Batteries, power consuming devices, battery manufacturing methods and devices

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery 10, a power consumption device, a method 300 for manufacturing a battery, and a device 400. The battery 10 includes a plurality of battery cells 20 arranged along a first direction x, and a thermal management member 101 extending along the first direction x and connected to a first wall 2111 of each of the plurality of battery cells 20, the thermal management member 101 including a pair of thermally conductive plates 1011 facing each other along a second direction y and a flow passage 1012 located between the pair of thermally conductive plates 1011, the flow passage 1012 is used to accommodate a fluid and adjust the temperature of the battery cells 20, and the second direction y is perpendicular to the first wall 2111, and in the second direction y, a thickness D of the thermally conductive plate 1011 and a size H of the flow passage 1012 satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25. The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can improve the performance of a battery.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to batteries, power consuming devices, battery manufacturing methods and devices. [Background technology]

[0002] As environmental pollution becomes more serious, the new energy industry has attracted more and more attention, and battery technology is a key factor in the development of the new energy industry. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] Although the energy density of a battery is one of the important parameters in the performance of the battery, other performance parameters of the battery must be considered when improving the energy density of the battery. Therefore, how to improve the performance of the battery is a technical problem that needs to be urgently solved in battery technology. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] The present application provides a battery, a power consuming device, a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a battery, which can improve the energy density of the battery and ensure the thermal management of the battery, thereby improving the performance of the battery.

[0005] A first aspect provides a battery comprising: a plurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction; and a thermal management member extending along the first direction and connected to a first wall of each of the plurality of battery cells, the first wall being a wall with a maximum surface area of ​​the battery cell, the thermal management member including a pair of thermally conductive plates arranged opposite each other along a second direction and a flow path located between the pair of thermally conductive plates, the flow path being used to store a fluid and adjust a temperature of the battery cell, the second direction being perpendicular to the first wall, and in the second direction, a thickness D of the thermally conductive plates and a size H of the flow path satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25.

[0006] In the embodiment of the present application, the battery includes a thermal management member connected to a first wall having the largest surface area of ​​each of the battery cells in a row of the battery cells arranged along a first direction, the thermal management member includes a pair of thermally conductive plates arranged opposite to each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first wall, and a flow path between the pair of thermally conductive plates, and in the second direction, the thickness D of the thermally conductive plates and the size H of the flow path satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25. In this way, it is not necessary to provide a structure such as a beam in the center of the battery housing, and the utilization rate of the internal space of the battery can be maximized, thereby improving the energy density of the battery, and at the same time, the thermal management of the battery can be ensured by using the thermal management member. Therefore, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application can improve the energy density of the battery and ensure the thermal management of the battery, thereby improving the performance of the battery.

[0007] In a possible implementation, the thickness D of the heat conductive plate and the size H of the flow channel satisfy 0.05≦D / H≦15, and even better 0.1≦D / H≦1, thereby better considering the space, strength and thermal management, and further improving the performance of the battery.

[0008] In a possible embodiment, the size W of the thermal management member in the second direction is 0.3 to 100 mm. If W is too large, it will occupy too much space, and if W is too small, the strength will be too low or the flow path will be too narrow, which will affect the thermal management performance. Therefore, when the total thickness W of the thermal management member is 0.3 to 100 mm, the performance of the battery can be ensured by considering the space, strength, and thermal management.

[0009] In a possible embodiment, the thickness D of the heat conductive plate is 0.1-25 mm. If the thickness D of the heat conductive plate is too large, it will occupy too much space and the heat management member cannot timely release the expansion space required by the battery cell, and if D is too small, the strength will be too low. Therefore, when the thickness D of the heat conductive plate is 0.1-25 mm, the space, strength and expansion demand of the battery cell can be considered and the performance of the battery can be ensured.

[0010] In a possible embodiment, the size H of the flow path is 0.1-50 mm. In this way, the performance of the battery can be ensured by considering the space, strength and heat management performance.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the size W of the thermal management member in the second direction and the area A of the first wall satisfy 0.03 mm-1 ≦ W / A * 1000 ≦ 2 mm-1. In this way, the demands for strength and thermal management performance can be simultaneously considered to ensure the performance of the battery.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the thermal management member further includes a rib disposed between the pair of thermally conductive plates, the rib and the pair of thermally conductive plates forming the flow passage. The rib can improve the strength of the thermal management member.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the included angle between the rib and the heat transfer plate is an acute angle. In this way, in the second direction, the heat management member has a large compression space, thereby providing a large expansion space for the battery cells.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the rib thickness X is equal to or greater than (-0.0005*F+0.4738) mm, where F is the tensile strength of the material of the rib. To meet the stress demands of the thermal management member, a high strength material is selected, allowing the thickness X of the inner ribs to be reduced, thereby saving space and improving energy density.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the battery cell includes two of the first walls arranged opposite to each other in the second direction and two of the second walls arranged opposite to each other in the first direction, and the second walls of two adjacent battery cells face each other in the first direction. In this way, connecting the large-area first walls to the thermal management member is advantageous for heat exchange of the battery cells and ensures the performance of the battery.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the battery includes multiple rows of the battery cells and multiple thermal management members arranged along the first direction, and the multiple rows of the battery cells and the multiple thermal management members are arranged alternately in the second direction.

