Battery cell, battery, electrical device and energy storage apparatus

Abstract

A battery cell (10), a battery (100), an electrical device, and an energy storage apparatus. The battery cell (10) comprises a housing (1), a separation apparatus (7) and multiple electrode assemblies (2). The housing (1) is provided with an accommodating space (13), the multiple electrode assemblies (2) being accommodated in the accommodating space (13), and the separation apparatus (7) being disposed in the accommodating space (13), the separation apparatus (7) is configured to divide the accommodating space (13) into multiple sub-spaces (131), each sub-space (131) accommodating at least one electrode assembly (2). The separation apparatus (7) provides a separation function for the electrode assemblies (2) in each sub-space (131), so as to reduce the accumulation of expansion stress of electrode assemblies (2) in adjacent sub-spaces (131), thereby reducing the risk of the electrode assemblies (2) compressing and deforming each other, and effectively improving the reliability of a battery cell (10).

Description

Battery cells, batteries, electrical equipment and energy storage devices

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application (202311667671.9) entitled “Battery Cell, Battery, Electrical Equipment and Energy Storage Device” filed on December 6, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of batteries, and more specifically, to a battery cell, a battery, an electrical device, and an energy storage device. Background Art

[0004] In recent years, new energy vehicles have experienced rapid development. In the electric vehicle sector, power batteries, as the power source of electric vehicles, play an irreplaceable and important role. With the vigorous promotion of new energy vehicles, the demand for power battery products is also growing. As a core component of new energy vehicles, batteries have high performance requirements.

[0005] For battery cells, the reliability of the battery cells needs to be considered. Therefore, how to improve the reliability of the battery cells is an urgent problem to be solved in battery technology.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The embodiments of the present application provide a battery cell, a battery, an electrical device, and an energy storage device, which can effectively improve the reliability of the battery cell.

[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a battery cell comprising a housing, a separator and a plurality of electrode assemblies; the housing has a storage space; the plurality of electrode assemblies are stored in the storage space; the separator is disposed in the storage space, and the separator is configured to divide the storage space into a plurality of subspaces, each subspace accommodating at least one electrode assembly.

[0009] In the above technical solution, a separator is provided in the accommodation space of the shell, which divides the accommodation space into multiple subspaces. The separator acts to separate the electrode assemblies in each subspace to reduce the risk of expansion stress accumulation of the electrode assemblies in adjacent subspaces, thereby squeezing and deforming the electrode assemblies, thereby effectively improving the reliability of the battery cell.

[0010] In some embodiments, the partition device includes at least one partition wall, which is disposed in the accommodating space and connected to the outer shell, and is configured to separate two adjacent sub-spaces.

[0011] In the above technical solution, at least one partition wall is used to divide the housing space within the housing into multiple subspaces. This provides a simple structure, and each partition wall can separate the electrode assemblies within two adjacent subspaces. Because the partition wall is connected to the housing, the expansion force generated by the electrode assemblies within the subspaces can be transmitted to the housing through the partition wall, reducing the risk of the expansion force generated by the electrode assembly in one subspace being transmitted to the electrode assembly in another adjacent subspace.

[0012] In some embodiments, the partition device includes a plurality of partition walls, and the plurality of partition walls are spaced apart and arranged in the accommodation space.

[0013] In the above technical solution, multiple partition walls arranged at intervals can divide the accommodating space into more subspaces, so that the electrode assemblies in more subspaces are separated by the partition walls. The expansion force generated by all electrode assemblies can be transmitted to the outer shell through more partition walls, further reducing the risk of extrusion and deformation of the electrode assemblies.

[0014] In some embodiments, the housing includes a first wall portion, and the plurality of partition walls are connected to the first wall portion.

[0015] In the above technical solution, the multiple partition walls are all connected to the first wall portion, which can reduce the difficulty of connecting the multiple partition walls with the shell and make it easier to ensure the position accuracy of the multiple partition walls.

[0016] In some embodiments, the battery cell also includes a thermal management component, a accommodating cavity is formed inside the partition wall, the thermal management component is accommodated in the accommodating cavity, and the outer surface of the first wall is provided with an opening for the thermal management component to enter the accommodating cavity, and the opening is connected to the accommodating cavity.

[0017] In the above technical solution, since the thermal management component is disposed within the receiving cavity of the partition wall, the internal space of the partition wall is fully utilized. While achieving temperature management for the electrode assembly, the space occupied by the thermal management component within the housing is reduced, freeing up more space for the electrode assembly, thereby facilitating an increase in the volumetric energy density of the battery cells. Furthermore, since the outer surface of the first wall portion is provided with an opening communicating with the receiving cavity, the thermal management component can be inserted into the receiving cavity from outside the housing through the opening. This eliminates the need to open the housing when installing or removing the thermal management component, making operation more convenient.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first wall portion is the wall portion of the housing having the largest outer surface area.

[0019] In the above technical solution, the first wall portion is the wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the shell, and the first wall portion can be connected to more partition walls to further reduce the expansion stress accumulation of all electrode assemblies.

[0020] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly includes a main body, a first electrode tab and a second electrode tab, the first electrode tab and the second electrode tab have opposite polarities, and the first electrode tab and the second electrode tab are arranged at one end of the main body away from the first wall along the first direction, and multiple partition walls are arranged at intervals along the second direction, and the first direction intersects with the second direction; the battery cell includes a first current collecting member and a second current collecting member, along the first direction, the first current collecting member and the second current collecting member are arranged on the side of the main body away from the first wall, the first current collecting member connects the first electrode tabs of multiple electrode assemblies, and the second current collecting member connects the second electrode tabs of multiple electrode assemblies.

[0021] In the above technical solution, the first current collecting member connects the first tabs of multiple electrode assemblies, thereby converging the currents of the first tabs of the multiple electrode assemblies. The second current collecting member connects the second tabs of the multiple electrode assemblies, thereby converging the currents of the second tabs of the multiple electrode assemblies. This eliminates the need to increase the thickness or volume of individual electrode assemblies, thereby reducing the manufacturing difficulty of high-capacity battery cells. Furthermore, because the first and second current collecting members are disposed on the side of the main body facing away from the first wall, they are located on the same side of the main body. This helps reduce the stacking thickness of the first and second current collecting members in the first direction, reducing the space occupied by the first and second current collecting members within the housing, and thus improving the volumetric energy density of the battery cells.

[0022] In some embodiments, the housing includes a second wall portion, which is arranged opposite to the first wall portion along the first direction, and the second wall portion is provided with a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal, which are respectively connected to the first current collecting member and the second current collecting member.

[0023] In the above technical solution, the second wall portion is arranged opposite to the first wall portion along the first direction, and the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal are arranged on the second wall portion. This can reduce the distance between the first electrode terminal and the first electrode tab and between the second electrode terminal and the second electrode tab, which is beneficial to reducing the size of the first current collecting component and the second current collecting component, and reducing the current path from the first electrode tab to the first electrode terminal and from the second electrode tab to the second electrode terminal.

[0024] In some embodiments, the outer shell includes a second wall portion and a third wall portion, and along the first direction, the first wall portion is arranged opposite to the second wall portion, the third wall portion connects the first wall portion and the second wall portion, and the third wall portion is provided with a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal; wherein, the first current collecting member is provided with a first extension portion, and the second current collecting member is provided with a second extension portion, and along the second direction, the first extension portion and the second extension portion are both located between the main body portion and the third wall portion, and the first extension portion and the second extension portion are respectively connected to the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal.

[0025] In the above technical solution, the first and second electrode terminals are disposed on the third wall portion connected to the first and second wall portions, so that the first and second electrode terminals are not disposed on the first and second wall portions. This makes the battery cells less susceptible to interference from the first and second electrode terminals when stacked in the first direction, allowing the battery cells to be stacked tightly in the first direction. Furthermore, the first current collecting member is provided with a first extension portion, located between the main body portion and the third wall portion, and connected to the first electrode terminal. This allows the connection area between the first current collecting member and the first tab to be further away from the connection area between the first extension portion and the first electrode terminal, reducing the risk of mutual interference and facilitating easier connection between the first current collecting member, the first tab, and the first electrode terminal. The second current collecting member is provided with a second extension portion, located between the main body portion and the third wall portion, and connected to the second electrode terminal. This allows the connection area between the second current collecting member and the second tab to be further away from the connection area between the second extension portion and the second electrode terminal, reducing the risk of mutual interference and facilitating easier connection between the second current collecting member, the second tab, and the second electrode terminal.

