End plate, housing with same, and large-capacity battery

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of batteries, and specifically to an end plate, a housing with same, and a large-capacity battery. The end plate comprises an end plate body; the end plate body is used for sealing an open end of a gas chamber, an open end of an electrolyte sharing chamber and an open end of a cylinder of a large-capacity battery; a gas channel is provided on the end plate body, and a first through hole is formed in the end plate body; a gas inlet end of the gas channel is communicated with the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery, and a gas outlet end of the gas channel is communicated with the first through hole; and the first through hole is communicated with an explosion venting mechanism of the large-capacity battery. According to the present application, the explosion venting mechanism is adjusted from an end plate region, which directly faces the open end of the gas chamber, to the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber having large area or to an end plate region between the open end of the gas chamber and the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber, thereby overcoming the problem that it is difficult to mount the explosion venting mechanism.

Description

End plate, housing having the end plate, and large-capacity battery Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of batteries, and in particular to an end plate, a housing having the end plate, and a large-capacity battery. Background Art

[0002] Currently, many batteries on the market are connected in parallel or in series to form large-capacity batteries (also known as battery modules or battery packs).

[0003] However, existing large-capacity batteries have inherent differences among individual cells. Due to the "barrel effect," the performance of the worst cell is often affected, significantly limiting the upper capacity and cycle life of the entire large-capacity battery. Therefore, improving the uniformity of individual cells in large-capacity batteries has become a key and challenging area of ​​research in this field.

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, the relevant technology proposes a large-capacity battery, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the large-capacity battery includes a shell and a plurality of single cells; the multiple single cells are placed in parallel in the shell, and a third through hole is opened on the top plate of the shell corresponding to the pole of each single cell for the single cell pole to extend out of the shell; each single cell pole extends out of the third through hole and the shell area corresponding to the third through hole is fixedly sealed with the single cell shell.

[0005] The bottom plate of the shell is provided with an electrolyte sharing chamber (the electrolyte sharing chamber is located inside the shell in Figure 2). The electrolyte sharing chamber is connected to the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell. Through the electrolyte sharing chamber, each single cell can be placed in a unified electrolyte environment, ensuring the uniformity of the electrolyte in each single cell and improving the performance and cycle life of the large-capacity battery.

[0006] The top plate of the housing is equipped with a gas chamber that communicates with the gas zones within each cell, achieving gas balance within each cell and further improving the performance and cycle life of high-capacity batteries. The gas chamber also serves as an explosion vent. If a cell experiences thermal runaway, the fumes from that cell's internal cavity enter the gas chamber, break through the explosion venting mechanisms at either end of the gas chamber, and are discharged.

[0007] In order to ensure that the electrolyte in the inner cavity of the shell is not affected by the external environment, the sealing of the shell is particularly important.

[0008] As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the shell consists of a cylinder and end plates sealed and welded at both ends. Through holes are opened in the areas corresponding to the end plates and the gas chambers, and the explosion relief mechanism is sealed and welded to the end plate areas around the through holes.

[0009] In the above-mentioned large-capacity battery, since the third through hole needs to be opened in the areas on both sides of the top plate, the size of the gas chamber set in the middle of the top plate in the y direction is limited, which in turn causes the area of ​​the end plate facing the gas chamber to be insufficient in the y direction, making it difficult to install the explosion relief mechanism.

[0010] Summary of the Invention

[0011] The purpose of this application is to provide an end plate, a housing having the end plate, and a large-capacity battery, so as to overcome the problem that it is difficult to install an explosion relief mechanism in the end plate area facing the gas chamber port of existing large-capacity batteries.

[0012] The technical solution of this application is:

[0013] An end plate, which is special in that it includes an end plate body, the end plate body is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber, the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber and the open end of the cylinder of a large-capacity battery;

[0014] The end plate body is provided with a gas passage, and the end plate body is provided with a first through hole;

[0015] The gas inlet end of the gas channel is used to communicate with the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery, and the gas outlet end is communicated with the first through hole; the first through hole is used to communicate with the explosion relief mechanism of the large-capacity battery.

