High-capacity battery and end plate assemblies

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of batteries, and specifically to a high-capacity battery and end plate assemblies. The problem that a shared tubing assembly of an existing high-capacity battery is difficult to assemble is overcome. The high-capacity battery comprises a casing and a plurality of battery cells, wherein the plurality of battery cells are sequentially connected in parallel and are arranged in an inner cavity of the casing; the casing comprises a cylindrical body, which has two open ends, and two end plate assemblies; the bottom of the cylindrical body is provided with an electrolyte sharing cavity, which is in communication with an electrolyte area of an inner cavity of each battery cell; the top of the cylindrical body is provided with a gas cavity, which covers a gas port in the top of each battery cell; the top of the cylindrical body is provided with electrode-column avoidance holes, which enable electrode columns of the battery cells to protrude; and the two end plate assemblies are respectively fixed at the two open ends of the cylindrical body. In the present application, the electrolyte sharing cavity does not need to be connected in an inserted manner, and in a direction in which the battery cells are arranged, the problem of coaxial insertion connection does not need to be considered, such that requirements for machining precision and assembly precision are relatively low; moreover, no special tools are required, such that an assembly process is relatively simple, and thus batch production can be realized.

Description

A large-capacity battery and end plate assembly Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of batteries, and specifically to a large-capacity battery and end plate assembly. 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] Chinese patent CN219144456U discloses a large-capacity battery, the structure of which is shown in Figure 1. It includes a battery pack body formed by several parallel-connected cells and a shared piping assembly located at the bottom of the battery pack body. The shared piping assembly is used to connect the internal cavities of the several cells, so that all cells in the battery pack are exposed to a single electrolyte system. The shared piping assembly can enhance the uniformity of the electrolyte in each cell within the battery pack, thereby improving cycle life. The shared piping assembly can also replenish the electrolyte in the battery pack, extending the battery pack's service life and improving its safety.

[0004] However, this type of shared pipeline assembly is formed by directly sealing and plugging multiple sections of sub-pipes 01 and intermediate connecting pipes 02 with each other through interference fit; at this time, the multiple sections of sub-pipes 01 are arranged one by one on the lower cover plate 03 of the single battery, and the sub-pipes extend along the arrangement direction of the single battery, and are extruded integrally with the lower cover plate 03, and are connected to the opening of the lower cover plate 03.

[0005] During assembly, the two ends of the sub-pipeline 01 are used as the connection ends to the middle connecting pipe 02. When two single cells are connected, one end of the sub-pipeline on the two single cells is squeezed into the two ends of the middle connecting pipe 02 respectively.

[0006] During the plugging process, the shared pipeline assembly requires that each sub-pipeline 01 and the intermediate connecting pipe 02 be coaxial to achieve effective connection. However, due to the following reasons, it is difficult to ensure the coaxiality of each sub-pipeline and the intermediate connecting pipe 02:

[0007] 1) The sub-pipeline and the lower cover are an integrated part. If the position of the sub-pipeline on the lower cover is slightly deviated, or the size of each sub-pipeline is slightly deviated, the coaxiality of each sub-pipeline will deviate when plugged in.

[0008] 2) When welding the above-mentioned integrated part to the cylinder, due to differences in the welding process, there may be inconsistencies in the positions of the sub-pipelines relative to the cylinder, which in turn leads to deviations in the coaxiality of the sub-pipelines when plugged in;

[0009] 3) This solution requires the use of special tooling during connection. Improper use of the tooling or operator errors can lead to deviations in the coaxiality of the sub-pipelines.

[0010] In addition, during plugging, the deviation between the sub-pipelines will increase as the number of plugging increases, resulting in the coaxiality between the sub-pipelines being more difficult to ensure as the number of plugging increases; resulting in the assembly process, the yield rate decreases as the number of plugging increases.

[0011] In summary, since the sub-pipes of two adjacent single batteries are difficult to be coaxial, this solution may cause the sub-pipes to be displaced relative to the lower cover plate, or the lower cover plate to be displaced relative to the cylinder during insertion, thereby damaging the battery.

[0012] Summary of the Invention

[0013] The purpose of this application is to provide a large-capacity battery to overcome the problem that existing large-capacity batteries share pipeline components that are difficult to assemble.

[0014] In order to overcome the above technical problems, this application provides the following three specific solutions:

[0015] Option 1:

[0016] The solution provides a large-capacity battery, including a shell and multiple single cells, which are connected in parallel in sequence and arranged in the inner cavity of the shell; the inner cavity of each single cell includes an electrolyte area and a gas area; the shell includes a cylinder with open ends at both ends and two end plate assemblies; an electrolyte sharing chamber is provided at the bottom of the cylinder, which is connected to the electrolyte area in the inner cavity of each single cell; a gas chamber is provided at the top of the cylinder, which covers the gas port on the top of each single cell; a pole avoidance hole is provided at the top of the cylinder to enable the pole of each single cell to extend; each single cell The pole extends out of the pole avoidance hole and the cylinder area corresponding to the pole avoidance hole is fixedly sealed to the single battery shell; the two end plate assemblies are respectively fixed to the two open ends of the cylinder, which are used to seal the open end of the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery, the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber and the open end of the cylinder; at least one end plate assembly includes an end plate body and an explosion relief mechanism; a gas channel is provided on the end plate body, and a first through hole is opened on the end plate body; the air inlet end of the gas channel is connected to the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery, and the air outlet end is connected to the first through hole; the explosion relief mechanism is sealed and fixed at the first through hole.

[0017] This solution places multiple single cells inside a shell with a shared electrolyte chamber at the bottom. The shared electrolyte chamber is connected to the inner cavities of each single cell located in the shell, so that the electrolyte of each single cell is shared to ensure the consistency of each single cell. That is, the electrolyte chambers of each single cell are connected so that the electrolytes of all single cells are in the same system, reducing the differences between the electrolytes of each single cell, improving the consistency between each single cell to a certain extent, and thus improving the cycle life of the large-capacity battery to a certain extent.

[0018] This solution does not require plugging in the shared electrolyte chamber, and there is no need to consider the coaxial plugging issue in the arrangement direction of the single battery cells, which reduces the requirements for processing and assembly accuracy. At the same time, no special tooling is required, and the assembly process is relatively simple, which greatly reduces the processing difficulty and processing cost of such large-capacity batteries with a shared system and can achieve mass production.

[0019] In this solution, a gas chamber is set on the second cover plate. The gas area in the inner cavity of each single cell is connected to the gas chamber, so that the gas paths of each single cell are connected. The gas of all single cells is in the same environment, achieving gas balance, reducing the differences between each single cell, and improving the consistency between each single cell, thereby further improving the cycle life of the large-capacity battery.

[0020] The gas chamber of this solution can also directly cover the explosion vent part on the top of each single cell, serving as an explosion vent pipe. When the pressure in the inner cavity of any single cell is too high, the inner cavity gas or thermal runaway smoke breaks through the explosion vent part on each single cell and enters the gas chamber and is discharged from the gas chamber. Because each single cell has an explosion vent part, and the explosion vent part is located in the gas area of ​​each single cell, the thermal runaway smoke breaks through the explosion vent part and enters the explosion vent pipe, the pressure holding time is short, and the safety is higher.

[0021] In this solution, the battery terminals of each single cell extend out of the top of the casing, which provides better heat dissipation than structures where the terminals are located inside the casing. In addition, if the battery temperature is too high after the terminals are extended out of the casing, it is easier to use heat exchange equipment to dissipate the heat of the terminals in a timely manner, thus ensuring that such large-capacity batteries operate at the optimal temperature.

[0022] This solution makes the explosion relief mechanism easy to install and has high sealing reliability by fixing the explosion relief mechanism 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. 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.

[0023] This solution features a first channel at the bottom of the barrel, serving as a shared electrolyte chamber. This channel connects to the electrolyte areas within each cell within the outer shell. Compared to structures using hollow tube segments as shared electrolyte chambers, this solution eliminates the need for additional through-holes. Instead, the first channel connects directly to the electrolyte areas within each cell via a second through-hole, simplifying the structure and fabrication.

[0024] The first channel and the cylinder can be an integral part. For example, the bottom of the cylinder can be raised away from the top of the cylinder by using an aluminum extrusion process to form the first channel. The first channel can also be formed by integrally molded support ribs, which facilitates processing and has lower processing costs.

[0025] This solution provides heat dissipation fins at the bottom of the cylinder to improve the heat dissipation performance of large-capacity batteries.

[0026] This solution adds a fixing mechanism at the bottom of the cylinder to increase the size of the support surface at the bottom of the cylinder in the y direction (the width direction of the cylinder), so that the large-capacity battery can be placed stably; at the same time, a first hole for fixing the insulating support rod is opened in the fixing mechanism. By inserting the insulating support rod into the first hole, the insulating support rod is fixed to the cylinder, and the two ends of the insulating support rod extend out of the end surface of the cylinder, and the extended end is used as a support part fixed to the support frame of the energy storage box. When such large-capacity batteries are assembled into energy storage equipment, it is only necessary to fix the extended end to the support frame of the energy storage box, which is simple and convenient to operate.

[0027] In this solution, the first hole is set as a through hole, which can greatly increase the contact area between the support rod and the cylinder, thereby improving the support strength, support stability and support durability of the support rod for large-capacity batteries with such a cylinder.

[0028] This solution uses an aluminum extrusion process to integrally form a cylinder with a support block. Compared with the separate structure of the cylinder and the support block, the processing process is simple, the connection reliability between the support block and the bottom of the cylinder is high, and the structural sealing and stability are good.

[0029] In this solution, the first through hole 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.

[0030] In this solution, the gas channel 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 the single cells from swelling, which may lead to a decrease in the cycle performance of large-capacity batteries.

[0031] This solution 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 a 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.

[0032] In this solution, the gap between the first end plate and the second end plate is directly used as a gas channel, so that the gas channel has a larger flow area, and the large-capacity battery has higher safety performance.

[0033] This solution can also introduce a third end plate. By adding the third end plate, on the one hand, by adjusting the size of the third 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 a decrease in the cycle performance of large-capacity batteries. On the other hand, the use of the third end plate can further reduce the impact of thermal runaway flue gas in the gas channel on the outermost single cell.

[0034] Option 2:

[0035] The first aspect of this solution provides an end plate assembly, including 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 shared chamber and the open end of the cylinder of the large-capacity battery; a gas channel is provided on the end plate body, and a first through hole is opened on the end plate body; the air inlet end of the gas channel is connected to the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery, and the air outlet end is connected to the first through hole.

[0036] This solution overcomes the problem of difficult installation of the explosion relief mechanism by adjusting the explosion relief mechanism from the end plate assembly 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 assembly area between the open end of the gas chamber and the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber.

[0037] When the end plate assembly 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.

[0038] In this solution, the first through hole 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 in the end plate assembly, the overall structural strength of the end plate assembly is higher, the structure is simple, and it is easy to process.

[0039] In this solution, the gas channel can be a groove directly opened on the end plate assembly, 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 the single cells from swelling, which may lead to a decrease in the cycle performance of large-capacity batteries.

[0040] This solution 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 assembly 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 a decrease in the cycle performance of large-capacity batteries; on the other hand, the fifth end plate assembly 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 other 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.

[0041] The second aspect of this solution also provides a large-capacity battery, including a shell and a plurality of single cells arranged in parallel in the shell, the shell including a cylinder and a first end plate and a second end plate respectively sealed and fixed to two opposite open ends of the cylinder, at least one of the first end plate and the second end plate is the above-mentioned end plate assembly.

[0042] Option 3:

[0043] A first aspect of this solution provides an end plate assembly. Based on the end plate assembly of solution 2, the end plate body includes a first end plate and a second end plate;

[0044] The first through hole is opened on the first end plate, and the first end plate is used to cooperate with the explosion relief mechanism fixed at the first through hole to seal the open end of the gas chamber, the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber and the open end of the cylinder of the large-capacity battery; the second end plate is parallel to the first end plate and there is a gap between the two, and the gap serves as a gas channel.

