Battery, power consumption device, and battery manufacturing method and device

Abstract

This application relates to the technical field of batteries, and more particularly to batteries, power consumption devices, and battery manufacturing methods and apparatuses. The battery includes battery cells, a housing for accommodating the battery cells, a conduit for condensing gas inside the housing to form condensate, and a header tank installed between the battery cells and the conduit, the header tank having a first container facing the conduit, the first container being used to collect the condensate. By installing the header tank inside the battery, condensate condensed in the conduit can be collected, preventing problems such as short circuits and leaks in the battery caused by the condensate flowing around inside the battery and coming into contact with charging structures. Furthermore, the condensate collected in the header tank can reduce the temperature of the battery when thermal runaway occurs, thereby suppressing the spread of thermal runaway and improving safety performance during battery use.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and more particularly to batteries, power consuming devices, and methods and apparatus for manufacturing batteries. [Background technology]

[0002] In devices that use electrical energy as their driving energy, batteries are their core components, and ensuring the safety of battery use is extremely important for ensuring the safety of the entire device, and thermal runaway of batteries is a major factor that threatens the safety of battery use.

[0003] To address the problem of thermal runaway in batteries, batteries in the related art usually have an increased number of ducts to cool the battery where thermal runaway occurs and prevent the spread of thermal runaway, but batteries with ducts are prone to short circuit problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a battery, a power consumption device, and a method and apparatus for manufacturing a battery, in which a conduit collects condensate produced by condensing gas inside the battery, and prevents the condensate from flowing around inside the battery and coming into contact with charging structures, thereby preventing a short circuit in the battery.

[0005] A first aspect of the present application provides a battery, A battery cell; A housing for housing the battery cells; a conduit for condensing gas within the housing to form a condensate; The header tank is disposed between the battery cell and the pipeline, the header tank having a first storage portion facing the pipeline, the first storage portion being used for collecting condensate.

[0006] In some embodiments, the first container is configured as a groove, and at least one end of the groove in the axial direction of the pipe has an opening, through which the condensate can be discharged from the groove.

[0007] In some embodiments, the battery cells are arranged in a row, the groove extends along an arrangement direction of the battery cells, and the plane where the opening of the groove is located is a side surface of the outermost battery cell in the arrangement direction; Alternatively, the plane on which the opening of the groove is located extends beyond the side surface of the outermost battery cell in the arrangement direction.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first container is further configured to accommodate at least a portion of the conduit such that condensate from the conduit flows into the first container.

[0009] In some embodiments, the groove has a depth of 1 to 5 millimeters.

[0010] In some embodiments, the header tank has insulating properties, thereby preventing shorting of the battery cells.

[0011] In some embodiments, the header tank and the lines are connected by adhesive.

[0012] In some embodiments, the battery cell includes a pressure relief mechanism, the pressure relief mechanism adapted to be activated when an internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell reaches a threshold value to vent exhaust and relieve the internal pressure; A fire extinguishing agent is contained in the duct, and the fire extinguishing agent condenses the gas inside the housing through the duct to form a condensate, and the duct is configured to release the fire extinguishing agent when the pressure relief mechanism is activated, thereby introducing the fire extinguishing agent into the battery cell; The header tank includes a weakened area configured to allow fire extinguishing agent to flow through the weakened area to the battery cells when the pressure relief mechanism is activated.

[0013] In some embodiments, the weakened area is provided as a through hole, or the weakened area is provided as a structure that breaks to form a through hole when the pressure relief mechanism is activated.

[0014] In some embodiments, the weak area is located on a side of the channel adjacent to the battery cell, so that fire extinguishing agent and condensate that collects in the channel can flow through the weak area to the battery cell.

[0015] In some embodiments, the battery further includes a fastening member disposed between the battery cell and the conduit to fasten the conduit to the battery cell.

[0016] In some embodiments, the fixing member further includes a plurality of engaging members, the engaging members being used to engage with the pipeline, and the plurality of engaging members being arranged along the axial direction of the pipeline and positioned on both sides of the weak area to prevent the fire extinguishing agent and condensate located between the engaging members from flowing out of the area formed by the engaging members along the axial direction of the pipeline.

[0017] In some embodiments, the battery further includes a separator member, the separator member being disposed between the header tank and the pressure relief mechanism.

[0018] In some embodiments, a second housing portion is provided in a region of the separating member corresponding to the pressure relief mechanism, and the header tank is provided in the second housing portion.

[0019] A second aspect of the present application provides a power consuming device, comprising a battery according to any of the above embodiments, the battery being adapted to provide electrical energy.

[0020] A third aspect of the present application provides a method for making a battery, comprising: Providing a battery cell; providing a housing for housing the battery cells; providing a conduit for condensing gas within the enclosure to form a condensate; The method includes a step of providing a header tank, the header tank being installed between the battery cells and the pipeline, and the header tank having a first storage portion facing the pipeline, the first storage portion being used for collecting condensate.

[0021] A fourth aspect of the present application provides an apparatus for manufacturing a battery, A first apparatus for providing a battery cell; a second apparatus for providing a housing for receiving the battery cells; a third means for providing a conduit for condensing the gas within the enclosure to form a condensate; a fourth apparatus for providing a header tank, the header tank being installed between the battery cell and the pipeline, the header tank being provided with a first receptacle facing the pipeline, the first receptacle being used to collect condensate; and

[0022] In the battery provided in the present application, a header tank is installed between the battery cells and the pipeline, and a first storage compartment is installed in the header tank. This allows the condensate produced when the pipeline condenses the gas inside the housing to flow directly into the first storage compartment, and does not flow around inside the battery and come into contact with the charging structure of the battery cells. As a result, the battery is less likely to experience problems such as short circuits or leaks. In addition, the condensate collected in the first storage compartment of the header tank can cool the battery when thermal runaway occurs, delaying or suppressing the spread of thermal runaway, and improving the safety performance of the battery during use.

