An end cap assembly and a high capacity battery

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of end cover assembly and large capacity battery, solve the problem that existing large capacity battery cannot be reliably fixed in the battery holder of energy storage cabinet.The end cover assembly includes end cover body and at least one fixed plate vertically fixed on the end cover body.The large capacity battery of the utility model is by setting fixed plate on two end cover assemblies, using the fixed plate can quickly and reliably fix large capacity battery on battery holder.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of batteries, specifically an end cap assembly and a high-capacity battery. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, many batteries on the market are made into large-capacity batteries by connecting multiple individual cells in parallel or series (also known as battery modules or battery packs).

[0003] However, existing high-capacity batteries have inherent differences among their individual cells. Due to the "weakest link" effect, the performance of the weakest cell often affects the overall capacity, significantly limiting the battery's maximum capacity and cycle life. Therefore, improving the uniformity of individual cells in high-capacity batteries has become a key focus and challenge in this field.

[0004] When using this large-capacity battery to form an energy storage device, how to quickly and reliably fix the large-capacity battery onto the battery rack of the energy storage device is a technical problem that needs to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0005] The first aspect of this utility model provides an end cap assembly that solves the problem of stable and reliable fixing of existing large-capacity batteries in the battery rack of the energy storage cabinet.

[0006] The end cap assembly includes an end cap body and at least one fixing plate vertically fixed to the end cap body. The high-capacity battery of this invention utilizes fixing plates on two end cap assemblies to quickly and reliably fix the high-capacity battery to a battery holder.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to simplify the manufacturing and processing of the end cap assembly and reduce costs, the end cap body and at least one fixing plate are integrally formed.

[0008] Furthermore, the aforementioned end cap body is provided with an interface for connecting to the explosion relief pipe.

[0009] The second aspect of this utility model provides a high-capacity battery, including a casing and multiple individual battery cells; the casing includes a cylindrical body with open ends and an end cap assembly as described in the first aspect; the end cap assembly is welded to the two open ends of the cylindrical body;

[0010] Multiple individual batteries are located inside the cylinder. A terminal clearance hole is provided on the top of the cylinder corresponding to the position of the polarity terminal of each individual battery. Each individual battery polarity terminal extends out of the corresponding clearance hole. The top area of ​​the cylinder around the clearance hole is fixedly sealed to the top cover of the individual battery.

[0011] The cylinder has at least one shared chamber.

[0012] Furthermore, in order to ensure reliable insulation after the high-capacity battery is installed in the battery rack, the high-capacity battery also includes two insulating components; the insulating components are provided with insertion holes; the fixing plate on the high-capacity battery end plate assembly is inserted into the insertion holes of the insulating components.

[0013] Furthermore, to improve the insulation of the insulating support frame, the insulating component includes a first horizontal portion, a second horizontal portion, and a vertical connecting portion; the first horizontal portion extends along the length of the large-capacity battery, and a plug-in hole is provided inside the first horizontal portion; the second horizontal portion extends along the length of the large-capacity battery to the bottom of the large-capacity battery cylinder.

[0014] Furthermore, for insulation between two adjacent high-capacity batteries on a single battery rack, the aforementioned insulating component also includes two limiting portions; the two limiting portions are respectively disposed on both sides of the vertical connecting portion and extend along the length direction of the high-capacity battery, and the inner surfaces of the two limiting portions are in close contact with the two side walls of the high-capacity battery cylinder.

[0015] Furthermore, in order to allow the fixing plate to be smoothly inserted into the insulating component, the opening of the aforementioned insertion hole is provided with rounded corners.

[0016] Furthermore, in order to reduce the amount of material used in the insulation components, lower costs, and ensure strength, multiple weight-reducing grooves are provided on the vertical connection portion of the aforementioned insulation components.

[0017] Furthermore, in order to improve the installation stability of each individual cell within the casing and to prevent the individual cells from bulging, which would reduce the cycle performance of the large-capacity battery, the large-capacity battery also includes a separator between each pair of adjacent individual cells, and the separator has a hollow structure. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the end cap assembly.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a large-capacity battery;

[0020] Figure 3 A structural diagram showing a large-capacity battery with an insulating component installed.

[0021] Figure 4 This is an assembly diagram showing the relationship between the high-capacity battery, the insulating components, and the battery frame.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second type of insulating component;

[0023] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0024] 1. Outer shell, 2. End cap assembly, 21. Fixing plate, 22. End cap body, 23. Interface, 3. Cylinder, 4. Insulating component, 41. First horizontal part, 42. Second horizontal part, 43. Vertical connecting part, 44. Insertion hole, 45. Limiting part, 46. Weight reduction groove, 5. Battery rack. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0026] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0027] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "top," "bottom," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0028] The design principle of this utility model is as follows: Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, fixing plates 21 are fixedly installed on the end cap assemblies 2 at both ends of the large-capacity battery casing 1, and the large-capacity battery can be quickly and reliably fixed and installed on the battery rack through the fixing plates 21.