[0026] In some embodiments, the housing includes a shell and an end cover; the shell has a first opening; the end cover covers the first opening; wherein the end cover is the first wall portion; or, the wall portion of the shell opposite to the end cover is the first wall portion.

[0027] In the above technical solution, if the end cap is the first wall, multiple partition walls are connected to the end cap. The end cap is smaller and lighter than the housing, making connection between the multiple partition walls and the end cap easier. Furthermore, if the wall of the housing opposite the end cap is the first wall, multiple partition walls are connected to the wall of the housing opposite the end cap. When assembling the battery cell, the electrode assembly can be installed in the housing first, and then the end cap can be connected to the housing, making assembly of the battery cell even easier.

[0028] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly is flat, and the multiple subspaces are arranged along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly.

[0029] In the above technical solution, the electrode assembly is flat, and the expansion of the electrode assembly in its thickness direction is the largest. Since multiple subspaces are arranged along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly, the expansion force generated by the expansion of the electrode assembly along the thickness direction can be borne by the partition wall, thereby reducing the expansion stress accumulation of the electrode assemblies in adjacent subspaces, which leads to the risk of mutual squeezing and deformation of the electrode assemblies.

[0030] In some embodiments, each subspace accommodates a plurality of electrode assemblies, and the plurality of electrode assemblies in each subspace are stacked along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly.

[0031] In the above technical solution, each subspace accommodates a plurality of electrode assemblies stacked along the thickness direction, so that the thickness of the electrode assembly in each subspace is not too large, thereby reducing the difficulty of manufacturing the electrode assembly.

[0032] In some embodiments, the subspace is formed inside the partitioning device.

[0033] In the above technical solution, the subspace is formed inside the separator. After the electrode assembly is accommodated in the subspace, the separator can bear the expansion force of the electrode assembly in multiple directions, further improving the reliability of the battery cell.

[0034] In some embodiments, the partition device includes a plurality of receiving units arranged in the accommodating space, and a subspace is formed inside each receiving unit.

[0035] In the above technical solution, each receiving unit forms a subspace within it, and multiple receiving units can accommodate electrode assemblies. Each receiving unit can absorb the expansion force of the electrode assembly within the subspace in multiple directions. Furthermore, once the electrode assembly is housed within the receiving unit, the receiving unit can restrain the electrode assembly, reducing the risk of tilting or shaking within the housing.

[0036] In some embodiments, two adjacent receiving units share a partition wall, and the partition wall is configured to separate the subspaces of the two adjacent receiving units.

[0037] In the above technical solution, two adjacent receiving units share a partition wall. Given a fixed volume, the volume of the subspace can be increased, freeing up more space for the electrode assembly, thereby improving the volumetric energy density of the battery cells. Furthermore, the shared partition wall between two adjacent receiving units allows the multiple receiving units to function as a single unit, further simplifying the installation of the partition device within the housing.

[0038] In some embodiments, the battery cell also includes a thermal management component, a accommodating cavity is formed inside the partition wall, and the thermal management component is accommodated in the accommodating cavity; wherein, a second opening for the electrode assembly to enter the subspace is formed at at least one end of the accommodating unit along the first direction, and along the first direction, the outer shell includes a first wall portion arranged opposite to the partition device, and the outer surface of the first wall portion is provided with a mouth for the thermal management component to enter the accommodating cavity, and the mouth is connected to the accommodating cavity.

[0039] In the above technical solution, since the thermal management component is disposed within the receiving cavity of the partition wall, the internal space of the partition wall is fully utilized. While achieving temperature management for the electrode assembly, the space occupied by the thermal management component within the housing is reduced, freeing up more space for the electrode assembly, thereby facilitating an increase in the volumetric energy density of the battery cells. Furthermore, since the outer surface of the first wall portion is provided with an opening communicating with the receiving cavity, the thermal management component can be inserted into the receiving cavity from outside the housing through the opening. This eliminates the need to open the housing when installing or removing the thermal management component, making operation more convenient.

[0040] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly includes a main body, a first electrode tab and a second electrode tab, the first electrode tab and the second electrode tab have opposite polarities, and the first electrode tab and the second electrode tab are respectively arranged at opposite ends of the main body along a first direction, and along the first direction, the opposite ends of the receiving unit are provided with a second opening for the electrode assembly to enter the subspace; the battery cell includes a first current collecting member and a second current collecting member, and along the first direction, the first current collecting member and the second current collecting member are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the main body, the first current collecting member connects the first electrode tabs of multiple electrode assemblies, and the second current collecting member connects the second electrode tabs of multiple electrode assemblies.

[0041] In the above technical solution, the first and second tabs are respectively disposed at opposite ends of the main body along a first direction, and the first current collecting member connected to the first tab and the second current collecting member connected to the second tab are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the main body. This reduces the risk of interference and short circuit between the first and second current collecting members. Furthermore, by connecting the first tabs of multiple electrode assemblies via the first current collecting member, current is converged from the first tabs of the multiple electrode assemblies, while by connecting the second tabs of the multiple electrode assemblies via the second current collecting member, current is converged from the second tabs of the multiple electrode assemblies. This eliminates the need to increase the thickness or volume of individual electrode assemblies, thereby reducing the manufacturing difficulty of high-capacity battery cells.

[0042] In some embodiments, the outer shell includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion. The first wall portion and the second wall portion are arranged opposite to each other along a first direction. The first wall portion is provided with one end of the first pole ear facing the main body portion, and the second wall portion is provided with one end of the second pole ear facing the main body portion. The first wall portion is provided with a first electrode terminal, and the second wall portion is provided with a second electrode terminal. The first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal are respectively connected to the first current collecting component and the second current collecting component.

[0043] In the above technical solution, the first wall portion is disposed at one end of the first tab, facing the main body; the first electrode terminal is disposed on the first wall portion; and the first current collecting member connects the first electrode terminal and the first tab. This reduces the distance between the first electrode terminal and the first tab, reduces the size of the first current collecting member, and shortens the current flow path from the first tab to the first electrode terminal. The second wall portion is disposed at one end of the second tab, facing the main body; the second electrode terminal is disposed on the second wall portion; and the second current collecting member connects the second electrode terminal and the second tab. This reduces the distance between the second electrode terminal and the second tab, reduces the size of the second current collecting member, and shortens the current flow path from the second tab to the second electrode terminal.

[0044] In some embodiments, the outer shell includes a first wall portion, a second wall portion and a third wall portion. Along the first direction, the first wall portion is arranged opposite to the second wall portion, the third wall portion connects the first wall portion and the second wall portion, and the third wall portion is provided with a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal; wherein, the first current collecting member is provided with a first extension portion, and the second current collecting member is provided with a second extension portion. Along the second direction, the first extension portion and the second extension portion are both located between the main body portion and the third wall portion, the first extension portion and the second extension portion are connected to the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal respectively, and the second direction intersects with the first direction.

[0045] In the above technical solution, the first and second electrode terminals are disposed on the third wall portion connected to the first and second wall portions, eliminating the need for the first and second electrode terminals to be located on the first and second wall portions. This prevents the battery cells from being affected by the first and second electrode terminals when stacked in the first direction, allowing the battery cells to be tightly stacked in the first direction. Furthermore, the first current collecting member is provided with a first extension portion, located between the main body portion and the third wall portion. The first extension portion is connected to the first electrode terminal. This allows the connection area between the first current collecting member and the first tab to be further away from the connection area between the first extension portion and the first electrode terminal, reducing the risk of mutual interference and facilitating easier connection between the first current collecting member, the first tab, and the first electrode terminal. The second current collecting member is provided with a second extension portion, located between the main body portion and the third wall portion. The second extension portion is connected to the second electrode terminal. This allows the connection area between the second current collecting member and the second tab to be further away from the connection area between the second extension portion and the second electrode terminal, reducing the risk of mutual interference and facilitating easier connection between the second current collecting member, the second tab, and the second electrode terminal.

[0046] In some embodiments, a second opening is formed at at least one end of the receiving unit along the first direction for the electrode assembly to enter the subspace; the outer shell includes a shell and an end cover, and a first opening is formed at at least one end of the shell along the second direction, the end cover corresponds one-to-one to the first opening, and the end cover covers the first opening, and the second direction intersects with the first direction.

