Battery and electric apparatus

Abstract

A battery (10) and an electric apparatus. The battery (10) comprises battery cells (30) and a heat exchange member (20). Each battery cell (30) comprises electrode terminals (33) and a casing (31), the electrode terminals (33) are provided at the end of the casing (31) along a first direction, the casing (31) has two first surfaces (311a) opposite to each other along a second direction and two second surfaces (311b) opposite to each other along a third direction, the first surfaces (311a) are connected to the two second surfaces (311b), and the first direction, the second direction and the third direction intersect with each other. The heat exchange member (20) comprises a first sub-portion (21) and a second sub-portion (22), the first sub-portion (21) is opposite to the first surfaces (311a), and the second sub-portion (22) is opposite to the second surfaces (311b).

Description

Batteries and electrical devices

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202322940962.2, filed on October 31, 2023, entitled “Battery and Electrical Device,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a battery and an electrical device. Background Art

[0004] Batteries are widely used in electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops, electric vehicles, electric airplanes, electric boats, electric toy cars, electric toy boats, electric toy airplanes and power tools, etc.

[0005] In the development of battery technology, in addition to improving battery performance, battery reliability is also an issue that needs to be considered. Therefore, how to improve battery reliability is an issue of continuous improvement in battery technology.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The embodiments of the present application provide a battery and an electrical device that can improve the reliability of battery cells.

[0008] In the first aspect, the present application provides a battery comprising a battery cell and a heat exchange element, the battery cell comprising an electrode terminal and a shell, the electrode terminal being arranged at the end of the shell along a first direction, the shell having two first surfaces opposite to each other along a second direction and two second surfaces opposite to each other along a third direction, the first surface connecting the two second surfaces, and the first direction, the second direction and the third direction intersecting with each other; the heat exchange element comprising a first sub-section and a second sub-section, the first sub-section being opposite to the first surface, and the second sub-section being opposite to the second surface.

[0009] The battery provided in the embodiment of the present application is provided with a heat exchange element having a first sub-section and a second sub-section, and the first sub-section is arranged opposite to the first surface, and the second sub-section is arranged opposite to the second surface, so that the heat exchange element can exchange heat with the first surface and the second surface of the battery cell. This is beneficial to increasing the heat exchange area between the heat exchange element and the battery cell, and then increasing the heat exchange efficiency between the heat exchange element and the battery cell, so that the battery cell operates within a suitable temperature range, which is beneficial to improving the reliability performance of the battery cell, reducing the risk of thermal runaway of the battery cell, and thus improving the reliability performance of the battery.

[0010] In some embodiments, at least one first subsection is connected to at least one second subsection, the first subsection has a first flow channel, the second subsection has a second flow channel, and the first and second flow channels of the interconnected first and second subsections are in communication. This helps simplify the structure of the heat exchange element.

[0011] In some embodiments, a plurality of first sub-sections are spaced apart on one side of the second sub-section along the third direction, and at least part of the plurality of first flow channels are connected to the second flow channels. This arrangement is conducive to further simplifying the structure of the heat exchange element.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first subsection and the second subsection are plate-shaped, with multiple first subsections spaced apart along the second direction. Two second subsections are connected to each other at both ends of a first subsection along the third direction, and the two second subsections connected to the same first subsection are staggered along the third direction. This arrangement improves the heat exchange efficiency between the battery cells and the heat exchange element while also simplifying the structure of the heat exchange element.

[0013] In some embodiments, the heat exchange element further includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The fluid inlet is provided at one end of the heat exchange element along the second direction and communicates with the first flow channel of the first subsection. The fluid outlet is provided at the other end of the heat exchange element along the second direction and communicates with the first flow channel of the first subsection. This facilitates simplifying the battery structure and improving the battery's energy density.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first sub-section and the second sub-section are integrally formed. Thus, during the manufacturing process of the heat exchange component, the plate-shaped blank can be formed into the first sub-section and the second sub-section through a bending process, which is conducive to further simplifying the manufacturing process of the heat exchange component.

[0015] In some embodiments, multiple battery cells are arranged along the second direction, with both first surfaces of each battery cell facing the first subsection, and the area of ​​the first surface being larger than the area of ​​the second surface. This helps increase the heat exchange area between the battery cell and the heat exchange element, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency between the heat exchange element and the battery cell.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first surface is larger than the surface area of ​​the housing on either side along the first direction, thereby further increasing the heat exchange area between the heat exchange element and the battery cell, and further improving the heat exchange efficiency between the heat exchange element and the battery cell.

[0017] In some embodiments, multiple battery cells are disposed between two adjacent first subsections and arranged along the third direction, which is beneficial for reducing the number of heat exchange elements while improving the heat exchange efficiency between the battery cells and the heat exchange element, thereby simplifying the battery structure.

[0018] In some embodiments, the battery further comprises a heat conductor interposed between the second subsection and the second surface; and / or, the heat conductor is further interposed between the first subsection and the first surface. This facilitates increasing the heat conduction rate between the battery cells and the heat exchange element, further improving the heat exchange efficiency between the battery cells and the heat exchange element. In some embodiments, the battery further comprises a heating film affixed to the first subsection and / or the second subsection. This facilitates increasing the heating rate of the battery cells to meet the required temperature rise of the battery cells.

[0019] In some embodiments, the two side surfaces of the first sub-section along the second direction respectively abut against the first surfaces of two adjacent battery cells. In this way, the heat exchange element can be used as a buffer structure during the battery cell expansion process, thereby omitting the buffer structure between the battery cells, which is beneficial for reducing the risk of lithium plating in the battery cells and simplifying the battery structure.