[0016] Furthermore, the explosion relief mechanism can be a part of the end plate body, and the first through hole is used to communicate with the large-capacity battery electrolyte shared chamber;

[0017] The explosion relief mechanism is communicated with the first through hole and is sealed with the end plate body area around the first through hole.

[0018] Furthermore, the end plate body includes a first sub-end plate, a second sub-end plate and a third sub-end plate;

[0019] The first sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery;

[0020] The second sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber of the large-capacity battery;

[0021] The third sub-end plate is located between the first sub-end plate and the second sub-end plate and is connected to the first sub-end plate and the second sub-end plate. The third sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the large-capacity battery cylinder.

[0022] Furthermore, the gas channel is a groove formed on the inner surface of the third sub-end plate.

[0023] Furthermore, the gas channel can also be constructed by adding two fourth sub-end plates, the two fourth sub-end plates are fixed to the inner surface of the third sub-end plate, and there is a gap between the two fourth sub-end plates, and the above gap serves as the gas channel.

[0024] Furthermore, it also includes a fifth sub-end plate, which is fixed to the inner surfaces of the two fourth sub-end plates.

[0025] Furthermore, in order to be applicable to large-capacity batteries with different electrolyte sharing chamber structures, the present application also provides an end plate with a structure different from the above, wherein the end plate body includes a first sub-end plate and a sixth sub-end plate;

[0026] The first sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery;

[0027] The sixth sub-end plate is used to simultaneously seal the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber of the large-capacity battery and the open end of the large-capacity battery cylinder.

[0028] Furthermore, the gas channel is a groove formed on the inner surface of the sixth sub-end plate.

[0029] Furthermore, as above, a gas channel can be constructed by adding two fourth sub-end plates; the two fourth sub-end plates are fixed to the inner surface of the sixth sub-end plate, and there is a gap between the two fourth sub-end plates, and the above gap serves as a gas channel.

[0030] Furthermore, it also includes a fifth sub-end plate, which is fixed to the inner surfaces of the two fourth sub-end plates.

[0031] The present application also provides a shell, which is special in that it includes a cylinder and a first end plate and a second end plate respectively sealed and fixed to two opposite open ends of the cylinder, and at least one of the first end plate and the second end plate is any of the end plates described above.

[0032] The present application also provides a large-capacity battery, which is special in that it includes a shell and a plurality of single cells connected in parallel arranged in the shell, wherein the shell is the above-mentioned shell.

[0033] The beneficial effects of this application are:

[0034] 1. The present application overcomes the problem of difficulty in installing the explosion relief mechanism by adjusting the explosion relief mechanism from the end plate area directly opposite the open end of the gas chamber to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber with a larger area or the end plate area between the open end of the gas chamber and the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber.

[0035] When the end plate is sealed and fixed to the open end of the cylinder, the first through hole is sealed by the explosion relief mechanism; the air inlet of the gas channel is connected to the gas chamber, and the air outlet of the gas channel is connected to the explosion relief mechanism through the first through hole.

[0036] 2. The first through hole of the present application is connected to the shared chamber of the large-capacity battery electrolyte. In this case, the first through hole also serves as the operating port of the package opening device and can also be used as the liquid injection port. Compared with separately opening the first through hole, the operating port of the package opening device or the liquid injection port on the end plate, the overall structural strength of the end plate is higher, the structure is simple, and it is easy to process.

[0037] 3. The gas channel of the present application can be a groove directly opened on the end plate, and can also be constructed using two fourth sub-end plates. At the same time, by adjusting the size of the fourth sub-end plate along the x-direction, all single cells can be clamped in the x-direction to improve the stability of each single cell in the inner cavity of the shell, and to prevent each single cell from swelling, which may lead to a reduction in the cycle performance of large-capacity batteries.

