Battery and electrical device

Abstract

The application provides a battery and an electrical device, and solves the problem of safety risks in the internal area of a box body of the battery caused by liquid when liquid appears in the box body. The battery comprises the box body, battery cells and sensors. The battery cells and the sensors are arranged in the box body. The sensors are configured to detect the refractive index of the liquid in the box body.

Description

Batteries and electrical devices

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 2023231683199, filed on November 22, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. 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] The battery consists of a single cell, a housing, and a cooling plate, both of which are installed within the housing. The cooling plate cools the single cell, enabling the battery to meet fast-charging requirements while minimizing overheating. However, the presence of liquid within the battery housing can pose a safety risk to the interior of the housing.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main technical problem solved by the present application is to provide a battery and an electrical device to solve the problem that when liquid appears in the battery box, the liquid will cause safety risks to the internal area of ​​the box.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, the first technical solution adopted in this application is: providing a battery, the battery including a housing, a battery cell and a sensor; the battery cell and the sensor are both arranged in the housing; the sensor is configured to detect the refractive index of the liquid in the housing. In this way, when there is no liquid in the housing, the sensor detects that the target object is the gas in the housing; when liquid appears in the housing, the target object detected by the sensor changes from gas to liquid. This causes the refractive index of the target object detected by the sensor to change, causing the optical signal output by the sensor to change. At this time, the sensor can be connected to an external device, and the optical signal can cause the external device to issue a reminder, so that the staff knows that there is liquid in the housing. This allows the staff to repair and inspect the battery, reducing safety accidents involving the battery.

[0008] In some embodiments, the sensor includes a first sensor and / or a second sensor; the first sensor is configured to detect the refractive index of the inflowing liquid; the second sensor is configured to detect the refractive index of the leaking liquid. In this way, the two sensors (i.e., the first sensor and the second sensor) detect two types of liquid (i.e., the leaking liquid and the inflowing liquid), with a division of labor and more accurate detection.

[0009] In some embodiments, the sensor includes a first sensor; the housing includes a first housing and a second housing that are detachably connected; the first sensor is disposed on at least one of an inner side surface of the first housing, an inner side surface of the second housing, and an outer side surface of a battery cell, and the first sensor is disposed near a joint between the first housing and the second housing. In this manner, the first sensor can detect the joint between the first housing and the second housing.

[0010] In some embodiments, there are multiple first sensors, which are distributed in a ring shape along the connection seam between the first and second housings, so that the first sensors can detect every part of the connection seam, thereby reducing the possibility of liquid flowing into the housing.

[0011] In some embodiments, the sensor includes a second sensor located between the bottom of the case and the bottom of the battery cell. The second sensor can detect leaked liquid without changing the layout of the battery cell and the cooling plate.

[0012] In some embodiments, there are multiple second sensors, which are distributed in an array on the bottom wall of the box, so that the second sensors can detect multiple battery cells, making the detection more accurate.

[0013] In some embodiments, the battery further includes a protective body that abuts the bottom of the housing and the bottom of the battery cell, respectively. The second sensor is located between the protective body and the bottom of the battery cell, and does not contact the bottom of the battery cell. This reduces the pressure of the battery cell on the second sensor and does not affect the second sensor's detection.

[0014] In some embodiments, the sensor is a tilted fiber Bragg grating sensor. In this way, the angle of the tilted fiber Bragg grating sensor can be changed without changing the installation position of the tilted fiber Bragg grating sensor, so that the tilted fiber Bragg grating sensor can detect the refractive index of the liquid in the tank.

[0015] In some embodiments, the tilt angle of the tilted fiber Bragg grating sensor is greater than 0° and less than 90°.

[0016] In some embodiments, the battery further includes an optical fiber interrogator, which is connected to the sensor via an optical fiber. Thus, the optical fiber interrogator converts the optical signal output by the sensor into an electrical signal; external devices can directly use the electrical signal without conversion.

[0017] To address the aforementioned technical issues, the second technical solution provided by this application is to provide an electrical device comprising a battery management system, an optical fiber interrogator, and a battery. The optical fiber interrogator is connected to the sensor via optical fiber and is in communication with the battery management system. The electrical device includes the aforementioned battery, and thus has the same effects as the battery, and further description thereof is omitted.

[0018] To address the aforementioned technical issues, the present application provides a third technical solution: providing an electrical device comprising a battery management system and the aforementioned battery; the battery management system being communicatively connected to a fiber optic interrogator. The electrical device includes the aforementioned battery, and thus, the electrical device has the same effects as the battery, and further description thereof will be omitted.