[0017] In this way, multiple rows of battery cells and multiple thermal management members are connected to each other, integrated, and housed within a housing, which not only enables effective thermal management of each row of battery cells, but also ensures the structural strength of the entire battery, thereby improving the performance of the battery.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the thermal management member is bonded to the first wall.

[0019] A second aspect provides a power consumer device, comprising a battery according to the first aspect or any possible realisation of the first aspect, for providing electrical energy.

[0020] A third aspect provides a method for manufacturing a battery, comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction; and providing a thermal management member extending along the first direction and connected to a first wall of each battery cell among the plurality of battery cells, the first wall being a wall with a maximum surface area of ​​the battery cell, the thermal management member including a pair of thermally conductive plates arranged opposite each other along a second direction and a flow path located between the pair of thermally conductive plates, the flow path being used to store a fluid and adjust a temperature of the battery cell, and the second direction being perpendicular to the first wall, wherein in the second direction, a thickness D of the thermally conductive plate and a size H of the flow path satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25.

[0021] A fourth aspect provides a battery manufacturing apparatus, comprising a module for carrying out the method of the third aspect above.

[0022] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the battery includes a thermal management member connected to a first wall having the largest surface area of ​​each battery cell among a row of a plurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction, and the thermal management member includes a pair of thermally conductive plates arranged opposite to each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first wall and a flow path located between the pair of thermally conductive plates, and in the second direction, the thickness D of the thermally conductive plates and the size H of the flow path satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25. In this way, it is not necessary to provide a structure such as a beam in the center of the battery housing, and the utilization rate of the internal space of the battery can be maximized, thereby improving the energy density of the battery, and at the same time, the thermal management of the battery can be ensured by using the thermal management member. Therefore, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application can improve the energy density of the battery and ensure the thermal management of the battery, thereby improving the performance of the battery.

[0023] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to more clearly explain the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly describes the drawings that need to be used in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can further obtain other drawings based on the drawings without requiring creative labor. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery according to an embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery according to an embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a row of battery cells and a thermal management member in accordance with one embodiment of the present application. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic plan view of a row of battery cells and a thermal management member according to one embodiment of the present application. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic flowchart of a method for manufacturing a battery according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a battery manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] In the drawings, the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0026] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present application will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings and examples. The detailed description of the following examples and the drawings are for illustrative purposes of the principles of the present application, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application, i.e., the present application is not limited to the examples described.

[0027] In the description of this application, as is necessary to explain, unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used have the general meaning that can be understood by a person skilled in the art, and the terms used are merely for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application, and the terms "including", "having" and any variations thereof in the specification, claims, and the brief description of the drawings above are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, and "plurality" means two or more, and the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", and "outer" is merely for the purpose of facilitating and simplifying the description of this application, and does not indicate or imply that the devices or elements shown necessarily have a specific orientation and are constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should be understood not to limit this application. In addition, terms such as "first", "second", and "third" are merely for explanation, and do not indicate or imply relative importance. "Vertical" is not strictly vertical, but is within a margin of error. "Parallel" is not strictly parallel, but is within a margin of error.

[0028] An "embodiment" referred to in this application means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in combination with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The phrases appearing in various places in the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor are they mutually exclusive independent or alternative embodiments with other embodiments. Those skilled in the art can explicitly or implicitly understand that the embodiment described in this application can be combined with other embodiments.

[0029] Any direction words appearing in the following description are directions shown in the drawings, and do not limit the specific structure of the present application. In the description of the present application, as necessary to explain, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "attached", "coupled" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, may be fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected. They may be directly connected, indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or internally communicated between two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application according to the specific circumstances.

[0030] The term "and / or" in this application is merely for the purpose of explaining the relation between related objects, and indicates that three relations may exist, for example, A and / or B can indicate three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the related objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship.

[0031] In the present application, the battery cell may include a lithium ion secondary battery, a lithium ion primary battery, a lithium sulfur battery, a sodium lithium ion battery, a sodium ion battery, or a magnesium ion battery, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. The battery cell may be cylindrical, flat, rectangular, or other shapes, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. Battery cells are generally divided into three types according to packaging methods: cylindrical battery cells, prismatic battery cells, and soft-pack battery cells, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0032] A battery according to an embodiment of the present application is a single physical module with one or more cells to provide higher voltage and capacity. For example, a battery according to the present application may include a battery pack, etc. A battery generally includes a housing for packaging one or more battery cells. The housing can prevent liquids or other foreign objects from adversely affecting the charging or discharging of the battery cells.