[0038] 4. The present application can also introduce a fifth sub-end plate. By adding the fifth sub-end plate, on the one hand, the dimensional error of the two fourth sub-end plates in the x direction can be compensated, and the flatness of the entire end plate in the yz plane can be improved; on the other hand, by adjusting the size of the fifth sub-end plate along the x direction, all single cells can be clamped in the x direction, thereby improving the stability of each single cell in the inner cavity of the shell, and preventing each single cell from swelling, which may lead to the problem of reduced cycle performance of large-capacity batteries; on the other hand, the fifth end plate can be used to isolate the outermost single cell from direct contact with the thermal runaway flue gas in the gas channel, thereby avoiding the influence of the thermal runaway flue gas on the outermost single cell; on the fourth hand, compared with the structural form of the groove, the gas channel is relatively closed, which can reduce the possibility of thermal runaway flue gas diffusing in the shell, and has a better thermal runaway flue gas emission effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a large-capacity battery structure in the background art;

[0040] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of another large-capacity battery structure in the background art;

[0041] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a cylindrical structure of a large-capacity battery in Example 1;

[0042] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electrolyte shared chamber of a large-capacity battery in Example 1;

[0043] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a gas chamber structure of a large-capacity battery in Example 1;

[0044] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a large-capacity battery in Example 1;

[0045] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the end plate structure in Example 1;

[0046] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of the end plate in Example 1 from another perspective;

[0047] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the end plate structure with a stepped surface in Example 1;

[0048] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of the heat transfer connector in Example 1;

[0049] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the end plate in Example 2;

[0050] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the end plate structure in Example 2;

[0051] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the rear end plate after the fifth sub-end plate is added in Example 2;

[0052] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of a rear end plate with a fifth sub-end plate added in Example 2;

[0053] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the cylindrical structure of a large-capacity battery in Example 3;

[0054] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of a large-capacity battery in Example 3;

[0055] Figure 17 is a schematic structural diagram of the end plate in Example 3;

[0056] FIG18 is a schematic diagram of a housing structure in Example 4;

[0057] The accompanying drawings are denoted as follows:

[0058] 01. Electrolyte shared chamber; 02. Gas chamber; 03. End plate; 04. Explosion relief mechanism;

[0059] 1. U-shaped shell bottom; 2. Electrolyte shared chamber; 3. Second cover plate; 4. Gas chamber; 5. End plate body; 51. First sub-end plate; 52. Second sub-end plate; 53. Third sub-end plate; 531. Inner surface of third sub-end plate; 54. Fourth sub-end plate; 55. Fifth sub-end plate; 56. Sixth sub-end plate; 6. Cylinder; 7. Explosion relief mechanism; 8. Heat transfer connector; 9. First through hole; 10. Gas channel; 11. Second through hole; 12. Step surface; 13. Support ribs DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] To make the above-mentioned purposes, features, and advantages of this application more clearly understood, the following detailed description of the specific embodiments of this application is given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is obvious that the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary persons in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0061] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art may make similar generalizations without violating the connotation of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0062] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "top" and "bottom" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate the description of this application and simplify the description. They are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first, second, third, fourth, etc." are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0063] This application provides an end plate suitable for large-capacity batteries. Such large-capacity batteries include a housing and multiple parallel-connected single cells arranged within the housing. The single cells described herein can be prismatic batteries or multiple commercially available parallel-connected soft-pack batteries. The interior of each single cell includes an electrolyte region and a gas region.

[0064] An electrolyte sharing chamber is provided at the bottom of the shell, and the electrolyte sharing chamber is communicated with the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single battery.

[0065] A gas chamber is provided on the top of the housing, which covers the gas port on the top of each single cell in the large-capacity battery. It should be noted that the gas port here includes the following two meanings:

[0066] 1) The gas port is a through hole directly opened on the upper cover of the single cell and passing through the inner cavity of the single cell;

[0067] At this time, the inner cavity of the gas chamber is connected with the gas area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell through the gas port. The gas chamber serves as a gas sharing chamber for each single cell. Based on the gas chamber, the gas areas of each single cell can be connected to achieve gas balance, so that the gas of each single cell is shared to ensure the consistency of each single cell, which improves the cycle life of the large-capacity battery to a certain extent; when any single cell has thermal runaway, the smoke in the inner cavity of the single cell enters the gas chamber and is discharged through the gas chamber, thereby improving the safety of the large-capacity battery.

[0068] 2) The gas port is an explosion vent or explosion-proof port provided on the upper cover of the single cell, and an explosion vent membrane is provided at the explosion vent or explosion-proof port;

[0069] At this time, the gas chamber is used as an explosion venting channel. When the explosion venting membrane at the gas port of any single battery is broken by the internal smoke, the smoke in the internal cavity of the single battery is discharged through the gas chamber, thereby improving the safety of the large-capacity battery.