[0019] In some embodiments, the optical fiber interrogator is located within the housing; the housing has a battery compartment area and a non-battery compartment area; the battery cells are located within the battery compartment area; and the optical fiber interrogator is located within the non-battery compartment area. In this manner, while the optical fiber interrogator can be installed, it will not affect the layout of the battery cells.

[0020] In some embodiments, the optical fiber demodulator is located outside the box. Thus, the optical fiber demodulator outside the box is connected to the sensor inside the box, for example, through an output port. This allows the detection of liquids inside the box during vehicle accidents or regular inspections. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. 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 these drawings without any creative work.

[0022] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery provided by the present application;

[0023] FIG2 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in FIG1 ;

[0024] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a second box provided in this application;

[0025] FIG4 is a simplified structural diagram of the protective body and the second sensor provided by the present application;

[0026] FIG5 is a simplified structural diagram of the electrical equipment provided by the present application;

[0027] FIG6 is a functional module diagram of the electrical equipment provided by the present application;

[0028] FIG7 is a gas spectrum diagram provided by the present application;

[0029] FIG8 is a spectrum diagram of water provided by this application;

[0030] FIG9 is a spectrum diagram of the coolant provided by the present application;

[0031] FIG10 is a spectrum diagram of the electrolyte provided by the present application;

[0032] FIG11 is a spectrum diagram of gas, water, coolant and electrolyte provided in this application.

[0033] In the figure: 1. Battery; 11. Box; 111. First box; 112. Second box; 113. Connection seam; 114. Non-battery compartment area; 115. Battery compartment area; 12. Battery cell; 13. Cooling plate; 14. Sensor; 141. First sensor; 142. Second sensor; 15. Fiber optic demodulator; 16. Output port; 17. Protective body; 171. Mounting slot; 2. Battery management system; 3. Alarm mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following describes the embodiments of the present application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] In the following description, for the purpose of explanation rather than limitation, specific details such as specific system structures, interfaces, and technologies are provided to facilitate a thorough understanding of the present application.

[0036] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0037] The terms "first," "second," and "third" in this application are used only for descriptive purposes and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined. All directional indications in the embodiments of this application (such as up, down, left, right, front, back...) are only used to explain the relative positional relationship, movement, etc. between the components under a specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications also change accordingly. In addition, the terms "including" and "having," as well as any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0038] References herein to "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present 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 herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0039] In related technologies, a battery includes multiple battery cells, a housing, and a cooling plate, all of which are mounted within the housing. The cooling plate cools the battery cells, allowing the battery to meet fast-charging requirements while also reducing overheating.

[0040] The housing consists of a detachably connected first and second housings. External rainwater, for example, can enter the housing through the seam between the first and second housings. Electrochemical corrosion of the battery cells can cause the electrolyte to flow into the housing. Electrochemical corrosion of the cooling plate can cause the coolant to flow into the housing.

[0041] Research has found that when at least one of rainwater, electrolyte and coolant appears in the battery case, the liquid will cause safety risks (such as short circuit and case corrosion) in the internal area of ​​the battery.

[0042] To address the issue of liquid present in a battery, which can pose a safety risk to the internal area of ​​the battery, embodiments of the present application provide a battery. Battery 1 is a single physical module comprising one or more battery cells 12 to provide higher voltage and capacity.

[0043] 1 to 3 , the battery 1 may include a housing 11 , a battery cell 12 , and a sensor 14 . The battery cell 12 and the sensor 14 are both disposed within the housing 11 . The sensor 14 is used to detect the refractive index of the liquid within the housing 11 .

[0044] In this way, when there is no liquid in the box 11, the target object detected by the sensor 14 is the gas (such as air) in the box 11; when liquid appears in the box 11, the target object detected by the sensor 14 changes from gas to liquid, causing the refractive index of the target object detected by the sensor 14 to change, causing the sensor 14 to output a light signal (the light signal can be understood as the refractive index of the liquid, and can also be understood as a light signal that has a functional relationship with the refractive index of the liquid). At this time, the sensor 14 can be connected to an external device, and the light signal can cause the external device to issue a reminder, so that the staff knows that there is liquid in the box 11. In this way, the staff can repair and detect the battery 1, reducing the occurrence of safety accidents with the battery 1.

[0045] The external device may be a combination of the battery management system 2 and the optical fiber demodulator 15 as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 (described below and omitted for brevity).