[0033] The battery cell includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte, and the electrode assembly is composed of a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator. The battery cell is mainly operated by the movement of metal ions between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. The positive electrode plate includes a positive electrode collector and a positive electrode active material layer, and the positive electrode active material layer is applied to the surface of the positive electrode collector, and the current collector on which the positive electrode active material layer is not applied protrudes from the current collector on which the positive electrode active material layer is applied, and the current collector on which the positive electrode active material layer is not applied functions as a positive electrode tab. Taking a lithium ion battery as an example, the material of the positive electrode collector may be aluminum, and the positive electrode active material may be lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium, lithium manganate, etc. The negative electrode plate includes a negative electrode collector and a negative electrode active material layer, the negative electrode active material layer being coated on the surface of the negative electrode collector, the current collector on which the negative electrode active material layer is not coated protrudes from the current collector on which the negative electrode active material layer is coated, and the current collector on which the negative electrode active material layer is not coated functions as a negative electrode tab. The material of the negative electrode collector may be copper, and the negative electrode active material may be carbon or silicon, etc. In order to ensure that a high current flows without melting, the positive electrode tabs are multiple and stacked together, and the negative electrode tabs are multiple and stacked together. The material of the separator may be polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE), etc. In addition, the electrode assembly may have a wound structure or a stacked structure, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

[0034] In order to meet various power demands, a battery may include multiple battery cells, and the multiple battery cells may be connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel, where series-parallel connection refers to a combination of series and parallel connections. Optionally, multiple battery cells may be first connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel to form a battery module, and then multiple battery modules may be connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel to form a battery. That is, multiple battery cells may directly form a battery, or may first form a battery module, and then the battery module forms a battery. The battery is further provided in a power consumption device to provide electrical energy to the power consumption device.

[0035] The development of battery technology requires simultaneous consideration of various design factors such as energy density, cycle life, discharge capacity, charge / discharge rate, and safety. When the internal space of a battery is constant, increasing the utilization rate of the internal space of the battery is an effective means of improving the energy density of the battery. However, in addition to increasing the utilization rate of the internal space of the battery, other parameters of the battery such as thermal management must be considered.

[0036] In view of this, the embodiments of the present application provide a technical solution, in which the thermal management member is provided in the battery so as to be connected to the first wall of each battery cell having the largest surface area among a row of a plurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction, and the thermal management member includes a pair of thermally conductive plates provided opposite to each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first wall and a flow path located between the pair of thermally conductive plates, and in the second direction, the thickness D of the thermally conductive plates and the size H of the flow path satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25. In this way, it is not necessary to provide a structure such as a beam in the center of the battery housing, and the utilization rate of the internal space of the battery can be maximized, thereby improving the energy density of the battery, and at the same time, the thermal management of the battery can be ensured by using the thermal management member. Therefore, the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application can improve the energy density of the battery and ensure the thermal management of the battery, thereby improving the performance of the battery.

[0037] The technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various devices that use batteries, such as mobile phones, mobile devices, laptops, electric bicycles, electric toys, power tools, electric vehicles, ships, and spacecraft, for example, spacecraft including airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, and spaceships.

[0038] As can be understood, the technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present application are not only applicable to the above-described devices, but also to all devices that use batteries. For the sake of simplicity, the following embodiments will all be described using electric vehicles as examples.

[0039] For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present application, the vehicle 1 may be a gasoline vehicle, a gas vehicle, or a new energy vehicle, and the new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a range extender vehicle, etc. A motor 40, a controller 30, and a battery 10 may be provided inside the vehicle 1, and the controller 30 is used to control the battery 10 to supply power to the motor 40. For example, the battery 10 may be provided at the bottom, front, or tail of the vehicle 1. The battery 10 is used to power the vehicle 1, for example, the battery 10 can function as an operating power source for the vehicle 1, and is used for the circuit system of the vehicle 1, for example, for the operating power needs during starting, navigation, and running of the vehicle 1. In another embodiment of the present application, the battery 10 can not only function as an operating power source for the vehicle 1, but also function as a driving power source for the vehicle 1, and provide driving power to the vehicle 1 by replacing or partially replacing gasoline or natural gas.

[0040] To meet various power usage demands, the battery 10 may include multiple battery cells. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, which is a structural schematic diagram of a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present application, the battery 10 may include multiple battery cells 20. The battery 10 may further include a housing 11, the inside of which has a hollow structure, and the multiple battery cells 20 are housed in the housing 11. For example, the multiple battery cells 20 are combined in parallel connection, series connection, or series-parallel connection with each other and then disposed in the housing 11.

[0041] Optionally, the battery 10 may further include other structures, and detailed description thereof will be omitted here. For example, the battery 10 may further include a bus member, which is used to realize electrical connection between the multiple battery cells 20, such as parallel connection, series connection, or series-parallel connection. Specifically, the bus member can realize electrical connection between the battery cells 20 by connecting electrode terminals of the battery cells 20. Furthermore, the bus member can be fixed to the electrode terminals of the battery cells 20 by welding. The electrical energy of the multiple battery cells 20 can further be conducted through the housing via a conductive mechanism. Optionally, the conductive mechanism may belong to the bus member.