[0047] In the above technical solution, the receiving unit is provided with a second opening, through which the electrode assembly can enter the receiving unit, thereby facilitating installation of the electrode assembly. The second opening of the receiving unit is oriented in a first direction, and the first opening of the housing is oriented in a second direction, with the first direction and the second direction intersecting. This allows the housing to cover the second opening of the receiving unit, thereby confining the electrode assembly within the receiving unit. Even if the end cap is not covering the first opening, the electrode assembly is unlikely to escape from the receiving unit through the second opening.

[0048] In some embodiments, at least one wall portion of the housing disposed opposite to the partitioning device along the first direction is a wall portion of the housing having the largest outer surface area.

[0049] In the above technical solution, a second opening is formed at at least one end of the receiving unit along the first direction, and the electrode assembly can enter the receiving unit along the first direction from the second opening. Since at least one wall portion of the outer shell is arranged opposite to the partition device along the first direction is the wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the outer shell, the wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the outer shell is located in the first direction, so that the direction of the second opening is basically perpendicular to the wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the outer shell. In this way, more receiving units can be arranged in the receiving space of the outer shell to accommodate more electrode assemblies.

[0050] In some embodiments, along the first direction, the accommodating space accommodates only one accommodating unit; along the second direction, the accommodating space accommodates multiple accommodating units; along the third direction, the accommodating space accommodates multiple accommodating units, and the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are not coplanar and intersect with each other.

[0051] In the above technical solution, the accommodating space only accommodates one accommodating unit along the first direction, and the accommodating space accommodates multiple accommodating units along the second direction and the third direction. While ensuring that the size of the shell along the first direction is not too large, the accommodating space can accommodate more accommodating units to accommodate more electrode assemblies, which is conducive to realizing large-capacity battery cells.

[0052] In some embodiments, at least one wall portion of the shell arranged opposite to the partition device along the third direction is the wall portion of the shell with the largest outer surface area, and the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are not coplanar and intersect with each other.

[0053] In the above technical solution, a second opening is formed at at least one end of the receiving unit along the first direction, and the electrode assembly can enter the receiving unit along the first direction from the second opening. Since at least one wall portion of the outer shell is arranged opposite to the partition device along the third direction and is the wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the outer shell, the wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the outer shell is located in the third direction, so that the direction of the second opening is basically parallel to the wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the outer shell. The outer shell can provide more space for the receiving unit in the first direction to increase the size of the receiving unit in the first direction.

[0054] In some embodiments, along the first direction, the accommodating space accommodates only one accommodating unit; along the second direction, the accommodating space accommodates multiple accommodating units; along the third direction, the accommodating space accommodates only one accommodating unit.

[0055] In the above technical solution, the accommodating space only accommodates one accommodating unit along the first direction and the third direction, and the accommodating space accommodates multiple accommodating units along the second direction. While ensuring that the dimensions of the outer shell along the first direction and the third direction are not too large, the accommodating space can accommodate more accommodating units to accommodate more electrode assemblies, which is conducive to realizing large-capacity battery cells.

[0056] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly is cylindrical, and each subspace accommodates only one electrode assembly.

[0057] In the above technical solution, the electrode assembly is cylindrical, and each subspace accommodates only one electrode assembly. Each electrode assembly is constrained by the separator, reducing the accumulation of expansion stress between adjacent electrode assemblies. Furthermore, after each electrode assembly is accommodated in a corresponding subspace, each subspace can provide a certain degree of restraint for the corresponding electrode assembly, reducing the risk of tilting or shaking of the electrode assembly.

[0058] In some embodiments, the partition device includes a partition wall configured to separate two adjacent subspaces, and an accommodating cavity is formed inside the partition wall; the battery cell further includes a thermal management component, and the thermal management component is accommodated in the accommodating cavity.

[0059] In the above technical solution, a accommodating cavity is formed inside the partition wall, and the thermal management component is arranged in the accommodating cavity of the partition wall, making full use of the space inside the partition wall. While achieving temperature management of the electrode assembly, the space inside the outer shell occupied by the thermal management component is reduced, freeing up more space for the electrode assembly, which is conducive to improving the volume energy density of the battery cell.

[0060] In some embodiments, the outer surface of the housing is provided with an opening for the heat management component to enter the accommodating cavity, and the opening is communicated with the accommodating cavity.

[0061] In the above technical solution, the outer surface of the shell is provided with an opening connected to the accommodating cavity, and the thermal management component can enter the accommodating cavity through the opening from the outside of the shell. When installing or removing the thermal management component, there is no need to open the shell, which makes the operation more convenient.

[0062] In some embodiments, the housing is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0063] In the above technical solution, the outer shell is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and the multiple electrode assemblies can fully utilize the internal space of the outer shell, thereby improving the space utilization rate of the electrode assemblies, which is conducive to realizing a large-capacity battery cell.

[0064] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a battery, comprising a battery cell provided by any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0065] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electrical device, comprising a battery cell provided by any one embodiment of the first aspect, wherein the battery cell is used to provide electrical energy to the electrical device.

[0066] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an energy storage device, comprising a battery cell provided by any embodiment of the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0067] 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. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0068] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0069] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0070] FIG3 is an exploded view of a battery cell (electrode assembly is flat) provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0071] FIG4 is an exploded view of a battery cell (electrode assembly is flat) provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0072] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the housing and the partition device shown in FIG4 ;

[0073] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of the housing shown in FIG5 ;

[0074] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a housing provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0075] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the housing and the thermal management component provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0076] FIG9 is an exploded view of a battery cell (electrode assembly is flat) provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0077] FIG10 is an exploded view of a battery cell (electrode assembly is flat) provided in some further embodiments of the present application;

[0078] FIG11 is an exploded view of a battery cell (with a cylindrical electrode assembly) provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0079] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of the partition device shown in FIG11;

[0080] FIG13 is a top view of the partition device shown in FIG12;

[0081] FIG14 is a partial enlarged view of point A in FIG13;

[0082] FIG15 is a schematic structural diagram of a housing provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0083] FIG16 is an exploded view of a battery cell (with a cylindrical electrode assembly) provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0084] FIG17 is an exploded view of a battery cell (with a cylindrical electrode assembly) provided in yet other embodiments of the present application;

[0085] FIG18 is an exploded view of a battery cell (the electrode assembly is cylindrical) provided in some further embodiments of the present application.

[0086] Icons: 1-housing; 11-housing; 111-first wall; 1111-outer surface of the first wall; 1112-mouth; 112-second wall; 113-third wall; 114-first opening; 12-end cover; 13-accommodation space; 131-subspace; 2-electrode assembly; 21-first tab; 22-second tab; 23-main body; 3-first electrode terminal; 4-second electrode terminal; 5-first current collecting member; 51-first avoidance portion; 52-first protrusion; 53- First extension portion; 6-second current collecting member; 61-second avoidance portion; 62-second protrusion; 63-second extension portion; 7-partitioning device; 71-partitioning wall; 711-accommodating chamber; 72-accommodating unit; 721-second opening; 8-thermal management component; 10-battery cell; 20-housing; 201-first part; 202-second part; 100-battery; 200-controller; 300-motor; 1000-vehicle; X-first direction; Y-second direction; Z-third direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0087] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are 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.

[0088] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meanings as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used in the specification of this application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. The terms "first" and "second" in the specification and claims of this application or the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order or a primary-secondary relationship.

[0089] 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.

[0090] The term "and / or" in this application simply describes an association between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0091] In the embodiments of this application, the same reference numerals represent the same components, and for the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of the same components in different embodiments are omitted. It should be understood that the thickness, length, width, and other dimensions of the various components in the embodiments of this application, as well as the overall thickness, length, width, and other dimensions of the integrated device shown in the drawings are merely illustrative and should not constitute any limitation on this application.

[0092] The term "plurality" used in this application refers to two or more (including two).

[0093] In the embodiment of the present application, the battery cell may be a secondary battery. A secondary battery refers to a battery cell that can be continuously used by activating active materials by charging after the battery cell is discharged.

[0094] Battery cells include but are not limited to lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, sodium-lithium-ion batteries, lithium metal batteries, sodium metal batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, magnesium-ion batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, lead-acid batteries, etc.