[0046] The external device may also be a combination of the fiber optic interrogator 15 and an alarm, or a signal light of the fiber optic interrogator 15. For example, the fiber optic interrogator 15 is connected to the sensor 14 via an optical fiber, which is electrically connected to the alarm. The fiber optic interrogator 15 converts the aforementioned optical signal into an electrical signal (e.g., a control signal); the alarm sounds an alarm upon receiving the electrical signal. Another example is the fiber optic interrogator 15 is connected to the sensor 14 via an optical fiber, which is electrically connected to the signal light. The fiber optic interrogator 15 converts the aforementioned optical signal into an electrical signal (e.g., a control signal); the signal light emits light or changes color upon receiving the electrical signal.

[0047] Sensor 14 is used to detect the refractive index of the liquid in the housing 11. Therefore, sensor 14 can be a sensor capable of detecting the refractive index of the liquid (which can be called a refractive index sensor). The refractive index sensor can be a fiber optic sensor. The refractive index sensor can also be a fiber grating sensor, for example, a tilted fiber grating sensor. The tilted fiber grating sensor can include a connected sensing fiber portion and a single-mode transmission fiber portion. The tilted fiber grating sensor can be a grating sensor having a period and a tilt angle. The central wavelength of the tilted fiber grating sensor can be 1500nm to 1600nm (1500nm, 1550nm, 1600nm, etc.). Both the tilted fiber grating sensor and the single-mode optical fiber include two parts: a cladding and a core. The cladding diameter of the tilted fiber grating sensor and the single-mode optical fiber is not limited, for example, the diameter is 40um to 130um (for example, 40um, 50um, 60um, 80um, 120um, 125um, 130um, etc.). The following description uses the tilted fiber grating sensor as an example.

[0048] The housing 11 can have various structures. The housing 11 can include a detachable first housing 111 and a second housing 112; for example, the first housing 111 and the second housing 112 are connected by screws, snaps, etc. In some examples, the first housing 111 can be referred to as an upper cover, and the second housing 112 can be referred to as a lower cover. The upper cover and the lower cover cover together define a storage space for accommodating the battery cells 12. To improve the sealing performance after the upper cover and the lower cover are connected, a sealant, such as a sealant or a sealing ring, can also be provided between the upper cover and the lower cover.

[0049] Sensor 14 is used to detect the refractive index of the liquid within housing 11. The refractive index of the liquid can be the refractive index of the leaked liquid and / or the refractive index of the inflowing liquid. Leaked liquid can be understood as liquid leaking from components within housing 11; for example, the leaked liquid can be electrolyte leaked from battery cells 12, or coolant leaked from cooling plate 13. Inflowing liquid can be understood as liquid flowing from the outside into the housing; for example, the inflowing liquid can be rainwater entering through the joint 113 between first housing 111 and second housing 112.

[0050] The sensor 14 is used to detect the refractive index of the leaked liquid and / or the refractive index of the inflowing liquid in the box 11 .

[0051] For example, sensor 14 is used to detect the refractive index of liquid flowing into housing 11. This allows sensor 14 to detect rainwater flowing into joint 113 between first housing 111 and second housing 112. Sensor 14 can also detect the airtightness between first housing 111 and second housing 112; for example, if rainwater flows into joint 113, it indicates poor airtightness.

[0052] For another example, the sensor 14 is used to detect the refractive index of the leaked liquid in the box body 11. In this way, the sensor 14 can detect whether the battery cell 12 or the cooling plate 13 has electrochemical corrosion.

[0053] For another example, the sensor 14 is used to detect the refractive index of the liquid flowing into the box 11 ; the sensor 14 is also used to detect the refractive index of the liquid leaking out of the box 11 .

[0054] Battery cells 12 may include lithium-ion batteries 1, sodium-ion batteries 1, or magnesium-ion batteries 1. Battery cells 12 may be cylindrical, flat, or in other shapes. Battery cells 12 are generally categorized into three types based on packaging: cylindrical battery cells 12, prismatic battery cells 12, and soft-pack battery cells 12.

[0055] There are multiple battery cells 12. Multiple battery cells 12 can be connected in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid configuration. A hybrid configuration refers to a combination of series and parallel connections within the multiple battery cells 12. Multiple battery cells 12 can be directly connected in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid configuration, and then the entire structure of the multiple battery cells 12 is housed within the housing 11. Alternatively, multiple battery cells 12 can be first connected in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid configuration to form a battery module 1, and then the multiple battery modules 1 can be connected in series, in parallel, or in a hybrid configuration to form a single structure and housed within the housing 11. Multiple battery cells 12 within a battery module 1 can be electrically connected via a busbar assembly to enable parallel, series, or hybrid connection of the multiple battery cells 12 within the battery module 1.