[0020] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electrical device, comprising the battery provided in the above embodiment, and the battery is used to provide electrical energy.

[0021] The electrical device provided in the embodiment of the present application has the same technical effects as the battery provided in the above embodiment, and thus will not be described in detail here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the drawings without creative work.

[0023] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of another battery provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an exploded structure of a battery cell in a battery provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of another battery provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG6 is a front view of a heat exchange element in a battery provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG7 is a front view of another heat exchange element in a battery provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a heat exchange element in a battery provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of an exploded structure of a battery provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of another battery provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of an exploded structure of another battery provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of another battery provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG13 is a partial enlarged view of point A in FIG12 .

[0036] In the accompanying drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0037] Marking Description:

[0038] 1. Vehicle; 1a. Motor; 1b. Controller;

[0039] 10. Battery; 11. First housing; 12. Second housing; 13. End plate;

[0040] 20. Heat exchange element; 21. First subsection; 22. Second subsection; 20a. Fluid inlet; 20b. Fluid outlet;

[0041] 30. Battery cell; 31. Housing; 31a. Accommodation cavity; 311. Housing; 311a. First surface; 311b. Second surface; 312. End cap; 32. Electrode assembly; 33. Electrode terminal;

[0042] 40. heat conducting member; 50. heating film; 51. lead wire;

[0043] X, first direction; Y, second direction; Z, third direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. The following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings are used to illustrate the principles of the present application, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present application, that is, the present application is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0045] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means more than two; the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. "Vertical" is not strictly perpendicular, but is within the allowable error range. "Parallel" is not strictly parallel, but is within the allowable error range.

[0046] References to "embodiments" in this application mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in this application may be combined with other embodiments.

[0047] It should also be noted that, in the description of this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediary. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0048] The term "plurality" used in this application refers to two or more (including two).

[0049] In this application, battery cells may include lithium-ion secondary battery cells, lithium-ion primary battery cells, lithium-sulfur battery cells, sodium-lithium-ion battery cells, sodium-ion battery cells, or magnesium-ion battery cells, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto. Battery cells may be cylindrical, flat, rectangular, or in other shapes, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0050] The battery mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may include one or more battery cells to provide a single physical module with higher voltage and capacity. When there are multiple battery cells, the multiple battery cells are connected in series, in parallel or in hybrid through a busbar.

[0051] In some embodiments, the battery may be a battery module; when there are multiple battery cells, the multiple battery cells are arranged and fixed to form a battery module.

[0052] In some embodiments, the battery may be a battery pack, which includes a case and battery cells, wherein the battery cells or battery modules are housed in the case.

[0053] In some embodiments, the box body can be used as a part of the chassis structure of the vehicle. For example, part of the box body can become at least a part of the floor of the vehicle, or part of the box body can become at least a part of the cross beam and longitudinal beam of the vehicle.

[0054] In some embodiments, the battery may be an energy storage device, including an energy storage container, an energy storage cabinet, and the like.

[0055] A battery cell typically includes an electrode assembly. This assembly includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator. During the charge and discharge process of a battery cell, active ions (such as lithium ions) are inserted and removed between the positive and negative electrodes. The separator, located between the positive and negative electrodes, prevents short circuits while allowing the active ions to pass through.

[0056] In some embodiments, the positive electrode may be a positive electrode sheet, which may include a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material disposed on at least one surface of the positive electrode current collector.

[0057] As an example, the positive electrode current collector has two surfaces facing each other in its thickness direction, and the positive electrode active material is provided on either or both of the two facing surfaces of the positive electrode current collector.

[0058] As an example, the positive electrode current collector may be a metal foil or a composite current collector. For example, as the metal foil, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, nickel, carbon electrode, carbon, nickel or titanium with a silver surface treatment may be used. The composite current collector may include a polymer material base layer and a metal layer. The composite current collector may be formed by forming a metal material (aluminum, aluminum alloy, nickel, nickel alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, silver and silver alloy, etc.) on a polymer material substrate (such as polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyethylene, etc.).

[0059] As an example, the positive electrode active material may include at least one of the following materials: lithium-containing phosphates, lithium transition metal oxides, and modified compounds thereof. However, this application is not limited to these materials; other conventional materials that can be used as positive electrode active materials for batteries may also be used. These positive electrode active materials may be used singly or in combination of two or more.

[0060] In some embodiments, the positive electrode may be a carbon foam or a metal foam. The metal foam may be nickel foam, copper foam, aluminum foam, or an alloy foam, among others. When the metal foam is used as the positive electrode, the surface of the metal foam may or may not be provided with a positive electrode active material. For example, a lithium source material, potassium metal, or sodium metal may be filled and / or deposited within the metal foam, where the lithium source material is lithium metal and / or a lithium-rich material.

[0061] In some embodiments, the negative electrode may be a negative electrode sheet, and the negative electrode sheet may include a negative electrode current collector.

[0062] As an example, the negative electrode current collector may be a metal foil or a composite current collector. For example, as the metal foil, silver-surface-treated stainless steel, copper, aluminum, nickel, carbon electrode, carbon, nickel, or titanium may be used. The composite current collector may include a polymer material base layer and a metal layer. The composite current collector may be formed by forming a metal material (copper, copper alloy, nickel, nickel alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, silver, and silver alloy, etc.) on a polymer material substrate (such as polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyethylene, etc.).

[0063] As an example, the negative electrode sheet may include a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material disposed on at least one surface of the negative electrode current collector.

[0064] As an example, the negative electrode current collector has two surfaces facing each other in its thickness direction, and the negative electrode active material is provided on either or both of the two facing surfaces of the negative electrode current collector.