[0023] In order to more clearly describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following briefly introduces drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art, and it is obvious that the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without requiring creative labor. The drawings described herein are for further understanding of the present application, constitute a part of the present application, and the illustrative embodiments and the description thereof are for interpreting the present application and are not to be construed as an unduly limiting the present application. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1-A] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a power consumption device according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 1-B] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a battery according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 1-C] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 1-D] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded structural schematic diagram of a battery according to an embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a locally enlarged schematic diagram of a portion A in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a battery according to an embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 5] 5 is a schematic enlarged view of a portion B in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a battery according to an embodiment of the present application after the pipelines have been hidden. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a local enlarged schematic view of part C in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart of the manufacturing process of a battery according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a battery manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to interpret the present application, and are the preferred embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application, therefore, any equivalent modifications made based on the structure, shape and principle of the present application should be included within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art, and the terms used in the specification of this application are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application, and the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification, claims and brief description of the drawings of this application are meant to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0027] The description of an "embodiment" in this specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described with reference to the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the "embodiment" in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent embodiment or an alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. As can be understood explicitly and implicitly by those skilled in the art, the embodiment described in this specification may be combined with other embodiments.

[0028] The term "and / or" in this specification is merely a relational relationship describing related objects, and indicates the existence of a triple relationship. 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 specification generally indicates that the related objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship.

[0029] Furthermore, terms such as "first" and "second" in the specification, claims or drawings of this application are intended to distinguish different objects and are not intended to describe a particular order, and may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0030] In the present description, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" refers to two or more (inclusive), and similarly, "groups" refers to two or more (inclusive).

[0031] In the description of this application, the terms "attach", "couple" and "connect" should have a broad meaning unless clearly specified and limited, as a point that needs to be explained. For example, "couple" or "connection" of a mechanical structure may refer to a physical connection, for example, the physical connection may be fixedly connected, for example, fixedly connected via a fixed member, for example, fixedly connected via a screw, bolt or other fixed member, the physical connection may be detachably connected, for example, connected by engaging or engaging with each other, and the physical connection may be integrally connected, for example, connected by welding, adhesive or integrally molded connection. "Coupling" or "connection" of a circuit structure may refer to an electrical connection or a signal connection in addition to a physical connection, for example, a direct connection, i.e., a physical connection, or an indirect connection through at least one intermediate element, as long as circuit communication can be achieved, and may be internal communication between two elements, and the signal connection may refer to a signal connection through a medium such as radio waves, Bluetooth (registered trademark), in addition to a signal connection through a circuit. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application based on the specific circumstances.

[0032] In order to clearly describe each orientation in the following examples, some orientation terms may be used. For example, the coordinate system of FIG. 1-D defines each orientation direction of the battery 200: x The x direction indicates the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 400, the y direction is perpendicular to the x direction in a horizontal plane and indicates the lateral direction of the battery cell 400, and the z direction is perpendicular to the x and y directions and indicates the height direction of the battery 200. The x direction, y direction, z direction, etc. described above are used to explain the indication directions of the operation and structure of each member of the battery 200 in this embodiment, but are not absolute but relative. These indications are appropriate when each member of the battery 200 is in the position shown in the figure, but when these positions are changed, these directions should have different interpretations to accommodate this change.

[0033] Based on the understanding of the same orientation, in the description of this application, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. are orientations or positional relationships shown based on the drawings, and do not indicate or imply that a device or element necessarily has a specific orientation, or is constructed and operated in a specific orientation, but are used to easily explain and simplify the description of this application, and therefore should not be understood as limiting this application.

[0034] The rechargeable battery 200 may also be referred to as a secondary battery or a power battery, and currently, the most widely used rechargeable battery is a lithium battery, such as, but not limited to, a lithium-sulfur battery, a sodium-lithium ion battery, or a magnesium ion battery. For convenience of explanation, the rechargeable batteries may be collectively referred to as the battery 200 in this specification.

[0035] The safety characteristics of the battery 200 are one important characteristic for evaluating the battery 200, and it is necessary to ensure the safety of the battery 200 as much as possible during use or charging.

[0036] A battery 200 generally comprises a number of battery cells 400 connected together. When an external short circuit, overcharging, piercing, or plate impact occurs in a battery cell 400, the battery cell 400 is prone to thermal runaway. At this time, emissions are generated inside the battery cell 400, and the emissions include substances such as high-temperature gas (which may cause a fire in severe cases) and volatile high-temperature electrolyte. These emissions undergo thermal diffusion during the emission process, which may cause thermal runaway in other battery cells 400, and ultimately lead to accidents such as explosions.

[0037] A currently effective solution to the thermal runaway of the battery cell 400 is to install a conduit 100 and put a fire extinguishing agent into the conduit 100, so that when the battery cell 400 experiences thermal runaway, the conduit 100 will release the fire extinguishing agent, thereby preventing or delaying an explosion or fire in the battery cell 400. In addition, in some embodiments, the conduit 100 may further have a temperature adjustment function, which can lower the temperature of the battery 200 when the temperature of the battery 200 is too high, thereby preventing the battery 200 from experiencing thermal runaway due to its high temperature, and can raise the temperature of the battery 200 when the internal temperature of the battery 200 is low, thereby allowing the battery 200 to operate at an appropriate temperature.