[0056] A battery cell 12 includes one or more electrode assemblies, a housing, and end caps. The housing has an opening; the one or more electrode assemblies are placed within the housing through the opening; the end caps cover the opening and are connected to the housing to form an outer shell or battery case. The housing is filled with an electrolyte, such as an electrolyte solution.

[0057] The battery cell 12 may also include two electrode terminals, which may be provided on the end caps. The two electrode terminals are fixed to the end caps, and are respectively a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal. Each electrode terminal is provided with a corresponding connecting member (which may be referred to as a current collecting member). The connecting member is located between the end caps and the electrode assembly to electrically connect the electrode assembly and the electrode terminal.

[0058] In some examples, the battery further includes an output port 16, which can be connected to the sensor 14. The output port 16 can be sealed and mounted on the housing 11. In this case, an external device can be plugged into the output port 16. The provision of the output port 16 facilitates electrical connection with the external device. The output port 16 can be an I / O port, a USB port, etc.

[0059] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , the sensor 14 includes a first sensor 141 and / or a second sensor 142 ; the first sensor 141 is used to detect the refractive index of the inflowing liquid; and the second sensor 142 is used to detect the refractive index of the leaking liquid.

[0060] In this way, two sensors 14 (i.e., first sensor 141 and second sensor 142) detect two types of liquids (i.e., leaked liquid and inflowing liquid), with a division of labor and more accurate detection. When the first sensor 141 detects the refractive index of the liquid, it indicates that the airtightness of the box is poor, external liquid has flowed into the box, and the box 11 needs to be repaired. When the second sensor 142 detects the refractive index of the liquid, it indicates that there is electrochemical corrosion in the battery cells and cooling plate, and the battery cells and cooling plate need to be repaired.

[0061] Exemplarily, the sensor 14 includes a first sensor 141 for detecting the refractive index of the incoming liquid. Furthermore, the sensor 14 includes a second sensor 142 for detecting the refractive index of the outgoing liquid. Furthermore, the sensor 14 includes a first sensor 141 and a second sensor 142 for detecting the refractive index of the outgoing liquid.

[0062] In some embodiments, referring again to Figures 2 and 3 , sensor 14 includes a first sensor 141; housing 11 includes a first housing 111 and a second housing 112 that are detachably connected. First sensor 141 is disposed on at least one of the inner side of first housing 111, the inner side of second housing 112, and the outer side of battery cell 12, and is positioned near a seam 113 between first housing 111 and second housing 112. This allows first sensor 141 to detect seam 113 between first housing 111 and second housing 112.

[0063] The first sensor 141 is arranged on the outer surface of the battery cell 12; it can be understood that when the number of battery cells 12 is one, the first sensor 141 is arranged on the outer surface of one battery cell 12; when the number of battery cells 12 is multiple, the first sensor 141 is arranged on the outer surface of the battery cells 12 as a whole.

[0064] The first sensor 141 is located near the connecting seam 113 between the first housing 111 and the second housing 112. It can be understood that the distance between the first sensor 141 and the connecting seam 113 is small, allowing the first sensor 141 to detect rainwater entering through the connecting seam 113. This distance is within the detection range of the first sensor 141. This distance can be determined based on the detection range of the first sensor 141. For example, if the detection range of the first sensor 141 is A to B, the distance can be A, B, or C (where C is between A and B). A, B, and C are all positive numbers.

[0065] When the first sensor 141 is disposed on at least two of the inner side surface of the first box body 111 , the inner side surface of the second box body 112 , and the outer side surface of the battery cell 12 , it can be understood that a portion of the first sensor 141 is located on one and another portion is located on the other.

[0066] The first sensor 141 may be connected to the box body 11 and / or the battery cell 12 by at least one of snap connection, bolt connection, welding, and adhesive bonding.

[0067] For example, first sensor 141 is positioned on the inner side of first housing 111, near the seam 113 connecting first housing 111 and second housing 112. In this application, second housing 112 is the lower housing. When rainwater enters seam 113, it flows along the inner side of the lower housing onto its inner bottom. Therefore, positioning first sensor 141 on the inner side of first housing 111 minimizes contact between rainwater and first sensor 141, thereby reducing corrosion caused by rainwater.