[0042] According to different power demands, the number of battery cells 20 may be set to any value. A plurality of battery cells 20 may be connected in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel to achieve large capacity or power. Since the number of battery cells 20 included in each battery 10 may be large, the battery cells 20 may be provided in groups for ease of installation, and each group of battery cells 20 forms a battery module. The number of battery cells 20 included in a battery module is not limited and can be set as required. A battery may include a plurality of battery modules, and these battery modules may be connected in a manner of series connection, parallel connection, or series-parallel connection.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 3, it is a structural schematic diagram of a battery cell 20 according to an embodiment of the present application, and the battery cell 20 includes one or more electrode assemblies 22, a housing 211, and a cover plate 212. The housing 211 and the cover plate 212 form a casing or battery box 21. The wall of the housing 211 and the cover plate 212 are both called the wall of the battery cell 20, and in the case of a rectangular parallelepiped battery cell 20, the wall of the housing 211 includes a bottom wall and four side walls. The housing 211 is determined according to the shape after assembling one or more electrode assemblies 22, for example, the housing 211 may be a hollow rectangular parallelepiped, cube, or cylinder, and one surface of the housing 211 has an opening that can easily place one or more electrode assemblies 22 in the housing 211. For example, when the housing 211 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped or cube, one surface of the housing 211 is an open surface, that is, the plane communicates the inside and outside of the housing 211 without having a wall. When the housing 211 is a hollow cylinder, the end face of the housing 211 is an opening face, that is, the end face does not have a wall and communicates between the inside and the outside of the housing 211. The cover plate 212 covers the opening and is connected to the housing 211 to form a sealed cavity in which the electrode assembly 22 is disposed. The housing 211 is filled with an electrolyte such as an electrolyte solution.

[0044] The battery cell 20 may further include two electrode terminals 214, which may be provided on the cover plate 212. The cover plate 212 is generally flat, and the two electrode terminals 214 are fixed to the flat surface of the cover plate 212, and the two electrode terminals 214 are a positive electrode terminal 214a and a negative electrode terminal 214b, respectively. A connecting member 23 is provided corresponding to each electrode terminal 214. The connecting member 23 is also called a current collecting member 23 and is located between the cover plate 212 and the electrode assembly 22, and is used to realize an electrical connection between the electrode assembly 22 and the electrode terminals 214.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 3, each electrode assembly 22 has a first tab 221a and a second tab 222a. The polarities of the first tab 221a and the second tab 222a are opposite. For example, when the first tab 221a is a positive electrode tab, the second tab 222a is a negative electrode tab. The first tab 221a of one or more electrode assemblies 22 is connected to one electrode terminal via one connection member 23, and the second tab 222a of one or more electrode assemblies 22 is connected to another electrode terminal via another connection member 23. For example, the positive electrode terminal 214a is connected to the positive electrode tab via one connection member 23, and the negative electrode terminal 214b is connected to the negative electrode tab via another connection member 23.

[0046] The battery cell 20 may be provided with one or more electrode assemblies 22 according to actual usage needs. As shown in FIG. 3, the battery cell 20 is provided with four independent electrode assemblies 22.

[0047] The battery cell 20 may further be provided with a relief mechanism 213. The relief mechanism 213 is used to operate and release the internal pressure or temperature when the internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell 20 reaches a threshold value.

[0048] The relief mechanism 213 may have various possible relief structures, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. For example, the relief mechanism 213 may be a temperature-sensitive relief mechanism configured to melt when the internal temperature of the battery cell 20 to which the relief mechanism 213 is provided reaches a threshold value, and / or may be a pressure-sensitive relief mechanism configured to burst when the internal air pressure of the battery cell 20 to which the relief mechanism 213 is provided reaches a threshold value.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery 10 according to one embodiment of the present application.

[0050] The battery 10 includes a plurality of battery cells 20 arranged along a first direction x, and a thermal management member 101.

[0051] The first direction x is the arrangement direction of one row of battery cells 20 in the battery 10. In other words, one row of battery cells 20 in the battery 10 is arranged along the x direction.

[0052] FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of one row of battery cells 20 and thermal management member 101, FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of one row of battery cells 20 and thermal management member 101, FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view along AA in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of portion B in FIG. 7.

[0053] The thermal management member 101 extends along a first direction x and is connected to a first wall 2111 of each battery cell 20 among the plurality of battery cells 20, the first wall 2111 being the wall of the battery cell 20 with the largest surface area.

[0054] The battery cell 20 may include multiple walls, and a first wall 2111 of the battery cell 20 having a largest surface area is connected to the thermal management member 101. That is, the first wall 2111 of the battery cell 20 faces the thermal management member 101, i.e., the first wall 2111 of the battery cell 20 is parallel to the first direction x.

[0055] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the thermal management member 101 includes a pair of thermal conduction plates 1011 arranged opposite each other along a second direction y and a flow path 1012 located between the pair of thermal conduction plates 1011, where the flow path 1012 is used to store a fluid and adjust the temperature of the battery cell 20, and the second direction y is perpendicular to the first wall 2111.

[0056] The thermal management member 101 is used to store a fluid and adjust the temperature of the battery cells 20. The fluid may be a liquid or a gas, and adjusting the temperature refers to heating or cooling the battery cells 20. When lowering the temperature of the battery cells 20, the flow path 1012 may store a cooling medium to adjust the temperature of the battery cells 20. In this case, the thermal management member 101 may be called a cooling member or a cooling plate, and the stored fluid may be called a cooling medium or a cooling fluid, more specifically, a cooling liquid or a cooling gas. The thermal management member 101 may also be used for heating, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto. Optionally, the fluid may flow cyclically, thereby achieving a better temperature adjustment effect. Optionally, the fluid may be water, a mixture of water and glycol, a coolant, or air. Optionally, a current collector 102 and a conduit 103 are provided at both ends of the thermal management member 101 in a first direction x, the conduit 103 being used for transporting the fluid and the current collector 102 being used for collecting the fluid.