[0095] 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, active ions (such as lithium ions) move back and forth between the positive and negative electrodes. A separator, placed between the positive and negative electrodes, reduces the risk of short circuits while allowing active ions to pass through.

[0096] 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.

[0097] 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.

[0098] As an example, the positive electrode current collector may be a metal foil or a composite current collector. For example, as the metal foil, aluminum with a silver-plated surface, stainless steel with a silver-plated surface, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, nickel, carbon electrode, carbon, nickel or titanium, etc. 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 a substrate of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyethylene, etc.).

[0099] 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 their respective modified compounds. However, the present application is not limited to these materials, and other traditional materials that can be used as battery positive electrode active materials may also be used. These positive electrode active materials may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among them, examples of lithium-containing phosphates may include but are not limited to at least one of lithium iron phosphate (such as LiFePO4 (also referred to as LFP)), a composite material of lithium iron phosphate and carbon, lithium manganese phosphate (such as LiMnPO4), a composite material of lithium manganese phosphate and carbon, lithium iron manganese phosphate, and a composite material of lithium iron manganese phosphate and carbon. Examples of lithium transition metal oxides may include but are not limited to lithium cobalt oxide (such as LiCoO2), lithium nickel oxide (such as LiNiO2), lithium manganese oxide (such as LiMnO2, LiMn2O4), lithium nickel cobalt oxide, lithium manganese cobalt oxide, lithium nickel manganese oxide, lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (such as LiNi 1 / 3 Co 1 / 3 Mn 1 / 3O2 (also referred to as NCM 333 ), LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O2 (also referred to as NCM 523 ), LiNi 0.5 Co 0.25 Mn 0.25 O2 (also referred to as NCM 211 ), LiNi 0.6 Co 0.2 Mn 0.2 O2 (also referred to as NCM 622 ), LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O2 (also referred to as NCM 811 ), lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (such as LiNi 0.85 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O2) and at least one of its modified compounds, etc.

[0100] In some embodiments, a positive electrode may be a metal foam. The metal foam may be nickel foam, copper foam, aluminum foam, alloy foam, or carbon foam, among others. When a 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.

[0101] In some embodiments, the negative electrode may be a negative electrode sheet, and the negative electrode sheet may include a negative electrode current collector.

[0102] As an example, the negative electrode current collector may be a metal foil, a metal foam, or a composite current collector. For example, the metal foil may include aluminum with a silver coating on the surface, stainless steel with a silver coating on the surface, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, nickel, a carbon electrode, carbon, nickel, or titanium. The metal foam may be nickel foam, copper foam, aluminum foam, or an alloy foam. The composite current collector may include a polymer 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, or silver alloy, etc.) on a polymer substrate (such as a substrate of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyethylene, etc.).

[0103] 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.

[0104] 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.

[0105] As an example, the negative electrode active material may adopt the negative electrode active material for battery cells that is well known in the art. 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, lithium titanate, etc. The silicon-based material may be selected from at least one of elemental silicon, silicon oxide compounds, silicon-carbon composites, silicon-nitrogen composites, and silicon alloys. The tin-based material may be selected from at least one of elemental tin, tin oxide compounds, and tin alloys. However, the present application is not limited to these materials, and other traditional materials that can be used as negative electrode active materials for batteries may also be used. These negative electrode active materials may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0106] 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.

[0107] In some embodiments, the separator is a separator membrane, which can be any known porous separator membrane with good chemical and mechanical stability.

[0108] As an example, the separator can be made of at least one of fiberglass, non-woven fabric, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinylidene fluoride. The separator can be a single-layer film or a multi-layer composite film. In the case of a multi-layer composite film, the materials of each layer can be the same or different. The separator can be a separate component positioned between the positive and negative electrodes, or it can be attached to the surfaces of the positive and negative electrodes.

[0109] In some embodiments, the separator is a solid electrolyte, which is disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and serves to transport ions and isolate the positive and negative electrodes.

[0110] In some embodiments, the battery cell further includes an electrolyte, which acts as a conductor of ions between the positive and negative electrodes. The electrolyte can be liquid, gel, or solid. Liquid electrolytes include an electrolyte salt and a solvent.

[0111] In some embodiments, the electrolyte salt may include at least one of lithium hexafluorophosphate, lithium tetrafluoroborate, lithium perchlorate, lithium hexafluoroarsenate, lithium bisfluorosulfonyl imide, lithium bistrifluoromethanesulfonyl imide, lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate, lithium difluorophosphate, lithium difluorooxalatoborate, lithium bisoxalatoborate, lithium difluorodioxalatophosphate, and lithium tetrafluorooxalatophosphate.

[0112] In some embodiments, the solvent may include at least one of ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, ethyl methyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, dipropyl carbonate, methylpropyl carbonate, ethylpropyl carbonate, butylene carbonate, fluoroethylene carbonate, methyl formate, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, propyl acetate, methyl propionate, ethyl propionate, propyl propionate, methyl butyrate, ethyl butyrate, 1,4-butyrolactone, cyclopentane, dimethyl sulfone, methyl ethyl sulfone and diethyl sulfone. The solvent may also be an ether solvent. The ether solvent may include one or more of ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, triethylene glycol dimethyl ether, tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether, 1,3-dioxolane, tetrahydrofuran, methyltetrahydrofuran, diphenyl ether and crown ether.

[0113] Among them, the gel electrolyte includes a skeleton network with a polymer as the electrolyte, combined with an ionic liquid-lithium salt.

[0114] Among them, solid electrolytes include polymer solid electrolytes, inorganic solid electrolytes, and composite solid electrolytes.

[0115] As an example, the polymer solid electrolyte may be polyether (polyethylene oxide), polysiloxane, polycarbonate, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylidene fluoride, polymethyl methacrylate, a single ion polymer, polyionic liquid-lithium salt, cellulose, or the like.

[0116] As an example, the inorganic solid electrolyte may include an oxide solid electrolyte (crystalline perovskite, sodium superconducting ion conductor, garnet, amorphous LiPON film), a sulfide solid electrolyte (crystalline lithium superion conductor (lithium germanium phosphosulfide, silver germanium sulfide), amorphous sulfide) and one or more of a halide solid electrolyte, a nitride solid electrolyte and a hydride solid electrolyte.

[0117] As an example, a composite solid electrolyte is formed by adding an inorganic solid electrolyte filler to a polymer solid electrolyte.

[0118] 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.

[0119] In some embodiments, the electrode assembly is a laminate structure.

[0120] As an example, multiple positive electrode sheets and multiple negative electrode sheets can be provided respectively, and the multiple positive electrode sheets and the multiple negative electrode sheets can be alternately stacked.

[0121] 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.

[0122] As an example, both the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet are folded to form a plurality of stacked folded segments.

[0123] As an example, a plurality of separators may be provided, each of which is disposed between any adjacent positive electrode sheets or negative electrode sheets.

[0124] 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.

[0125] In some embodiments, the shape of the electrode assembly can be cylindrical, flat, or polygonal.

[0126] 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.

[0127] In some embodiments, a battery cell may include a housing. The housing is used to encapsulate components such as the electrode assembly and the electrolyte. The housing may be a steel housing, an aluminum housing, a plastic housing (e.g., polypropylene), a composite metal housing (e.g., a copper-aluminum composite housing), or an aluminum-plastic film.

[0128] As an example, the battery cell may be a cylindrical battery cell, a prismatic battery cell, a soft-pack battery cell or a battery cell of other shapes. Prismatic battery cells include square-shell battery cells, blade-shaped battery cells, and polygonal prismatic batteries. Polygonal prismatic batteries are, for example, hexagonal prismatic batteries.

[0129] The battery mentioned in the embodiments of the present application refers to a single physical module including one or more battery cells to provide higher voltage and capacity.

[0130] 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.

[0131] 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.

[0132] 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.

[0133] A typical battery cell typically includes a housing and an electrode assembly housed within it. With increasing demand for higher battery capacity, large-sized electrode assemblies are being used in high-capacity battery cells in related technologies to increase the capacity of the battery cell. However, due to manufacturing process limitations, it is difficult to achieve a sufficiently large thickness or volume for both laminated and wound electrode assemblies. Such increases in thickness or volume can easily lead to wrinkling of the electrode sheets, resulting in poor production quality.