[0065] As an example, the negative electrode active material may be a negative electrode active material known in the art for use in battery cells. As an example, the negative electrode active material may include at least one of the following materials: artificial graphite, natural graphite, soft carbon, hard carbon, silicon-based materials, tin-based materials, and lithium titanate.

[0066] In some embodiments, the negative electrode may be made of carbon foam or metal foam. The metal foam may be nickel foam, copper foam, aluminum foam, or alloy foam. When the metal foam is used as the negative electrode sheet, the surface of the metal foam may or may not be provided with a negative electrode active material.

[0067] As an example, the negative electrode current collector may be filled with or / and deposited with a lithium source material, potassium metal, or sodium metal, where the lithium source material is lithium metal and / or a lithium-rich material.

[0068] In some embodiments, the material of the positive electrode current collector may be aluminum, and the material of the negative electrode current collector may be copper.

[0069] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly further includes a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The present application does not particularly limit the type of separator, and any known porous separator with good chemical and mechanical stability can be selected.

[0070] As an example, the main material of the isolation membrane can be selected from at least one of glass fiber, non-woven fabric, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, and ceramics.

[0071] In some embodiments, the battery cell also includes an electrolyte, which acts as a conductor of ions between the positive and negative electrodes. This application does not specifically limit the type of electrolyte, and the electrolyte can be selected based on needs. The electrolyte can be liquid, gel, or solid.

[0072] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly is a wound structure, wherein the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet are wound into the wound structure.

[0073] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly is a laminate structure.

[0074] Multiple positive electrode sheets and multiple negative electrode sheets can be provided respectively, and multiple positive electrode sheets and multiple negative electrode sheets can be alternately stacked.

[0075] As an example, a plurality of positive electrode sheets may be provided, and the negative electrode sheet may be folded to form a plurality of stacked folded segments, with a positive electrode sheet being sandwiched between adjacent folded segments.

[0076] As an example, both the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet are folded to form a plurality of stacked folded segments.

[0077] As an example, a plurality of separators may be provided, each of which is provided between any adjacent positive electrode sheets or negative electrode sheets.

[0078] As an example, the separator may be provided continuously, and may be provided between any adjacent positive electrode sheets or negative electrode sheets by folding or winding.

[0079] In some embodiments, the shape of the electrode assembly can be cylindrical, flat, or polygonal.

[0080] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly is provided with tabs that can conduct current from the electrode assembly. The tabs include a positive tab and a negative tab.

[0081] The battery cell also includes a housing, which has a housing formed inside for accommodating the electrode assembly. The housing can protect the electrode assembly from the outside to prevent external foreign matter from affecting the charging or discharging of the electrode assembly.

[0082] In related art, during battery operation, the battery cells have an appropriate operating temperature range. Therefore, when the battery operates in an extremely cold environment, the battery cells need to be heated. During operation, the battery cells generate heat. When the battery cell temperature is too high, the battery cell needs to be cooled to maintain it within a normal temperature range. Typically, heat exchange components are used to heat or cool the battery cells. However, in related art, the heat exchange efficiency between the heat exchange components and the battery cells is low, resulting in the battery cells being too hot or too cold, which seriously affects the reliability of the battery.

[0083] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a technical solution, which is to provide a heat exchange element of the battery with a first sub-section and a second sub-section, and to set the first sub-section opposite to the first surface and the second sub-section opposite to the second surface, so as to realize heat exchange between the heat exchange element and the first surface and the second surface of the battery cell, which is beneficial to improving the heat exchange efficiency between the heat exchange element and the battery cell, so that the battery cell can operate at the most appropriate temperature. This is beneficial to improving the reliability performance of the battery cell, and thus to improving the reliability performance of the battery.

[0084] The technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present application are applicable to battery cells, batteries including battery cells, and electrical devices using batteries.

[0085] Electrical devices may include vehicles, mobile phones, portable devices, laptop computers, ships, spacecraft, electric toys, and electric tools, etc. Vehicles may include fuel vehicles, gas vehicles, or new energy vehicles. New energy vehicles may include pure electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, or extended-range vehicles, etc. Spacecraft include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, and spacecraft, etc. Electric toys include fixed or mobile electric toys, such as game consoles, electric car toys, electric ship toys, and electric airplane toys, etc. Electric tools include metal cutting electric tools, grinding electric tools, assembly electric tools, and railway electric tools, such as electric drills, electric grinders, electric wrenches, electric screwdrivers, electric hammers, impact drills, concrete vibrators, and electric planers, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not impose any special restrictions on the above-mentioned electrical devices.

[0086] For the convenience of description, the following embodiments are described by taking a vehicle as an example of an electrical device.

[0087] As shown in FIG1 , a battery 10 is provided inside a vehicle 1. The battery 10 may be provided at the bottom, head, or tail of the vehicle 1. The battery 10 may be used to power the vehicle 1, for example, the battery 10 may serve as an operating power source for the vehicle 1.

[0088] The vehicle 1 may further include a controller 1b and a motor 1a. The controller 1b is used to control the battery 10 to supply power to the motor 1a, for example, to meet the power requirements of the vehicle 1 during starting, navigation, and driving.

[0089] In some embodiments of the present application, the battery 10 can not only serve as the operating power source of the vehicle 1, but also serve as the driving power source of the vehicle 1, replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power for the vehicle 1.

[0090] 2 , the battery 10 includes battery cells (not shown in FIG2 ) and may further include a case for accommodating the battery cells.

