the liquid inlet 111 and the other ends of the liquid outlet 112 can be connected to each other through an external pipeline, and the external pipeline includes at least one heat dissipation part for releasing the heat of the cooling medium to the outside.

[0045] The opening shape of the liquid inlet 111 can be circular, rectangular or square, and the opening shape of the liquid outlet 112 can be circular, rectangular or square.

[0046] In this system, the refrigerant exchanges heat through the external pipes of the external circulation system.

[0047] It is understandable that an inlet 111 and an outlet 112 are provided on the outer casing 11, and an external pipeline is connected to the outside of the outer casing 11. The external pipeline is used to dissipate heat from the cooling medium and reduce the temperature of the cooling medium circulating back to the cooling channel 16 from the inlet 111, so that the cooling medium can better cool and absorb heat from the battery cell 1.

[0048] In one embodiment, the cooling channel 16 includes at least two branches, which are arranged in parallel.

[0049] It is understandable that by designing multiple branches in parallel, the sum of the lengths of the multiple branches is greater, thereby extending the flow path of the cooling medium in the cooling channel 16, making the contact area between the cooling channel 16 and the battery cell 1 larger, which is more conducive to cooling the battery cell 1.

[0050] In one embodiment, at least one of the branches includes an extension section arranged in an "S" shape.

[0051] Understandably, the extension of the branch is set in a meandering manner, which increases the path length of the cooling channel 16, thereby enhancing the cooling effect of the cooling channel 16 on the battery cell 1.

[0052] In one embodiment, the extension has two or more bends, the bends being right angles. Furthermore, the corners of the bends are chamfered, preferably rounded, to reduce the flow resistance of the cooling medium in the cooling channel 16.

[0053] In one embodiment, the thickness of the outer casing 11 ranges from 0.9 mm to 3 mm, and the depth of the cooling channel 16 in the direction perpendicular to the outer casing 11 ranges from 0.3 mm to 2.4 mm.

[0054] The thickness of the outer shell 11 can be any of, but is not limited to, 0.9mm, 1.5mm, 2.5mm, and 3mm.

[0055] The depth of the cooling channel 16 in the direction perpendicular to the outer casing 11 can be, but is not limited to, any one of 0.3mm, 1mm, 1.8mm, and 2.4mm.

[0056] It is understandable that, in the related technologies, the thickness of the outer casing 11 of the conventional battery cell 1 is less than 0.9 mm and the surface of the outer casing 11 is smooth and flat; while the outer casing 11 of this application is thicker, so that a deeper cooling channel 16 can be provided. At the same time, multiple cooling parts are provided on the surface of the outer casing 11, and the cooling parts can be protrusions, so as to further increase the depth of the cooling channel 16 and the flow rate of the cooling medium, thereby enhancing the heat dissipation effect on the battery cell 1.

[0057] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The outer casing 11 of the battery cell 1 includes multiple sides, and at least one of the sides is provided with the cooling channel 16. When a cooling channel 16 is provided on one side, the side refers to any side opposite to two adjacent outer casings 11. The cooling channel 16 is located between two adjacent outer casings 11 and is in contact with both outer casings 11 at the same time, forming a heat exchange system.

[0058] It is understood that the cooling channels 16 are provided on the two opposing main heating surfaces of the battery cell 1, and multiple consecutive main heating surfaces of the battery cell 1 are arranged opposite each other. Furthermore, the cooling channels 16 on the opposing main heating surfaces of the battery cell 1 are interconnected to ensure the continuity of the cooling circuit. The connecting portion of adjacent cooling channels 16 can be a single linear tubular channel or a patterned curved channel. The connecting portion is located on the secondary heating surfaces on both sides of the battery cell 1 and contacts the secondary heating surfaces to achieve heat exchange.

[0059] The cooling channel 16 is formed on at least two of the sides, and a connecting part 11-21 is provided between adjacent cooling channels 16. One end of the connecting part 11-21 is connected to an adjacent cooling channel 16, and the other end of the connecting part 11-21 is connected to another adjacent cooling channel 16.

[0060] In this embodiment, by forming cooling channels 16 on multiple sides of the housing 11, and the cooling channels 16 on multiple sides being interconnected, the cooling medium can flow between the cooling channels 16, thereby enhancing the heat exchange between the cooling channels 16 and the battery core 15 and improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0061] In one embodiment, the refrigerant in the cooling channel 16 can also heat the battery cell winding core 15.

[0062] Understandably, in some extreme environments, the temperature of cell 1 is too low, which affects its performance. In this case, the performance of cell 1 can be improved by heating the cell winding core 15.

[0063] In one embodiment, the cooling channel 16 is provided on the large surface of the outer casing 11, and the cooling channels 16 on the outer casing 11 are independent of each other.

[0064] Here, "large surface" refers to at least one surface with the largest area on the outer shell 11, which can be the front and back of the outer shell.

[0065] It is understandable that the cooling channels 16 are made independent of each other, so that the large cooling channels 16 do not affect each other. When one cooling channel 16 fails, the other cooling channel 16 can still be effective.

[0066] In one embodiment, the cooling channel 16 is provided with a microchannel cavity 13 for containing refrigerant to achieve heat exchange with the battery cell winding core 15.

[0067] The battery cell 1 also includes tabs 1212, cover plate 13, and pressure relief valve 14.

[0068] In one embodiment, multiple battery cells 1 are connected in series or in parallel to form a module, and thermal insulation material is filled between adjacent battery cells 1 to achieve both thermal insulation and structural support.