[0134] To achieve the high capacity requirements of a battery cell, one approach is to increase the number of electrode assemblies within the housing. However, as the number of electrode assemblies within the housing increases, the cumulative expansion stress of the multiple electrode assemblies becomes more severe. During the charge and discharge process of the battery cell, the multiple electrode assemblies can easily squeeze and deform due to expansion, and even damage the electrode assemblies, affecting the reliability of the battery cell.

[0135] Based on the above considerations, and to address the serious problem of accumulated expansion forces between multiple electrode assemblies, an embodiment of the present application provides a battery cell having a separator disposed within the housing. The separator divides the housing's accommodating space into multiple subspaces. This separator separates the electrode assemblies within each subspace, reducing the risk of expansion stress accumulation between electrode assemblies in adjacent subspaces, which could lead to mutual compression and deformation of the electrode assemblies. This effectively improves the reliability of the battery cell.

[0136] The technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present application are applicable to batteries and electrical devices using batteries.

[0137] Electrically powered equipment can include vehicles, mobile phones, portable devices, laptops, ships, spacecraft, electric toys, and power tools. Vehicles can be fuel-powered, gas-powered, or new energy vehicles. New energy vehicles can be pure electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, or extended-range vehicles. Spacecraft include aircraft, rockets, space shuttles, and spacecraft. Electric toys include fixed or mobile electric toys, such as game consoles, electric car toys, electric ship toys, and electric airplane toys. Power tools include metal cutting power tools, grinding power tools, assembly power tools, and railway power tools, such as electric drills, electric grinders, electric wrenches, electric screwdrivers, electric hammers, impact drills, concrete vibrators, and electric planers.

[0138] For the convenience of description, the following embodiments are described by taking the electric device as a vehicle as an example.

[0139] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle 1000 provided in some embodiments of the present application. A battery 100 is disposed within vehicle 1000. Battery 100 can be located at the bottom, front, or rear of vehicle 1000. Battery 100 can be used to power vehicle 1000, for example, as an operating power source for vehicle 1000.

[0140] The vehicle 1000 may further include a controller 200 and a motor 300 . The controller 200 is used to control the battery 100 to supply power to the motor 300 , for example, to meet the power requirements of the vehicle 1000 during startup, navigation, and driving.

[0141] In some embodiments of the present application, the battery 100 can not only serve as the operating power source of the vehicle 1000, but also serve as the driving power source of the vehicle 1000, replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power for the vehicle 1000.

[0142] Please refer to Figure 2, which is an exploded view of a battery 100 provided in some embodiments of the present application. The battery 100 may include a battery cell 10 and a housing 20, wherein the battery cell 10 is accommodated in the housing 20.

[0143] The housing 20 is a component that houses the battery cells 10 and provides a storage space for the battery cells 10. The housing 20 can have various structures. In some embodiments, the housing 20 can include a first portion 201 and a second portion 202, which overlap to define a storage space for the battery cells 10. The first portion 201 and the second portion 202 can have various shapes, such as a rectangular parallelepiped or a cylinder. The first portion 201 can be a hollow structure with one side open, and the second portion 202 can be a hollow structure with one side open. The open side of the second portion 202 overlaps the open side of the first portion 201, thereby forming the housing 20 with a storage space. Alternatively, the first portion 201 can be a hollow structure with one side open, and the second portion 202 can be a plate-like structure. The second portion 202 overlaps the open side of the first portion 201, thereby forming the housing 20 with a storage space. The first portion 201 and the second portion 202 can be sealed by a sealing element, which can be a sealing ring, sealant, etc.

[0144] In the battery 100, there can be one or more battery cells 10. If there are multiple battery cells 10, the multiple battery cells 10 can be connected in series, parallel, or in a hybrid connection. A hybrid connection refers to a combination of series and parallel connections among the multiple battery cells 10. Multiple battery cells 10 can be connected in series, parallel, or in a hybrid connection to form a battery module, which can then be connected in series, parallel, or in a hybrid connection to form a single unit and housed within the housing 20. Alternatively, all battery cells 10 can be directly connected in series, parallel, or in a hybrid connection, and then the entire unit formed by all battery cells 10 can be housed within the housing 20.

[0145] Please refer to Figure 3, which is an exploded view of a battery cell 10 (with a flat electrode assembly 2) provided in some embodiments of the present application. The battery cell 10 may include a housing 1 and an electrode assembly 2, wherein the electrode assembly 2 is accommodated in the housing 1.

[0146] In some embodiments, the housing 1 may include a shell 11 and an end cover 12 , wherein the shell 11 has an opening and the end cover 12 closes the opening of the shell 11 .

[0147] The housing 11 is a component for accommodating the electrode assembly 2. The housing 11 can be a hollow structure with an opening at one end, or a hollow structure with openings at both ends. The housing 11 can have various shapes, such as a cylinder or a rectangular parallelepiped. The housing 11 can be made of various materials, such as copper, iron, aluminum, steel, and aluminum alloys.

[0148] The end cap 12 is a component that closes the opening of the shell 11 to isolate the internal environment of the battery cell 10 from the external environment. The end cap 12 and the shell 11 together define a storage space 13 for accommodating the electrode assembly 2, electrolyte and other components. The end cap 12 can be connected to the shell 11 by welding or rolling to close the opening of the shell 11. The shape of the end cap 12 can be adapted to the shape of the shell 11. For example, the shell 11 is a rectangular parallelepiped structure, and the end cap 12 is a rectangular plate structure adapted to the shell 11. For another example, the shell 11 is a cylindrical structure, and the end cap 12 is a circular plate structure adapted to the shell 11. The material of the end cap 12 can also be a variety of materials, such as copper, iron, aluminum, steel, aluminum alloy, plastic, etc. The material of the end cap 12 and the shell 11 can be the same or different.

[0149] In an embodiment where one end of the housing 11 is opened, one end cap 12 may be provided. In an embodiment where both ends of the housing 11 are opened, two end caps 12 may be provided. The two end caps 12 respectively close the two openings of the housing 11, and the two end caps 12 and the housing 11 together define a receiving space 13.

[0150] The electrode assembly 2 can be a laminated structure or a wound structure. There can be multiple electrode assemblies 2, and the multiple electrode assemblies 2 are accommodated in the housing 1.

[0151] In some embodiments, the battery cell 10 may further include electrode terminals, which are disposed on the outer casing 1 and are used to electrically connect to the tabs of the electrode assembly 2 to output electrical energy from the battery cell 10. The electrode terminals may be disposed on the shell 11 of the outer casing 1 or on the end cap 12 of the outer casing 1. The electrode terminals may be directly connected to the tabs, for example, by welding the electrode terminals to the tabs. The electrode terminals may also be indirectly connected to the tabs, for example, by connecting the electrode terminals to the tabs through a current collecting member. The current collecting member may be a metal conductor, such as copper, iron, aluminum, steel, or an aluminum alloy.

[0152] As an example, as shown in FIG3 , an opening is formed at one end of the housing 11. A single end cap 12 is provided in the housing 1, and each end cap 12 closes the opening of the housing 11. A first electrode terminal 3 and a second electrode terminal 4 are provided on the end cap 12. A first electrode tab 21 and a second electrode tab 22 are formed on the end of the electrode assembly 2 facing the end cap 12. The first electrode tab 21 and the second electrode tab 22 have opposite polarities. The first electrode tab 21 is connected to the first electrode terminal 3 via a first current collecting member 5 to electrically connect the first electrode tab 21 to the first electrode terminal 3. The second electrode tab 22 is connected to the second electrode terminal 4 via a second current collecting member 6 to electrically connect the second electrode tab 22 to the second electrode terminal 4.

[0153] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery cell 10 provided in other embodiments of the present application. An embodiment of the present application provides a battery cell 10, comprising a housing 1, a separator 7, and a plurality of electrode assemblies 2. The housing 1 has a receiving space 13 (shown in Figure 3), and the plurality of electrode assemblies 2 are received in the receiving space 13. The separator 7 is disposed in the receiving space 13, and the separator 7 is configured to divide the receiving space 13 into a plurality of subspaces 131, each subspace 131 receiving at least one electrode assembly 2.