[0070] The structure of the above-mentioned housing is as follows, taking a rectangular housing as an example:

[0071] The housing includes a U-shaped shell, a second cover plate, a first end plate and a second end plate; the U-shaped shell refers to a shell with a U-shaped cross section, that is, a shell with three continuous open ends.

[0072] The electrolyte sharing chamber is arranged at the bottom of the U-shaped shell, and the gas chamber is arranged on the second cover plate.

[0073] It should be noted that the shared electrolyte chamber is an electrolyte storage chamber. Once connected to the electrolyte areas within each cell, it is necessary to ensure that the electrolyte in the entire large-capacity battery is protected from the external environment. By sealing the first and second end plates onto the two opposing open ends of the U-shaped shell (which must also seal the open ends of the shared electrolyte chamber and the gas chamber), and then placing a second cover plate onto the top open end of the U-shaped shell, the electrolyte in the large-capacity battery can be protected from the external environment.

[0074] The second cover plate and the U-shaped shell can be provided separately or as an integrated structure.

[0075] At least one of the first end plate and the second end plate is the end plate described in this application.

[0076] For electrolyte sharing chambers of different structures, the structures of the corresponding end plates are slightly different, which are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0077] For ease of description, in the following embodiments, the length direction of the housing is defined as the x direction, the width direction of the housing is defined as the y direction, and the height direction of the housing is defined as the z direction, as shown in FIG3 .

[0078] Example 1

[0079] The end plate of this embodiment is suitable for a large-capacity battery having the following electrolyte shared chamber 2 structure:

[0080] In the first structure, as shown in FIG3 , a first channel is formed on the bottom 1 of the U-shaped shell as the electrolyte sharing chamber 2 , and the bottom 1 of the U-shaped shell is raised in a direction away from the top of the U-shaped shell.

[0081] The second structure, as shown in FIG4 , is a tube section with a square or circular cross-section fixed on the outer surface of the bottom 1 of the U-shaped shell; through holes are opened in the tube wall and the bottom 1 of the U-shaped shell; the electrolyte shared chamber 2 is connected to the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell through the through hole.

[0082] The two ends of the electrolyte shared chamber 2 in the above two structures located in the yz plane are open ends.

[0083] The gas chamber 4 of the large-capacity battery can adopt the following structural forms:

[0084] In the first structure, as shown in FIG3 , a second channel extending along the x-direction is provided on the second cover plate 3 ; the second channel can be formed directly on the second cover plate 3 by bending or aluminum extrusion technology, wherein the second channel protrudes in a direction away from the bottom 1 of the U-shaped shell.

[0085] In the second structure, as shown in FIG5 , a pipe section with a square or circular cross section is fixed on the outer surface of the top of the second cover plate 3 ; through holes are opened in the pipe wall and the second cover plate 3 .

[0086] The two ends of the gas chamber 4 in the above two structures located on the yz plane are open ends.

[0087] As shown in FIG6 , the end plate structure of this embodiment includes an end plate body 5 , which is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 6 composed of a U-shaped shell and a second cover plate, sealing the open end of the cylinder 6 while sealing the open ends of the gas chamber 4 and the electrolyte shared chamber 2 .

[0088] For ease of description, the end plate body 5 is divided into three areas according to different sealing objects, and the three areas are defined as a first sub-end plate 51, a second sub-end plate 52 and a third sub-end plate 53, as shown in FIG7 .

[0089] The first sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber 4 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the first sub-end plate is adapted to the shape of the open end of the gas chamber 4. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 4, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 4 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 4, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 4 by embedding welding.

[0090] The second sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 2 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the second sub-end plate is adapted to the shape of the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 2. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 2, and it is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 2 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 2, and it is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 2 by embedding welding.

[0091] The third sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the cylinder 6 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the third sub-end plate is adapted to the shape of the open end of the cylinder 6. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 6 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 6 by embedding welding.