[0038] The conduit 100 is generally installed opposite the pressure relief mechanism 6 of the battery cell 400; for example, the conduit 100 may be installed within the top cover of the housing that accommodates the battery 200, or may be installed in the battery cell 400.

[0039] Although the above solution can prevent the occurrence of thermal runaway and can timely control the thermal runaway situation when thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell 400, the applicant found that the above battery 200 is prone to short circuit. In response to the above problem, the applicant insulates all parts of the battery 200 that are prone to short circuit, but the short circuit problem still exists. After further analysis, the applicant found that when using the conduit 100 to solve the problem of thermal runaway, when the conduit 100 is affected by the high temperature and high humidity air inside the battery 200, condensation occurs, and the condensation flows here and there. Although insulation is performed on the parts that are prone to short circuit, it is impossible to prevent the condensation from contacting other charging structures of the battery 200, and the battery 200 frequently has leakage or short circuit problems.

[0040] In view of this, the present application provides a battery 200, in which a header tank 110 is disposed between the battery cells 400 and the pipeline 100, and a first storage compartment is disposed in the header tank 110. By so doing, the condensate generated after the pipeline 100 condenses the air flows directly into the first storage compartment, and does not flow around inside the battery 200 and come into contact with the charging structure of the battery cells 400. As a result, the battery 200 is less susceptible to risks such as short circuits and leaks. In addition, the condensate collected in the first storage compartment of the header tank 110 can lower the temperature of the battery 200 when the battery 200 experiences thermal runaway, thereby preventing the spread of thermal runaway and improving the safety performance of the battery 200 during use.

[0041] The battery 200 of the embodiment of the present application can be applied to various power consuming devices that can provide a power source by electric energy. The power consuming devices here may be, but are not limited to, electric cars, electric trains, electric bicycles, golf carts, drones, steamships, etc. The power consuming devices may be devices that provide power using only the battery 200, or may be hybrid devices. The battery 200 provides electric energy to the power consuming devices, and drives the electric devices to run using a motor.

[0042] For example, as shown in FIG. 1-A, a structural schematic diagram of an electric power consuming device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. The electric power consuming device may be an automobile, the automobile may be a fuel automobile, a gas automobile or a new energy automobile, the new energy automobile may be a pure electric automobile, a hybrid automobile or an extended range electric automobile, etc. The automobile includes a battery 200, a controller 210 and a motor 220. The battery 200 is used to power the controller 210 and the motor 220, and serves as the operation power source and driving power source of the automobile, for example, the battery 200 is used for the operation electrical needs during booting, navigation and driving of the automobile. For example, the battery 200 powers the controller 210, the controller 210 controls the battery 200 to power the motor 220, and the motor 220 receives the power of the battery 200 as the driving power source of the automobile, and provides driving power for the automobile by replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas.

[0043] In order to make the battery 200 have a strong function and meet the usage needs, the battery 200 may include a plurality of battery modules 300 electrically connected to each other, and as shown in FIG. 1-B, the battery 200 includes a housing, the housing includes a first housing 201, a second housing 202, and a plurality of battery modules 300, the first housing 201 and the second housing 202 are fitted to each other, and the plurality of battery modules 300 are disposed in a space surrounded by the first housing 201 and the second housing 202. The first housing 201 and the second housing 202 may be made of aluminum, aluminum alloy, or other metal materials. In some embodiments, the first housing 201 and the second housing 202 are hermetically connected.

[0044] 1-C, the battery module 300 may include one or more battery cells 400, and when the battery module 300 includes multiple battery cells 400, the multiple battery cells 400 can be electrically connected in a series, parallel, or series-parallel connection manner to achieve a large current or voltage, and the series-parallel connection refers to a combination of series and parallel connections. The member that realizes the electrical connection between the battery cells 400 is a bus bar 7 (see FIG. 2), which refers to a conductive element installed between different battery cells 400, and the bus bar 7 is connected to the electrode terminals of the two battery cells 400 according to a preset connection order of the battery cells 400, thereby realizing the electrical connection between the battery cells 400. In addition, the multiple battery cells 400 may be arranged according to a predetermined rule. As shown in FIG. 1-C , the battery cells 400 may be arranged vertically, with the height direction of the battery cells 400 coinciding with the z direction, and the multiple battery cells 400 installed side by side along the y direction; or the battery cells 400 may be arranged horizontally, with the short side direction of the battery cells 400 coinciding with the z direction, and the multiple battery cells 400 may be stacked in at least one layer along the z direction, with each layer including multiple battery cells 400 arranged along the x direction or the y direction.

[0045] In order for those skilled in the art to clearly understand the improvements of the present application, the overall structure of the battery cell 400 will be described first.

[0046] 1-D, the battery cell 400 includes a case 40, an electrode assembly 30, and an end cap unit 10, the end cap unit 10 includes an end cap plate 10', the end cap plate 10' is connected (e.g., welded) to the case 40 to form a casing of the battery cell 400, the electrode assembly 30 is installed in the case 40, and an electrolyte is filled in the case 40. The battery cell 400 may be cubic, rectangular, or cylindrical.

[0047] According to the actual use needs, one or more electrode assemblies 30 may be installed. As shown in FIG. 1-D, at least two independently wound electrode assemblies 30 may be installed in the battery 200. The electrode assembly 30 may be formed by winding or stacking a first electrode plate, a second electrode plate, and a separator located between the adjacent first and second electrodes, and the separator is an insulator interposed between the adjacent first and second electrodes. In this embodiment, the first electrode plate is exemplarily described as a positive electrode plate and the second electrode plate is exemplarily described as a negative electrode plate. The positive electrode active material is applied to the coating area of ​​the positive electrode plate, and the negative electrode active material is applied to the coating area of ​​the negative electrode plate. A plurality of non-coated areas extending from the coating area of ​​the body are stacked to form a tab 301. The electrode assembly 30 includes two tabs 301, namely a positive electrode tab and a negative electrode tab. A positive tab extends from the painted area of ​​the positive plate and a negative tab extends from the painted area of ​​the negative plate.