[0154] The outer shell 1 can be cylindrical, prismatic, etc. Among them, prisms include triangular prisms, quadrangular prisms, pentagonal prisms, hexagonal prisms, etc. Quadrangular prisms include rectangular parallelepipeds, cubes, etc. The multiple electrode assemblies 2 in the outer shell 1 can be arranged along a certain direction. Taking the outer shell 1 as a rectangular parallelepiped as an example, the battery cell 10 is a rectangular parallelepiped battery cell, and the multiple electrode assemblies 2 can be arranged along the length direction, width direction or thickness direction of the battery cell 10, wherein the thickness of the battery cell 10 is less than the length and width of the battery cell 10, and the length of the battery cell 10 is greater than or equal to the width of the battery cell 10. The multiple electrode assemblies 2 in the outer shell 1 can also be arranged along multiple directions. For example, the multiple electrode assemblies 2 are distributed in multiple rows and columns in the outer shell 1. The electrode assemblies 2 in the outer shell 1 can be two, three, four, five, etc. As an example, the number of electrode assemblies 2 is not less than 5.

[0155] The separator 7 is a component within the battery cell 10 that divides the accommodating space 13 of the housing 1 into a plurality of subspaces 131. The subspaces 131 may be defined by both the separator 7 and the housing 1, or they may be defined by the separator 7 alone. For example, the subspaces 131 may be formed within the separator 7. The separator 7 is disposed within the accommodating space 13 and may be connected to the housing 1 to secure the separator 7 thereto. For example, the separator 7 may be connected to the end cap 12 of the housing 1, or to the shell 11 of the housing 1. Alternatively, the separator 7 may be placed within the housing 1, with the separator 7 and the housing 1 merely in contact, but not connected together. For example, the separator 7 may be placed within the shell 11 of the housing 1, with the separator 7 and the shell 11 in contact.

[0156] In the housing 1, the total space of the multiple subspaces 131 constitutes a portion of the accommodating space 13. Each subspace 131 can accommodate one electrode assembly 2 or multiple electrode assemblies 2. The multiple subspaces 131 can be arranged along a particular direction. For example, taking a rectangular battery cell 10 as an example, the multiple subspaces 131 can be arranged along the length, width, or thickness of the battery cell 10. The multiple subspaces 131 can also be arranged along multiple directions, for example, in multiple rows and columns.

[0157] In this embodiment, a separator 7 is provided in the accommodating space 13 of the outer shell 1. The separator 7 divides the accommodating space 13 into a plurality of subspaces 131. The separator 7 separates the electrode assemblies 2 in each subspace 131 to reduce the risk of expansion stress accumulation of the electrode assemblies 2 in adjacent subspaces 131, thereby reducing the risk of mutual squeezing and deformation of the electrode assemblies 2, thereby effectively improving the reliability of the battery cell 10.

[0158] In some embodiments, please refer to FIG5 , which is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between the housing 11 shown in FIG4 and the partitioning device 7. The partitioning device 7 includes at least one partitioning wall 71 disposed within the accommodating space 13 and connected to the housing 1 . The partitioning wall 71 is configured to separate two adjacent subspaces 131 .

[0159] There can be one or more partition walls 71. The number of subspaces 131 can be one more than the number of sub-partition walls 71. For example, if there is one partition wall 71, there are two subspaces 131; for another example, if there are two partition walls 71, there are three subspaces 131.

[0160] The partition wall 71 can be in the shape of a plate, and the partition wall 71 can be a solid structure or a hollow structure. The partition wall 71 is connected to the outer shell 1 to achieve the fixation of the partition wall 71 and the outer shell 1. The partition wall 71 can be connected to the shell 11 or the end cover 12 of the outer shell 1, or the partition wall 71 can be connected to both the shell 11 and the end cover 12. If the partition wall 71 is connected to the shell 11, the partition wall 71 can be connected to one wall portion of the shell 11, or can be connected to multiple wall portions of the shell 11. If there are multiple partition walls 71, the multiple partition walls 71 can be connected to the same wall portion of the outer shell 1, for example, the multiple partition walls 71 are all connected to the end cover 12 of the outer shell 1; the multiple partition walls 71 can also be connected to different wall portions of the outer shell 1, for example, a part of the multiple partition walls 71 is connected to the end cover 12, and the other part is connected to the shell 11.

[0161] In this embodiment, the accommodating space 13 within the housing 1 is divided into a plurality of subspaces 131 by at least one partition wall 71. This provides a simple structure, and each partition wall 71 is capable of separating the electrode assemblies 2 within two adjacent subspaces 131. Because the partition walls 71 are connected to the housing 1, the expansion force generated by the electrode assemblies 2 within the subspaces 131 can be transmitted to the housing 1 via the partition walls 71, thereby reducing the risk of the expansion force generated by the electrode assembly 2 in one subspace 131 being transmitted to the electrode assembly 2 in another adjacent subspace 131.

[0162] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to FIG. 5 , the partition device 7 includes a plurality of partition walls 71 , and the plurality of partition walls 71 are spaced apart and arranged in the accommodating space 13 .

[0163] Taking the rectangular parallelepiped housing 1 as an example, the arrangement direction of the multiple partition walls 71 can be parallel to the length, width, or thickness direction of the battery cell 10. As an example, in FIG5 , the arrangement direction of the multiple partition walls 71 is parallel to the length direction of the battery cell 10. There are four partition walls 71, and the four partition walls 71 divide the accommodating space 13 into five subspaces 131.

[0164] As an example, in FIG. 5 , the first direction X is parallel to the thickness direction of the battery cell 10 , the second direction Y is parallel to the length direction of the battery cell 10 , and the third direction Z is parallel to the width direction of the battery cell 10 .

[0165] In this embodiment, a plurality of partition walls 71 arranged at intervals can divide the accommodating space 13 into more subspaces 131, so that the electrode assemblies 2 in more subspaces 131 are separated by the partition walls 71. The expansion force generated by all electrode assemblies 2 can be transmitted to the outer shell 1 through more partition walls 71, further reducing the risk of extrusion and deformation of the electrode assemblies 2.

[0166] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic structural diagram of the housing 11 shown in Figure 5. The housing 1 (not shown in Figure 6) includes a first wall portion 111, and a plurality of partition walls 71 are connected to the first wall portion 111.

[0167] The plurality of partition walls 71 are connected to the same wall portion of the housing 1, which is the first wall portion 111. The first wall portion 111 can be the wall portion of the housing 1 in the length direction of the battery cell 10, the wall portion of the housing 1 in the width direction of the battery cell 10, or the wall portion of the housing 1 in the thickness direction of the battery cell 10.

[0168] In the housing 1, the end cover 12 may serve as the first wall portion 111, or a wall portion in the housing 11 may serve as the first wall portion 111. In the embodiment where a wall portion in the housing 11 serves as the first wall portion 111, the wall portion of the housing 11 opposite to the end cover 12 may serve as the first wall portion 111, or the wall portion of the housing 11 adjacent to the end cover 12 may serve as the first wall portion 111.

[0169] The partition wall 71 and the first wall portion 111 may be integrally formed, or the partition wall 71 and the first wall portion 111 may be separately provided and connected, for example, the partition wall 71 and the first wall portion 111 are welded.

[0170] In this embodiment, the plurality of partition walls 71 are all connected to the first wall portion 111 , which can reduce the difficulty of connecting the plurality of partition walls 71 to the housing 1 and more easily ensure the position accuracy of the plurality of partition walls 71 .

[0171] In some embodiments, please refer to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the housing 11 provided in other embodiments of the present application; Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the housing 11 and the thermal management component 8 provided in some embodiments of the present application. The battery cell 10 may also include a thermal management component 8. The partition wall 71 has an internal accommodating cavity 711 formed therein. The thermal management component 8 is accommodated within the accommodating cavity 711. The outer surface 1111 of the first wall portion is provided with an opening 1112 for allowing the thermal management component 8 to enter the accommodating cavity 711. The opening 1112 is in communication with the accommodating cavity 711.

[0172] Thermal management component 8 manages the temperature of battery cells 10. It is used to exchange heat with battery cells 10 to manage the temperature of battery cells 10. Thermal management component 8 can be a heating component that heats battery cells 10, or a cooling component that cools battery cells 10. The cooling component can be a heat sink, a water-cooled plate, or the like.

[0173] The accommodating cavity 711 is formed within the interior of the partition wall 71, making the partition wall 71 a hollow structure. The accommodating cavity 711 and the subspace 131 are separated by the cavity wall of the accommodating cavity 711, that is, the accommodating cavity 711 and the subspace 131 are independent of each other and not connected to each other. The electrolyte in the subspace 131 does not enter the accommodating cavity 711. The opening 1112 on the outer surface 1111 of the first wall portion is the entrance for the thermal management component 8 to enter the accommodating cavity 711. The thermal management component 8 can enter the accommodating cavity 711 through the opening 1112. The opening 1112 on the outer surface 1111 of the first wall portion can correspond one-to-one with the partition wall 71.