[0092] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the first sub-end plate 51, the second sub-end plate 52 and the third sub-end plate 53 are an integral part. In some other embodiments, a split structure may be adopted. However, compared with the integral part structure, firstly, the processing procedure is more complicated. Secondly, since the sub-end plates need to be connected to each other, each connection part is a weak part or a leak-prone point, which leads to weak sealing of the entire shell.

[0093] As described in the background technology, if the explosion relief mechanism 7 is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 4, it is necessary to open a through hole that passes through the inner cavity of the gas chamber 4 in the first sub-end plate 51, and weld the explosion relief mechanism 7 to the area of ​​the first sub-end plate 51 around the through hole. Since the first sub-end plate 51 is insufficiently sized in the y direction, the explosion relief mechanism is difficult to install.

[0094] In order to overcome the above problems, the present embodiment provides a first through hole 9 in the end plate area corresponding to the second sub-end plate 52 or the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 2. As can be seen from FIG7 , the first through hole 9 is located on a portion of the second sub-end plate 52 and the third sub-end plate 53. The explosion relief mechanism 7 is welded to a portion of the second sub-end plate 52 and the third sub-end plate 53 around the first through hole 9 (see FIG6 ). At the same time, a gas channel 10 is added to the end plate to connect the gas chamber 4 and the electrolyte shared chamber 2. When any single cell experiences thermal runaway, the smoke in its cavity rushes out from the gas port and passes through the gas chamber 4 and the gas channel 10 in sequence, breaking through the explosion relief mechanism 7 and being discharged from the explosion relief mechanism 7. A hollow component with an explosion relief membrane at one end can be used as the explosion relief mechanism 7.

[0095] In this embodiment, since the explosion relief mechanism 7 is fixed on partial areas of the second sub-end plate 52 and the third sub-end plate 53, in the y direction, the sizes of the second sub-end plate 52 and the third sub-end plate 53 are much larger than the first sub-end plate 51, and there is sufficient installation position for the explosion relief mechanism 7.

[0096] When the first through hole is located in the end plate area corresponding to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 2, the first through hole 9 also serves as the operating port of the unpacking device. The unpacking device extends into the electrolyte shared chamber 2 through the first through hole 9 to unpack each single cell, so that the electrolyte shared chamber 2 and the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell are connected. In addition, the first through hole 9 can also serve as a liquid injection port. After the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell is connected to the electrolyte shared chamber 2, the electrolyte can be injected into the inner cavity of each single cell and the electrolyte shared chamber 2 again through the first through hole 9 to ensure the continuity of the electrolyte. After the injection is completed, the explosion relief mechanism 7 is sealed and welded to the second sub-end plate 52 and the third sub-end plate 53 around the first through hole 9. Compared with the first through hole, the operating port or the liquid injection port of the unpacking device respectively opened on the end plate, the overall structural strength of the end plate is higher, the structure is simple, and it is easy to process.

[0097] As shown in Figure 8, this embodiment uses milling or turning methods to directly open a groove on the inner surface 531 of the third sub-end plate as a gas channel 10. It can be seen from the figure that the gas channel 10 of this embodiment extends from the top of the third sub-end plate 53 along the z direction to the first through hole 9, and is connected to the first through hole 9. The upper port of the gas channel 10 serves as an air inlet and is connected to the gas chamber 4. The lower port of the gas channel 10 serves as an air outlet and is connected to the first through hole 9.

[0098] In this embodiment, in the x-direction, the size of the third sub-end plate 53 is larger than that of the first sub-end plate 51 , so that the gas channel 10 is directly connected to the gas chamber 4 .

[0099] In the structure shown in Figure 8, the area of ​​the first sub-end plate 51 is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 4, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 4 by means of inlay welding. The area of ​​the third sub-end plate 53 is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 6 by means of inlay welding. The area of ​​the second sub-end plate 52 is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 2, and it is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 2 by means of inlay welding.

[0100] Alternatively, the third end plate can be fixed by welding by providing stepped surfaces 12 around the periphery. The stepped surfaces 12 can also serve as positioning surfaces. Using these positioning surfaces, the end plate can be first positioned at the open end of the cylinder 6 and then fixed by welding, as shown in FIG9 . In FIG9 , the area of ​​the first sub-end plate 51 is slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 4 and is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 4 by welding. The area of ​​the outer surface of the third sub-end plate 53 is slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 6, and the area of ​​the inner surface 531 of the third sub-end plate is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 6. The second sub-end plate 52 has an area slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 2 and is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 2 by welding.