[0057] In the second direction y, the thickness D of the heat conductive plate 1011 and the size H of the flow passage 1012 satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25.

[0058] In the embodiment of the present application, the thermal management member 101 is provided in the battery 10 so as to be connected to the first wall 2111 of each battery cell 20 having the largest surface area among a row of the plurality of battery cells 20 arranged along the first direction x. In this manner, it is not necessary to provide a structure such as a beam in the center of the housing 11 of the battery 10, and the utilization rate of the internal space of the battery 10 can be maximized, thereby improving the energy density of the battery 10.

[0059] Correspondingly, to ensure the performance of the battery 10, the thermal management member 101 must take into account the demands of strength and thermal management performance.

[0060] In the embodiment of the present application, when the thickness D of the thermal conductive plate 1011 in the second direction y and the size H of the flow passage 1012 satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25, the requirements for strength and thermal management performance can be considered simultaneously.

[0061] Specifically, when the size H of the flow passage 1012 is large, the flow resistance of the fluid in the flow passage 1012 is low, and the amount of heat exchange per unit time of the thermal management component 101 can be increased, and when the thickness D of the thermal conduction plate 1011 is large, the strength of the thermal management component 101 is high. When D / H is less than 0.01, the size H of the flow passage 1012 is large enough but the space it occupies is too large, or when the space of the thermal management component 101 is constant, the thickness D of the thermal conduction plate 1011 is too thin, which may result in insufficient strength, for example, in failure to meet the vibration and impact requirements of the battery 10, and even resulting in the thermal management component 101 being crushed when first assembled. When D / H≧25, if the thickness D of the thermal conductive plate 1011 is thick enough but the space of the thermal management member 101 is constant, the size H of the flow passage 1012 is too small, the flow resistance of the fluid in the flow passage 1012 is large, the heat exchange performance is low, or the flow passage 1012 may be clogged during use; at the same time, the thickness of the thermal conductive plate 1011 is too thick, so that the force generated by the expansion of the battery cell 20 cannot meet the crushing force on the thermal management member 101 corresponding to the expansion space required by the battery cell 20, that is, the thermal management member 101 cannot timely vacate the expansion space required by the battery cell 20, which causes the capacity of the battery cell 20 to decrease quickly. Therefore, when the thickness D of the thermal conductive plate 1011 and the size H of the flow passage 1012 satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25, the demands for strength and thermal management performance can be considered at the same time, and the performance of the battery 10 can be ensured.

[0062] In the embodiment of the present application, the thermal management member 101 is provided in the battery 10 so as to be connected to the first wall 2111 of each battery cell 20 having the largest surface area among a row of a plurality of battery cells 20 arranged along the first direction x, and the thermal management member 101 includes a pair of thermally conductive plates 1011 provided opposite to each other in the second direction y perpendicular to the first wall 2111 and a flow path 1012 located between the pair of thermally conductive plates 1011, and in the second direction y, the thickness D of the thermally conductive plates 1011 and the size H of the flow path 1012 satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25. In this way, it is not necessary to provide a structure such as a beam in the center of the housing 11 of the battery 10, and the utilization rate of the internal space of the battery 10 can be maximized, thereby improving the energy density of the battery 10, and at the same time, the thermal management of the battery 10 can be ensured by using the thermal management member 101. Therefore, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application can improve the energy density of the battery 10 and ensure the thermal management of the battery 10, thereby improving the performance of the battery 10.

[0063] Optionally, when 0.01≦D / H≦0.1, the fluid may be a solid-liquid phase change material or a liquid working medium, and the thermal management member 101 has an outer layer made of a film-like material as an outer skin, and the inside is filled with a skeleton structure for reinforcement, and this technical solution can be used when the strength requirement is low or the compressive performance requirement of the thermal management member 101 is high.

[0064] Optionally, when the range is 0.1≦D / H≦1, the inside of the heat management member 101 uses a convective heat exchange or gas-liquid phase change cooling method of the fluid working medium, and uses a liquid working medium as the heat exchange medium, thereby ensuring the heat exchange performance of the heat management member 101.

[0065] Optionally, when 1≦D / H≦25, the heat management element 101 can use a gas-liquid phase change cooling method, and by adjusting the internal gap, the overall pressure can be increased and the working medium can be ensured to exist in liquid form inside the heat management element 101, thereby preventing the coexistence of two states of gas and liquid caused by pressure loss, and providing heat exchange performance; at the same time, the thickness D of the heat conduction plate 1011 is sufficiently thick to prevent the heat management element 101 from bursting due to the high vaporization pressure of the internal working medium when heated.