[0045] This solution overcomes the problem of difficult installation of the explosion relief mechanism by adjusting the fixing area of ​​the explosion relief mechanism from the area of ​​the end plate facing 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.

[0046] When the end plate assembly 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; and this solution directly uses the gap between the first end plate and the second end plate as the gas channel, so that the gas channel has a larger flow area, and the large-capacity battery has higher safety performance.

[0047] In this solution, the first through hole 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.

[0048] This solution can also introduce a third end plate. By adding the third end plate, on the one hand, by adjusting the size of the third 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 a decrease in the cycle performance of large-capacity batteries. On the other hand, the use of the third end plate can further reduce the impact of thermal runaway flue gas in the gas channel on the outermost single cell.

[0049] The second aspect of the present solution also provides a large-capacity battery, including a shell and a plurality of parallel single cells arranged in the shell, the shell including a cylinder and end plate assemblies respectively sealed and fixed to two opposite open ends of the cylinder, wherein at least one end plate assembly is the above-mentioned end plate assembly; the first end plate area around the first through hole is fixed with an explosion relief mechanism to seal the first through hole; the first end plate area around the second through hole is fixed with a sealing plate to seal the second through hole. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a large-capacity battery structure in the background art;

[0051] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a large-capacity battery after removing the outer shell in Example 1;

[0052] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a large-capacity battery in Example 1 and Example 6;

[0053] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a cylinder in Example 1, Example 6 and Example 11;

[0054] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of another cylinder in Example 1;

[0055] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the cylindrical structure with additional support rods in Example 1;

[0056] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of the end plate body in Example 1 and Example 6;

[0057] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of the end plate body in Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 6 from another perspective;

[0058] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of an end plate body having a stepped structure in Example 1 and Example 6;

[0059] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the end plate body with the fourth sub-end plate in Example 2 and Example 7;

[0060] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of an end plate body with a fourth sub-end plate in Example 2 and Example 7;

[0061] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the rear end plate body after the fifth sub-end plate is added in Example 2 and Example 7;

[0062] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of the rear end plate body after adding the fifth sub-end plate in Example 2 and Example 7;

[0063] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the end plate body structure in Example 3 and Example 11;

[0064] FIG15 is a schematic structural diagram of the end plate body from another perspective in Example 3 and Example 11;

[0065] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of the rear end plate body after adding a gasket in Example 3 and Example 11;

[0066] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the rear end plate body after adding a gasket in Example 3 and Example 11;

[0067] FIG18 is a schematic structural diagram of the rear end plate body after adding a third end plate in Example 3 and Example 12;

[0068] FIG19 is a schematic structural diagram of the rear end plate body from another perspective after a third end plate is added in Example 3 and Example 12;

[0069] FIG20 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the rear end plate body after the third end plate is added in Example 3 and Example 12;

[0070] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of the cylinder structure in Example 4, Example 8 and Example 13;

[0071] FIG22 is a schematic structural diagram of the end plate body in Example 4 and Example 8;

[0072] FIG23 is a schematic structural diagram of the end plate body in Example 5 and Example 13;

[0073] FIG24 is a schematic diagram of an electrolyte shared chamber structure of a large-capacity battery in Example 6 and Example 11;

[0074] FIG25 is a schematic diagram of a gas chamber structure of a large-capacity battery in Example 6 and Example 11;

[0075] FIG26 is a schematic diagram of the heat transfer connector structure in Example 6 and Example 11;

[0076] FIG27 is a schematic structural diagram of a large-capacity battery in Example 8 and Example 13;

[0077] FIG28 is a schematic diagram of a housing structure in Example 9;

[0078] FIG29 is a schematic structural diagram of a large-capacity battery in Example 11;

[0079] FIG30 is a schematic diagram of a partially exploded structure of a large-capacity battery in Example 11;

[0080] Figure 31 is a schematic diagram of a large-capacity battery structure;

[0081] The reference numerals in the figure are: 01, sub-pipeline; 02, intermediate connecting pipe; 03, lower cover plate;

[0082] 1. Single cell; 2. Cylinder; 21. Cylinder bottom; 22. Second cover plate; 3. End plate assembly; 31. First sub-end plate; 32. Second sub-end plate; 33. Third sub-end plate; 331. Inner surface of third sub-end plate; 34. Fourth sub-end plate; 35. Fifth sub-end plate; 36. First through hole; 5. Electrolyte sharing chamber; 6. Gas chamber; 7. Pole avoidance hole; 8. Heat dissipation fin; 9. Support block; 10. First hole; 11. Insulating sleeve; 12. Support rod; 13. Explosion relief mechanism; 14. First end plate; 15. Second end plate; 16. Gas channel; 17. Gasket; 18. Third end plate; 19. Third through hole; 20. First supporting rib; 23. Sixth sub-end plate; 24. Step structure; 61. U-shaped shell bottom; 68. Heat transfer connector; 05. U-shaped shell; 63. Sealing piece. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] The present application provides a high-capacity battery and an end plate assembly therefor. The high-capacity battery includes a housing and multiple parallel-connected single cells 1 arranged within the housing. The single cells 1 described herein can be prismatic batteries or multiple commercially available parallel-connected soft-pack batteries. The interior of each single cell 1 includes an electrolyte region and a gas region.

[0087] An electrolyte sharing chamber 5 is provided at the bottom of the housing, and the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 is communicated with the electrolyte area in the inner cavity of each single battery 1 .

[0088] A gas chamber 6 is provided on the top of the housing, which covers the gas port on the top of each single cell 1 in the large-capacity battery. It should be noted that the gas port here includes the following two meanings:

[0089] 1) The gas port is a through hole directly opened on the upper cover of the single cell 1 and penetrating the inner cavity of the single cell 1;

[0090] At this time, the inner cavity of the gas chamber 6 is connected with the gas area of ​​the inner cavity of each single battery 1 through the gas port. The gas chamber 6 serves as a gas sharing chamber for each single battery 1. Based on the gas chamber 6, the gas areas of each single battery 1 can be connected to achieve gas balance, so that the gas of each single battery 1 is shared to ensure the consistency of each single battery 1, which improves the cycle life of the large-capacity battery to a certain extent; when any single battery 1 has thermal runaway, the smoke in the inner cavity of the single battery 1 enters the gas chamber 6 and is discharged through the gas chamber 6, thereby improving the safety of the large-capacity battery.

[0091] 2) The gas port is an explosion vent or explosion-proof port provided on the upper cover of the single cell 1, and an explosion vent membrane is provided at the explosion vent or explosion-proof port;

[0092] At this time, the gas chamber 6 is used as an explosion venting channel. When the explosion venting membrane at the gas port of any single battery 1 is broken by the internal smoke, the smoke in the internal cavity of the single battery 1 is discharged through the gas chamber 6, thereby improving the safety of the large-capacity battery.

[0093] The structure of the above-mentioned housing is as follows, taking a rectangular housing as an example:

[0094] The housing comprises a U-shaped shell 05 , a second cover plate 22 and two end plate assemblies 3 ; the U-shaped shell refers to a shell having a U-shaped cross section, that is, a shell having three continuous open ends.

[0095] The electrolyte sharing chamber 5 is arranged at the bottom of the U-shaped housing, and the gas chamber 6 is arranged on the second cover plate 22 .

[0096] It should be noted that the shared electrolyte chamber 5 is an electrolyte storage chamber. Once connected to the electrolyte areas within each cell 1, it is necessary to ensure that the electrolyte in the entire large-capacity battery is protected from the external environment. By sealing the end plate assemblies 3 at the two opposing open ends of the U-shaped housing (which must also seal the shared electrolyte chamber 5 and the open ends of the gas chamber 6), and placing the second cover plate 22 over the top open end of the U-shaped housing, the electrolyte in the large-capacity battery can be protected from the external environment.

[0097] The second cover plate 22 and the U-shaped shell 05 can be separate or integral. The component after the second cover plate 22 and the U-shaped shell 05 are connected is called the cylinder 2. The top of the cylinder is the second cover plate 22, and the bottom 21 of the cylinder is the bottom 61 of the U-shaped shell.

[0098] In order to improve the heat dissipation performance of such large-capacity batteries, a pole avoidance hole 7 is opened on the second cover plate 22 to allow the pole of each single battery 1 to extend out; the second cover plate 22 covers the open end of the top of the U-shaped shell and is sealed with the open end; the pole of each single battery 1 extends out of the pole avoidance hole 7 and the shell area corresponding to the pole avoidance hole 7 is fixedly sealed with the shell of the single battery 1.

[0099] The two end plate assemblies 3 are used to seal the open ends of the gas chamber 6, the electrolyte shared chamber 5 and the cylinder 2 of the large-capacity battery;

[0100] At least one end plate assembly 3 includes an end plate body, a gas channel 16 is provided on the end plate body, and a first through hole 36 is opened on the end plate body; the gas channel 16 has an air inlet end connected to the gas chamber 6 of the large-capacity battery, and an air outlet end connected to the first through hole 36.

[0101] The other end plate assembly can be a flat plate, which can be divided into three areas. The shape of the first area is adapted to the shape of the open end of the gas chamber 6, and is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber 6 of the large-capacity battery; the shape of the second area is adapted to the shape of the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5, and is used to seal the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5; the shape of the third area is adapted to the shape of the open end of the cylinder 2, and is used to seal the open end of the cylinder 2.

[0102] 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.

[0103] Example 1

[0104] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the high-capacity battery of this embodiment includes multiple parallel-connected single cells 1. The number of cells 1 in other embodiments can be adjusted based on actual needs. Each single cell 1 is a prismatic battery, which includes an upper cover, a lower cover, a barrel, and a cell assembly. The cell assembly, also referred to herein as an electrode assembly, consists of a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode arranged in sequence, assembled using a lamination or winding process. The upper cover, barrel, and lower cover form the single cell housing, within which the cell assembly is housed.

[0105] A second through hole is formed at the bottom of the shell of each single battery 1 and penetrates the inner cavity thereof;

[0106] 3 and 4 , the housing of this embodiment includes a U-shaped shell 05 , two end plate assemblies 3 and a second cover plate 22 ; wherein the U-shaped shell and the second cover plate 22 are integrally arranged to form a cylinder 2 .

[0107] An electrolyte sharing chamber 5 extending along the x-direction is provided at the bottom 21 of the cylinder;

[0108] In this embodiment, the electrolyte shared chamber 5 adopts the following structure:

[0109] As shown in FIG4 , a first channel extending along the x-direction is provided at the bottom 21 of the cylinder, and the first channel is directly connected to the second through hole of each single battery 1 ; the first channel can be formed by bulging the inner surface of the bottom 21 of the cylinder away from the top of the U-shaped shell by aluminum extrusion process.

[0110] In order to achieve effective heat dissipation, heat dissipation fins 8 (see Figure 4) extending along the x-direction can be set on the outer surface of the bottom 21 of the cylinder and on both sides of the first channel. The heat generated during the operation of the large-capacity battery can be dissipated in time through the fins.

[0111] To ensure stable placement of such large-capacity batteries, as shown in Figure 5 , support blocks 9 can be installed outside the bottom 21 of the cylindrical body on either side of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 of the large-capacity battery shown in Figure 3 . These support blocks 9 extend in the x-direction. As can be seen in the figure, a first hole 10 is provided in the support blocks 9 along the x-direction. Compared to Figures 3 and 4 , the bottom 21 of the cylindrical body shown in Figure 5 is larger in the y-direction, thus providing greater stability during placement.

[0112] In this embodiment, the first hole 10 is a through hole that passes through the support block 9 in the x-direction; an insulating support rod 12 whose length is greater than that of the cylinder 2 and whose cross-section matches that of the first hole 10 can be inserted into the through hole of the support block 9, and it is ensured that both ends of the insulating support rod 12 extend out of the end surface of the cylinder 2. As shown in FIG6 , when a large-capacity battery having such a cylinder 2 is assembled into an energy storage device, the two ends of the insulating support rod 12 can serve as support parts and be fixed to the support frame of the energy storage box. The operation is simple and convenient, and the stability of such a large-capacity battery in the energy storage box can be improved.