[0091] The box body is used to accommodate battery cells, and the box body can be of various structural forms. In some embodiments, the box body may include a first box body portion 11 and a second box body portion 12. The first box body portion 11 and the second box body portion 12 cover each other. The first box body portion 11 and the second box body portion 12 jointly define a storage space for accommodating battery cells. The second box body portion 12 can be a hollow structure with one end open, and the first box body portion 11 is a plate-like structure. The first box body portion 11 covers the open side of the second box body portion 12 to form a box body with a storage space; the first box body portion 11 and the second box body portion 12 can also be hollow structures with one side open. The open side of the first box body portion 11 covers the open side of the second box body portion 12 to form a box body with a storage space. Of course, the first box body portion 11 and the second box body portion 12 can be of various shapes, such as cylinders, cuboids, etc.

[0092] In order to improve the sealing performance after the first box body 11 and the second box body 12 are connected, a sealing member such as a sealant or a sealing ring may be provided between the first box body 11 and the second box body 12 .

[0093] Assuming that the first box body portion 11 covers the second box body portion 12 , the first box body portion 11 can also be referred to as an upper box cover, and the second box body portion 12 can also be referred to as a lower box body.

[0094] In battery 10, there can be one or more battery cells. If there are multiple battery cells, they can be connected in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid connection. A hybrid connection refers to a combination of series and parallel connections. Multiple battery cells can be directly connected in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid connection, and then the entire battery system is housed within a housing. Alternatively, multiple battery cells can be first connected in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid connection to form a battery string. Multiple battery strings are then connected in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid connection to form a single unit, which is then housed within a housing.

[0095] The battery 10 may also not have a box body, but include multiple battery cells connected in series or in parallel. After the multiple battery cells are connected in series or in parallel, they are fixed by structures such as steel belts or binding straps. Then, multiple batteries 10 are connected in series or in parallel to form a new energy storage unit.

[0096] In some embodiments, the multiple battery cells in the battery 10 may be electrically connected via a busbar component to achieve parallel connection, series connection, or hybrid connection of the multiple battery cells in the battery 10 .

[0097] 4 , a battery cell 30 provided in an embodiment of the present application includes an electrode assembly 32 and a housing 31 . The housing 31 has a receiving cavity 31 a , and the electrode assembly 32 is received in the receiving cavity 31 a .

[0098] The outer shell 31 may include a shell 311 and an end cover 312. When assembling the battery cell 30, the electrode assembly 32 may be placed into the accommodating cavity 31a first, and then the end cover 312 may be covered on the shell 311. Then, the electrolyte may be injected into the accommodating cavity 31a through the electrolyte injection port on the end cover 312.

[0099] In some embodiments, the housing 31 may also be used to contain electrolytes, such as electrolytes. The housing 31 may be in various structural forms.

[0100] The housing 31 can have a variety of shapes, such as a cylinder, a rectangular parallelepiped, etc. The shape of the housing 31 can be determined based on the specific shape of the electrode assembly 32. For example, if the electrode assembly 32 has a cylindrical structure, the housing 31 can also be a cylindrical structure. If the electrode assembly 32 has a rectangular parallelepiped structure, the housing 31 can also be a rectangular parallelepiped structure. In FIG4 , for example, both the housing and the electrode assembly 32 have rectangular parallelepiped structures.

[0101] The shell 31 can be made of a variety of materials, such as copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, etc., and the embodiment of the present application does not impose any special restrictions on this.

[0102] There may be one or more electrode assemblies 32 housed in the housing 31. In FIG4 , there are two electrode assemblies 32 housed in the housing 31.

[0103] As shown in Figures 5 to 7, a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present application includes a battery cell 30 and a heat exchange element 20. The battery cell 30 includes an electrode terminal 33 and a housing 31. The electrode terminal 33 is provided at an end of the housing 31 along a first direction X. The housing 31 has two first surfaces 311a that are opposite each other along a second direction Y and two second surfaces 311b that are opposite each other along a third direction Z. The first surface 311a connects the two second surfaces 311b. The first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z intersect in pairs. The heat exchange element 20 includes a first subsection 21 and a second subsection 22. The first subsection 21 is opposite the first surface 311a, and the second subsection 22 is opposite the second surface 311b.

[0104] The battery cell 30 may also include an electrode assembly disposed within the housing 31. Electrode terminals 33 are electrically connected to the tabs of the electrode assembly to enable electrical energy transmission. The electrode terminals 33 are disposed at ends of the housing 31 along the first direction X. Alternatively, the electrode terminals 33 may be disposed at one end of the housing 31 along the first direction X, or at both ends of the housing 31 along the first direction X. The preferred arrangement is as needed.

[0105] The two first surfaces 311a are oppositely arranged along the second direction Y, the two second surfaces 311b are oppositely arranged along the third direction Z, and the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z intersect each other. Optionally, the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z can be perpendicular to each other.

[0106] The heat exchange element 20 includes a first sub-section 21 and a second sub-section 22. The first sub-section 21 is opposite to the first surface 311a, and the second sub-section 22 is opposite to the second surface 311b. The first sub-section 21 and the second sub-section 22 can each be plate-shaped. The first sub-section 21 can abut against the first surface 311a, or be spaced a certain distance apart from the first surface 311a. Similarly, the second sub-section 22 can abut against the second surface 311b, or be spaced a certain distance apart from the second surface 311b.

[0107] Optionally, the first sub-section 21 can be integrally formed and formed by bending or other processes, or the first sub-section 21 and the second sub-section 22 can be formed separately and the first sub-section 21 and the second sub-section 22 can be respectively arranged at positions opposite to the first surface 311a and the second surface 311b.