[0066] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the thickness D of the thermally conductive plate 1011 and the size H of the flow passage 1012 further satisfy 0.05≦D / H≦15, and even further satisfy 0.1≦D / H≦1, thereby better considering the space, strength and thermal management, and further improving the performance of the battery 10.

[0067] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the size W of the thermal management member 101 in the second direction y is between 0.3 and 100 mm.

[0068] W is the total thickness of the thermal management member 101, i.e., W=2*D+H. If W is too large, it will occupy too much space, and if W is too small, the strength will be too low or the flow path 1012 will be too narrow, which will affect the thermal management performance. Therefore, when the total thickness W of the thermal management member 101 is 0.3 to 100 mm, the performance of the battery 10 can be ensured taking into account the space, strength, and thermal management.

[0069] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the thickness D of the heat conducting plate 1011 is 0.1-25 mm.

[0070] If the thickness D of the thermally conductive plate 1011 is too large, it will occupy too much space and the thermal management member 101 will not be able to timely release the expansion space required by the battery cells 20, and if D is too small, the strength will be too low. Therefore, when the thickness D of the thermally conductive plate 1011 is 0.1 to 25 mm, the performance of the battery 10 can be ensured while taking into consideration the space, strength, and expansion demand of the battery cells 20.

[0071] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the size H of the channel 1012 is 0.1-50 mm.

[0072] Specifically, the size H of the flow channel 1012 must be at least larger than the size of impurity particles that may appear inside in order to avoid clogging during the application process, and if the size H of the flow channel 1012 is too small, the flow resistance of the fluid in the flow channel 1012 will be high and the heat exchange performance will be low, so the size H of the flow channel 1012 is 0.1 mm or more. If the size H of the flow channel 1012 is too large, it will occupy a lot of space or have insufficient strength. Therefore, when the size H of the flow channel 1012 is 0.1 to 50 mm, the performance of the battery 10 can be ensured in consideration of the space, strength, and heat management performance.

[0073] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the size W of the thermal management member 101 in the second direction y and the area A of the first wall 2111 satisfy 0.03 mm −1 ≦W / A*1000 ≦2 mm −1 .

[0074] W and A satisfy the above conditions and can meet the demand for heat exchange performance and the size space requirements of the battery cell 20. Specifically, when the area A of the first wall 2111 of the battery cell 20 is large, the cooling area is large, and the thermal conduction resistance from the thermal management member 101 to the surface of the battery cell 20 can be reduced, and when the total thickness W of the thermal management member 101 is large, the strength can be improved. When W / A*1000 is less than 0.03 mm-1, the area A of the first wall 2111 of the battery cell 20 is large enough, but the thermal management member 101 is too thin and the strength is insufficient, so that the thermal management member 101 may be damaged or cracked during use. When W / A*1000 is larger than 2, the thermal management member 101 is thick enough, but the area A of the first wall 2111 of the battery cell 20 is too small, and the cooling surface that the thermal management member 101 can provide to the battery cell 20 is insufficient, and there is a risk that the heat dissipation demand of the battery cell 20 cannot be met. Therefore, when the total thickness W of the thermal management member 101 and the area A of the first wall 2111 satisfy 0.03 mm-1≦W / A*1000≦2 mm-1, the demands for strength and thermal management performance can be simultaneously taken into account and the performance of the battery 10 can be ensured.

[0075] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG. 8, the thermal management element 101 may further include a rib 1013 disposed between a pair of thermal conduction plates 1011, and the rib 1013 and the pair of thermal conduction plates 1011 form a flow passage 1012. The rib 1013 may further improve the strength of the thermal management element 101. The number of the ribs 1013 may be set according to the needs of the flow passage 1012 and strength. As shown in FIG. 8, the rib 1013 may be perpendicular to the thermal conduction plates 1011, in which case the thermal management element 101 may be subjected to a large pressure. Optionally, the rib 1013 may be of a deformed shape, such as a C-shape, a corrugated shape, or a cross shape, which may effectively absorb the expansion and increase the turbulence to improve the heat exchange effect.

[0076] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the included angle between the rib 1013 and the heat conduction plate 1011 may be an acute angle, i.e., the rib 1013 is not perpendicular to the heat conduction plate 1011, in which case the heat management member 101 has a large compression space in the second direction y, thereby providing a large expansion space for the battery cells 20.

[0077] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the thickness X of the rib 1013 is greater than or equal to (-0.0005*F+0.4738) mm, where F is the tensile strength in MPa of the material of the rib 1013. That is, the minimum thickness X of the rib 1013 may be (-0.0005*F+0.4738) mm.

[0078] The thickness X of the rib 1013 is related to the tensile strength of its material. Based on the above relationship, a material with higher strength is selected to meet the stress demand of the thermal management member 101, and the thickness X of the inner rib 1013 can be reduced, thereby saving space and improving energy density. Optionally, the thickness X of the rib 1013 may be between 0.2 mm and 1 mm.