[0068] As another example, the first sensor 141 is disposed on the inner side of the second box body 112 and is close to the connection seam 113 between the first box body 111 and the second box body 112 .

[0069] The second box body 112 of the present application is the lower box body. When rainwater enters the connection seam 113, the rainwater flows along the inner side surface of the lower box body to the inner bottom surface of the lower box body. Then, the first sensor 141 is set on the inner side surface of the second box body 112, making it easier for the first sensor 141 to detect rainwater.

[0070] As another example, the first sensor 141 is disposed on the outer surface of the battery cell 12, near the connecting seam 113 between the first and second housings 111 and 112. This facilitates adjustment of the angle between the first sensor 141 and the connecting seam 113. For example, the first sensor 141 is disposed on the outer surface of the battery cell 12 directly opposite the connecting seam 113, spaced apart from the connecting seam 113, making it easier to detect liquid entering through the connecting seam 113. Furthermore, rainwater will flow along the inner side of the lower housing to the inner bottom surface of the lower housing. The first sensor 141 is disposed on the outer surface of the battery cell 12 to minimize contact between rainwater and the first sensor 141, thereby reducing corrosion of the first sensor 141 by rainwater.

[0071] As another example, a portion of the first sensor 141 is disposed on the inner side of the first case 111, and another portion of the first sensor 141 is disposed on the inner side of the second case 112, and is close to the connecting seam 113 between the first case 111 and the second case 112. As another example, a portion of the first sensor 141 is disposed on the inner side of the first case 111, and another portion of the first sensor 141 is disposed on the outer side of the battery cell 12, and is close to the connecting seam 113 between the first case 111 and the second case 112. As another example, a portion of the first sensor 141 is disposed on the inner side of the second case 112, and another portion of the first sensor 141 is disposed on the outer side of the battery cell 12, and is close to the connecting seam 113 between the first case 111 and the second case 112.

[0072] As another example, the first part of the first sensor 141 is arranged on the inner side of the first box body 111, the second part of the first sensor 141 is arranged on the inner side of the second box body 112, and the third part of the first sensor 141 is arranged on the outer side of the battery cell 12 and close to the connecting seam 113 between the first box body 111 and the second box body 112.

[0073] In some embodiments, there are multiple first sensors 141 , which are distributed in a ring along the connecting seam 113 between the first housing 111 and the second housing 112 . This allows the first sensors 141 to detect every part of the connecting seam 113 , thereby reducing the risk of liquid flowing into the housing 11 .

[0074] When the box body 11 is cylindrical, the connection seam 113 is circular; accordingly, the ring shape can be a circular ring shape. When the box body 11 is a rectangular parallelepiped, the connection seam 113 is rectangular; accordingly, the ring shape can be a square ring shape.

[0075] In some embodiments, referring again to Figures 2 and 3 , sensor 14 includes a second sensor 142 ; second sensor 142 is located between the bottom of housing 11 and the bottom of battery cell 12 . If electrolyte leaks from battery cell 12, it will flow to the bottom of battery cell 12 ; if coolant leaks from cooling plate 13, it will flow to the bottom of battery cell 12 . Therefore, placing second sensor 142 at the bottom of battery cell 12 allows detection of leaked liquid (i.e., leaked electrolyte and coolant) without changing the layout of battery cell 12 and cooling plate 13 .

[0076] The bottom of the battery cell 12 can be understood as the side of the housing 11 opposite to the electrode terminals, so that leaked coolant and electrolyte will not cause a short circuit in the battery cell 12 and reduce interference from the electrode terminals to the second sensor 142.

[0077] In some embodiments, there are multiple second sensors 142 , which are distributed in an array on the bottom wall of the box 11 , so that the second sensors 142 can detect multiple battery cells 12 , making the detection more accurate.

[0078] For example, the plurality of second sensors 142 are distributed in a rectangular array. Another example is the plurality of second sensors 142 are distributed in a circular array. When the plurality of battery cells 12 are distributed in an array, the plurality of second sensors 142 can be distributed in an array with reference to the array distribution design of the plurality of battery cells 12; for example, the array arrangements of the two can be the same.

[0079] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 2 to 4 , the battery 1 further includes a protective body 17 , which abuts the bottom of the housing 11 and the bottom of the battery cell 12 , respectively. The second sensor 142 is located between the protective body 17 and the bottom of the battery cell 12 , and does not contact the bottom of the battery cell 12 . This reduces the pressure exerted by the battery cell 12 on the second sensor 142 and does not affect the detection of the second sensor 142 . The protective body 17 may be a plate structure.