[0108] The heat exchange element 20 exchanges heat with the battery cell 30 through the first sub-section 21 and the second sub-section 22. By setting the first sub-section 21 opposite to the first surface 311a and the second sub-section 22 opposite to the second surface 311b, the heat exchange element 20 can simultaneously exchange heat with the first surface 311a and the second surface 311b, which is beneficial to increase the heat exchange area between the heat exchange element 20 and the battery cell 30, and realize the heat exchange between the heat exchange element 20 and the battery cell 30 in both the second direction Y and the second direction Y. This is beneficial to improve the heat exchange efficiency between the heat exchange element 20 and the battery cell 30.

[0109] The heat exchange between the heat exchange element 20 and the battery cell 30 can be performed by heating the battery cell 30 through the heat exchange element 20, or by cooling the battery cell 30 through the heat exchange element 20. Of course, the heat exchange element 20 can also be configured to both heat and cool the battery cell 30 according to the operating requirements of the battery 10, and the battery cell 30 can be cooled or cooled under corresponding operating conditions.

[0110] The heat exchange between the heat exchange element 20 and the battery cells 30 can be performed using either a resistive or fluidic method. For example, a resistive element can be provided within the first subsection 21 and the second subsection 22. When energized, the resistive element can generate heat and heat the battery cells 30. Alternatively, flow channels can be provided within the first subsection 21 and the second subsection 22, respectively, so that when a fluid flows through the flow channels, it removes heat from the battery cells 30 or heats the battery cells 30.

[0111] Optionally, the first surface 311a of any battery cell 30 can be set opposite to the first sub-section 21, and the second surface 311b can be set opposite to the second sub-section 22; or, only the first surface 311a of any battery cell 30 can be set opposite to the first sub-section 21, while the second surface 311b is not opposite to the second sub-section 22; or, the second surface 311b of any battery 10 can be set opposite to the second sub-section 22, while the first surface 311a is not opposite to the first sub-section 21. The selection can be made according to actual needs.

[0112] The battery 10 may include multiple battery cells 30, and the first surfaces 311a of all the battery cells 30 may be set opposite to the first sub-section 21, and the second surfaces 311b may be set opposite to the second sub-section 22, or the first surfaces 311a of some of the battery cells 30 may be set opposite to the first sub-section 21, and the second surfaces 311b may be set opposite to the second sub-section 22.

[0113] One heat exchange element 20 may include one first sub-section 21 , or one heat exchange element 20 may include multiple first sub-sections 21 . Similarly, one heat exchange element 20 may include one second sub-section 22 , or multiple second sub-sections 22 .

[0114] The battery 10 may further include an end plate 13, which is disposed at the ends of a plurality of battery cells 30, and the first sub-portion 21 is clamped between the battery cells 30 and the end plate 13 to fix the battery cells 30 and the heat exchange element 20, and to press the heat exchange element 20 onto the surface of the battery cells 30 as much as possible.

[0115] It should be noted that the battery 10 provided in the embodiments of the present application may include multiple battery cells 30 and a housing. The multiple battery cells 30 are connected in series or in parallel and then stored in the housing. Alternatively, the battery 10 may not have a housing. Multiple battery cells 30 are connected in series or in parallel to form the battery 10. The multiple batteries 10 are then connected in series or in parallel and then placed in a housing to form a new energy storage unit.

[0116] The battery 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application is configured such that the heat exchange element 20 has a first sub-section 21 and a second sub-section 22, and the first sub-section 21 is configured to be opposite to the first surface 311a, and the second sub-section 22 is configured to be opposite to the second surface 311b, so that the heat exchange element 20 can perform heat exchange with the first surface 311a and the second surface 311b of the battery cell 30. This is beneficial to increasing the heat exchange area between the heat exchange element 20 and the battery cell 30, thereby increasing the heat exchange efficiency between the heat exchange element 20 and the battery cell 30, so that the battery cell 30 operates within a suitable temperature range, which is beneficial to improving the reliability of the battery cell 30, reducing the risk of thermal runaway of the battery cell 30, and thereby improving the reliability of the battery 10.

[0117] In some embodiments, at least one first subsection 21 is connected to at least one second subsection 22, the first subsection 21 has a first flow channel, the second subsection 22 has a second flow channel, and the first flow channels and the second flow channels of the interconnected first subsection 21 and second subsection 22 are in communication.

[0118] At least one first subsection 21 and at least one second subsection 22 are connected to each other in the heat exchange element 20, so as to facilitate the communication between the first flow channel and the second flow channel. Alternatively, one first subsection 21 can be connected to one second subsection 22, and a corresponding first flow channel can be connected to one second flow channel. Alternatively, one first subsection 21 can be connected to multiple second subsections 22, and a corresponding first flow channel can be connected to multiple second flow channels. Of course, one second subsection 22 can also be connected to multiple first subsections 21, and a corresponding second flow channel can be connected to multiple first flow channels.

[0119] A first subsection 21 may have one or more first flow channels, and similarly, a second subsection 22 may have one or more second flow channels. The multiple first flow channels of the first subsection 21 may be arranged in parallel with each other, and the multiple second flow channels of the second subsection 22 may also be arranged in parallel with each other.

[0120] Optionally, multiple first sub-sections 21 and multiple second sub-sections 22 of the heat exchange element 20 can be arranged to be partially connected to each other, or multiple first sub-sections 21 and multiple second sub-sections 22 of the heat exchange element 20 can be arranged to be interconnected so that multiple first flow channels and multiple second flow channels are directly or indirectly connected to each other.

[0121] Since the first flow channel and the second flow channel are connected, the corresponding interconnected first sub-section 21 and second sub-section 22 can have only one fluid inlet 20a, and it is not necessary to provide a fluid inlet 20a in each first sub-section 21 and each second sub-section 22, which is conducive to simplifying the structure of the heat exchange element 20.