[0113] In this embodiment, the cylinder 2 can be integrally formed using an aluminum extrusion process. For the cylinder 2 formed using the aluminum extrusion process, in the x-direction, the size of the support block 9 is equal to the size of the cylinder 2, and the end face of the support block 9 is located in the same plane as the end face of the cylinder 2. In order to make the cylinder 2 have a more regular structure, in the y-direction, the size of the support block 9 is equal to the size of the cylinder bottom 21 area on both sides of the electrolyte shared chamber 5, and the outer bottom surface of the support block 9 is located in the same plane as the outer bottom surface of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. In the z-direction, the size of the support block 9 is equal to the size of the outer side wall of the electrolyte shared chamber 5, and the outer side wall of the support block 9 is located in the same plane as the outer side wall of the cylinder 2. It should be noted that the cylinder bottom 21 area on both sides of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 is the area a in Figure 5.

[0114] In some other embodiments, the first hole 10 can be a blind hole, preferably a blind hole extending along the x-direction is opened at both ends of the support block 9; a plurality of insulating support rods 12 whose length is less than that of the cylinder 2 and whose cross-section is compatible with the cross-section of the first hole 10 can be inserted into the blind holes respectively, and the two ends of each insulating support rod 12 extend out of the end face of the cylinder 2; similarly, the two ends of the insulating support rod 12 can serve as support parts and be fixed to the support frame of the energy storage box. However, compared with the through-hole structure, the contact area between the insulating support rod 12 and the large-capacity battery is smaller, which makes the support strength weaker. This type of cylinder 2 can be formed by combining aluminum extrusion process and drilling process. For example, a semi-finished cylinder 2 without blind holes on the support block 9 can be formed by aluminum extrusion process, and then a blind hole can be opened on the support block 9 by drilling process. However, the process is more complicated than that of this embodiment.

[0115] In some other embodiments, the support block 9 and the cylinder 2 can also be separate parts, and the support block 9 is fixed to the outer surface of the cylinder bottom 21 and on both sides of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 by welding or screw connection. However, compared with this embodiment, the processing process is more complicated. In addition, the sealing of the connection part cannot be guaranteed. When such a cylinder 2 is used for a large-capacity battery, it will cause the electrolyte inside the cylinder 2 to leak, or outside air to enter the cylinder 2, causing the large-capacity battery to fail.

[0116] The structure of the second cover plate 22 of this embodiment can be seen in FIG. 3 to FIG. 6 . A gas chamber 6 is additionally provided on the second cover plate 22 to serve as a gas sharing chamber or explosion relief channel.

[0117] The gas chamber 6 can adopt the following structural forms:

[0118] 1. A square or circular pipe section is fixed on the outer surface of the top of the cylinder; through holes are opened on the pipe wall and the top of the cylinder;

[0119] 2. The gas chamber 6 can be formed by aluminum extrusion process, and the second channel is directly formed on the second cover plate 22, wherein the second channel is convex in the direction away from the bottom 21 of the cylinder.

[0120] When the second channel serves as a gas sharing chamber, a fifth through hole penetrating the inner cavity of each single cell 1 needs to be opened on the top of the shell of each single cell 1 , and the second channel is connected to the fifth through hole. The second channel is connected to the gas area in the inner cavity of each single cell 1 through the fifth through hole.

[0121] On both sides of the second channel, the second cover plate 22 is provided with a post avoidance hole 7 to allow the post of each battery cell 1 to extend. After the post of each battery cell 1 extends through the post avoidance hole 7, the outer shell area corresponding to the post avoidance hole 7 is fixedly sealed with the shell of the battery cell 1. The seal can be achieved by welding the edge of the post avoidance hole 7 to the shell of the battery cell 1 in the area surrounding the post.

[0122] If the sizes of the individual cells 1 along the z direction are not completely equal, the shells of some of the individual cells 1 with smaller sizes in the z direction may have problems with poor welding or even be unable to be welded to the large-capacity battery shell, making it difficult to ensure the sealing between the terminal avoidance hole 7 and the shell of the individual cell 1.

[0123] In order to overcome such problems, a weak portion can be provided in the peripheral area of ​​the pole avoidance hole 7. During the welding process, the deformation of the weak portion can compensate for the dimensional differences of each single battery 1 in the z direction. The weak portion in this embodiment can be an annular groove with the center of the pole avoidance hole 7 as the center point and opened along the peripheral area of ​​the pole avoidance hole 7. In other embodiments, the weak portion can also be a long strip groove opened in the peripheral area of ​​the pole avoidance hole 7. In other embodiments, if a similar problem exists, that is, all the poles of the single battery 1 cannot fully extend out of the pole avoidance hole 7 at the same time, making it difficult to weld and seal the outer shell area corresponding to the pole avoidance hole 7 with the shell of the single battery 1, the solution can be to provide a weak portion in the peripheral area of ​​the pole avoidance hole 7.

[0124] A sealing connector can also be added between the pole avoidance hole 7 and the pole. The sealing connector includes a hollow member; the bottom of the hollow member is used to seal the connection with the first area of ​​the single cell 1, and the top of the hollow member is sealed with the second area of ​​the outer shell; the first area is the area surrounding any pole in the upper cover of any single cell 1; the second area is the area corresponding to any pole avoidance hole 7 on the outer shell. The area corresponding to the pole avoidance hole 7 is the area surrounding any pole avoidance hole 7 on the outer surface of the outer shell; or the area corresponding to the pole avoidance hole 7 is the wall of the pole avoidance hole 7. The area surrounding the pole is the area surrounding the insulating gasket on the pole. The insulating gasket is a part on the single cell 1 used to insulate the pole from the upper cover.

[0125] It should be noted that the two ends of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 located in the yz plane are open, and the two ends of the gas chamber 6 located in the yz plane are open. During operation, the end plate assembly 3 is required to seal the two open ends (the open ends parallel to the yz plane) to prevent the external environment from affecting the electrolyte in the cavity of each single cell 1.

[0126] As shown in FIG3 , the end plate assembly 3 of this embodiment is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 2 formed by the U-shaped shell and the second cover plate 22 , sealing the open end of the cylinder 2 while sealing the open ends of the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5 .

[0127] The structure of at least one end plate assembly 3 includes an end plate body, as shown in Figure 7. For the convenience of description, the end plate body is divided into three areas according to different sealing objects, and the three areas are defined as the first sub-end plate 31, the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33 respectively.

[0128] The first sub-end plate 31 is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber 6 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the first sub-end plate 31 is adapted to the shape of the open end of the gas chamber 6. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by embedding welding.

[0129] The second sub-end plate 32 is used to seal the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the second sub-end plate 32 is adapted to the shape of the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5, and it is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5, and it is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 by embedding welding.

[0130] The third sub-end plate 33 is used to seal the open end of the cylinder 2 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the third sub-end plate 33 is adapted to the shape of the open end of the cylinder 2. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 2, and it is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 2 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 2, and it is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 2 by embedding welding.

[0131] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the first sub-end plate 31, the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33 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.

[0132] If the explosion relief mechanism 13 is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 (as shown in Figure 31), it is necessary to open a through hole that passes through the inner cavity of the gas chamber 6 in the first sub-end plate 31, and weld the explosion relief mechanism 13 to the area of ​​the first sub-end plate 31 around the through hole. Since the first sub-end plate 31 is insufficiently sized in the y direction, the explosion relief mechanism 13 is difficult to install.

[0133] To overcome the above-mentioned problems, this embodiment provides a first through hole 36 in the end plate assembly area corresponding to the third sub-end plate 33 or the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. As can be seen from FIG7 , the first through hole 36 is partially located on the second sub-end plate 32 and the other part is located on the third sub-end plate 33. The explosion relief mechanism 13 is welded to the second sub-end plate 32 and a portion of the third sub-end plate 33 around the first through hole 36 (see FIG3 ). At the same time, a gas channel 16 is added to the end plate assembly to connect the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5. When any single cell 1 experiences thermal runaway, the internal smoke rushes out of the gas port and passes through the gas chamber 6 and the gas channel 16 in sequence, breaking through the explosion relief mechanism 13 and being discharged from the explosion relief mechanism 13. A hollow component with an explosion relief membrane at one end can be used as the explosion relief mechanism 13.

[0134] In this embodiment, since the explosion relief mechanism 13 is partially fixed on the second sub-end plate 32 and the other part is fixed on the third sub-end plate 33, in the y direction, the sizes of the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33 are much larger than the first sub-end plate 31, and there is sufficient installation position for the explosion relief mechanism 13.

[0135] When the first through hole 36 is located in the end plate assembly area corresponding to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5, the first through hole 36 also serves as an operating port for an unpacking device. The unpacking device extends into the electrolyte shared chamber 5 through the first through hole 36 to unpack each single cell 1, so that the electrolyte shared chamber 5 and the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell 1 are connected (specifically, when unpacking, the unpacking device extends into the electrolyte shared chamber 5 through the first through hole 36 and opens the sealing film sealed at the opening of the lower cover plate of each single cell. The specific sealing film can be the sealing film disclosed in Chinese patents CN218525645U and CN218525614U). In addition, the first through hole 36 can also serve as a liquid injection port. After the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell 1 is connected to the electrolyte shared chamber 5, electrolyte can be re-injected into the inner cavity of each single cell 1 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5 through the first through hole 36 to ensure the continuity of the electrolyte. After the liquid injection is complete, the explosion relief mechanism 13 is seal-welded to the second sub-end plate 32 and a portion of the third sub-end plate 33 surrounding the first through-hole 36. Compared to separately providing the first through-hole 36 and the operating port or liquid injection port of the package opening device in the end plate assembly, the overall structural strength of the end plate assembly is higher, the structure is simpler, and it is easier to manufacture.

[0136] As shown in Figure 8, this embodiment uses milling or turning methods to directly open a groove on the inner surface 331 of the third sub-end plate as a gas channel 16. It can be seen from the figure that the gas channel 16 of this embodiment extends from the top of the third sub-end plate 33 along the z direction to the first through hole 36, and is connected to the first through hole 36. The upper port of the gas channel 16 serves as an air inlet and is connected to the gas chamber 6. The lower port of the gas channel 16 serves as an air outlet and is connected to the first through hole 36.

[0137] In this embodiment, in the x-direction, the size of the third sub-end plate 33 is larger than that of the first sub-end plate 31 , so that the gas channel 16 is directly connected to the gas chamber 6 .

[0138] In the structure shown in Figure 8, the area of ​​the first sub-end plate 31 is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by means of inlay welding. The area of ​​the third sub-end plate 33 is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 2, and it is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 2 by means of inlay welding. The area of ​​the second sub-end plate 32 is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5, and it is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 by means of inlay welding.

[0139] Alternatively, a step structure 24 may be provided around the third sub-end plate 33 to secure the end plate assembly by welding. The step structure 24 may also serve as a positioning surface, which may be used to first position the end plate assembly at the open end of the cylinder 2 and then secure it by welding, as shown in FIG9 . In FIG9 , the area of ​​the first sub-end plate 31 is slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6 and is secured to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by welding. The area of ​​the outer surface of the third sub-end plate 33 is slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 2, and the area of ​​the inner surface 331 of the third sub-end plate is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 2 and is secured to the open end of the cylinder 2 by welding. The area of ​​the second sub-end plate 32 is slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 and is secured to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 by welding.

[0140] In some other embodiments, the first sub-end plate 31, the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33 have equal dimensions in the x direction. In this case, a blind hole can be opened on the first sub-end plate 31 to serve as an air inlet for the gas channel 16.