[0174] The thermal management component 8 is accommodated in the accommodating cavity 711. Part of the thermal management component 8 can be accommodated in the accommodating cavity 711, or the thermal management component 8 can be accommodated in the accommodating cavity 711. The thermal management component 8 can contact the cavity wall of the accommodating cavity 711 to better exchange heat with the battery cell 10.

[0175] In this embodiment, the thermal management component 8 is disposed within the accommodating cavity 711 of the partition wall 71, fully utilizing the space within the partition wall 71. While achieving temperature management for the electrode assembly 2, the thermal management component 8 reduces the space within the housing 1 occupied by the thermal management component 8, freeing up more space for the electrode assembly 2 and facilitating an increase in the volumetric energy density of the battery cell 10. Furthermore, because the outer surface 1111 of the first wall portion is provided with an opening 1112 communicating with the accommodating cavity 711, the thermal management component 8 can be inserted into the accommodating cavity 711 from outside the housing 1 through the opening 1112. This allows for more convenient installation and removal of the thermal management component 8 without opening the housing 1, making operation more convenient.

[0176] In some embodiments, the first wall portion 111 is the wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the housing 1 .

[0177] Taking the rectangular parallelepiped as an example, the first wall 111 is the wall of the outer shell 1 in the thickness direction of the battery cell 10. The end cap 12 of the outer shell 1 can serve as the first wall 111, or the wall of the outer shell 11 facing the end cap 12 can serve as the first wall 111. In the embodiment shown in Figure 8, the wall of the outer shell 11 facing the end cap 12 serves as the first wall 111.

[0178] In this embodiment, the first wall portion 111 is the wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the housing 1 . The first wall portion 111 can be connected to more partition walls 71 to further reduce the expansion stress accumulation of all electrode assemblies 2 .

[0179] Continuing with FIG. 4 , in some embodiments, the electrode assembly 2 may include a main body 23, a first electrode tab 21, and a second electrode tab 22. The first electrode tab 21 and the second electrode tab 22 have opposite polarities and are disposed at one end of the main body 23 facing away from the first wall 111 along a first direction X. A plurality of partition walls 71 are spaced apart along a second direction Y, where the first direction X intersects the second direction Y. The battery cell 10 includes a first current collecting member 5 and a second current collecting member 6. The first current collecting member 5 and the second current collecting member 6 are disposed along the first direction X on the side of the main body 23 facing away from the first wall 111. The first current collecting member 5 connects the first electrode tabs 21 of the plurality of electrode assemblies 2, and the second current collecting member 6 connects the second electrode tabs 22 of the plurality of electrode assemblies 2.

[0180] The first electrode tab 21 and the second electrode tab 22 are disposed at the same end of the main body 23 along the first direction X. One of the first electrode tab 21 and the second electrode tab 22 is a positive electrode tab, and the other is a negative electrode tab. The main body 23 may be the portion of the electrode assembly 2 corresponding to the region where the electrode sheet is coated with the active material layer. The positive electrode tab may be the portion of the positive electrode sheet not coated with the positive active material layer, and the negative electrode tab may be the portion of the negative electrode sheet not coated with the negative active material layer.

[0181] Multiple partition walls 71 are spaced apart along the second direction Y. It is understood that if there are multiple subspaces 131, then the multiple subspaces 131 are arranged along the second direction Y. Multiple electrode assemblies 2 in the battery cell 10 can be arranged along the second direction Y. Along the second direction Y, each subspace 131 can accommodate one electrode assembly 2 or multiple electrode assemblies 2. The second direction Y can form an acute angle, a right angle, or an obtuse angle with the first direction X. Taking the rectangular shape of the housing 1 as an example, if the second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X, the first direction X and the second direction Y can be any two of the length, width, and thickness directions of the battery cell 10.

[0182] The first and second current collecting members 5, 6 are both located within the accommodating space 13. Both are conductors and can be made of the same or different materials. The first current collecting member 5 can be made of copper, iron, aluminum, steel, or an aluminum alloy, while the second current collecting member 6 can be made of copper, iron, aluminum, steel, or an aluminum alloy. The first and second current collecting members 5, 6 can be sheet-like structures. They are located on the same side of the main body 23 to connect to the first and second electrode tabs 21, 22, respectively, located on that side of the main body 23. The first electrode tabs 21 of all electrode assemblies 2 are connected to the first current collecting member 5, and the second electrode tabs 22 of all electrode assemblies 2 are connected to the second current collecting member 6. The first and second electrode tabs 21 can be connected to the first current collecting member 5 in various ways to achieve electrical connection, such as welding or bonding with conductive adhesive. The second electrode tab 22 and the second current collecting member 6 can be connected in various ways to achieve electrical connection between the second electrode tab 22 and the second current collecting member 6 , such as welding, bonding with conductive adhesive, etc.

[0183] The first current collecting component 5 and the second current collecting component 6 are arranged at intervals along the third direction Z, and the partition wall 71 extends along the third direction Z. Along the third direction Z, one end or both ends of the partition wall 71 can be connected to the wall corresponding to the outer shell 1, or one end or both ends of the partition wall 71 can be arranged with a gap between the wall corresponding to the outer shell 1.

[0184] The first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z intersect each other and are not coplanar. The third direction Z can be arranged at an acute angle, a right angle, or an obtuse angle with the first direction X, and can be arranged at an acute angle, a right angle, or an obtuse angle with the second direction Y. Taking the example of the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z being perpendicular to each other, one of the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z can be parallel to the length direction of the battery cell 10, another parallel to the width direction of the battery cell 10, and yet another parallel to the thickness direction of the battery cell 10. As an example, in Figure 4, the first direction X is parallel to the thickness direction of the battery cell 10, the second direction Y is parallel to the length direction of the battery cell 10, and the third direction Z is parallel to the width direction of the battery cell 10.

[0185] As an example, the first electrode tab 21 can be bent around the first current collecting member 5 so that a portion of the first electrode tab 21 is located on the side of the first current collecting member 5 facing away from the first wall 111 and connected to the second current collecting member 6. Specifically, the first current collecting member 5 is provided with a first relief portion 51 that extends through the first current collecting member 5 in the first direction X. The first electrode tab 21 passes through the first relief portion 51, with a portion of the first electrode tab 21 located on the side of the first current collecting member 5 facing away from the first wall 111 and connected to the first current collecting member 5. The second electrode tab 22 can be bent around the second current collecting member 6 so that a portion of the second electrode tab 22 is located on the side of the second current collecting member 6 facing away from the first wall 111 and connected to the second current collecting member 6. Specifically, the second current collecting member 6 is provided with a second relief portion 61 that extends through the second current collecting member 6 in the first direction X. The second electrode tab 22 passes through the second relief portion 61, with a portion of the second electrode tab 22 located on the side of the second current collecting member 6 facing away from the first wall 111 and connected to the second current collecting member 6.

[0186] In this embodiment, the first current collecting member 5 connects the first tabs 21 of multiple electrode assemblies 2, achieving current consolidation among the first tabs 21 of the multiple electrode assemblies 2. The second current collecting member 6 connects the second tabs 22 of the multiple electrode assemblies 2, achieving current consolidation among the second tabs 22 of the multiple electrode assemblies 2. This eliminates the need to increase the thickness or volume of a single electrode assembly 2, thereby reducing the manufacturing difficulty of a high-capacity battery cell 10. Furthermore, since the first and second current collecting members 5 and 6 are disposed on the side of the main body 23 facing away from the first wall 111, they are located on the same side of the main body 23. This helps reduce the combined thickness of the first and second current collecting members 5 and 6 in the first direction X, reducing the space occupied by the first and second current collecting members 5 and 6 within the housing 1, and thus improving the volumetric energy density of the battery cell 10.

[0187] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figure 4. The housing 1 may include a second wall portion 112. Along the first direction X, the second wall portion 112 is arranged opposite to the first wall portion 111. The second wall portion 112 is provided with a first electrode terminal 3 and a second electrode terminal 4. The first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4 are respectively connected to the first current collecting member 5 and the second current collecting member 6.