[0048] The end cap unit 10 is disposed on the top of the electrode assembly 30. As shown in FIG. 1-D , the end cap unit 10 includes an end cap plate 10′ and two electrode terminals 5, which are a positive terminal and a negative terminal, respectively. A connecting member 302 is installed corresponding to each electrode terminal 5, and the connecting member 302 is located between the end cap plate 10′ and the electrode assembly 30.

[0049] 1-D is located at the top of the electrode assembly 30, the positive electrode tab is connected to the positive electrode terminal via one connecting member 302, and the negative electrode tab is connected to the negative electrode terminal via the other connecting member 302. As can be seen, the battery cell 400 may include two end cap units 10, which are respectively installed at both ends of the case 40, and each end cap unit 10 is provided with one electrode terminal 5.

[0050] An explosion-proof member may further be installed on the end cap plate 10', so as to timely release the gas in the battery cell 400 when there is too much gas in the battery cell 400, to avoid the occurrence of explosion.

[0051] An exhaust hole is provided in the end cap plate 10', and the exhaust hole may be provided at a middle position in the longitudinal direction of the end cap plate 10'. The explosion-proof member includes a pressure relief mechanism 6, which is provided in the exhaust hole, and under normal conditions, the pressure relief mechanism 6 is hermetically attached to the exhaust hole, and when the battery cells 400 expand and the air pressure inside the casing increases and exceeds a predetermined value, the pressure relief mechanism 6 opens and the gas passes through the pressure relief mechanism 6 to be released to the outside.

[0052] The pressure relief mechanism 6 refers to an element or member that can release the internal pressure and / or internal material by operating when the internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell 400 reaches a predetermined threshold. The pressure relief mechanism 6 can be, for example, an explosion-proof valve, an air valve, a relief valve, a safety valve, etc., and can be, for example, a pressure-sensitive or temperature-sensitive element or structure, that is, when the internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell 400 reaches a predetermined threshold, the pressure relief mechanism 6 operates or a weak structure provided in the pressure relief mechanism 6 is broken, thereby forming an opening or passage for releasing the internal pressure. The threshold value described in the present application may be a pressure threshold value or a temperature threshold value, and the design of the threshold value varies according to different design needs, for example, the threshold value can be designed or specified based on the internal pressure or internal temperature value of the battery cell 400 that is considered to have a danger or risk of loss of control. And, the threshold value can be, for example, determined by the materials used for one or more of the positive plate, the negative plate, the electrolyte, and the separator of the battery cell 400.

[0053] The term "operation" referred to in this application refers to the pressure relief mechanism 6 operating or being activated to a predetermined state, thereby releasing the internal pressure of the battery cell 400. The operation of the pressure relief mechanism 6 may include, but is not limited to, at least a part of the pressure relief mechanism 6 bursting, crushing, tearing, or opening. When the pressure relief mechanism 6 operates, the high temperature and high pressure material inside the battery cell 400 is discharged from the operating site as discharge. In this manner, the battery cell 400 can be discharged under a condition where the pressure or temperature can be controlled, thereby avoiding a more serious accident that may be lurking. The discharge from the battery cell 400 referred to in this application includes, but is not limited to, electrolyte, dissolved or split positive and negative plates, fragments of the separator, high temperature and high pressure gas generated in the reaction, flames, etc. The high temperature and high pressure discharged material is discharged in the direction in which the pressure relief mechanism 6 of the battery cell 400 is installed, more specifically, along the direction toward the area in which the pressure relief mechanism 6 operates, and the force and destructive power of this discharged material may be strong and even sufficient to break one or more thin-walled structures in that direction.

[0054] 1-D, the end cap plate 10' is provided with a through hole for injecting an electrolyte into the battery cell 400, and the through hole can be a circular hole, an elliptical hole, a polygonal hole or other shape, and can extend along the height direction of the end cap plate 10'. The end cap plate 10' is provided with a liquid injection member 2 for sealing the through hole.

[0055] In order to solve the above problems during the use of the battery 200, the specific structure of the battery 200 provided in the present application is as follows.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the battery 200 includes a housing, a battery module 300, a pipeline 100, and a header tank 110.

[0057] The housing has a hollow structure, by which the battery cells 400 are packaged within the housing, and the structure of the housing is not specifically shown in the drawings in order to clearly show the structures of the header tank 110 and the ducts 100.

[0058] A cavity for accommodating the battery cells 400 is formed within the housing, and the cavity is capable of accommodating at least one battery module 300 .

[0059] The battery module 300 includes one or more battery cells 400, and when the battery module 300 includes multiple battery cells 400, the multiple battery cells 400 may be arranged along a straight line in the thickness direction. Also, when the battery module 300 has multiple battery modules 300, the multiple battery modules 300 may be arranged perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the battery cells 400. For example, if the arrangement direction of the battery cells 400 in the same battery module 300 is defined as the y direction, the arrangement direction of the multiple battery modules 300 is the x direction, and the orientation of the pressure relief mechanism 6 of each battery cell 400 is the z direction, and in some embodiments, the z direction may be the opening direction of the first housing 201.