[0141] Example 2

[0142] Different from Example 1, this embodiment adopts a gas channel 16 with a different structural form. In order to construct the gas channel 16, the end plate body also includes two fourth sub-end plates 34 on the basis of Example 1, as shown in Figures 10 and 11; the two fourth sub-end plates 34 are fixed on the inner surface 331 of the third sub-end plate (the surface close to the single cell is defined as the inner surface), and there is a gap extending along the z direction between the two fourth sub-end plates 34, and the gap is used as the gas channel 16.

[0143] When the fourth sub-end plate 34 is larger in size along the z direction, fixing it to the third sub-end plate 33 may block the first through hole 36, resulting in the gas channel 16 or the electrolyte shared chamber 5 being unable to communicate with the first through hole 36. In order to solve this problem, this embodiment provides through holes or gaps that pass through the first through hole 36 on the two fourth sub-end plates 34 to ensure that the first through hole 36 is connected to the electrolyte shared chamber 5 or the gas channel 16.

[0144] Similar to Example 1, the first sub-end plate 31 can be secured to the open end of the gas chamber 6, the second sub-end plate 32 to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5, and the third sub-end plate 33 to the open end of the cylinder 2 by means of inlay welding or fusion welding. Figure 11 illustrates the structure corresponding to fusion welding, where the fourth sub-end plate 34 is secured to the third sub-end plate 33, forming a stepped structure 24 around the third sub-end plate 33.

[0145] The fourth sub-end plate 34 may be fixed to the third sub-end plate 33 by screws, or the two may be fixed by bonding or welding.

[0146] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, a fifth sub-end plate 35 can be added to compensate for the dimensional errors of the two fourth sub-end plates 34 in the x-direction, thereby improving the flatness of the entire end plate assembly in the yz plane. Simultaneously, by adjusting the x-dimensional dimensions of the fifth sub-end plate 35, all single cells 1 can be clamped in the x-direction, improving the stability of each single cell 1 within the housing cavity. This can also prevent the swelling of each single cell 1, which could lead to reduced cycle performance of large-capacity batteries. Furthermore, the fifth end plate assembly can be used to isolate the outermost single cell 1 from direct contact with the thermal runaway flue gas within the gas channel 16, preventing the thermal runaway flue gas from affecting the outermost single cell 1. Furthermore, compared to the groove structure, the addition of the fifth sub-end plate 35 makes the gas channel 16 relatively sealed, reducing the possibility of thermal runaway flue gas diffusing within the housing and achieving better thermal runaway flue gas emission.

[0147] It should be noted that after adding the fifth sub-end plate 35, it is still necessary to ensure the connectivity of the gas chamber 6, the gas channel 16, the electrolyte shared chamber 5 and the first through hole 36. This can be achieved by reducing the z-direction dimension of the fifth sub-end plate 35 so that it does not block the first through hole 36, or by opening a through hole in the corresponding part of the fifth sub-end plate 35 and the first through hole 36.

[0148] Example 3

[0149] As shown in Figure 14, different from the above-mentioned embodiment, the end plate body of this embodiment includes a first end plate 14 and a second end plate 15. For the convenience of description, the first end plate 14 is divided into three areas according to different sealing objects, and the three areas are defined as the first sub-end plate 31, the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33, as shown in Figure 15.

[0150] The first sub-end plate 31 is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber 6 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the first sub-end plate 31 is adapted to the shape of the open end of the gas chamber 6. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by embedding welding.

[0151] The second sub-end plate 32 is used to seal the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the second sub-end plate 32 is adapted to the shape of the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5, and it is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5, and it is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 by embedding welding.

[0152] The third sub-end plate 33 is used to seal the open end of the cylinder 2 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the third sub-end plate 33 is adapted to the shape of the open end of the cylinder 2. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 2, and it is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 2 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 2, and it is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 2 by embedding welding.

[0153] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the first sub-end plate 31, the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33 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.

[0154] As described above, if the explosion relief mechanism 13 is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6, it is necessary to open a through hole that passes through the inner cavity of the gas chamber 6 in the first sub-end plate 31, and weld the explosion relief mechanism 13 to the area of ​​the first sub-end plate 31 around the through hole. Since the first sub-end plate 31 is insufficiently sized in the y direction, the explosion relief mechanism 13 is difficult to install.

[0155] To overcome the above-mentioned problem, a first through hole 36 can be provided in the area of ​​the first end plate 14 corresponding to the open end of the third sub-end plate 33 or the electrolyte shared chamber 5. As can be seen from FIG15 , in this embodiment, part of the first through hole 36 is located on the second sub-end plate 32, and the other part is located on the third sub-end plate 33. The explosion relief mechanism 13 is welded to the first through hole 36. At the same time, a gas channel 16 is added to the end plate body to connect the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5. When any single cell 1 experiences thermal runaway, the smoke in its cavity rushes out from the gas port and passes through the gas chamber 6 and the gas channel 16 in sequence, breaking through the explosion relief mechanism 13 and being discharged from the explosion relief mechanism 13. A hollow component with an explosion relief membrane at one end can be used as the explosion relief mechanism 13.

[0156] In this embodiment, since the explosion relief mechanism 13 is partially fixed on the second sub-end plate 32 and the other part is fixed on the third sub-end plate 33, in the y and z directions, the sizes of the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33 are much larger than the first sub-end plate 31, and there is sufficient installation position for the explosion relief mechanism 13.

[0157] When the gas chamber 6 serves as an explosion relief channel, the first through hole 36 is located in the first end plate 14 area corresponding to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. The first through hole 36 also serves as an operating port of the unpacking device. The unpacking device extends into the electrolyte shared chamber 5 through the first through hole 36 to unpack each single battery 1, so that the electrolyte shared chamber 5 and the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single battery 1 are connected (specifically, when unpacking, the unpacking device extends into the electrolyte shared chamber 5 through the first through hole 36 to open the sealing film sealed at the opening of the lower cover plate of each single battery 1. The specific sealing film can adopt the sealing film disclosed in Chinese patents CN218525645U and CN218525614U). In addition, the first through-hole 36 can also serve as a liquid injection port. Once the electrolyte area within each cell 1 is connected to the shared electrolyte chamber 5, electrolyte can be re-injected into the internal cavity of each cell 1 and the shared electrolyte chamber 5 through the first through-hole 36 to ensure electrolyte continuity. After the injection is completed, the explosion relief mechanism 13 is seal-welded to a portion of the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33 surrounding the first through-hole 36. Compared to separately providing the first through-hole 36, the operating port for the package opening device, or the liquid injection port in the end plate assembly, the overall structural strength of the end plate assembly is higher, the structure is simpler, and it is easier to process.

[0158] When the gas chamber 6 is used as a gas sharing chamber, this embodiment can also open a third through hole 19 in the first end plate 14 area corresponding to the open end of the gas chamber 6. As can be seen from Figure 15, in this embodiment, part of the third through hole 19 is located on the first sub-end plate 31, and the other part is located on the third sub-end plate 33, and the third through hole 19 is used as a liquid injection port. Electrolyte can be injected into the gas chamber 6 through the third through hole 19 to dissolve the sealing film sealed at the top opening of each single cell 1 (the sealing film disclosed in Chinese patents CN218525645U and CN218525614U can be used. When injecting liquid, the entire large-capacity battery can be inverted to allow the sealing film to fully dissolve), so that the gas chamber 6 and the inner cavity of each single cell 1 are connected; at the same time, after the large-capacity battery is placed upright and the liquid is injected through the third through hole 19, the continuity of the electrolyte in the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 and the inner cavity of each single cell 1 can be ensured. After the injection is completed, the sealing sheet is sealed in the first sub-end plate 31 and the partial area of ​​the third sub-end plate 33 around the third through hole 19.

[0159] To create the gas channel 16, this embodiment introduces a second end plate 15. As shown in Figure 14, the second end plate 15 is parallel to the first end plate 14, with a gap between them (the second end plate 15 is in close contact with the outermost single battery cell in the cylinder). This embodiment uses this gap as the gas channel 16. Compared to the end plate structure of Example 1 or Example 2, the gas channel 16 of this embodiment has a larger flow area, which can accommodate more thermal runaway flue gas, making this type of large-capacity battery more safe.

[0160] In this embodiment, screws are used to fix the second end plate 15 to the first end plate 14. It should be noted that in order to ensure that a gas channel 16 is formed between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14, the length of the screw in the x-direction should be greater than the gap between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14, and less than the distance between the inner surface of the second end plate 15 and the outer surface of the first end plate 14 (the surface close to each single cell 1 is defined as the inner surface). The head of the screw passes through the second end plate 15 and is connected to the first end plate 14. In order for the end plate assembly 3 to function as a whole and better squeeze each single cell 1, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, a gasket 17 is provided between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14 in this embodiment. The head of the screw passes through the second end plate 15, the gasket 17, and the first end plate 14 in sequence to prevent the gap between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14 from becoming smaller or even disappearing when squeezing the single cell 1.

[0161] In some other embodiments, the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14 may also be connected by rivets. It should also be noted that in the x-direction, the length of the rivet needs to be greater than the gap between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14, and less than the distance between the inner surface of the second end plate 15 and the outer surface of the first end plate 14 (the surface close to each single cell 1 is defined as the inner surface). In some other embodiments, the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14 may also be connected by bonding. It should also be noted that in the x-direction, the thickness of the adhesive layer is equal to the gap between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14. In order to ensure that the gas channel 16 has a large flow area, the adhesive layer can be applied in a dotted distribution on the second end plate 15 or the first end plate 14. However, compared with this embodiment, the connection strength between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14 is weaker.

[0162] In some other embodiments, the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14 can be two independent plates. The second end plate 15 can be welded to the inner wall of the cylinder 2 near the open end of the cylinder 2 first, and then the first end plate 14 can be welded to the open end of the gas chamber 6, the open end of the cylinder 2 and the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5; however, compared with this embodiment, the size of the gap between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14 is difficult to adjust.

[0163] As can be seen from the figure, the shape of the second end plate 15 of this embodiment is adapted to the shape of the third sub-end plate 33. When the second end plate 15 is larger in size along the z direction, fixing it to the third sub-end plate 33 may block the first through hole 36, resulting in the gas channel 16 or the electrolyte shared chamber 5 being unable to communicate with the explosion relief mechanism 13. In order to solve this problem, a through hole or notch that passes through the first through hole 36 can be opened in the second end plate 15 to ensure that the first through hole 36 is connected to the electrolyte shared chamber 5 or the gas channel 16.

[0164] As shown in Figures 18 to 20, this embodiment can also include a third end plate 18. By adjusting the x-axis dimensions of the third end plate 18, all cells 1 can be clamped in the x-axis, improving the stability of each cell 1 within the housing cavity. This can also prevent swelling of each cell 1, which could lead to reduced cycle performance in large-capacity batteries. Furthermore, the third end plate 18 can further prevent the impact of thermal runaway fumes on the outermost cells 1.

[0165] It should be noted that after adding the third end plate 18, it is still necessary to ensure the connectivity of the gas chamber 6, the gas channel 16, the electrolyte shared chamber 5 and the explosion relief mechanism 13. This can be achieved by reducing the size of the third end plate 18 in the z direction so that it does not block the first through hole 36, or by opening a through hole in the corresponding part of the third end plate 18 and the first through hole 36.

[0166] Example 4

[0167] Different from the above embodiment, the electrolyte shared chamber 5 of this embodiment adopts the following structure:

[0168] As shown in FIG21 , at least two first support ribs 20 extending along the x-direction are provided on the inner surface of the cylinder bottom 21 . The two first support ribs 20 and the area of ​​the cylinder bottom 21 between the two first support ribs 20 form a first channel.

[0169] The electrolyte shared chamber 5 structure shown in Figure 21 can ensure the structural regularity of the entire large-capacity battery. As above, on the one hand, it is easy to ensure the density of the energy storage device when integrating the energy storage device based on such large-capacity batteries; on the other hand, it can be treated as a whole and coated with an insulating film (also called a blue film or protective film) on the outside to improve the overall safety performance of such large-capacity batteries.