[0080] For example, the protective body 17 has a mounting groove 171, the opening of which faces the bottom of the battery cell 12. The second sensor 142 is disposed within the mounting groove 171. If there are multiple second sensors 142, there will also be multiple mounting grooves 171, each corresponding to the other. The provision of the mounting groove 171 facilitates the installation of the second sensor 142.

[0081] As another example, the surface of the protective body 17 near the battery cell 12 has a raised portion, which contacts the bottom of the battery cell 12. The second sensor 142 is disposed on the surface of the protective body 17 near the battery cell 12. The raised portion serves as a support. If there are multiple raised portions, the second sensor 142 is located between the multiple raised portions.

[0082] In some embodiments, the sensor 14 is a tilted fiber Bragg grating sensor. In this way, without changing the installation position of the tilted fiber Bragg grating sensor, the angle of the tilted fiber Bragg grating sensor is changed, so that the tilted fiber Bragg grating sensor can detect the refractive index of the liquid in the tank.

[0083] In some embodiments, the tilt angle of the tilted fiber Bragg grating sensor is greater than 0° and less than 90° (e.g., 1°, 2°, 4°, 6°, 8°, 10°, 12°, 15°, 17°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 45°, 50°, 60°, 75°, 89°, etc.). For example, the tilt angle of the tilted fiber Bragg grating sensor is greater than 0° and less than or equal to 20° (e.g., 1°, 2°, 4°, 6°, 8°, 10°, 12°, 15°, 17°, 20°, etc.). In this way, a tilt angle of 0° to 20° allows the tilted fiber Bragg grating sensor to detect inflowing and leaking liquids.

[0084] In some embodiments, the battery further includes a fiber optic interrogator 15, which is connected to the sensor 14 via an optical fiber. This allows the interrogator 15 to convert the optical signal from the liquid collected by the sensor 14 into an electrical signal; external devices can directly use this electrical signal without requiring conversion. Of course, the fiber optic interrogator 15 can also convert the optical signal from the gas collected by the sensor 14 into an electrical signal from the gas. When the sensor 14 collects the optical signal from the gas, this indicates that there is no liquid in the battery housing 11, and further explanation is omitted.

[0085] In some examples, the fiber optic interrogator 15 is connected to the output port.

[0086] The optical fiber demodulator 15 is configured to convert the optical signal output by the sensor 14 (eg, after analysis and processing) into an electrical signal when the refractive index of the liquid collected by the sensor 14 is measured, and transmit the electrical signal (eg, the result after analysis and processing) to the battery management system.

[0087] In some examples, the first sensor 141 is used to detect the refractive index of the liquid flowing into the box 11 and output a corresponding optical signal to the fiber optic demodulator 15 (in order to distinguish it from the optical signal below, the optical signal can be referred to as the first optical signal); the fiber optic demodulator 15 outputs a first electrical signal corresponding to the first optical signal to the battery management system.

[0088] The second sensor 142 is used to detect the refractive index of the leaked liquid in the box 11 and output a corresponding optical signal (this optical signal can be called a second optical signal) to the optical fiber demodulator 15; the optical fiber demodulator 15 outputs a second electrical signal corresponding to the second optical signal to the battery management system.

[0089] Since the refractive indexes of the leaking liquid and the inflowing liquid are usually different, the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal are also usually different.

[0090] The embodiments of the present application also provide an electrical device. The electrical device may be a vehicle, a mobile phone, a portable device, a laptop computer, a ship, a spacecraft, an electric toy, an electric tool, etc. The vehicle may be a fuel vehicle, a gas vehicle, or a new energy vehicle, and the new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or an extended-range vehicle, 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. For the sake of convenience, the following embodiments are described using a vehicle as an example of an electrical device.

[0091] The electric device may be a vehicle as shown in FIG5 , which includes a vehicle body, a battery 1 and a battery management system 2. The battery 1 and the battery management system 2 are both mounted on the vehicle body.

[0092] The electrical equipment includes: a battery management system 2, an optical fiber demodulator and the aforementioned battery 1; the optical fiber demodulator is connected to the sensor 14 via an optical fiber and is in communication connection with the battery management system 2. For example, the communication connection can be a wireless communication connection or a wired communication connection.