[0079] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the battery cell 20 includes two first walls 2111 provided opposite to each other in the second direction y and two second walls 2112 provided opposite to each other in the first direction x, and the second walls 2112 of two adjacent battery cells 20 face each other in the first direction x. That is, in the case of a rectangular battery cell 20, the first wall 2111, which is a large side surface, is connected to the thermal management member 101, and the second wall 2112, which is a small side surface, is connected to the second wall 2112 of the adjacent battery cell 20, thereby arranging the battery cells in a row in the first direction x. In this way, connecting the large-area first wall 2111 to the thermal management member 101 is advantageous for heat exchange of the battery cell 20 and ensures the performance of the battery 10.

[0080] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the battery 10 includes a plurality of rows of a plurality of battery cells 20 and a plurality of thermal management members 101 arranged along a first direction x, and the plurality of rows of the battery cells 20 and the plurality of thermal management members 101 are arranged alternately in a second direction y. That is, the plurality of rows of the battery cells 20 and the plurality of thermal management members 101 may be arranged according to the thermal management member 101, the row of the battery cells 20, the thermal management member 101, ..., or the row of the battery cells 20, the thermal management member 101, the row of the battery cells 20, .... In this way, the plurality of rows of the battery cells 20 and the plurality of thermal management members 101 are connected to each other and integrated and housed in the housing 11, which can not only effectively manage the heat of each row of the battery cells 20, but also ensure the structural strength of the entire battery 10, thereby improving the performance of the battery 10.

[0081] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the battery 10 may include a plurality of battery modules. The battery module includes at least one row of a plurality of battery cells 20 and at least one thermal management member 101 arranged along a first direction x, and the at least one row of the battery cells 20 and the at least one thermal management member 101 are arranged alternately in a second direction y. That is, for each battery module, the rows of the battery cells 20 and the thermal management member 101 are arranged alternately in the second direction y, and the plurality of battery modules are housed in a housing 11 to form the battery 10. Optionally, the plurality of battery modules are arranged along the second direction y, and there is a gap between adjacent battery modules.

[0082] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the thermal management member 101 is adhered to the first wall 2111. That is, the thermal management member 101 and the battery cell 20 may be fixedly connected by adhesion, for example, through a structural adhesive, but the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

[0083] Optionally, the battery cells 20 may be adhesively fixed to the housing 11. Optionally, the adjacent battery cells 20 in each row may be bonded to each other, for example, the second walls 2112 of two adjacent battery cells 20 are bonded via a structural adhesive, but the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto. The adhesive fixation between the adjacent battery cells 20 in each row can further improve the fixing effect of the battery cells 20.

[0084] It will be understood that relevant parts in each embodiment of the present application can be referred to each other, and detailed descriptions will be omitted for the sake of brevity.

[0085] An embodiment of the present application further provides a power consumption device, which may include the battery 10 in the above embodiment. Optionally, the power consumption device may be a vehicle 1, a ship, a spacecraft, etc., but the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

[0086] The battery 10 and the power consuming device of the embodiment of the present application have been described above. The manufacturing method and the device of the battery of the embodiment of the present application will be described below. For the parts not described in detail here, the above-mentioned embodiments can be referred to.

[0087] 9 shows a schematic flow chart of a method 300 for manufacturing a battery according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 9, the method 300 may include:

[0088] Step 310, a plurality of battery cells 20 arranged along a first direction x is provided.

[0089] Step 320: providing a thermal management member 101, the thermal management member 101 extending along the first direction x and connected to a first wall 2111 of each battery cell 20 among the plurality of battery cells 20, the first wall 2111 being a wall of the battery cell 20 with the largest surface area, the thermal management member 101 including a pair of thermally conductive plates 1011 facing each other along a second direction y and a flow path 1012 located between the pair of thermally conductive plates 1011, the flow path 1012 being used to store a fluid and adjust the temperature of the battery cell 20, the second direction y being perpendicular to the first wall 2111, and in the second direction y, a thickness D of the thermally conductive plates 1011 and a size H of the flow path 1012 satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25.

[0090] 10 is a schematic block diagram of a battery manufacturing apparatus 400 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 10, the battery manufacturing apparatus 400 may include a first providing module 410 and a second providing module 420.

[0091] The first providing module 410 is used to provide a plurality of battery cells 20 arranged along a first direction x.

[0092] The second providing module 420 is used to provide a thermal management member 101, the thermal management member 101 extending along the first direction x and connected to a first wall 2111 of each battery cell 20 among the plurality of battery cells 20, the first wall 2111 being the wall of the battery cell 20 with the largest surface area, the thermal management member 101 including a pair of thermal conductive plates 1011 facing each other along a second direction y and a flow path 1012 located between the pair of thermal conductive plates 1011, the flow path 1012 being used to store a fluid and adjust the temperature of the battery cell 20, the second direction y being perpendicular to the first wall 2111, and in the second direction y, a thickness D of the thermal conductive plate 1011 and a size H of the flow path 1012 satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25.

[0093] The following examples of the present application are described, but the examples described below are illustrative and are merely for the purpose of interpreting the present application, and cannot be understood as limiting the present application. If no specific techniques or conditions are specified in the examples, the techniques or conditions are performed according to the techniques or conditions described in the literature in this field or the product instructions.