[0170] The first channel in FIG21 has open ends at both ends located in the yz plane, and the end plate assemblies 3 are subsequently used to seal the openings at both ends.

[0171] In this embodiment, any end plate assembly 3 includes an end plate body, which is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 2 composed of a U-shaped shell and a second cover plate 22, sealing the open end of the cylinder 2 while sealing the open ends of the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5.

[0172] For the convenience of description, the end plate body is divided into two areas according to different sealing objects, and the two areas are defined as the first sub-end plate 31 and the sixth sub-end plate 23, as shown in FIG22 .

[0173] The first sub-end plate 31 is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber 6 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the first sub-end plate 31 is adapted to the shape of the open end of the gas chamber 6. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by embedding welding.

[0174] The sixth sub-end plate 23 is used to simultaneously seal the open end of the large-capacity battery barrel 2 and the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. Because the electrolyte shared chamber 5 in this embodiment is located within the barrel 2, when the sixth sub-end plate 23 is sealed and fixed to the open end of the large-capacity battery barrel 2, the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 can also be sealed. The shape of the sixth sub-end plate 23 is compatible with the shape of the open end of the barrel 2. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the barrel 2 and it can be fixed to the open end of the barrel 2 by fusion welding. Alternatively, the area can be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the barrel 2 and it can be fixed to the open end of the barrel 2 by caulking welding.

[0175] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the first sub-end plate 31 and the sixth sub-end plate 23 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.

[0176] In this embodiment, a first through hole 36 is provided on the sixth sub-end plate 23. Preferably, the first through hole 36 is located in the area of ​​the sixth sub-end plate 23 corresponding to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. The explosion relief mechanism 13 is welded to a partial area of ​​the sixth sub-end plate 23 around the first through hole 36. At the same time, a gas channel 16 is provided on the first sub-end plate 31 and the sixth sub-end plate 23 to connect the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5. When thermal runaway occurs in any single battery 1, the smoke in its inner cavity rushes out from the gas port, passes through the gas chamber 6 and the gas channel 16 in sequence, and rushes through the explosion relief mechanism 13 to be discharged from the explosion relief mechanism 13. The structure of the gas channel 16 is the same as that of Examples 1 and 2. It can be directly opened on the sixth sub-end plate 23, or it can be constructed by adding two fourth sub-end plates 34, and fixing the two fourth sub-end plates 34 to the inner surface of the sixth sub-end plate 23. A fifth sub-end plate 35 can also be added to compensate for the dimensional error of the two fourth sub-end plates 34 in the x direction. At the same time, it can also play a role in clamping the single cell 1 and reducing the impact of thermal runaway smoke on the outermost single cell 1.

[0177] In this embodiment, since the explosion relief mechanism 13 is fixed on the sixth sub-end plate 23 , the size of the sixth sub-end plate 23 in the y direction is much larger than the first sub-end plate 31 , so there is enough space for installing the explosion relief mechanism 13 .

[0178] Example 5

[0179] This embodiment has an end plate assembly 3 with a different structure from that of the fourth embodiment.

[0180] As shown in Figure 23, the end plate body of this embodiment includes a first end plate 14 and a second end plate 15, which are fixed to the open end of the cylinder 2 composed of a U-shaped shell and a second cover plate 22, sealing the open end of the cylinder 2 while sealing the open ends of the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5.

[0181] For the convenience of description, the first end plate 14 is divided into two areas according to different sealing objects, and the two areas are defined as the first sub-end plate 31 and the sixth sub-end plate 23 respectively.

[0182] The first sub-end plate 31 is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber 6 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the first sub-end plate 31 is adapted to the shape of the open end of the gas chamber 6. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by embedding welding.

[0183] The sixth sub-end plate 23 is used to simultaneously seal the open end of the large-capacity battery barrel 2 and the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. Because the electrolyte shared chamber 5 in this embodiment is located within the barrel 2, when the sixth sub-end plate 23 is sealed and fixed to the open end of the large-capacity battery barrel 2, the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 can also be sealed. The shape of the sixth sub-end plate 23 is compatible with the shape of the open end of the barrel 2. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the barrel 2 and it can be fixed to the open end of the barrel 2 by fusion welding. Alternatively, the area can be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the barrel 2 and it can be fixed to the open end of the barrel 2 by caulking welding.

[0184] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the first sub-end plate 31 and the sixth sub-end plate 23 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.

[0185] In this embodiment, a first through hole 36 is provided in the sixth sub-end plate 23. Preferably, the first through hole 36 is located in the area of ​​the sixth sub-end plate 23 corresponding to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. The explosion relief mechanism 13 is welded to a portion of the sixth sub-end plate 23 surrounding the first through hole 36. At the same time, a gas channel 16 is formed between the first end plate and the second sub-end plate, connecting the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5. When any single cell 1 experiences thermal runaway, the smoke in its inner cavity rushes out from the gas port and passes through the gas chamber 6 and the gas channel 16 in sequence, breaking through the explosion relief mechanism 13 and being discharged from the explosion relief mechanism 13. The structure of the gas channel 16 is similar to that of Example 3, except that in the z direction, the size of the second end plate 15 needs to be smaller than that of the sixth sub-end plate 23 to prevent the second end plate 15 from blocking the first through hole 36.

[0186] Examples 6 to 8 provide an end plate assembly suitable for large-capacity batteries. The structures of the corresponding end plate assemblies are slightly different for electrolyte sharing chambers of different structures, which are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0187] 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.

[0188] Example 6

[0189] The end plate assembly of this embodiment is suitable for large-capacity batteries having the following electrolyte shared chamber 5 structure:

[0190] In the first structure, as shown in FIG4 , a first channel is formed on the bottom 61 of the U-shaped shell as the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 , and the bottom 61 of the U-shaped shell is raised in a direction away from the top of the U-shaped shell.

[0191] The second structure, as shown in FIG24 , is a tube section with a square or circular cross-section fixed on the outer surface of the bottom 61 of the U-shaped shell; a through hole is opened in the tube wall and the bottom 61 of the U-shaped shell; the electrolyte shared chamber 5 is connected to the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell through the through hole.

[0192] The two ends of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 in the above two structures located in the yz plane are open ends.

[0193] The gas chamber 6 of the large-capacity battery can adopt the following structural forms:

[0194] In the first structure, as shown in FIG4 , a second channel extending along the x-direction is provided on the second cover plate 22 ; the second channel can be formed directly on the second cover plate 22 by bending or aluminum extrusion technology, wherein the second channel protrudes in a direction away from the bottom 61 of the U-shaped shell.

[0195] In the second structure, as shown in FIG25 , a pipe section with a square or circular cross-section is fixed on the outer surface of the top of the second cover plate 22 ; through holes are opened in the pipe wall and the second cover plate 22 .

[0196] The two ends of the gas chamber 6 in the above two structures located on the yz plane are open ends.

[0197] As shown in Figure 3, the end plate assembly of this embodiment includes an end plate body, which is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 2 composed of a U-shaped shell and a second cover plate, sealing the open end of the cylinder 2 while sealing the open ends of the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5.

[0198] For ease of description, the end plate body is divided into three areas according to different sealing objects, and the three areas are defined as a first sub-end plate 31, a second sub-end plate 32 and a third sub-end plate 33, as shown in FIG7 .

[0199] The first sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber 6 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 6. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by embedding welding.

[0200] The second sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 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 5. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5, and it is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5, and it is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 by embedding welding.

[0201] The third sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the cylinder 2 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 2. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 2, and it is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 2 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 2, and it is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 2 by embedding welding.

[0202] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the first sub-end plate 31, the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33 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.

[0203] If the explosion relief mechanism 13 is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 (see Figure 31), it is necessary to open a through hole that passes through the inner cavity of the gas chamber 6 in the first sub-end plate 31, and weld the explosion relief mechanism 13 to the area of ​​the first sub-end plate 31 around the through hole. Since the first sub-end plate 31 is insufficiently sized in the y direction, the explosion relief mechanism is difficult to install.

[0204] In order to overcome the above problems, the present embodiment provides a first through hole 36 in the end plate assembly area corresponding to the second sub-end plate 32 or the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. As can be seen from FIG7 , part of the first through hole 36 is located on the second sub-end plate 32, and the other part is located on the third sub-end plate 33. The explosion relief mechanism 13 is welded to the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33 in the vicinity of the first through hole 36 (see FIG3 ). At the same time, a gas channel 16 is added to the end plate assembly to connect the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5. When any single cell experiences thermal runaway, the smoke in its cavity rushes out from the gas port and passes through the gas chamber 6 and the gas channel 16 in sequence, breaking through the explosion relief mechanism 13 and being discharged from the explosion relief mechanism 13. A hollow component with an explosion relief membrane at one end can be used as the explosion relief mechanism 13.

[0205] In this embodiment, since the explosion relief mechanism 13 is fixed on a partial area of ​​the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33, in the y direction, the sizes of the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33 are much larger than the first sub-end plate 31, and there is sufficient installation position for the explosion relief mechanism 13.

[0206] When the first through hole is located in the end plate assembly area corresponding to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5, the first through hole 36 also serves as the operating port of the unpacking device. The unpacking device extends into the electrolyte shared chamber 5 through the first through hole 36 to unpack each single cell, so that the electrolyte shared chamber 5 and the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell are connected. In addition, the first through hole 36 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 5, electrolyte can be injected into the inner cavity of each single cell and the electrolyte shared chamber 5 again through the first through hole 36 to ensure the continuity of the electrolyte. After the injection is completed, the explosion relief mechanism 13 is sealed and welded to the second sub-end plate 32 and the partial area of ​​the third sub-end plate 33 around the first through hole 36. Compared with the first through hole, the operating port or the liquid injection port of the unpacking device respectively opened in the end plate assembly, the overall structural strength of the end plate assembly is higher, the structure is simple, and it is easy to process.

[0207] As shown in Figure 8, this embodiment uses milling or turning methods to directly open a groove on the inner surface 331 of the third sub-end plate as a gas channel 16. It can be seen from the figure that the gas channel 16 of this embodiment extends from the top of the third sub-end plate 33 along the z direction to the first through hole 36, and is connected to the first through hole 36. The upper port of the gas channel 16 serves as an air inlet and is connected to the gas chamber 6. The lower port of the gas channel 16 serves as an air outlet and is connected to the first through hole 36.

[0208] In this embodiment, in the x-direction, the size of the third sub-end plate 33 is larger than that of the first sub-end plate 31 , so that the gas channel 16 is directly connected to the gas chamber 6 .

[0209] In the structure shown in Figure 8, the area of ​​the first sub-end plate 31 is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by means of inlay welding. The area of ​​the third sub-end plate 33 is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 2, and it is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 2 by means of inlay welding. The area of ​​the second sub-end plate 32 is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5, and it is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 by means of inlay welding.

[0210] Alternatively, the end plate assembly can be fixed by welding by providing a step structure 24 around the third end plate. The step surface of the step structure 24 can also be used as a positioning surface. The end plate assembly can be first positioned at the open end of the cylinder 2 using this positioning surface and then fixed by welding, as shown in FIG9 . In FIG9 , the area of ​​the first sub-end plate 31 is slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6 and is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by welding. The area of ​​the outer surface of the third sub-end plate 33 is slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 2, and the area of ​​the inner surface 331 of the third sub-end plate is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder 2 and is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 2 by welding. The area of ​​the second sub-end plate 32 is slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 and is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 by welding.

[0211] In some other embodiments, the first sub-end plate 31, the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33 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 16.

[0212] Furthermore, compared to the structure of the gas chamber 6 shown in FIG31 , the size of the gas chamber 6 in this embodiment is smaller in the y-direction than that shown in FIG31 . By reducing the size of the gas chamber 6 in the y-direction, the area of ​​the second cover plate 22 located on either side of the gas chamber 6 can be increased. In this area, the temperature of the entire high-capacity battery can be regulated by adding heat transfer connectors 68 or terminal adapters connected to the individual battery cell terminals. The larger the area of ​​the second cover plate 22 located on either side of the gas chamber 6, the larger the heat transfer connectors 68 or terminal adapters can be installed. Larger heat transfer connectors 68 or terminal adapters provide a larger heat exchange area, thereby achieving better heat exchange effects.