[0060] 2, 4 and 6, the duct 100 is located on one side of the battery module 300, the duct 100 contains a fire extinguishing agent, and the duct 100 is configured to release the fire extinguishing agent when the pressure relief mechanism 6 of any battery cell 400 is activated, thereby allowing the fire extinguishing agent to enter the inside of the battery cell 400. For example, the melting point of the wall of the duct 100 is set lower than the temperature of the discharged material at the moment of thermal runaway of the battery cell 400, so that the discharged material can easily melt the duct 100 to release the fire extinguishing agent. In some embodiments, the duct 100 extends along the arrangement direction of the battery cells 400 in the same battery module 300, and the duct 100 faces the pressure relief mechanism 6 of each battery cell 400, so that after thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell 400, at the moment the pressure relief mechanism 6 is activated, the duct 100 releases the fire extinguishing agent, and as much fire extinguishing agent as possible enters the inside of the battery cell 400.

[0061] The fire extinguishing agent may be a liquid fire extinguishing agent, such as water, liquid nitrogen, etc., or a solid powder fire extinguishing agent, such as a powder fire extinguishing agent, a fluorinated protein foam fire extinguishing agent, an aqueous film-forming foam fire extinguishing agent, etc. For example, liquid water, which has a large specific heat capacity, can quickly cool the battery cell 400 where thermal runaway occurs, is low in cost and has low storage requirements, is used as the fire extinguishing agent.

[0062] When the temperature of the fire extinguishing agent is lower than the environmental temperature and the environmental air has a certain humidity, the fire extinguishing agent condenses the gas inside the housing through the pipe 100 to form a condensate.

[0063] 4 and 5, in order to prevent condensate from flowing to the charging structure (e.g., the electrode terminal 5 and the connecting member 302, etc.) of the battery cell 400 and causing a short circuit or leakage of the battery 200, the header tank 110 is installed between the battery cell 400 and the pipe 100, which is used to collect the condensate condensed by the pipe 100, and prevents the condensate from flowing around inside the battery 200 and coming into contact with the charging structure, which causes a short circuit or leakage of the battery 200. For example, the header tank 110 may be installed in a sheet shape, which reduces the space occupied and improves the energy density of the battery 200.

[0064] In one embodiment, the header tank 110 has insulating properties, thereby preventing the condensate from flowing around and insulating and isolating the condensate from other components, and further preventing the header tank 110 from contacting the charging structure of the battery cell 400, thereby causing a short circuit of the battery cell 400. For example, the header tank 110 may be a light insulating heat-resistant board such as a rock wool board, a fly ash balloon board, a vermiculite board, etc.

[0065] In one embodiment, the header tank 110 is provided with a first receiving portion facing the pipeline 100, and the first receiving portion is used to collect condensate. For example, the first receiving portion is provided as a groove 120 recessed on one side of the battery cell 400, and the depth of the groove 120 is 1-5 mm, so that the groove 120 has a certain capacity to receive condensate and prevents the condensate from flowing everywhere, and the groove 120 is deep and occupies a large amount of the internal space of the housing, so that the volume of the battery is not too large, and the groove 120 is provided integrally with the header tank 110, or the groove 120 is connected to the header tank 110 by a method such as gluing.

[0066] By providing the groove 120, the condensate generated in the pipeline 100 can be collected in the groove 120 after falling into the header tank 110, so that the groove 120 can accommodate a large amount of condensate and store the condensate in a fixed position, preventing the condensate from flowing around and contacting the charging structures of the battery cells 400.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 5 , in another embodiment of the present application, the groove 120 is located between the pipeline 100 and the pressure relief mechanism 6 of the battery cell 400, i.e., the groove 120 is parallel to the pipeline 100, and the groove 120 and the pipeline 100 both extend along the arrangement direction of the battery cells 400, the pipeline 100 faces the groove 120, and the groove 120 faces the pressure relief mechanism 6.

[0068] Also, referring to FIG. 5, the first accommodating portion is installed to accommodate at least a portion of the pipeline 100, i.e., the entire pipeline 100 may be located within the groove 120, or a portion of the pipeline 100 may be located within the first accommodating portion and another portion may be located outside the groove 120, as long as the condensate in the pipeline 100 can be directly flowed into the first accommodating portion, thereby better collecting the condensate.

[0069] 2, 6 and 7, at least one end of the groove 120 in the direction of the central axis of the conduit 100 has an opening, and the plane on which the opening of the groove 120 is located is outside the side surface of the outermost battery cell 400 in the arrangement direction of the battery cells 400, or the plane on which the opening of the groove 120 is located exceeds the side surface of the outermost battery cell 400 in the arrangement direction of the battery cells 400. Taking an electric vehicle as an example of an electric power consumption device, when the electric vehicle goes up and down a slope, or when both sides of the electric vehicle are at different heights, or when the electric vehicle swings up and down, or when the running speed of the electric vehicle changes, due to the installation of the opening, under the action of inertia, the condensed liquid can be discharged from the groove 120 through the opening, and not discharged into the battery cell 400, so as to ensure the safety of use of the battery 200, and prevent the risk of short circuit and leakage of the battery 200.

[0070] The condensate is discharged along the opening of the groove, and then flows to the bottom of the first housing 201 and is collected. A liquid level control mechanism for controlling the level of the condensate is installed in the first housing 201. When the liquid level in the first housing 201 reaches a predetermined height, the condensate in the first housing 201 is discharged to prevent a short circuit caused by the condensate coming into contact with the topmost charging structure of the battery cell 400. At the same time, when the liquid level in the first housing 201 does not reach that height, the condensate can be continuously accumulated, thereby lowering the temperature inside the housing and playing a role in extinguishing and cooling when thermal runaway occurs in the battery.