[0122] As shown in FIG6 , in some embodiments, a plurality of first sub-portions 21 are spaced apart on one side of the second sub-portion 22 along the third direction Z, and at least part of the plurality of first flow channels are connected to the second flow channel.

[0123] Multiple first subsections 21 are arranged at intervals on one side of the second subsection 22 along the third direction Z. One or more battery cells 30 can be arranged between any two adjacent first subsections 21. For example, a first subsection 21 can be provided on both sides of each battery cell 30 along the second direction Y.

[0124] Since a second sub-section 22 is provided with multiple first sub-sections 21 at intervals on one side along the third direction Z, a corresponding second flow channel is connected to multiple first flow channels. In this way, only one fluid inlet 20a and one fluid outlet 20b can be provided for a corresponding first sub-section 21 and multiple first flow channels. After the fluid enters the first flow channel and multiple second flow channels through the fluid inlet 20a, it flows out through the fluid outlet 20b. Such a setting is conducive to further simplifying the structure of the heat exchange element 20.

[0125] As shown in Figures 5, 7 and 8, in some embodiments, the first sub-section 21 and the second sub-section 22 are plate-shaped, and multiple first sub-sections 21 are arranged at intervals along the second direction Y. Two ends of a first sub-section 21 along the third direction Z are respectively connected to two second sub-sections 22, and the two second sub-sections 22 connected to the same first sub-section 21 are staggered along the third direction Z.

[0126] The first sub-portion 21 is disposed opposite to the first surface 311 a , and the second sub-portion 22 is disposed opposite to the second surface 311 b . Since the first surface 311 a and the second surface 311 b intersect, the first sub-portion 21 and the second sub-portion 22 are disposed to intersect.

[0127] In this way, the multiple first sub-sections 21 and the multiple second sub-sections 22 of the heat exchange element 20 are connected end to end to form a "bow" shape, and the first flow channels and the second flow channels of adjacent first sub-sections 21 and second sub-sections 22 are connected to each other. In this way, a fluid inlet 20a can be set at one end of the heat exchange element 20 along the second direction Y, and a fluid outlet 20b can be set at the other end. The fluid enters the heat exchange element 20 through the fluid inlet 20a, and flows through each first flow channel and each second flow channel and then flows out through the fluid outlet 20b.

[0128] Optionally, one battery cell 30 may be disposed between two adjacent first subsections 21, or two or more battery cells 30 may be disposed between two adjacent first subsections 21. When multiple battery cells 30 are disposed between two adjacent first subsections 21, the multiple battery cells 30 may be arranged along the second direction Y, or along the third direction Z. Of course, the multiple battery cells 30 may also be arranged along both the second direction Y and the third direction Z.

[0129] For example, the first sub-portions 21 may be provided on both sides of each battery cell 30 along the third direction Z. This is beneficial for further improving the heat exchange efficiency between the battery cell 30 and the heat exchange element 20 .

[0130] Therefore, such a configuration not only improves the heat exchange efficiency between the battery cells 30 and the heat exchange element 20 , but also helps to simplify the structure of the heat exchange element 20 .

[0131] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, in some embodiments, the heat exchange element 20 further includes a fluid inlet 20a and a fluid outlet 20b. The fluid inlet 20a is provided at one end of the heat exchange element 20 along the second direction Y and is connected to the first flow channel of the first sub-section 21. The fluid outlet 20b is provided at the other end of the heat exchange element 20 along the second direction Y and is connected to the first flow channel of the first sub-section 21.

[0132] The fluid inlet 20a and the fluid outlet 20b are respectively arranged at the two ends of the heat exchange element 20 along the second direction Y. The fluid inlet 20a is connected to the first flow channel of the first sub-section 21 at the edge of one side of the multiple first sub-sections 21 spaced apart along the second direction Y, and the fluid outlet 20b is connected to the first channel of the first sub-section 21 at the edge of the other side of the multiple first sub-sections 21.

[0133] The fluid inlet 20a and the fluid outlet 20b are respectively disposed at both ends of the heat exchange element 20 along the second direction Y. The fluid enters the heat exchange element 20 through the fluid inlet 20a at one end of the heat exchange element 20 along the second direction Y, flows through the first flow channels of the plurality of first sub-sections 21 and the second flow channels of the plurality of second sub-sections 22, and then flows out through the fluid outlet 20b at the other end of the heat exchange element 20 along the second direction Y. This arrangement utilizes the space at both ends of the battery 10 along the second direction Y. The fluid inlet 20a and the fluid outlet 20b of the heat exchange element 20 are disposed only at the two ends of the heat exchange element 20 along the second direction Y, without occupying space elsewhere. This facilitates a simplified structure of the battery 10 and improves the energy density of the battery 10.

[0134] In some embodiments, the first sub-section 21 and the second sub-section 22 are integrally formed.

[0135] In this way, during the manufacturing process of the heat exchange element 20 , the plate-shaped blank can be formed into the first sub-portion 21 and the second sub-portion 22 through a bending process, which is conducive to further simplifying the preparation process of the heat exchange element 20 .

[0136] In some embodiments, the plurality of battery cells 30 are arranged along the second direction Y, the two first surfaces 311 a of any battery cell 30 are opposite to the first sub-portion 21 , and the area of ​​the first surface 311 a is larger than the area of ​​the second surface 311 b .

[0137] The plurality of battery cells 30 are arranged along the second direction Y. The batteries 10 may be arranged only along the second direction Y. Alternatively, the battery cells 30 may also be arranged along the third direction Z.