[0213] It should be noted that the heat transfer connector 68 can adopt the structure shown in Figure 26. 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 68 and clamping the heat transfer tube to the heat transfer connector 68, the local temperature of each single cell pole can be controlled, significantly reducing the occurrence of thermal runaway caused by excessive pole temperature.

[0214] The pole adapter may be the electrical busbar disclosed in Chinese patent CN116130892A.

[0215] Example 7

[0216] Different from Example 6, this embodiment adopts a gas channel 16 with a different structural form. In order to construct the gas channel 16 of this embodiment, two fourth sub-end plates 34 are also included on the basis of Example 6, as shown in Figures 10 and 11; the two fourth sub-end plates 34 are fixed on the inner surface 331 of the third sub-end plate, and there is a gap extending along the z direction between the two fourth sub-end plates 34, and the gap is used as the gas channel 16.

[0217] When the fourth sub-end plate 34 is larger in size along the z direction, fixing it to the third sub-end plate 33 may block the first through hole 36, resulting in the gas channel 16 or the electrolyte shared chamber 5 being unable to communicate with the explosion relief mechanism 13. In order to solve this problem, this embodiment provides through holes or gaps that penetrate the first through holes 36 on the two fourth sub-end plates 34 to ensure that the explosion relief mechanism 13 is connected to the electrolyte shared chamber 5 or the gas channel 16.

[0218] Similar to Example 6, the first sub-end plate can be fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6, the second sub-end plate to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5, and the third sub-end plate to the open end of the cylinder 2 by means of inlay welding or fusion welding. Figure 11 shows the corresponding structure using fusion welding, that is, after the fourth sub-end plate 34 is fixed to the third sub-end plate 33, a stepped structure 24 is formed around the third sub-end plate 33.

[0219] The fourth sub-end plate 34 may be fixed to the third sub-end plate 33 by screws, or the two may be fixed by bonding or welding.

[0220] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, this embodiment can also compensate for the dimensional errors of the two fourth sub-end plates 34 in the x-direction by adding a fifth sub-end plate 35, thereby improving the flatness of the entire end plate assembly in the yz plane. At the same time, by adjusting the size of the fifth sub-end plate 35 along the x-direction, all single cells can be clamped in the x-direction, improving the stability of each single cell within the inner cavity of the shell. It can also prevent the individual single cells from bulging, which can lead to reduced cycle performance of large-capacity batteries. In addition, the fifth end plate assembly can be used to isolate the outermost single cells from direct contact with the thermal runaway flue gas in the gas channel 16, avoiding the impact of the thermal runaway flue gas on the outermost single cells. Compared to the groove structure, the addition of the fifth sub-end plate 35 makes the gas channel relatively closed, which can reduce the possibility of thermal runaway flue gas diffusing within the shell and has a better thermal runaway flue gas emission effect.

[0221] It should be noted that after adding the fifth sub-end plate 35, it is still necessary to ensure the connectivity of the gas chamber 6, the gas channel 16, the electrolyte shared chamber 5 and the explosion relief mechanism 13. This can be achieved by reducing the z-direction dimension of the fifth sub-end plate 35 so that it does not block the first through hole 36, or by opening a through hole in the corresponding part of the fifth sub-end plate 35 and the first through hole 36.

[0222] Example 8

[0223] Different from Example 6, the end plate assembly of this embodiment is suitable for a large-capacity battery having the following electrolyte shared chamber 5 structure:

[0224] As shown in Figure 21, at least two first support ribs 20 extending along the x-direction are provided on the inner surface of the U-shaped housing bottom 61. The two first support ribs 20 and the area of ​​the U-shaped housing bottom 61 between the two first support ribs 20 form a shared electrolyte chamber 5. The two ends of the shared electrolyte chamber 5 located in the yz plane are open.

[0225] As shown in Figure 27, the end plate assembly structure of this embodiment includes an end plate body, which is fixed to the open end of the cylinder 2 composed of a U-shaped shell and a second cover plate, sealing the open end of the cylinder 2 while sealing the open ends of the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5.

[0226] For the convenience of description, the end plate body is divided into two areas according to different sealing objects, and the two areas are defined as the first sub-end plate 31 and the sixth sub-end plate 23, as shown in FIG22.

[0227] The first sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber 6 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 6. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by embedding welding.

[0228] The sixth sub-end plate 23 is used to simultaneously seal the open end of the large-capacity battery barrel 2 and the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. Because the electrolyte shared chamber 5 in this embodiment is located within the barrel 2, when the sixth sub-end plate 23 is sealed and fixed to the open end of the large-capacity battery barrel 2, the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 can also be sealed. The shape of the sixth sub-end plate 23 is compatible with the shape of the open end of the barrel 2. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the barrel 2 and it can be fixed to the open end of the barrel 2 by fusion welding. Alternatively, the area can be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the barrel 2 and it can be fixed to the open end of the barrel 2 by caulking welding.

[0229] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the first sub-end plate 31 and the sixth sub-end plate 23 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.

[0230] In this embodiment, a first through hole 36 is provided on the sixth sub-end plate 23. Preferably, the first through hole 36 is provided in the area of ​​the sixth sub-end plate 23 corresponding to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. The explosion relief mechanism 13 is welded to a partial area of ​​the sixth sub-end plate 23 around the first through hole 36. At the same time, a gas channel 16 is provided on the first sub-end plate 31 and the sixth sub-end plate 23 to connect the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5. 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 6 and the gas channel 16 in sequence, and rushes through the explosion relief mechanism 13 to be discharged from the explosion relief mechanism 13. The structure of the gas channel 16 is the same as that of Examples 6 and 7. It can be directly opened on the sixth sub-end plate 23, or it can be constructed by adding two fourth sub-end plates 34, and fixing the two fourth sub-end plates 34 to the inner surface of the sixth sub-end plate 23. A fifth sub-end plate 35 can also be added to compensate for the dimensional error of the two fourth sub-end plates 34 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.

[0231] In this embodiment, since the explosion relief mechanism 13 is fixed on the sixth sub-end plate 23 , the size of the sixth sub-end plate 23 in the y direction is much larger than the first sub-end plate 31 , so there is enough space for installing the explosion relief mechanism 13 .

[0232] Similar to Example 6, this embodiment also improves heat exchange by reducing the size of the gas chamber 6y direction. The first through hole 36 can also be used as an opening for the package opening device and a liquid injection port. The details are detailed in Example 6 and will not be repeated here.

[0233] Example 9

[0234] This embodiment is a housing, one structure of which is shown in Figure 28 , and includes the barrel 2 described in the above embodiment and a first end plate and a second end plate, respectively sealed and fixed to the two opposite open ends of the barrel 2, wherein at least one of the first end plate and the second end plate is the end plate assembly described in the above embodiment. The other end plate assembly can be a flat plate structure, sealing the open end of the barrel 2 while also sealing the open gas chamber 6 and the open electrolyte shared chamber 5. The specific structural form of the barrel 2 and the end plate assembly, as well as the fixing method of the barrel 2 and the end plate assembly, have been specifically described in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0235] Example 10

[0236] This embodiment is a large-capacity battery, in which a plurality of single cells are arranged in parallel in the housing of embodiment 9. The details have been described in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0237] Examples 11 to 14 provide an end plate assembly 3 that is different from Examples 8 and 9. The structures of the corresponding end plate assemblies 3 are slightly different for the electrolyte sharing chambers 5 of different structures, which are described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0238] 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.

[0239] Example 11

[0240] The end plate assembly 3 of this embodiment is suitable for a large-capacity battery having the following electrolyte shared chamber 5 structure:

[0241] The first structure, as shown in FIG4 , forms a first channel at the bottom 61 of the U-shaped shell as the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 , and the bottom 61 of the U-shaped shell is raised away from the top of the U-shaped shell 05 (the second cover plate 22 ).

[0242] The second structure, as shown in FIG24 , is a tube section with a square or circular cross-section fixed on the outer surface of the bottom 61 of the U-shaped shell; a through hole is opened in the tube wall and the bottom 61 of the U-shaped shell; the electrolyte shared chamber 5 is connected to the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell through the through hole.

[0243] The two ends of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 in the above two structures located in the yz plane are open ends.

[0244] The gas chamber 6 of the large-capacity battery can adopt the following structural forms:

[0245] In the first structure, as shown in FIG4 , a second channel extending along the x-direction is provided on the second cover plate 22 ; the second channel can be formed directly on the second cover plate 22 by bending or aluminum extrusion technology, wherein the second channel protrudes in a direction away from the bottom 61 of the U-shaped shell.

[0246] In the second structure, as shown in FIG25 , a pipe section with a square or circular cross-section is fixed on the outer surface of the top of the second cover plate 22 ; through holes are opened in the pipe wall and the second cover plate 22 .

[0247] The two ends of the gas chamber 6 in the above two structures located on the yz plane are open ends.

[0248] As shown in Figures 29 to 30, the end plate assembly 3 of this embodiment includes a first end plate 14 and a second end plate 15, which are fixed to one of the open ends of the cylinder formed by the U-shaped shell 05 and the second cover plate 22, and cooperate with the explosion relief mechanism 13 and the sealing plate 63 to seal the open end of the cylinder while sealing the open ends of the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5.

[0249] For ease of description, the first end plate 14 is divided into three areas according to different sealing objects, and the three areas are defined as a first sub-end plate 31, a second sub-end plate 32 and a third sub-end plate 33, as shown in FIG15 .

[0250] The first sub-end plate 31 is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber 6 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the first sub-end plate 31 is adapted to the shape of the open end of the gas chamber 6. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by embedding welding.

[0251] The second sub-end plate 32 is used to seal the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the second sub-end plate 32 is adapted to the shape of the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5, and it is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5, and it is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber 5 by embedding welding.

[0252] The third sub-end plate 33 is used to seal the open end of the cylinder of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the third sub-end plate 33 is adapted to the shape of the open end of the cylinder. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder, and it is fixed to the open end of the cylinder by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder, and it is fixed to the open end of the cylinder by embedding welding.

[0253] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the first sub-end plate 31, the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33 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.

[0254] As shown in Figure 31, if the explosion relief mechanism 13 is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6, it is necessary to open a through hole that passes through the inner cavity of the gas chamber 6 in the first sub-end plate 31, and weld the explosion relief mechanism 13 to the area of ​​the first sub-end plate 31 around the through hole. Since the first sub-end plate 31 is insufficiently sized in the y direction, the explosion relief mechanism 13 is difficult to install.

[0255] In order to overcome the above problems, a first through hole 36 can be opened in the area of ​​the first end plate 14 corresponding to the open end of the second sub-end plate 32 or the electrolyte shared chamber 5. As can be seen from Figure 15, part of the first through hole 36 in this embodiment is located on the second sub-end plate 32, and the other part is located on the third sub-end plate 33. The explosion relief mechanism 13 is welded at the first through hole 36 (see Figure 29); at the same time, a gas channel 16 is added to the end plate assembly 3 to connect the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5. When any single cell experiences thermal runaway, the smoke in its cavity rushes out from the gas port and passes through the gas chamber 6 and the gas channel 16 in sequence, breaking through the explosion relief mechanism 13 and being discharged from the explosion relief mechanism 13. A hollow component with an explosion relief membrane at one end can be used as the explosion relief mechanism 13.

[0256] In this embodiment, since the explosion relief mechanism 13 is fixed on a partial area of ​​the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33, the sizes of the second sub-end plate 32 and the third sub-end plate 33 in the y and z directions are much larger than the first sub-end plate 31, and there is sufficient installation position for the explosion relief mechanism 13.