[0071] For example, in some embodiments, the liquid level control mechanism may be one or more through holes installed in the side wall of the first housing 201, the through holes being spaced a certain height from the bottom wall of the first housing 201, such that when the liquid level of the condensate in the first housing 201 reaches or exceeds the through holes, the condensate is drained through the through holes to prevent the liquid level from rising further and coming into contact with the charging structure of the battery cell 400 and causing a short circuit.

[0072] In some embodiments, the liquid level control mechanism may be a pressure valve installed on the side wall or bottom wall of the first housing 201, and the pressure valve may be a check valve, i.e., only allowing liquid to flow from the inside of the first housing 201 to the outside of the first housing 201, and preventing liquid from flowing in the reverse direction, and the check valve may specifically use a pressure-sensitive element or a similar structure, and a pressure threshold is set, i.e., when the liquid pressure at the corresponding height of the check valve reaches a certain threshold, an opening or passage is formed in the check valve for allowing liquid to flow out, thereby discharging condensed liquid and preventing the level of the condensed liquid from becoming too high in the first housing 201, and preventing the condensed liquid from contacting the charging structure of the battery cell 400 and causing a short circuit.

[0073] When there are multiple battery modules 300, the header tanks 110 above the different battery modules 300 may be installed separately, i.e., each battery module 300 corresponds to one header tank 110, and the header tank 110 is installed with a first receiving portion along the arrangement direction of the battery cells 400, and the header tanks 110 above the different battery modules 300 are separated from each other, thereby saving costs. Of course, the header tanks 110 above the different battery modules 300 may be installed together, i.e., the same header tank 110 covers multiple battery modules 300, and a first receiving portion is installed at a position corresponding to the pipeline 100 above each battery module 300.

[0074] 2 to 7, when the header tanks 110 of different battery modules 300 are installed separately, in order to prevent condensate in the first accommodating portion from flowing from the first accommodating portion to the busbars 7 that are not covered by the header tanks 110 during vehicle shaking, an insulating member 150 can be provided above the busbars 7. The insulating member 150 may cover only one busbar 7, or may cover multiple busbars 7 at the same time. For example, by covering the busbars 7 of multiple battery cells 400 of one battery module 300, a short circuit or leakage caused by condensate flowing to the busbars 7 can be prevented.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 2 , in order to facilitate the discharged material to quickly penetrate the header tank 110 and destroy the pipeline 100 when thermal runaway occurs, the header tank 110 further includes a weak area 130, which is installed in the groove 120 and opposite the pressure relief mechanism 6, so that at the moment when thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell 400, the header tank 110 is quickly penetrated by the discharged material after the pressure relief mechanism 6 is activated, and the discharged material further destroys the pipe wall of the pipe 100 to quickly release the fire extinguishing agent in the pipe 100. After the fire extinguishing agent is released, it penetrates the wall of the destroyed pipe 100 and the weak area 130, and flows to the battery cell 400, thereby quickly realizing fire extinguishing and temperature reduction.

[0076] In addition, when the pressure relief mechanism 6 is activated, the condensate collected in the recess 120 also flows from the damaged pipe wall to the weak area 130, passes through the pressure relief mechanism 6, and flows into the battery cell 400, thereby replenishing the fire extinguishing agent and lowering the temperature.

[0077] 3 and 5, in one embodiment of the present application, the weak area 130 is configured as a through hole, and the through hole is disposed corresponding to the pressure relief mechanism 6, in order to prevent the condensate collected in the groove 120 from flowing through the through hole to the electrode terminal 5, the conduit 100 may cover the edge of the through hole and abut closely with the header tank 110, in this way, when the battery 200 is operating normally, the condensate is stored in the groove 120 and does not flow through the edge of the through hole to the electrode terminal 5, when the battery thermal runaway occurs, the conduit 100 is broken by the pressure relief mechanism 6, and the condensate flows through the through hole to the battery cell 400 where thermal runaway occurs to cool down. It can be seen that the edge of the through hole and the pressure relief mechanism 6 may be directly bonded, that is, the condensate does not flow out from the edge of the through hole, and all of it flows into the inside of the battery cell 400 through the pressure relief mechanism 6. The above-mentioned installation form not only prevents the condensate from passing through the through hole and coming into contact with the charging structure of the battery cell 400, for example, with the electrode terminal 5, but also allows all of the condensate accumulated in the groove 120 to flow into the inside of the battery cell 400 through the pressure relief mechanism 6, thereby solving the problem of thermal runaway.

[0078] When thermal runaway occurs in the battery 200, the pressure relief mechanism 6 is activated, and the discharged material in the battery cell 400 is discharged from the pressure relief mechanism 6, and the discharged material directly passes through the through hole and welds the pipe wall position of the pipe 100 facing the pressure relief mechanism 6 to form an opening, so that the fire extinguishing agent can be discharged through the opening and the through hole. At this time, after the discharged material is discharged from the pressure relief mechanism 6, it directly contacts the pipe 100, so that the pipe 100 can be destroyed more quickly and directly, which greatly improves the speed of fire extinguishing and prevents the heat in the housing from accumulating and causing an explosion.