[0029] There are two main types of high-capacity battery structures:

[0030] The first type of high-capacity battery includes a casing 1 and a plurality of individual cells disposed inside the casing 1 and arranged along a first direction; the casing 1 includes a cylindrical body 3 with open ends and end cap assemblies 2 respectively fixed to the two open ends of the cylindrical body 3.

[0031] The second type of high-capacity battery differs from the first type in the following structural aspects:

[0032] The top of the outer casing 1 has clearance holes corresponding to the polarity terminals of each individual battery cell; the polarity terminals of each individual battery cell extend out of the corresponding clearance holes, and the area corresponding to each clearance hole on the top plate of the outer casing 1 is sealed to the top cover plate of the corresponding individual battery cell. The area corresponding to the clearance hole can be the wall of the clearance hole or the area surrounding the clearance hole on the top plate of the outer casing.

[0033] Inside the casing, the internal cavities of each individual cell are interconnected, enabling electrolyte sharing and / or gas balance, thereby reducing the differences between individual cells within the casing and improving the performance of high-capacity batteries.

[0034] The internal cavities of individual cells can usually be connected through a shared chamber located within the casing.

[0035] It should be noted that:

[0036] The aforementioned shared chamber can be an electrolyte sharing chamber, with its inner cavity connected to the inner cavities of each individual battery cell. This shared chamber ensures that each individual battery cell is in a uniform electrolyte environment, guaranteeing electrolyte homogeneity and improving the performance and charge-discharge cycle life of the large-capacity battery. The electrolyte sharing chamber described here is a liquid channel extending along the length (x-direction) of the casing between the bottom of the casing and each individual battery cell. This liquid channel can be integrally formed with the casing bottom plate, or it can be formed by installing a support between the lower cover plate of the individual battery cell and the casing bottom plate.

[0037] The aforementioned shared chamber can also be a gas-sharing chamber located on the top of the outer casing, covering the gas inlets on the top of each individual battery cell.

[0038] It should also be noted that the gas port here has the following two meanings:

[0039] 1) The gas port is a through hole directly opened on the top cover of the single cell and penetrating the inner cavity of the single cell;

[0040] At this time, the gas-sharing chamber is connected to the gas region of each individual cell through the gas port. Based on the gas-sharing chamber, the gas regions of each individual cell can be connected to achieve gas balance, so that the gas of each individual cell is shared to ensure the consistency of each individual cell and improve the cycle life of the large-capacity battery to a certain extent. When any individual cell experiences thermal runaway, the flue gas in the inner cavity of that individual cell enters the gas-sharing chamber and is discharged through the gas-sharing chamber, improving the safety of the large-capacity battery.

[0041] 2) The gas port is a vent or explosion-proof port installed on the top cover of the individual battery, and a vent membrane is provided at the vent or explosion-proof port.

[0042] At this time, the gas sharing chamber is used as a venting channel. When the venting membrane at the gas port of any single cell is ruptured by the flue gas in the inner cavity, the inner cavity of that single cell is connected to the gas sharing chamber, and the flue gas inside is discharged through the gas sharing chamber, thereby improving the safety of the large-capacity battery.

[0043] The aforementioned shared chamber can also be a gas-liquid shared chamber. Through a gas-liquid shared chamber, each individual battery cell can be placed in a unified electrolyte environment and gas environment, thereby improving the performance of the battery module and its charge-discharge cycle life.

[0044] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, the end cap assembly 2 has an end cap body 22 and a fixing plate 21 integrally formed. Compared with other embodiments where the fixing plate 21 is fixed to the end cap body 22 by welding or screw connection to form a whole, the end cap assembly 2 has better strength and is easier to process. In particular, when used in the second type of large capacity battery structure, the end cap assembly 2 with the integral forming method has better sealing performance of the outer shell 1.

[0045] When assembling a large-capacity battery, one of the two end cap assemblies 2 has an interface 23 on its end cap body. The interface 23 can be a through hole, in which the explosion relief pipe can be fixed to the end cap assembly by welding; or it can be a connector, in which the explosion relief pipe can be fixed to the end cap assembly by threaded connection.

[0046] Preferably, in the above two types of high-capacity batteries, a separator is provided between every two adjacent individual cells, and the separator has a hollow structure. This separator configuration has the following advantages:

[0047] Firstly, it can improve the installation stability of each individual battery cell within the casing;

[0048] Secondly, it can prevent individual battery cells from bulging, which improves the cycle performance of large-capacity batteries to a certain extent.

[0049] Thirdly, the heat generated during the charging and discharging of each individual battery can be transferred to the outside through the separator to reduce the risk of thermal runaway.

[0050] Fourthly, it can enhance the overall strength of the outer shell.

[0051] Fifthly, in addition to the advantages mentioned above, the hollow structure of the separator also reduces the weight of large-capacity batteries to a certain extent. Furthermore, in large-capacity batteries with shared chambers, the hollow structure can also ensure the gas and liquid communication between individual cells.