[0257] When the gas chamber 6 is used as an explosion relief channel, the first through hole 36 is located in the first end plate 14 area corresponding to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. The first through hole 36 also serves as an operating port for the unpacking device. The unpacking device extends into the electrolyte shared chamber 5 through the first through hole 36 to unpack each single battery, so that the electrolyte shared chamber 5 and the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single battery are connected (specifically, when unpacking, the unpacking device extends into the electrolyte shared chamber 5 through the first through hole 36 and opens the sealing film sealed at the opening of the lower cover plate of each single battery. The specific sealing film can adopt the sealing film disclosed in Chinese patents CN218525645U and CN218525614U). In addition, the first through hole 36 can also serve as a liquid injection port. After the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single battery is connected to the electrolyte shared chamber 5, electrolyte can be re-injected into the inner cavity of each single battery and the electrolyte shared chamber 5 through the first through hole 36 to ensure the continuity of the electrolyte. After the liquid injection is complete, the explosion relief mechanism 13 is seal-welded to the second sub-end plate 32 and a portion of the third sub-end plate 33 surrounding the first through-hole 36. Compared to separately providing the first through-hole 36 and the operating port or liquid injection port of the package opening device in the end plate assembly, the overall structural strength of the end plate assembly is higher, the structure is simpler, and it is easier to manufacture.

[0258] When the gas chamber 6 is used as a gas sharing chamber, this embodiment can also open a third through hole 19 in the first end plate 14 area corresponding to the open end of the gas chamber 6. As can be seen from Figure 15, in this embodiment, the third through hole 19 is located on a partial area of ​​the first sub-end plate 31 and the third sub-end plate 33, and the third through hole 19 is used as a liquid injection port. Electrolyte can be injected into the gas chamber 6 through the third through hole 19 to dissolve the sealing film sealed at the top opening of each single cell (the sealing film disclosed in Chinese patents CN218525645U and CN218525614U can be used. When injecting liquid, the entire large-capacity battery can be inverted to allow the sealing film to fully dissolve), so that the gas chamber 6 and the inner cavity of each single cell are connected; at the same time, after the large-capacity battery is placed upright and the liquid is injected through the second through hole, the continuity of the electrolyte in the electrolyte sharing chamber and the inner cavity of each single cell can be ensured. After the injection is completed, the sealing sheet 63 is sealed in the first sub-end plate 31 and the partial area of ​​the third sub-end plate 33 around the third through hole 19.

[0259] It should be noted that although the structure of the U-shaped shell 05 shown in Figures 29 and 30 is slightly different from that shown in Figures 4 and 31, the structures of the open end of the gas chamber, the open end of the cylinder and the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 are exactly the same. Therefore, the end plate assembly 3 of this embodiment is applicable to the structures in the above figures.

[0260] To create the gas channel 16, this embodiment introduces a second end plate 15. As shown in Figures 14 to 17, the second end plate 15 is parallel to the first end plate 14, with a gap between them. This embodiment uses this gap as the gas channel 16. Compared to solutions that directly groove or open holes in the first end plate 14 to serve as gas channels, the gas channels in this embodiment have a larger flow area, which can accommodate more thermal runaway flue gas, making this type of large-capacity battery safer.

[0261] In this embodiment, screws are used to fix the second end plate 15 to the first end plate 14. It should be noted that in order to ensure that a gas channel 16 is formed between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14, the length of the screw in the x direction should be greater than the gap between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14, and less than the distance between the inner surface of the second end plate 15 and the outer surface of the first end plate 14 (the surface close to each single cell is defined as the inner surface). The head of the screw passes through the second end plate 15 and is connected to the first end plate 14. In order for the end plate assembly to function as a whole and better squeeze each single cell, a gasket 17 is provided between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14 in this embodiment. The head of the screw passes through the second end plate 15 and the gasket 17 in sequence and is connected to the first end plate 14 to prevent the gap between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14 from becoming smaller or even disappearing when squeezing the single cell.

[0262] In some other embodiments, the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14 may also be connected by rivets. It should also be noted that in the x-direction, the length of the rivet needs to be greater than the gap between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14, and less than the distance between the inner surface of the second end plate 15 and the outer surface of the first end plate 14 (the surface close to each single cell is defined as the inner surface). In some other embodiments, the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14 may also be connected by bonding. It should also be noted that in the x-direction, the thickness of the adhesive layer is equal to the gap between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14. In order to ensure that the gas channel 16 has a larger flow area, the adhesive layer can be applied in a dotted distribution on the second end plate 15 or the first end plate 14. However, compared with this embodiment, the connection strength between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14 is weaker.

[0263] In some other embodiments, the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14 can be two independent plates. The second end plate 15 can be welded to the inner wall of the cylinder near the open end of the cylinder first, and then the first end plate 14 can be welded to the open end of the gas chamber, the open end of the cylinder, and the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber; however, compared with this embodiment, the size of the gap between the second end plate 15 and the first end plate 14 is difficult to adjust.

[0264] As can be seen from the figure, the shape of the second end plate 15 of this embodiment is adapted to the shape of the third sub-end plate 33. When the second end plate 15 is larger in size along the z direction, fixing it to the third sub-end plate 33 may block the first through hole 36, resulting in the gas channel 16 or the electrolyte shared chamber 5 being unable to communicate with the explosion relief mechanism 13. In order to solve this problem, a through hole or notch that passes through the first through hole 36 can be opened in the second end plate 15 to ensure that the first through hole 36 is connected to the electrolyte shared chamber 5 or the gas channel 16.

[0265] In the structure shown in Figure 29, the area of ​​the first sub-end plate 31 is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by means of inlay welding. The area of ​​the third sub-end plate 33 is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the cylinder, and it is fixed to the open end of the cylinder by means of inlay welding. The area of ​​the second sub-end plate 32 is slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5, and it is fixed to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 by means of inlay welding.

[0266] A step structure 24 can be provided around the inner walls of the open end of the gas chamber 6, the open end of the cylinder and the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. The step surface of the step structure 24 can be used as a positioning surface. The first end plate 14 can be positioned at the open end of the gas chamber 6, the open end of the cylinder and the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 using the positioning surface, and then fixed by welding, as shown in Figure 30.

[0267] Furthermore, compared to the structure of the gas chamber 6 shown in FIG31 , the size of the gas chamber 6 in this embodiment is smaller in the y-direction than that shown in FIG31 . By reducing the size of the gas chamber 6 in the y-direction, the area of ​​the second cover plate 22 on either side of the gas chamber 6 can be increased. In this area, the temperature of the entire high-capacity battery can be regulated by adding heat transfer connectors 68 or terminal adapters connected to the individual battery cell terminals. The larger the area of ​​the second cover plate 22 on either side of the gas chamber 6, the larger the heat transfer connectors 68 or terminal adapters can be installed. Larger heat transfer connectors 68 or terminal adapters provide a larger heat exchange area, thereby achieving better heat exchange effects.

[0268] It should be noted that the heat transfer connector 68 can adopt the structure shown in Figure 26. 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 68 and clamping the heat transfer tube to the heat transfer connector 68, the local temperature of each single cell pole can be controlled, significantly reducing the occurrence of thermal runaway caused by excessive pole temperature.

[0269] The pole adapter can be an electrical busbar disclosed in Chinese patent CN116130892 A. Each pole corresponds to an electrical busbar, and each electrical busbar is provided with a slot.

[0270] Example 12

[0271] As shown in Figures 18 to 20, this embodiment can also include a third end plate 18. By adjusting the x-axis dimensions of the third end plate 18, all cells can be clamped in the x-axis, improving the stability of each cell within the housing. This can also prevent individual cell swelling, which can lead to reduced cycle performance in large-capacity batteries. Furthermore, the use of this third end plate 18 can further prevent the impact of thermal runaway fumes on the outermost cells.

[0272] It should be noted that after adding the third end plate 18, it is still necessary to ensure the connectivity of the gas chamber 6, the gas channel 16, the electrolyte shared chamber 5 and the explosion relief mechanism 13. This can be achieved by reducing the size of the third end plate 18 in the z direction so that it does not block the first through hole 36, or by opening a through hole in the corresponding part of the third end plate 18 and the first through hole 36.

[0273] Example 13

[0274] Different from Example 11, the end plate assembly of this embodiment is suitable for a large-capacity battery having the following electrolyte shared chamber 5 structure:

[0275] As shown in Figure 21, at least two first support ribs 20 extending along the x-direction are provided on the inner surface of the U-shaped housing bottom 61. The two first support ribs 20 and the area of ​​the U-shaped housing bottom 61 between the two first support ribs 20 form a shared electrolyte chamber 5. The two ends of the shared electrolyte chamber 5 located in the yz plane are open.

[0276] As shown in Figures 23 and 27, the end plate assembly 3 of this embodiment includes a first end plate 14 and a second end plate 15, which are fixed to the open end of the cylinder formed by the U-shaped shell 05 and the second cover plate 22, sealing the open end of the cylinder while sealing the open ends of the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5.

[0277] For the convenience of description, the first end plate 14 is divided into two areas according to different sealing objects, and the two areas are defined as the first sub-end plate 31 and the sixth sub-end plate 23, as shown in FIG23 .

[0278] The first sub-end plate 31 is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber 6 of the large-capacity battery. The shape of the first sub-end plate 31 is adapted to the shape of the open end of the gas chamber 6. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by welding; the area can also be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the gas chamber 6, and it is fixed to the open end of the gas chamber 6 by embedding welding.

[0279] The sixth sub-end plate 23 is used to simultaneously seal the open end of the large-capacity battery barrel and the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. Because the electrolyte shared chamber 5 in this embodiment is located within the barrel, when the sixth sub-end plate 23 is sealed and fixed to the open end of the large-capacity battery barrel, the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5 can also be sealed. The shape of the sixth sub-end plate 23 is compatible with the shape of the open end of the barrel. The area can be slightly larger than the area of ​​the open end of the barrel and fixed to the open end of the barrel by fusion welding. Alternatively, the area can be slightly smaller than the area of ​​the open end of the barrel and fixed to the open end of the barrel by insert welding.

[0280] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the first sub-end plate 31 and the sixth sub-end plate 23 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.

[0281] In this embodiment, a first through hole 36 is provided on the sixth sub-end plate 23. Preferably, the first through hole 36 is located in the area of ​​the sixth sub-end plate 23 corresponding to the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. The explosion relief mechanism 13 is welded to a portion of the sixth sub-end plate 23 surrounding the first through hole 36. At the same time, a gas channel 16 is provided on the first sub-end plate 31 and the sixth sub-end plate 23 to connect the gas chamber 6 and the electrolyte shared chamber 5. When thermal runaway occurs in any single cell, the smoke in its cavity rushes out from the gas port and passes through the gas chamber 6 and the gas channel 16 in sequence, breaking through the explosion relief mechanism 13 and being discharged from the explosion relief mechanism 13. The structure of the gas channel 16 is similar to that of Examples 11 and 12, except that, in the z direction, the size of the second end plate 15 must be smaller than that of the sixth sub-end plate 23 to prevent the second end plate 15 from blocking the first through hole 36.

[0282] In this embodiment, since the explosion relief mechanism 13 is fixed on the sixth sub-end plate 23 , the size of the sixth sub-end plate 23 in the y direction is much larger than the first sub-end plate 31 , so there is enough space for installing the explosion relief mechanism 13 .

[0283] Similar to Example 11, this embodiment also improves heat exchange by reducing the size of the gas chamber 6 in the y direction. When the gas chamber 6 serves as an explosion vent, the first through hole 36 can also serve as an opening for the package opening device and a liquid injection port. When the gas chamber 6 serves as a gas-sharing chamber, a third through hole 19 can also be provided in the area of ​​the first end plate 14 corresponding to the open end of the gas chamber 6. The details are detailed in Example 11 and will not be repeated here.