[0093] In some examples, when there are multiple batteries 1, the sensors 14 of the multiple batteries 1 can be connected to one optical fiber interrogator 15, which is connected to a battery management system; or, each sensor 14 of the battery 1 can be connected to one optical fiber interrogator 15, which is connected to a battery management system.

[0094] 6 , the electrical device may include: a battery management system 2 and the aforementioned battery 1; the battery management system 2 is communicatively connected to the optical fiber demodulator 15 included in the battery 1. For example, the communication connection may be a wireless communication connection or a wired communication connection.

[0095] In some examples, when there are multiple batteries 1 , the sensor 14 of each battery 1 may be connected to one optical fiber interrogator 15 of each battery 1 ; and the optical fiber interrogators 15 of the multiple batteries 1 are connected to the battery management system 2 .

[0096] The battery management system 2 may be a controller. The controller may be a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The battery management system 2 may also include electronic devices other than the controller, such as analysis devices.

[0097] The battery 1 can be used to power an electrical device. For example, the battery 1 is electrically connected to a battery management system 2 and an alarm mechanism 3 described below. In another example, the battery 1 can be used as an operating power source for an electrical device (such as a vehicle).

[0098] In some embodiments, the optical fiber interrogator 15 is located within the housing 11; the housing 11 has a battery compartment area 115 and a non-battery compartment area 114; the battery cells 12 are disposed in the battery compartment area 115; and the optical fiber interrogator 15 is disposed in the non-battery compartment area 115. In this manner, while the optical fiber interrogator 15 can be installed, it does not affect the layout of the battery cells 12.

[0099] In some embodiments, the fiber optic interrogator 15 is located outside the housing 11. In this way, the fiber optic interrogator 15 outside the housing 11 is connected to the sensor 14 inside the housing 11, for example, through the output port 16. This allows the purpose of detecting liquid in the housing 11 when the vehicle has an accident or undergoes a regular physical examination. At this time, the fiber optic interrogator 15 can be installed on the outer surface of the housing 11; the fiber optic interrogator 15 can be installed on other components of the electrical equipment (such as the vehicle body). In some embodiments, the electrical equipment also includes an alarm mechanism 3, which is connected to the battery management system 2. In this way, when the sensor 14 detects liquid, the battery management system 2 outputs an alarm signal corresponding to the electrical signal of the fiber optic interrogator 15 to the alarm mechanism 3, so that the battery management system 2 controls the alarm mechanism 3 to sound an alarm. In this way, the staff knows that there is liquid in the housing 11 of the battery 1 and that the battery 1 needs to be repaired, thereby reducing the occurrence of safety accidents.

[0100] In some examples, the alarm mechanism 3 can be a mechanism that uses at least one of text, voice, and light. For example, when the alarm mechanism 3 is a text alarm mechanism (such as a display screen), the battery management system 2 outputs a text alarm signal to the text alarm mechanism, so that the text alarm mechanism displays a prompt corresponding to the text alarm signal (such as a fault). For another example, when the alarm mechanism 3 is a voice alarm mechanism (such as a speaker), the battery management system 2 outputs a voice alarm signal to the voice alarm mechanism, so that the voice alarm mechanism emits a prompt corresponding to the voice alarm signal (such as a fault). For another example, when the alarm mechanism 3 is a light alarm mechanism (such as a traffic light), the battery management system 2 controls the output of a light alarm signal to the light alarm mechanism, so that the light alarm mechanism emits a light corresponding to the light alarm signal (such as emitting a red light, or for example, turning a green light into a red light).

[0101] In some examples, the number of alarm mechanisms 3 is one; the battery management system 2 can control the alarm mechanism 3 to issue a first alarm based on the received first electrical signal; the battery management system 2 can control the alarm mechanism 3 to issue a second alarm based on the received second electrical signal; the battery management system 2 can control the alarm mechanism 3 to issue a third alarm based on the received first electrical signal and the second electrical signal.

[0102] In other examples, the number of alarm mechanisms 3 is two (which can be called the first alarm mechanism 3 and the second alarm mechanism 3); the battery management system 2 can control the first alarm mechanism 3 to alarm based on the received first electrical signal; the battery management system 2 can control the second alarm mechanism 3 to alarm based on the received second electrical signal; the battery management system 2 can control the first alarm mechanism 3 and the second alarm mechanism 3 to alarm at the same time based on the received first electrical signal and the second electrical signal.