[0079] In another embodiment, the weak area 130 is provided as a structure that is broken to form a through hole when the pressure relief mechanism 6 is activated, for example, the entire header tank 110, the groove 120, or at least Header Tank 110The portion of the header tank 110 facing the pressure relief mechanism 6 is constructed as a structure that is easily destroyed by the discharged material, and the form of "destruction" here includes, but is not limited to, one of penetration, rupture, crushing, and tearing. In the embodiment of the present application, the portion of the header tank 110 facing the pressure relief mechanism 6 is constructed as a weak structure or a low melting point structure that is easily welded by the high temperature and high pressure discharged material generated inside the battery cell 400, so that when the high temperature and high pressure discharged material is discharged from the operating pressure relief mechanism 6, the discharged material quickly welds the header tank 110, and the pipe wall installed opposite the pressure relief mechanism 6 of the pipe 100 is destroyed to form an opening, releasing the fire extinguishing agent in the pipe 100, and the fire extinguishing agent enters the inside of the battery cell 400 through the pressure relief mechanism 6, thereby performing fire extinguishing and temperature reduction treatment on the battery cell 400 where thermal runaway occurs.

[0080] When only the portion of the header tank 110 directly facing the pressure relief mechanism 6 is constructed as the weak region 130, the structure of the weak region 130 may be such that the strength of the weak region 130 is less than the strength of other portions of the header tank 110; for example, the thickness of the weak region 130 is thinner than the thickness of other portions of the header tank 110.

[0081] Alternatively, the area of ​​weakness 130 may be constructed as a low melting point structure, for example, the melting point of the area of ​​weakness 130 is lower than the melting point of the remainder of the header tank 110 .

[0082] Alternatively, the area of ​​weakness 130 may be constructed as a sheet-like structure connected to other portions of the header tank 110 by scores, thereby making it susceptible to being destroyed by effluent discharged from the pressure relief mechanism 6 .

[0083] The "score" referred to in the examples of the present application refers to an intermittent cut formed by intermittent destruction between a portion that needs to be torn by an external force and a portion that does not need to be torn, where the destroyed material portion is thin but not penetrating and can be ruptured when subjected to a slight external force, and a portion of the unbroken material portion maintains the original material thickness, and the connecting line thus formed by the intermittent destruction is called a score. The score may be formed by a laser drilling machine, a laser marker, a laser incising machine, or a laser cutting machine.

[0084] In one embodiment, the connection between the pipeline 100 and the header tank 110 is by adhesive, that is, the pipeline 100 is fixed to the header tank 110 directly by using an adhesive material.

[0085] 5, in another embodiment of the present application, the battery 200 further includes a fixing member, which is disposed between the battery cell 400 and the pipeline 100 to engage and fix the pipeline 100, thereby serving to fix the position of the pipeline 100. The fixing member in this embodiment includes a plurality of engagement members 140, which are used to engage with the pipeline 100, and the engagement members 140 may be made of an elastic material, such as rubber, silica gel, plastic, or elastic metal, so as to easily engage with the pipeline 100 and to firmly engage the pipeline 100. The fixing members are fixed to the battery cell 400, for example, to the electrode terminal 5, and the fixing manner may be adhesion, engagement, etc., and the pipeline 100 is also fixed to the battery cell 400. The multiple engagement members 140 of the pipeline are arranged along the central axis of the pipeline 100, for example, the engagement members 140 may be located on both sides of the weak area 130, thereby preventing the fire extinguishing agent and condensate located between the engagement members 140 from flowing out of the area formed by the engagement members 140 and the grooves 120 along the central axis of the pipeline 100 when the fire extinguishing agent is released from the pipeline 100.

[0086] In yet another embodiment of the present application, the pipeline 100 may be further fixed together by the manner of engagement and adhesion of the engagement member 140, and the structure, fixing manner and arrangement manner of the engagement member 140 in this embodiment are the same as those in the previous embodiment of the present application. The joint action of adhesion and the engagement of the engagement member 140 makes the connection between the pipeline 100 and the header tank 110 more solid, and prevents the condensate generated by the pipeline 100 from flowing around due to the vibration.

[0087] Referring to FIG. 3 , the battery 200 further includes a separating member 160, which is disposed between the header tank 110 and the pressure relief mechanism 6. A second accommodating section 161 is disposed in an area of ​​the separating member 160 corresponding to the pressure relief mechanism 6. The header tank 110 is disposed in the second accommodating section 161. Specifically, the first accommodating section is located in the second accommodating section 161, so as to collect the condensate again when the condensate flows out from the weak part of the header tank 110, thereby playing a protective role for the battery cells 400 and preventing the condensate from contacting the charging structure, and further improving the use safety and reliability of the battery 200.

[0088] As described above, the battery 200 provided in the present application has a header tank 110 installed between the battery cells 400 and the pipeline 100, and a first storage compartment installed in the header tank 110. When the temperature of the pipeline 100 is low, the condensate produced after contacting the gas inside the housing flows directly into the first storage compartment, and does not flow into the charging structure of the battery cells 400. As a result, the battery 200 is less likely to suffer from short-circuit problems, and the use stability and safety of the battery 200 are higher.

[0089] Because the battery 200 of the present application has the above-mentioned characteristics, a power consuming device that uses the battery 200 provided in the present application to provide electrical energy has higher stability in use and is less likely to experience safety accidents due to internal short circuits, leakage, etc. of the battery 200.

[0090] In addition, the present application further provides a manufacturing method for the battery 200, which can be used to manufacture the above-mentioned battery 200 of the present application.

[0091] Referring to FIG. 8, in one embodiment of the present application, a method for manufacturing the battery 200 includes the following steps. Step a: A battery cell 400 is provided. Step b: providing a housing for housing the battery cell 400; Step c: Providing a conduit 100 for condensing the gas inside the enclosure to form a condensate. Step d: providing a header tank 110, the header tank 110 being installed between the battery cell 400 and the pipeline 100, and the header tank 110 being provided with a first storage portion facing the pipeline 100, the first storage portion being used for collecting condensate.