[0101] In some other embodiments, the first sub-end plate 51, the second sub-end plate 52 and the third sub-end plate 53 have equal dimensions in the x direction. In this case, a blind hole can be opened on the first sub-end plate to serve as an air inlet for the gas channel 10.

[0102] Furthermore, compared to the structure of the gas chamber 4 shown in FIG1 , the size of the gas chamber 4 in this embodiment is smaller in the y-direction than that shown in FIG1 . By reducing the size of the gas chamber 4 in the y-direction, the area of ​​the second cover plate 3 on either side of the gas chamber 4 can be increased. In this area, the temperature of the entire high-capacity battery can be regulated by adding heat transfer connectors 8 or terminal adapters connected to the individual battery cell terminals. The larger the area of ​​the second cover plate 3 on either side of the gas chamber 4, the larger the heat transfer connectors 8 or terminal adapters can be installed. Larger heat transfer connectors 8 or terminal adapters provide a larger heat exchange area, thereby achieving better heat exchange effects.

[0103] It should be noted that the heat transfer connector 8 can adopt the structure shown in Figure 10. It is a slender member used to connect to the positive or negative pole of each single cell. Furthermore, the slender member is provided with a clamping portion along the axial direction for mounting a heat transfer tube. By connecting the positive or negative poles of multiple single cells through the heat transfer connector 8 and clamping the heat transfer tube to the heat transfer connector 8, the local temperature of each single cell pole can be controlled, significantly reducing the occurrence of thermal runaway caused by excessive pole temperature.

[0104] The pole adapter may be the electrical busbar disclosed in Chinese patent CN116130892A.

[0105] Example 2

[0106] Different from Example 1, this embodiment adopts a gas channel 10 with a different structural form. In order to construct the gas channel 10 of this embodiment, two fourth sub-end plates 54 are also included on the basis of Example 1, as shown in Figures 11 and 12; the two fourth sub-end plates 54 are fixed on the inner surface 531 of the third sub-end plate, and there is a gap extending along the z direction between the two fourth sub-end plates 54, and the gap is used as the gas channel 10.

[0107] When the fourth sub-end plate 54 is larger in size along the z direction, fixing it to the third sub-end plate 53 may block the first through hole 9, resulting in the gas channel 10 or the electrolyte shared chamber 2 being unable to communicate with the explosion relief mechanism 7. In order to solve this problem, this embodiment provides a second through hole 11 or a notch that passes through the first through hole 9 on the two fourth sub-end plates 54 to ensure that the explosion relief mechanism 7 is connected to the electrolyte shared chamber 2 or the gas channel 10.

[0108] Similar to Example 1, the first sub-end plate can be secured to the open end of the gas chamber 4, the second sub-end plate to the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 2, and the third sub-end plate to the open end of the cylinder 6 by means of caulking or fusion welding. Figure 12 illustrates the corresponding structure using fusion welding, where the fourth sub-end plate 54 is secured to the third sub-end plate 53, and stepped surfaces 12 are formed around the third sub-end plate 53.

[0109] The fourth sub-end plate 54 may be fixed to the third sub-end plate 53 by screws, or by bonding or welding.

[0110] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, this embodiment can also compensate for the dimensional errors of the two fourth sub-end plates 54 in the x-direction by adding a fifth sub-end plate 55, thereby improving the flatness of the entire end plate in the yz plane. At the same time, by adjusting the x-direction dimensions of the fifth sub-end plate 55, all single cells can be clamped in the x-direction, improving the stability of each single cell within the inner cavity of the housing. This can also prevent the individual single cells from bulging, which can lead to reduced cycle performance of large-capacity batteries. Furthermore, the fifth end plate can be used to isolate the outermost single cells from direct contact with the thermal runaway flue gas within the gas channel 10, preventing the thermal runaway flue gas from affecting the outermost single cells. Compared to the groove structure, the addition of the fifth sub-end plate 55 makes the gas channel relatively closed, reducing the possibility of thermal runaway flue gas diffusing within the housing and achieving better thermal runaway flue gas emission.