[0103] In some embodiments, the electrical device also includes a display screen, which is electrically connected to the battery management system 2; the battery management system 2 analyzes the spectrum corresponding to the received electrical signal; the battery management system 2 compares the spectrum with the spectra of multiple preset liquids stored in the battery management system 2, and outputs a signal corresponding to the liquid to the display screen, so that the display screen displays the name of the target object (such as gas) and the spectrum (such as the spectrum of the gas).

[0104] Table 1 shows the refractive index of the liquid inside the battery

[0105] Referring to Figures 7 and 11 , the spectrum corresponding to the target object detected by sensor 14 is substantially the same as the spectrum of the gas (e.g., air as shown in Table 1); that is, the refractive index of the target object is substantially the same as the refractive index of the gas (e.g., the refractive index of air is 1.00029 as shown in Table 1). This indicates that there is no liquid in the housing 11, meaning that there is no water intrusion or leakage within the battery 1.

[0106] Referring to Figures 8 and 11 , the spectrum corresponding to the target object detected by sensor 14 is roughly the same as that of water; that is, the refractive index of the target object is roughly the same as that of water (for example, as shown in Table 1, the refractive index of water is 1.33540). This indicates that water has entered battery 1 , requiring maintenance. This completes the airtightness and waterproofing test of case 11 .

[0107] Referring to Figures 9 and 11 , the spectrum corresponding to the target object detected by sensor 14 is approximately the same as the spectrum of the coolant; that is, the refractive index of the target object is approximately the same as the refractive index of the coolant (for example, as shown in Table 1, the refractive index of the coolant is 1.38960). This indicates that coolant is leaking from battery 1. The water cooling function of battery 1 is shut down to reduce leakage from cooling plate 13, and personnel are required to repair battery 1.

[0108] Referring to Figures 10 and 11 , the spectrum corresponding to the target object detected by sensor 14 is substantially the same as the spectrum of the electrolyte; that is, the refractive index of the target object is substantially the same as the refractive index of the electrolyte (for example, as shown in Table 1, the refractive index of the electrolyte is 1.39344). This indicates that battery 1 is leaking electrolyte and requires repair.

[0109] The above description is only an implementation method of the present application and does not limit the scope of patent protection of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the description and drawings of this application, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the scope of patent protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A battery, wherein: The invention comprises a box body, a battery cell and a sensor; the battery cell and the sensor are both arranged in the box body; and the sensor is configured to detect the refractive index of the liquid in the box body.

2. The battery according to claim 1, wherein The sensor includes a first sensor and / or a second sensor; the first sensor is configured to detect the refractive index of the inflowing liquid; and the second sensor is configured to detect the refractive index of the leaking liquid.

3. The battery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The sensor comprises a first sensor; The box body includes a first box body and a second box body that are detachably connected; the first sensor is arranged on at least one of the inner side surface of the first box body, the inner side surface of the second box body and the outer side surface of the battery cell, and the first sensor is arranged close to the connection seam between the first box body and the second box body.

4. The battery according to claim 3, wherein There are multiple first sensors, and the multiple first sensors are distributed in a ring shape along the connecting seam between the first box body and the second box body.

5. The battery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The sensor includes a second sensor; the second sensor is located between the bottom of the box body and the bottom of the battery cell.

6. The battery according to claim 5, wherein There are multiple second sensors, and the multiple second sensors are distributed on the bottom wall of the box in an array.

7. The battery according to claim 5 or 6, wherein: The battery also includes: The protection body is respectively in contact with the bottom of the box body and the bottom of the battery cell; the second sensor is located between the protection body and the bottom of the battery cell and does not contact the bottom of the battery cell.

8. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein The sensor is a tilted fiber grating sensor.

9. The battery according to claim 8, wherein The tilt angle of the tilted fiber grating sensor is greater than 0° and less than 90°.

10. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein The battery further comprises an optical fiber demodulator, and the optical fiber demodulator is connected to the sensor via an optical fiber.

11. An electrical device, wherein: The electrical equipment comprises: a battery management system, an optical fiber demodulator and a battery according to any one of claims 1 to 9; the optical fiber demodulator is connected to the sensor via an optical fiber and is in communication connection with the battery management system; or, The power-consuming device comprises: a battery management system and a battery as claimed in claim 10; the battery The management system is communicatively connected with the optical fiber demodulator.

12. The electrical equipment according to claim 11, wherein: The optical fiber demodulator is located in a box; the box has a battery compartment area and a non-battery compartment area; the battery cell is arranged in the battery compartment area; The optical fiber demodulator is arranged in the non-battery compartment area; or, The optical fiber demodulation is located outside the box.

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