[0094] Using the battery cell 20 and the thermal management member 101 shown in the drawings, a simulation test of the heating rate and the deformation force of the thermal management member was carried out, and the test results were shown in Table 1. In Table 1, L2 is the size of the battery cell 20 in the first direction x, L3 is the size of the battery cell 20 in the second direction y, and L1 is the size of the first wall 2111 of the battery cell 20 in the third direction z, where the third direction was perpendicular to the first direction x and the second direction y.

[0095] [Table 1] TIFF0007637136000002.tif221170TIFF0007637136000003.tif210170TIFF0007637136000004.tif170170

[0096] Although the present application has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, various modifications may be made and the elements therein may be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural contradiction, all technical features of each embodiment may be arbitrarily combined. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1 vehicle 10 batteries 11. Cabinet 20 Battery Cells 21 Casing 22 Electrode assembly 23 Connection parts 30 Controller 40 Motor 101 Thermal management components 102 Current collector 103 Pipeline 211 Housing 212 Lid plate 213 Relief mechanism 214 Electrode terminal 214a Positive electrode terminal 214b Negative electrode terminal 221 First Tab 222 Second Tab 400 Battery manufacturing equipment 410 First Offering Module 420 Secondary Offering Module 1011 Heat conductive plate 1012 Channel 1013 Rib 2111 1st wall 2112 Second wall

Claims

1. A battery, A plurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction; a thermal management member extending along the first direction and connected to a first wall of each battery cell among the plurality of battery cells, the first wall being a wall of the battery cell with a maximum surface area, the thermal management member including a pair of thermally conductive plates disposed opposite each other along a second direction and a flow path located between the pair of thermally conductive plates, the flow path being used to store a fluid and adjust a temperature of the battery cell, and the second direction being perpendicular to the first wall; In the second direction, a thickness D of the heat conductive plate and a size H of the flow path satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25; the thermal management member further includes a rib disposed between the pair of thermal conduction plates, the rib and the pair of thermal conduction plates form the flow passage, and an included angle between the rib and the thermal conduction plates is an acute angle; The battery, characterized in that the thermal management member has a current collector and a conduit at both ends in the first direction, the conduit being used to transport the fluid, and the current collector being used to collect the fluid.

2. 2 . The battery according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness D of the heat conductive plate and the size H of the flow passage satisfy 0.05≦D / H≦15.

3. 3. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the size W of the thermal management member in the second direction is 0.3 to 100 mm.

4. 4. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the thickness D of the heat conductive plate is 0.1 to 25 mm.

5. 5. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the size H of the flow path is 0.1 to 50 mm.

6. The battery according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the size W of the thermal management member in the second direction and the area A of the first wall satisfy 0.03 mm-1≦W / A*1000≦2 mm-1.

7. 2. The battery of claim 1, wherein the thickness X of the rib is greater than or equal to (-0.0005*F+0.4738) mm, where F is the tensile strength of the material of the rib.

8. The battery described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the battery cell includes two first walls arranged opposite each other in the second direction and two second walls arranged opposite each other in the first direction, and the second walls of two adjacent battery cells face each other in the first direction.

9. The battery described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the battery includes multiple rows of the battery cells and multiple thermal management members arranged along the first direction, and the multiple rows of the battery cells and the multiple thermal management members are arranged alternately in the second direction.

10. The battery of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the thermal management member is adhered to the first wall.

11. 11. An electrical power consuming device comprising the battery of any one of claims 1 to 10 for providing electrical energy.

12. A method for manufacturing a battery, comprising: providing a plurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction; providing a thermal management member extending along the first direction and connected to a first wall of each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells, the first wall being a wall of the battery cell with a largest surface area, the thermal management member including a pair of thermally conductive plates opposed to each other along a second direction and a flow passage located between the pair of thermally conductive plates, the flow passage being used to contain a fluid to regulate a temperature of the battery cell, and the second direction being perpendicular to the first wall; a thickness D of the thermal conduction plate and a size H of the flow path satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25 in the second direction, the thermal management member further includes a rib between the pair of thermal conduction plates, the rib and the pair of thermal conduction plates form the flow path, an included angle between the rib and the thermal conduction plates is an acute angle, and the thermal management member is provided with a current collector and a pipeline at both ends in the first direction, the pipeline is used for transporting the fluid, and the current collector is used for collecting the fluid.

13. A battery manufacturing device comprising: a first providing module for providing a plurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction; a second providing module for providing a thermal management member extending along the first direction and connected to a first wall of each battery cell among the plurality of battery cells, the first wall being a wall of the battery cell with a maximum surface area, the thermal management member including a pair of thermally conductive plates opposed to each other along a second direction and a flow passage located between the pair of thermally conductive plates, the flow passage being used to accommodate a fluid and adjust a temperature of the battery cell, and the second direction being perpendicular to the first wall; a thickness D of the thermal conduction plate and a size H of the flow path satisfy 0.01≦D / H≦25 in the second direction, the thermal management member further includes a rib between the pair of thermal conduction plates, the rib and the pair of thermal conduction plates form the flow path, an included angle between the rib and the thermal conduction plates is an acute angle, and the thermal management member is provided with a current collector and a pipeline at both ends in the first direction, the pipeline is used for transporting the fluid, and the current collector is used for collecting the fluid.

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