[0138] Since the two first surfaces 311a of the battery cell 30 are opposite to the first sub-section 21, and only one of the two second surfaces 311b can be set opposite to the second sub-section 22, the area of ​​the first surface 311a is set to be larger than the area of ​​the second surface 311b, which is beneficial to increase the heat exchange area between the battery cell 30 and the heat exchange element 20, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency between the heat exchange element 20 and the battery cell 30.

[0139] In some embodiments, the area of ​​the first surface 311 a is further greater than the area of ​​the surface of the housing 31 on either side of the first direction X.

[0140] As such, the area of ​​the two first surfaces 311a on either side of the housing 31 along the second direction Y is both larger than the area of ​​the two second surfaces 311b on either side along the third direction Z, and also larger than the area of ​​the sidewalls of the housing 31 on either side along the first direction X. In other words, the sidewall of the housing 31 on which the first surface 311 is located has the largest surface area. This provides a larger heat exchange area between the battery cells 30 and the heat exchange element 20, further improving the heat exchange efficiency between the battery cells 30 and the heat exchange element 20.

[0141] As shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 , in some embodiments, a plurality of battery cells 30 are disposed between two adjacent first sub-sections 21 , and the plurality of battery cells 30 are arranged along the third direction Z.

[0142] The first sub-section 21 is arranged at intervals along the second direction Y, and multiple battery cells 30 are arranged along the third direction Z. The two first surfaces 311a of each battery cell 30 arranged along the third direction Z can exchange heat with the first sub-section 21. In this way, one heat exchange component 20 can exchange heat with more battery cells 30, which is beneficial to reducing the number of heat exchange components 20 while improving the heat exchange efficiency between the battery cells 30 and the heat exchange components 20, and further beneficial to simplifying the structure of the battery 10.

[0143] As shown in FIG9 to FIG13 , in some embodiments, the battery 10 further includes a heat conducting member 40 , which is sandwiched between the second sub-portion 22 and the second surface 311 b ; and / or, the heat conducting member 40 is sandwiched between the first sub-portion 21 and the first surface 311 a .

[0144] Optionally, a heat conducting member 40 may be provided only between the second sub-portion 22 and the second surface 311b, or only between the first sub-portion 21 and the first surface 311a. Of course, a heat conducting member 40 may also be provided both between the first sub-portion 21 and the first surface 311a and between the second sub-portion 22 and the second surface 311b.

[0145] Optionally, the material of the heat conducting member 40 may include a thermal pad, a thermal conductive adhesive, etc.

[0146] Since the second sub-section 22 intersects with the first sub-section 21, there is a chamfer at the connection between the two. As a result, the first sub-section 21 may not be able to fit well with the first surface 311a, and the second sub-section 22 may not be able to fit well with the second surface 311b. By arranging a heat conduction member 40 between the second sub-section 22 and the second surface 311b, or arranging a heat conduction member 40 between the first sub-section 21 and the first surface 311a, heat exchange between the second sub-section 22 and the second surface 311b, or heat exchange between the first sub-section 21 and the first surface 311a is achieved through the heat conduction member 40, which is beneficial to improving the heat conduction rate between the battery cell 30 and the heat exchange member 20, and is beneficial to further improving the heat exchange efficiency between the battery cell 30 and the heat exchange member 20.

[0147] As shown in FIG. 9 , FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 , in some embodiments, the battery 10 further includes a heating film 50 , and the heating film 50 is attached to the first sub-portion 21 and / or the second sub-portion 22 .

[0148] The heating film 50 is attached to the first sub-section 21 and / or the second sub-section 22 , and the heating film 50 can be attached to either the first sub-section 21 or the second sub-section 22 , or a part of the heating film 50 is attached to the first sub-section 21 and the other part is attached to the second sub-section 22 .

[0149] Optionally, the heating film 50 may be attached to a side of the first subsection 21 and / or the second subsection 22 close to the battery cell 30 , or the heating film 50 may be attached to a side of the first subsection 21 and / or the second subsection 22 away from the battery cell 30 .

[0150] The heating film 50 may have an integrated resistor element that generates heat when powered. The heating film 50 may have a lead 51 that protrudes so that the heating film 50 is electrically connected to an external circuit via the lead 51, thereby facilitating heating of the battery cell 30 when powered.

[0151] When the battery 10 operates in an extremely cold environment, it is necessary for the battery 10 to have a high temperature rise rate at the beginning of startup. By providing a heating film 50 attached to the first sub-section 21 and the second sub-section 22, the heating film 50 can be controlled to generate heat when needed. The heating film 50 can work alone or in conjunction with the heat exchange element 20 to heat the battery cell 30. This helps to increase the heating rate of the battery cell 30 to meet the temperature rise requirements of the battery cell 30.

[0152] As shown in FIG. 5 , FIG. 10 and FIG. 12 , in some embodiments, both side surfaces of the first sub-portion 21 along the second direction Y respectively abut against the first surfaces 311 a of two adjacent battery cells 30 .

[0153] The battery cells 30 may expand during cycling. Therefore, a buffer structure is required between the battery cells 30 to absorb this expansion. By arranging the two side surfaces of the first sub-section 21 along the second direction Y to abut against the first surfaces 311a of two adjacent battery cells 30, the first sub-section 21 can provide a certain buffering effect on the expansion of the battery cells 30, thereby reducing the risk of lithium deposition in the battery cells 30 during cycling. In this way, the buffer structure between the battery cells 30 can be omitted.

[0154] Therefore, the two side surfaces of the first sub-section 21 along the second direction Y are respectively offset against the first surfaces 311a of the two adjacent battery cells 30. The heat exchange component 20 can be used as a buffer structure during the expansion process of the battery cell 30 to omit the buffer structure between the battery cells 30, which is beneficial to reducing the risk of lithium plating of the battery cell 30 and simplifying the structure of the battery 10.