[0052] In some embodiments, when the large-capacity battery has a shared electrolyte chamber, the large-capacity battery casing 1 is charged. Therefore, in order to maintain good insulation between the large-capacity battery and the battery holder, insulating elements 4 are installed on the fixing plates of the end cap assemblies on both sides of the large-capacity battery. Figure 3 As shown;

[0053] The insulating component has the following two structures:

[0054] The first type of insulating component 4 is a horizontal plate with a plug-in hole inside. Before the large-capacity battery is installed into the battery rack, the horizontal plate is pre-installed onto the fixing plate of the end cover assembly by plugging it in. After the large-capacity battery is placed into the battery rack, a pressure plate can be used to press against the horizontal plate, and the large-capacity battery can be fixed onto the battery rack by using the pressure plate and bolts. It should be noted that there must be a safe insulation distance between the bolt connection and the plug-in hole.

[0055] like Figure 4 As shown, the second type of insulating component 4 includes a first horizontal portion 41, a second horizontal portion 42, and a vertical connecting portion 43; the first horizontal portion 41 and the second horizontal portion 42 are connected by the vertical connecting portion 43; the first horizontal portion 41 extends along the length direction of the large-capacity battery, and a plug hole 44 is provided inside the first horizontal portion 41; the second horizontal portion 42 extends along the length direction of the large-capacity battery to the bottom of the large-capacity battery cylinder.

[0056] Before installing the large-capacity battery into the battery rack, the insulating component 4 needs to be installed on the end cap assembly 2 of the large-capacity battery. Specifically, the insulating component should be installed in the correct position as follows: Figure 4 As shown: The insulating part 4 is inserted into the fixing plate through the insertion hole of the first horizontal part 41, the upper surface of the second horizontal part 42 is in contact with the bottom surface of the large-capacity battery cylinder, and the vertical connecting part 43 is located between the large-capacity battery end cap body 22 and the battery frame 5.

[0057] The structure of the second type of insulating component has the following advantages: the vertical connection part keeps the large-capacity battery end cap body 22 and the battery rack 5 insulated, and the second horizontal part 42 ensures that the large-capacity battery can maintain good insulation with the large-capacity battery placement platform when it is not installed on the battery rack, without the need to use other insulation methods.

[0058] Preferably, to make the energy storage device more compact, the gaps between adjacent large-capacity batteries in the same layer, as well as between the side walls and battery racks of the first and last large-capacity batteries, are small. To ensure good insulation, such as... Figure 5As shown, the second type of insulating component 4 also includes two limiting portions 45; the two limiting portions 45 are respectively disposed on both sides of the vertical connecting portion 43 and extend along the length direction of the large-capacity battery, and the inner surfaces of the two limiting portions 45 are in close contact with the two side walls of the large-capacity battery cylinder.

[0059] Preferably, in this embodiment, in order to allow the fixing plate 21 to be smoothly inserted into the insulating member 4, the opening of the insertion hole 44 in the above two types of insulating members 4 is provided with rounded corners.

[0060] Preferably, in this embodiment, in order to reduce the amount of material used in the insulating component, reduce costs, and at the same time ensure strength, a plurality of weight-reducing grooves 46 are provided on the vertical connection portion 43 of the insulating component.

Claims

1. An end cap assembly for a high-capacity battery, characterized in that: It includes an end cap body and at least one fixing plate vertically fixed to the end cap body, the fixing plate being used to install a high-capacity battery to a battery rack.

2. The end cap assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end cap body and at least one fixing plate are integrally formed.

3. The end cap assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The end cap body has an interface for connecting to the explosion relief pipe.

4. A high-capacity battery, comprising a casing and multiple individual battery cells; characterized in that: The outer shell includes a cylindrical body open at both ends and an end cap assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 3; the end cap assembly is welded to the two open ends of the cylindrical body; Multiple individual batteries are located inside the cylinder. A terminal clearance hole is provided on the top of the cylinder corresponding to the position of the polarity terminal of each individual battery. Each individual battery polarity terminal extends out of the corresponding clearance hole. The top area of ​​the cylinder around the clearance hole is fixedly sealed to the top cover of the individual battery. The cylinder has at least one shared chamber.

5. The high-capacity battery according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes two insulating components; the insulating components have insertion holes; the fixing plate on the high-capacity battery end plate assembly is inserted into the insertion holes of the insulating components.

6. The high-capacity battery according to claim 5, characterized in that: The insulating component includes a first horizontal portion, a second horizontal portion, and a vertical connecting portion connecting the first horizontal portion and the second horizontal portion; the first horizontal portion extends along the length direction of the high-capacity battery, and a plug hole is provided inside the first horizontal portion; the second horizontal portion extends along the length direction of the high-capacity battery to the bottom of the high-capacity battery cylinder.

7. The high-capacity battery according to claim 6, characterized in that: The insulating component also includes two limiting parts; the two limiting parts are respectively disposed on both sides of the vertical connecting part and extend along the length direction of the large-capacity battery, and the inner surfaces of the two limiting parts are in close contact with the two side walls of the large-capacity battery cylinder.

8. The high-capacity battery according to claim 7, characterized in that: The opening of the plug hole is rounded.

9. The high-capacity battery according to claim 8, characterized in that: The vertical connection portion of the insulating component is provided with multiple weight-reducing grooves.

10. The high-capacity battery according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that: It also includes a separator between each pair of adjacent individual cells, and the separator has a hollow structure.

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