[0092] The order of the above steps is not necessarily strictly in accordance with the above order. During the actual manufacturing process of the battery 200, the order of the above steps may be adjusted or synchronized according to actual conditions, or other steps may be added to manufacture other components of the battery 200, thereby obtaining the final required battery 200. See the examples of parts of the battery 200 for specific reference.

[0093] Furthermore, any method for manufacturing related components and connecting related components also falls within the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application, and the embodiments of the present application will not be described again here.

[0094] Finally, referring to FIG. 9 , the present application further provides an apparatus for manufacturing a battery 200 , which includes a first apparatus 401 , a second apparatus 402 , a third apparatus 403 and a fourth apparatus 404 .

[0095] The first device 401 is used to provide a battery cell 400 .

[0096] The second device 402 is used to provide a housing for housing the battery cell 400 .

[0097] The third device 403 is used to provide a conduit 100 for condensing the gas inside the enclosure to form a condensate.

[0098] The fourth device 404 is used for providing a header tank 110, and the provided header tank 110 is installed between the battery cell 400 and the pipeline 100, and the header tank 110 has a first storage portion facing the pipeline 100, and the first storage portion is used for collecting condensate.

[0099] The specific functions and details that each of the above battery 200 manufacturing apparatuses should have are described in detail in the corresponding battery 200 embodiments, and therefore will not be repeated here.

[0100] The features of each of the above-mentioned protection subjects and each of the embodiments of the present application may be cross-referenced, and where the structure permits, a person skilled in the art may flexibly combine the technical features of different embodiments to form more embodiments.

[0101] The above provides a detailed introduction of the battery 200, the power consumption device, and the manufacturing method and apparatus for the battery 200 provided in the present application. In this specification, the principles and embodiments of the present application are described by applying specific examples, and the description of the above examples is only used to facilitate understanding of the method and the core idea of ​​the present application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to the present application without departing from the principles of the present application, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 2. Liquid injection parts 5 electrode terminal 6 Pressure relief mechanism 7 Busbar 10 End Cap Unit 10' End Cap Plate 30 Electrode assembly 40 cases 100 conduits 110 Header Tank 120 Groove 130 Weak Areas 140 Engagement member 150 Insulating materials 160 Separation member 161 Second Storage Unit 200 batteries 201 1st cabinet 202 2nd cabinet 210 Controller 220 Motor 300 Battery Module 301 Tab 302 Connection parts 400 Battery Cells 401 1st device 402 2nd device 403 Third device 404 4th device

Claims

1. A battery, A battery cell; A housing for housing the battery cell; a conduit for condensing gas within the housing to form a condensate; a header tank disposed between the battery cell and the pipeline, the header tank having a first accommodating portion facing the pipeline, the first accommodating portion being used to collect the condensate, the first accommodating portion being disposed as a groove, at least one end of the groove in the direction of the central axis of the pipeline having an opening, the header tank being used to discharge the condensate from the groove via the opening; The battery cells include a plurality of battery cells arranged in an array, and the groove extends along a direction in which the battery cells are arranged. Furthermore, the plane on which the opening of the groove is located extends to the position of the side surface of the outermost battery cell in the arrangement direction of the battery cells, or exceeds the position of the side surface of the outermost battery cell in the arrangement direction.

2. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the first housing is further configured to house at least a portion of the pipeline, such that condensate that condenses in the pipeline flows into the first housing.

3. 3. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the groove is 1 to 5 mm.

4. 4. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the header tank has an insulating property, thereby preventing short-circuiting of the battery cells.

5. 5. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the header tank and the pipeline are connected by an adhesive.

6. The battery cell includes a pressure relief mechanism, and the pressure relief mechanism is adapted to discharge waste and release the internal pressure when an internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell reaches a threshold value, and is activated to discharge waste and release the internal pressure; A fire extinguishing agent is contained in the duct, and the fire extinguishing agent condenses the gas inside the housing through the duct to form the condensate, and the duct is configured to release the fire extinguishing agent when the pressure release mechanism is activated, thereby introducing the fire extinguishing agent into the battery cell; The battery of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the header tank includes a weak area, and the weak area is configured such that when the pressure relief mechanism is activated, the fire extinguishing agent passes through the weak area and flows to the battery cell.

7. The battery according to claim 6 , wherein the weak area is provided as a through-hole, or the weak area is provided as a structure that is broken to form a through-hole when the pressure release mechanism is activated.

8. 8. The battery of claim 6 or 7, wherein the weak area is located on a surface of the groove close to the battery cell, so that the fire extinguishing agent and the condensate collected in the groove flow through the weak area to the battery cell.

9. The battery according to claim 8 , further comprising a fixing member, the fixing member being disposed between the battery cell and the conduit to fix the conduit to the battery cell.

10. The battery of claim 9, wherein the fixing member further includes a plurality of engaging members, the engaging members being used to engage with the pipeline, and the plurality of engaging members being arranged along the axial direction of the pipeline and located on both sides of the weak area, and preventing fire extinguishing agent and condensate located between the engaging members from flowing out of the area formed by the engaging members and surrounded by the groove portion along the axial direction of the pipeline.

11. The battery according to any one of claims 6 to 9, further comprising a separating member, the separating member being disposed between the header tank and the pressure relief mechanism.

12. The battery according to claim 11 , wherein a second housing portion is provided in a region of the separating member corresponding to the pressure release mechanism, and the header tank is provided within the second housing portion.

13. A power consuming device comprising a battery according to any one of claims 1 to 12, said battery being adapted to provide electrical energy to the power consuming device.

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