[0111] It should be noted that after adding the fifth sub-end plate 55, it is still necessary to ensure the connectivity of the gas chamber 4, the gas channel 10, the electrolyte shared chamber 2 and the explosion relief mechanism 7. This can be achieved by reducing the z-direction dimension of the fifth sub-end plate 55 so that it does not block the first through hole 9, or by opening a through hole in the corresponding part of the fifth sub-end plate 55 and the first through hole 9.

[0112] Example 3

[0113] Different from Example 1, the end plate of this embodiment is suitable for a large-capacity battery having the following electrolyte shared chamber 2 structure:

[0114] As shown in Figure 15, at least two support ribs 13 extending along the x-direction are provided on the inner surface of the U-shaped housing bottom 1. The two support ribs 13 and the area of ​​the U-shaped housing bottom 1 located between the two support ribs 13 form a shared electrolyte chamber 2. The two ends of the shared electrolyte chamber 2 located in the yz plane are open.

[0115] As shown in Figure 16, the end plate structure of this embodiment includes an end plate body 5, which is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 6 composed of a U-shaped shell and a second cover plate, sealing the open end of the cylinder 6 while sealing the open ends of the gas chamber 4 and the electrolyte shared chamber 2.

[0116] For the convenience of description, the end plate body 5 is divided into two areas according to different sealing objects, and the two areas are defined as a first sub-end plate 51 and a sixth sub-end plate 56 , as shown in FIG17 .

[0117] The first sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber 4 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the first sub-end plate is adapted to the shape of the open end of the gas chamber 4. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 4, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 4 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 4, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 4 by embedding welding.

[0118] The sixth sub-end plate 56 is used to simultaneously seal the open end of the large-capacity battery barrel 6 and the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 2. Because the electrolyte shared chamber 2 in this embodiment is located within the barrel 6, when the sixth sub-end plate 56 is sealed and fixed to the open end of the large-capacity battery barrel 6, the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 2 can also be sealed. The shape of the sixth sub-end plate 56 is compatible with the shape of the open end of the barrel 6. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the barrel 6 and it can be fixed to the open end of the barrel 6 by fusion welding. Alternatively, the area can be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the barrel 6 and it can be fixed to the open end of the barrel 6 by caulking welding.

[0119] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the first sub-end plate 51 and the sixth sub-end plate 56 are an integral part. In some other embodiments, a split structure may be adopted. However, compared with the integral structure, firstly, the processing procedure is more complicated. Secondly, since the sub-end plates need to be connected to each other, each connection part is a weak part or a leak-prone point, which leads to weak sealing of the entire shell.

[0120] In this embodiment, a first through hole 9 is provided on the sixth sub-end plate 56. Preferably, the first through hole 9 is provided in the area of ​​the sixth sub-end plate 56 corresponding to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 2, and the explosion relief mechanism 7 is welded to a partial area of ​​the sixth sub-end plate 56 around the first through hole 9. At the same time, a gas channel 10 is provided on the first sub-end plate 51 and the sixth sub-end plate 56 to connect the gas chamber 4 and the electrolyte shared chamber 2. When thermal runaway occurs in any single cell, the smoke in its inner cavity rushes out from the gas port, passes through the gas chamber 4 and the gas channel 10 in sequence, and rushes through the explosion relief mechanism 7 to be discharged from the explosion relief mechanism 7. The structure of the gas channel 10 is the same as that of Examples 1 and 2. It can be directly opened on the sixth sub-end plate 56, or it can be constructed by adding two fourth sub-end plates 54 and fixing the two fourth sub-end plates 54 to the inner surface of the sixth sub-end plate 56. A fifth sub-end plate 55 can also be added to compensate for the dimensional error of the two fourth sub-end plates 54 in the x direction. At the same time, it can also play a role in clamping the single cells and reducing the impact of thermal runaway smoke on the outermost single cells.

[0121] In this embodiment, since the explosion relief mechanism 7 is fixed on the sixth sub-end plate 56 , the size of the sixth sub-end plate 56 in the y direction is much larger than the first sub-end plate 51 , so there is enough space for installing the explosion relief mechanism 7 .