[0284] Example 14

[0285] The present embodiment is a large-capacity battery, comprising an outer shell, in which a plurality of single cells are arranged in parallel, wherein the outer shell comprises a cylinder and two end plate assemblies respectively sealed and fixed at two opposite open ends of the cylinder, wherein at least one end plate assembly is the end plate assembly 3 described in the above embodiment. The first end plate 14 area around the first through hole 36 is fixed with an explosion relief mechanism 13 to seal the first through hole 36; the first end plate 14 area around the third through hole 19 is fixed with a sealing sheet 63 to seal the third through hole 19. The other end plate assembly can adopt a flat plate structure, which seals the open end of the cylinder while sealing the open end of the gas chamber 6 and the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber 5. The specific structural form of the cylinder and the end plate assembly and the fixing method of the cylinder and the end plate assembly have been specifically described in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

Claims

1. A large capacity battery, characterized in that: It includes a shell and a plurality of single cells, wherein the plurality of single cells are connected in parallel in sequence and arranged in the inner cavity of the shell; the inner cavity of each single cell includes an electrolyte area and a gas area; the shell includes a cylinder with open ends at both ends and two end plate assemblies; An electrolyte sharing chamber is provided at the bottom of the cylinder, which is connected to the electrolyte area of ​​the inner cavity of each single cell; a gas chamber is provided at the top of the cylinder, which covers the gas port on the top of each single cell; a pole avoidance hole is provided at the top of the cylinder to enable the pole of each single cell to extend; the pole of each single cell extends out of the pole avoidance hole and the cylinder area corresponding to the pole avoidance hole is fixedly sealed with the single cell shell; two end plate assemblies are respectively fixed to the two open ends of the cylinder, which are used to seal the open end of the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery, the open end of the electrolyte sharing chamber and the open end of the cylinder; at least one end plate assembly includes an end plate body and an explosion relief mechanism; a gas channel is provided on the end plate body, and a first through hole is opened on the end plate body; the air inlet end of the gas channel is connected to the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery, and the air outlet end is connected to the first through hole; the explosion relief mechanism is sealed and fixed at the first through hole.

2. The large-capacity battery according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the cylinder bulges away from the top of the cylinder to form a first channel, which serves as an electrolyte sharing chamber.

3. The large-capacity battery according to claim 2, characterized in that: Heat dissipation fins are arranged on the outer surface area of ​​the bottom of the cylinder located on both sides of the first channel.

4. The large-capacity battery according to claim 2, characterized in that: The shell also includes a fixing mechanism; the fixing mechanism includes two support blocks extending along the length direction of the cylinder and fixedly arranged outside the bottom of the cylinder and on both sides of the electrolyte shared chamber; a first hole for fixing the insulating support rod is opened in the support block along the length direction of the support block.

5. The large-capacity battery according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first hole is a through hole penetrating the supporting block.

6. The large-capacity battery according to claim 5, characterized in that: The cylinder body and the support block are an integral part.

7. The large-capacity battery according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes an insulating sleeve sleeved in the first hole and a supporting rod sleeved in the insulating sleeve.

8. The large capacity battery according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that: The top of the cylinder bulges away from the bottom of the cylinder to form a second channel as a gas chamber.

9. The large-capacity battery according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first through hole is connected to the large-capacity battery electrolyte sharing chamber.

10. The large-capacity battery according to claim 9, characterized in that: The end plate body includes a first sub-end plate, a second sub-end plate and a third sub-end plate; the first sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery; the second sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber of the large-capacity battery; 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, and the third sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the large-capacity battery cylinder.

11. The large-capacity battery according to claim 10, characterized in that: The gas channel is a groove opened on the inner surface of the third sub-end plate.

12. The large-capacity battery according to claim 10, characterized in that: The end plate body further comprises two fourth sub-end plates, which are fixed on the inner surface of the third sub-end plate, and there is a gap between the two fourth sub-end plates, which serves as a gas channel.

13. The large capacity battery according to claim 12, characterized in that: The end plate body further includes a fifth sub-end plate, and the fifth sub-end plate is fixed on the inner surfaces of the two fourth sub-end plates.

14. The large-capacity battery according to claim 9, characterized in that: The end plate body includes a first end plate and a second end plate; the second end plate is in close contact with the outermost single battery in the cylinder; the first through hole is opened on the first end plate, and the first end plate cooperates with the explosion relief mechanism fixed at the first through hole to seal the open end of the gas chamber, the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber and the open end of the cylinder of the large-capacity battery; the second end plate is parallel to the first end plate and there is a gap between the two, and the gap serves as a gas channel.

15. The large capacity battery according to claim 14, characterized in that: The second end plate is fixedly connected to the first end plate.

16. The large capacity battery according to claim 15, characterized in that: The second end plate is fixedly connected to the first end plate by screws.

17. The large capacity battery according to claim 16, characterized in that: The end plate body also includes a gasket located between the second end plate and the first end plate, and the screw head passes through the second end plate and the gasket in sequence to be connected with the first end plate.

18. The large capacity battery according to claim 17, characterized in that: The end plate body also includes a third end plate which is closely attached to the inner surface of the second end plate.

19. The large capacity battery according to claim 14, characterized in that: A third through hole is also formed on the area of ​​the first end plate corresponding to the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery, and a sealing sheet is arranged at the third through hole.

20. The large capacity battery according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least two first support ribs extending along the arrangement direction of the single cells are arranged on the inner surface of the bottom of the cylinder. The two first support ribs and the bottom area of ​​the cylinder between the two first support ribs form a first channel.

21. The large-capacity battery according to claim 20, characterized in that: The top of the cylinder bulges away from the bottom of the cylinder to form a second channel as a gas chamber.

22. The large-capacity battery according to claim 21, characterized in that: The first through hole is connected to the large-capacity battery electrolyte sharing chamber.

23. The large capacity battery according to claim 22, characterized in that: The end plate body includes a first sub-end plate and a sixth sub-end plate; the first sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery; the sixth sub-end plate is used to simultaneously seal the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber of the large-capacity battery and the open end of the large-capacity battery cylinder.

24. The large capacity battery according to claim 23, characterized in that: The gas channel is a groove formed on the inner surface of the sixth sub-end plate.

25. The large capacity battery according to claim 24, characterized in that: The end plate body further comprises two fourth sub-end plates; the two fourth sub-end plates are fixed on the inner surface of the sixth sub-end plate, and there is a gap between the two fourth sub-end plates, and the gap serves as a gas channel.

26. The large capacity battery according to claim 25, characterized in that: The end plate body further includes a fifth sub-end plate, and the fifth sub-end plate is fixed on the inner surfaces of the two fourth sub-end plates.

27. The large-capacity battery according to claim 22, characterized in that: The end plate body includes a first end plate and a second end plate; the first through hole is opened on the first end plate, and the first end plate is used to cooperate with the explosion relief mechanism fixed at the first through hole to seal the open end of the gas chamber, the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber and the open end of the cylinder of the large-capacity battery; the second end plate is parallel to the first end plate and there is a gap between the two, and the gap serves as a gas channel.

28. The large capacity battery according to claim 27, characterized in that: The second end plate is fixedly connected to the first end plate.

29. The large-capacity battery according to claim 28, characterized in that: The second end plate is fixedly connected to the first end plate by screws.

30. The large capacity battery according to claim 29, characterized in that: The end plate body also includes a gasket located between the second end plate and the first end plate, and the screw head passes through the second end plate and the gasket in sequence to be connected with the first end plate.

31. The large capacity battery according to claim 30, characterized in that: It also includes a third end plate which is closely attached to the inner surface of the second end plate.

32. The large capacity battery according to claim 27, characterized in that: The first end plate is also provided with a third through hole, which is used to communicate with the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery, and a sealing sheet is sealed at the third through hole.

33. An end plate assembly, characterized in that: It includes an end plate body; the end plate body is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery, the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber and the open end of the cylinder; a gas channel is provided on the end plate body, and a first through hole is opened on the end plate body; the air inlet end of the gas channel is connected to the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery, and the air outlet end is connected to the first through hole.

34. The end plate assembly according to claim 33, characterized in that: It also includes an explosion relief mechanism arranged on the end plate body; the first through hole is used to communicate with the large-capacity battery electrolyte shared chamber; the explosion relief mechanism is connected to the first through hole and is sealed with the end plate body area around the first through hole.

35. The end plate assembly according to claim 33 or 34, characterized in that: The end plate body includes a first sub-end plate, a second sub-end plate and a third sub-end plate; the first sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery; the second sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber of the large-capacity battery; 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, and the third sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the large-capacity battery cylinder.

36. The end plate assembly according to claim 35, characterized in that: The gas channel is a groove opened on the inner surface of the third sub-end plate.

37. The end plate assembly according to claim 35, characterized in that: It also includes two fourth sub-end plates, which are fixed on the inner surface of the third sub-end plate, and there is a gap between the two fourth sub-end plates, and the gap serves as a gas channel.

38. The end plate assembly according to claim 37, characterized in that: It also includes a fifth sub-end plate, which is fixed to the inner surfaces of the two fourth sub-end plates.

39. The end plate assembly according to claim 33 or 34, characterized in that: The end plate body includes a first sub-end plate and a sixth sub-end plate; the first sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery; the sixth sub-end plate is used to simultaneously seal the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber of the large-capacity battery and the open end of the large-capacity battery cylinder.

40. The end plate assembly according to claim 39, characterized in that: The gas channel is a groove formed on the inner surface of the sixth sub-end plate.

41. The end plate assembly of claim 39, wherein: It also includes 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 gap serves as a gas channel.

42. The end plate assembly according to claim 41, characterized in that: It also includes a fifth sub-end plate, which is fixed to the inner surfaces of the two fourth sub-end plates.

43. A large capacity battery, characterized in that: It comprises an outer shell and a plurality of single cells connected in parallel arranged in the outer shell, wherein the outer shell comprises a cylinder and a first end plate and a second end plate respectively sealed and fixed at two opposite open ends of the cylinder, wherein at least one of the first end plate and the second end plate is the end plate assembly as described in any one of claims 33-42.

44. The end plate assembly of claim 33, wherein: The end plate body includes a first end plate and a second end plate; the first through hole is opened on the first end plate, and the first end plate is used to cooperate with the explosion relief mechanism fixed at the first through hole to seal the open end of the gas chamber, the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber and the open end of the cylinder of the large-capacity battery; the second end plate and the first end plate are parallel to each other and there is a gap between the two, and the gap serves as a gas channel.

45. The end plate assembly according to claim 44, characterized in that: The second end plate is fixedly connected to the first end plate.

46. ​​The end plate assembly according to claim 45, characterized in that: The second end plate is fixedly connected to the first end plate by screws.

47. The end plate assembly according to claim 46, characterized in that: It also includes a gasket located between the second end plate and the first end plate, and the screw head passes through the second end plate, the gasket and the first end plate in sequence.

48. The end plate assembly of claim 44, wherein: It also includes a third end plate which is closely attached to the inner surface of the second end plate.

49. The end plate assembly of claim 44, wherein: The first end plate is also provided with a second through hole, and the second through hole is used to communicate with the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery.

50. The end plate assembly of claim 44, wherein: The first end plate includes a first sub-end plate, a second sub-end plate and a third sub-end plate; the first sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery; the second sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber of the large-capacity battery; 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, and the third sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the large-capacity battery cylinder.

51. The end plate assembly of claim 44, wherein: The first end plate includes a first sub-end plate and a sixth sub-end plate; the first sub-end plate is used to seal the open end of the gas chamber of the large-capacity battery; the sixth sub-end plate is used to simultaneously seal the open end of the electrolyte shared chamber of the large-capacity battery and the open end of the large-capacity battery cylinder.

52. A large capacity battery, characterized in that: It comprises an outer shell and a plurality of single cells connected in parallel arranged in the outer shell, wherein the outer shell comprises a cylinder and end plate assemblies respectively sealed and fixed at two opposite open ends of the cylinder, wherein at least one end plate assembly is the end plate assembly as claimed in any one of claims 44 to 51; an explosion relief mechanism is fixed on the first end plate area around the first through hole to seal the first through hole; a sealing sheet is fixed on the first end plate area around the second through hole to seal the second through hole.

Images