[0069] In one embodiment, the outer shell 11 is made of aluminum alloy and is integrally formed by extrusion.

[0070] Understandably, the manufacturing process of the outer shell 11 is simple and the cost is low.

[0071] In one embodiment, the cooling channel 16 on one of the two opposing sides is a symmetrical structure obtained by rotating the cooling channel 16 on the other of the two opposing sides by 180° to ensure the symmetry of the flow.

[0072] In one embodiment, a high-temperature medium can be introduced into the cooling channel 16 to actively heat the battery cell 1 in a low-temperature environment, thereby preventing the battery performance from degrading due to low temperature.

[0073] The high-temperature medium can be an ethylene glycol solution.

[0074] Understandably, in heating mode, the temperature of the refrigerant is regulated by an external heater, enabling full-temperature thermal management from -30°C to 60°C.

[0075] In one embodiment, the outer shell 11 and the cooling section can be prepared by a stamping process.

[0076] This process is applicable to the structure of the planar cooling channel 16, in which a groove is formed on the surface of the outer shell 11 by stamping with a mold, and then sealed by welding through the cover plate 13.

[0077] In one embodiment, the outer shell 11 and the cooling section can also be prepared using 3D printing technology.

[0078] Understandably, 3D printing technology is used in the design of complex three-dimensional flow channels to further improve the heat exchange efficiency of the cooling section.

[0079] In one embodiment, laser welding can be used to connect the housing 11 to the cooling section to ensure the airtightness of the connection between the cooling section and the housing 11.

[0080] The weld width is ≤0.1mm and the compressive strength is ≥2MPa.

[0081] Please see Figure 7 This utility model provides a battery module, including a battery cell 1 as described in any of the above embodiments, and a filling portion 2 located between adjacent battery cells 1. The filling material between the battery cells 1 can be aerogel, nanoporous material, XPP, silicone foam, or other commonly used heat insulation materials, or it can be a potting compound, structural adhesive, or other filler.

[0082] This utility model provides a battery cell 1, which integrates the cooling part into the outer shell 11 of the battery cell 1, thereby eliminating the need for additional cold plates and thermally conductive adhesive between the cold plates and the battery cell 1. On the one hand, it saves space for arrangement, and on the other hand, since the cooling part is directly thermally connected to the outer shell 11 of the battery cell 1, it also improves the heat exchange efficiency of the battery cell 1.

[0083] It has the following beneficial effects:

[0084] (1) Space saving: By eliminating the cold plate and thermal conductive adhesive, the module volume is reduced and the energy density is increased.

[0085] (2) High-efficiency heat dissipation: The heat transfer path is shortened to the battery core 15 to the outer casing 11 to the cooling section, which improves the heat dissipation efficiency.

[0086] (3) Space optimization: The elimination of cold plate and thermal conductive adhesive improves the space utilization of battery pack.

[0087] (4) Temperature difference control: further reduces the temperature difference in cell 1 and extends its lifespan.

[0088] (5) Enhanced safety: In the event of thermal runaway, the cooling unit can quickly dissipate heat and suppress heat diffusion.

[0089] The embodiments of this utility model have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this utility model. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this utility model. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this utility model. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

Claims

1. A battery cell (1), characterized in that, include: Battery cell core (15); and The outer casing (11) contains the battery cell winding core (15) disposed within the outer casing (11); The outer shell (11) has an integrated cooling section, which is thermally connected to the battery core (15).

2. The battery cell (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling section is integrally formed with the outer shell (11), or the cooling section is welded to the outer shell (11).

3. The battery cell (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cooling section is a protrusion, and a cooling channel (16) is formed inside the protrusion.

4. The battery cell (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cooling channel (16) further includes at least one liquid inlet (111) and at least one liquid outlet (112). The cooling channel (16) is provided with a cooling medium. The cooling medium flows in through the liquid inlet (111) and flows out through the liquid outlet (112) after passing through the cooling channel (16).

5. The battery cell (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer casing (11) includes multiple sides, at least two of the sides forming the cooling channels (16), and a connecting portion (11-21) is provided between adjacent cooling channels (16). One end of the connecting portion (11-21) is connected to an adjacent cooling channel (16), and the other end of the connecting portion (11-21) is connected to another adjacent cooling channel (16).

6. The battery cell (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The side surface includes two large surfaces arranged opposite each other, and each of the large surfaces is provided with a liquid inlet (111) and a liquid outlet (112).

7. The battery cell (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The cooling medium flowing into the inlet (111) of one of the large surfaces of the cooling channel flows out through the connector (11-21) from the outlet (112) of the other large surface on the opposite side.

8. The battery cell (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cooling channel (16) includes at least two branches, and the at least two branches are arranged in parallel.

9. The battery cell (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that, At least one of the branches includes an extension section, which is arranged in an "S" shape.

10. The battery cell (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The thickness of the outer casing (11) ranges from 0.9 mm to 3 mm, and / or the depth of the cooling channel (16) in the direction perpendicular to the outer casing (11) ranges from 0.3 mm to 2.4 mm.

11. The battery cell (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outer shell (11) has cooling channels (16) on its large surface, and the cooling channels (16) on the outer shell (11) are independent of each other.

12. A battery module, characterized in that, It includes a plurality of battery cells (1) as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, and a filling portion (2) located between adjacent battery cells (1).

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