[0155] The electrical device provided according to an embodiment of the present application includes the battery 10 provided in any of the above embodiments, and the battery 10 is used to provide electrical energy.

[0156] As shown in Figures 5 to 12, in some embodiments, a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present application includes a battery cell 30, a heat exchange element 20, a heat conductive element 40, and a heating film 50. The battery cell 30 includes an electrode terminal 33 and a housing 31. The electrode terminal 33 is provided at an end of the housing 31 along a first direction X. The housing 31 has two first surfaces 311a opposing each other along a second direction Y and two second surfaces 311b opposing each other along a third direction Z. The first surface 311a connects the two second surfaces 311b. The first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z intersect in pairs. The heat exchange element 20 includes a first sub-section 21, a second sub-section 22, a fluid inlet 20a, and a fluid outlet 20b. The first sub-section 21 abuts against the first surface 311a, and the second sub-section 22 abuts against the second surface 311b. The first subsection 21 and the second subsection 22 are plate-shaped and integrally formed. Multiple first subsections 21 are spaced apart along the second direction Y. Two second subsections 22 are connected to the same first subsection 21 at either end along the third direction Z. The two second subsections 22 connected to the same first subsection 21 are staggered along the third direction Z. The first subsection 21 has a first flow channel, and the second subsection 22 has a second flow channel. The first and second flow channels of adjacent first and second subsections 21 and 22 are interconnected. A fluid inlet 20a is provided at one end of the heat exchange element 20 along the second direction Y and is connected to the first flow channel of the first subsection 21. A fluid outlet 20b is provided at the other end of the heat exchange element 20 along the second direction Y and is connected to the first flow channel of the first subsection 21. Multiple battery cells 30 are arranged along the second direction Y. Both first surfaces 311a of each battery cell 30 face the first subsection 21, and the area of ​​the first surface 311a is larger than the area of ​​the second surface 311b. The heat conducting member 40 is sandwiched between the second sub-portion 22 and the second surface 311 b , and the heating film 50 is attached to the first sub-portion 21 and the second sub-portion 22 .

[0157] The battery 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application is configured such that the heat exchange element 20 has a first sub-section 21 and a second sub-section 22, and the first sub-section 21 is configured to be opposite to the first surface 311a, and the second sub-section 22 is configured to be opposite to the second surface 311b, so that the heat exchange element 20 can perform heat exchange with the first surface 311a and the second surface 311b of the battery cell 30. This is beneficial for increasing the heat exchange area between the heat exchange element 20 and the battery cell 30, thereby increasing the heat exchange efficiency between the heat exchange element 20 and the battery cell 30, so that the battery cell 30 operates within a suitable temperature range, which is beneficial for improving the reliability of the battery cell 30, reducing the risk of thermal runaway of the battery cell 30, and thereby improving the reliability of the battery 10.

[0158] Although the present application has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications may be made thereto and components may be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, the various technical features described in the various embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there are no structural conflicts. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A battery, characterized in that: include: A battery cell, comprising an electrode terminal and a shell, wherein the electrode terminal is provided at an end of the shell along a first direction, the shell having two first surfaces opposite to each other along a second direction and two second surfaces opposite to each other along a third direction, the first surface connecting the two second surfaces, and the first direction, the second direction and the third direction intersecting each other; The heat exchange element comprises a first sub-section and a second sub-section, wherein the first sub-section is opposite to the first surface, and the second sub-section is opposite to the second surface.

2. The battery according to claim 1, characterized in that At least one of the first subsections is connected to at least one of the second subsections, the first subsection has a first flow channel, the second subsection has a second flow channel, and the first flow channel and the second flow channel of the interconnected first subsection and the second subsection are in communication.

3. The battery according to claim 2, characterized in that A plurality of the first sub-portions are arranged at intervals on one side of the second sub-portion along the third direction, and at least part of the plurality of the first flow channels are communicated with the second flow channel.

4. The battery according to claim 2, characterized in that The first sub-section and the second sub-section are plate-shaped, a plurality of the first sub-sections are spaced apart along the second direction, two ends of one first sub-section along the third direction are respectively connected to two second sub-sections, and two second sub-sections connected to the same first sub-section are staggered along the third direction.

5. The battery according to claim 4, characterized in that The heat exchange element further includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, wherein the fluid inlet is arranged at one end of the heat exchange element along the second direction, and the fluid outlet is arranged at the other end of the heat exchange element along the second direction, and both the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet are connected to the first flow channel of the first sub-section.

6. The battery according to claim 4, characterized in that The first sub-section and the second sub-section are integrally formed.

7. The battery according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that: The plurality of battery cells are arranged along the second direction, the two first surfaces of any battery cell are opposite to the first sub-portion, and the area of ​​the first surface is greater than the area of ​​the second surface.

8. The battery according to claim 7, characterized in that The area of ​​the first surface is also greater than the area of ​​the surface of the housing on either side along the first direction.

9. The battery according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that: A plurality of battery cells are disposed between two adjacent first sub-sections, and the plurality of battery cells are arranged along the third direction.

10. The battery according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that: The battery further includes a heat conducting member, wherein the heat conducting member is sandwiched between the second sub-portion and the second surface; and / or the heat conducting member is sandwiched between the first sub-portion and the first surface.

11. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The battery further includes a heating film, and the heating film is attached to the first sub-section and / or the second sub-section.

12. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: Both side surfaces of the first sub-portion along the second direction respectively abut against the first surfaces of two adjacent battery cells.

13. An electrical device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a battery as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the battery is used to provide electrical energy.

Images