[0122] Similar to Example 1, this embodiment also improves heat exchange by reducing the size of the gas chamber 4y direction. The first through hole 9 can also be used as an opening for the package opening device and a liquid injection port. The details are detailed in Example 1 and will not be repeated here.

[0123] Example 4

[0124] This embodiment is a housing, one structure of which is shown in Figure 18 . It includes the barrel 6 described in the above embodiment and a first end plate and a second end plate, respectively, sealed and secured to the opposite open ends of the barrel 6. At least one of the first and second end plates is the end plate described in the above embodiment. The other end plate can be a flat plate, sealing the open end of the barrel 6 while also sealing the openings of the gas chamber 4 and the electrolyte shared chamber 2. The specific structural form of the barrel 6 and the end plates, as well as the method of securing them, have been described in detail in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0125] Example 5

[0126] This embodiment is a large-capacity battery. A plurality of single cells are arranged in parallel in the housing of the fourth embodiment. The above embodiment has been described in detail and will not be repeated here.

Claims

1. An end plate, characterized in that: The end plate body (5) is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber (4), the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber (2) and the open end of the cylinder (6) of the large-capacity battery; The end plate body (5) is provided with a gas passage (10), and the end plate body (5) is provided with a first through hole (9); The gas channel (10) has an inlet end for communicating with the gas chamber (4) of the large-capacity battery, and a gas outlet end for communicating with the first through hole (9).

2. The end plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an explosion relief mechanism (7) arranged on the end plate body (5); The first through hole (9) is used to communicate with the large-capacity battery electrolyte sharing chamber (2); The explosion relief mechanism (7) penetrates the first through hole (9) and is sealedly connected to the end plate body (5) region around the first through hole (9).

3. The end plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The end plate body (5) comprises a first sub-end plate (51), a second sub-end plate (52) and a third sub-end plate (53); The first sub-end plate (51) is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber (4) of the large-capacity battery; The second sub-end plate (52) is used to seal the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber (2) of the large-capacity battery; The third sub-end plate (53) is located between the first sub-end plate (51) and the second sub-end plate (52) and is connected to the first sub-end plate (51) and the second sub-end plate (52). The third sub-end plate (53) is used to seal the open end of the large-capacity battery cylinder (6).

4. The end plate according to claim 3, characterized in that: The gas channel (10) is a groove formed on the inner surface (531) of the third sub-end plate.

5. The end plate according to claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes two fourth sub-end plates (54), which are fixed to the inner surface (531) of the third sub-end plate, and there is a gap between the two fourth sub-end plates (54), and the gap serves as a gas channel (10).

6. The end plate according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a fifth sub-end plate (55), wherein the fifth sub-end plate (55) is fixed to the inner surfaces of the two fourth sub-end plates (54).

7. The end plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The end plate body (5) comprises a first sub-end plate (51) and a sixth sub-end plate (56); The first sub-end plate (51) is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber (4) of the large-capacity battery; The sixth sub-end plate (56) is used to simultaneously seal the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber (2) of the large-capacity battery and the open end of the large-capacity battery cylinder (6).

8. The end plate according to claim 7, characterized in that: The gas channel (10) is a groove formed on the inner surface of the sixth sub-end plate (56).

9. The end plate according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also includes two fourth sub-end plates (54); The two fourth sub-end plates (54) are fixed on the inner surface of the sixth sub-end plate (56), and there is a gap between the two fourth sub-end plates (54), and the gap serves as a gas channel (10).

10. The end plate according to claim 9, characterized in that: It also includes a fifth sub-end plate (55), wherein the fifth sub-end plate (55) is fixed to the inner surfaces of the two fourth sub-end plates (54).

11. A housing, characterized in that: It comprises a cylinder (6) and a first end plate and a second end plate respectively sealed and fixed to two opposite open ends of the cylinder (6), wherein at least one of the first end plate and the second end plate is the end plate according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A large capacity battery, characterized in that: It comprises a shell and a plurality of single cells connected in parallel and arranged in the shell, wherein the shell is the shell as claimed in claim 11.

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