[0188] The second wall portion 112 is a wall portion of the housing 1 that is opposite to the first wall portion 111. In an embodiment where the housing 11 is open at one end, one of the second wall portion 112 and the first wall portion 111 may be the end cap 12, and the other may be the wall portion of the housing 11 opposite to the end cap 12. Alternatively, the second wall portion 112 and the first wall portion 111 may be two opposite walls of the housing 11. In an embodiment where the housing 11 is open at both ends, the second wall portion 112 and the first wall portion 111 may be two opposite walls of the housing 11, or the second wall portion 112 and the first wall portion 111 may be two end caps 12. As an example, in FIG4 , the housing 11 is open at one end, the end cap 12 is the second wall portion 112, the wall portion of the housing 11 opposite to the end cap 12 is the first wall portion 111, and the partition wall 71 is connected to the first wall portion 111.

[0189] The first and second electrode terminals 3 and 4 are components within the battery cell 10 used to connect to external components or devices to input or output electrical energy from the battery cell 10. The first and second electrode terminals 3 and 4 can be cylindrical and insulated from each other and mounted to the second wall portion 112. Along the first direction X, the first and second current collecting members 5 and 6 are located between the main body 23 and the second wall portion 112. The first current collecting member 5 and the first electrode terminal 3 can be electrically connected by various means, such as welding or bonding with conductive adhesive. To facilitate connection between the first current collecting member 5 and the first electrode terminal 3, a first protrusion 52 can be provided on the surface of the first current collecting member 5 facing the first electrode terminal 3. The second current collecting member 6 and the second electrode terminal 4 can be electrically connected by various means, such as welding or bonding with conductive adhesive. To facilitate the connection between the second current collecting member 6 and the second electrode terminal 4 , a second protrusion 62 may be provided on the surface of the second current collecting member 6 facing the second electrode terminal 4 .

[0190] In this embodiment, the second wall portion 112 is arranged opposite to the first wall portion 111 along the first direction X, and the first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4 are arranged on the second wall portion 112. This can reduce the distance between the first electrode terminal 3 and the first electrode tab 21 and between the second electrode terminal 4 and the second electrode tab 22, which is conducive to reducing the size of the first current collecting member 5 and the second current collecting member 6, and reducing the current path from the first electrode tab 21 to the first electrode terminal 3 and from the second electrode tab 22 to the second electrode terminal 4.

[0191] In some embodiments, please refer to FIG9 , which is an exploded view of a battery cell 10 (electrode assembly 2 is flat) provided in some other embodiments of the present application. The housing 1 may include a second wall portion 112 and a third wall portion 113 . Along a first direction X, the first wall portion 111 and the second wall portion 112 are arranged opposite each other. The third wall portion 113 connects the first wall portion 111 and the second wall portion 112 . The third wall portion 113 is provided with a first electrode terminal 3 and a second electrode terminal 4 . The first current collecting member 5 is provided with a first extension portion 53 , and the second current collecting member 6 is provided with a second extension portion 63 . Along a second direction Y, the first extension portion 53 and the second extension portion 63 are both located between the main body portion 23 and the third wall portion 113 . The first extension portion 53 and the second extension portion 63 are connected to the first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4 , respectively.

[0192] The third wall portion 113 is a wall portion of the housing 1 that connects the second wall portion 112 and the first wall portion 111 and is located in the second direction Y. Both the first wall portion 111 and the second wall portion 112 are adjacent to the third wall portion 113. As an example, the second wall portion 112 is the end cap 12, the first wall portion 111 is a wall portion of the housing 11 that is opposite to the second wall portion 112, and the third wall portion 113 is a wall portion of the housing 11 that is adjacent to the second wall portion 112.

[0193] The first extension 53 may be a sheet-like structure connected to the first current collecting member 5. The first extension 53 may be connected to the end of the first current collecting member 5 that faces the third wall 113 along the second direction Y. The angle formed between the first extension 53 and the first current collecting member 5 may be an acute angle, a right angle, an obtuse angle, etc. Along the second direction Y, the first extension 53 is located between the main body 23 and the third wall 113. It will be understood that, along the second direction Y, the first extension 53 is located between the third wall 113 and each main body 23. In other words, along the second direction Y, the main bodies 23 of all electrode assemblies 2 are located on the side of the first extension 53 facing away from the third wall 113.

[0194] The second extension 63 may be a sheet-like structure connected to the second current collecting member 6. The second extension 63 may be connected to the end of the second current collecting member 6 that faces the third wall 113 along the second direction Y. The angle formed between the second extension 63 and the second current collecting member 6 may be an acute angle, a right angle, an obtuse angle, etc. Along the second direction Y, the second extension 63 is located between the main body 23 and the third wall 113. It will be understood that, along the second direction Y, the second extension 63 is located between the third wall 113 and each main body 23. In other words, along the second direction Y, the main bodies 23 of all electrode assemblies 2 are located on the side of the second extension 63 facing away from the third wall 113.

[0195] The first extension 53 and the first electrode terminal 3 can be connected to each other in various ways to achieve electrical connection between the first current collecting member 5 and the first electrode terminal 3, such as welding or bonding with conductive adhesive. To facilitate connection between the first extension 53 and the first electrode terminal 3, a first protrusion 52 can be provided on the surface of the first extension 53 facing the first electrode terminal 3. The second extension 63 and the second electrode terminal 4 can be connected to each other in various ways to achieve electrical connection between the second current collecting member 6 and the second electrode terminal 4, such as welding or bonding with conductive adhesive. To facilitate connection between the second extension 63 and the second electrode terminal 4, a second protrusion 62 can be provided on the surface of the second extension 63 facing the second electrode terminal 4.

[0196] In this embodiment, the first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4 are disposed on the third wall portion 113 connected to the first wall portion 111 and the second wall portion 112 , so that the first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4 are not disposed on the first wall portion 111 and the second wall portion 112 . This makes it less susceptible to interference from the first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4 when the multiple battery cells 10 are stacked along the first direction X, allowing the multiple battery cells 10 to be stacked closely along the first direction X. Furthermore, the first current collecting member 5 is provided with a first extension portion 53 , which is located between the main body portion 23 and the third wall portion 113 and is connected to the first electrode terminal 3 . This allows the connection region between the first current collecting member 5 and the first electrode tab 21 to be further away from the connection region between the first extension portion 53 and the first electrode terminal 3 , reducing the risk of mutual interference and facilitating easier connection between the first current collecting member 5 , the first electrode tab 21 , and the first electrode terminal 3 . The second current collecting member 6 is provided with a second extension portion 63, which is located between the main body 23 and the third wall portion 113, and is connected to the second electrode terminal 4. In this way, the connection area between the second current collecting member 6 and the second electrode tab 22 and the connection area between the second extension portion 63 and the second electrode terminal 4 can be further apart, thereby reducing the risk of mutual influence and helping to reduce the difficulty of connecting the second current collecting member 6, the second electrode tab 22 and the second electrode terminal 4.

[0197] 9 , the housing 1 includes a shell 11 and an end cap 12 . The shell 11 has a first opening 114 , and the end cap 12 covers the first opening 114 . The wall portion of the shell 11 facing the end cap 12 is a first wall portion 111 .

[0198] As an example, in FIG9 , an opening is formed at one end of the shell 11 , and the housing 1 includes only one end cover 12 .

[0199] It can be understood that the plurality of partition walls 71 in the partition device 7 are connected to the wall portion of the shell 11 opposite to the end cover 12 .

[0200] In this embodiment, the wall portion opposite to the shell 11 and the end cover 12 is the first wall portion 111, and multiple partition walls 71 are connected to the wall portion opposite to the shell 11 and the end cover 12. When assembling the battery cell 10, the electrode assembly 2 can be first installed in the shell 11, and then the end cover 12 can be connected to the shell 11, which makes the assembly of the battery cell 10 less difficult.

[0201] In some embodiments, please refer to FIG. 10 , which is an exploded view of a battery cell 10 (electrode assembly 2 is flat) provided in some other embodiments of the present application. The housing 1 includes a shell 11 and an end cap 12 . The shell 11 has a first opening 114 , and the end cap 12 covers the first opening 114 . The end cap 12 is a first wall portion 111 .

[0202] As an example, in FIG10 , an opening is formed at one end of the shell 11 , and the housing 1 includes only one end cover 12 .

[0203] It can be understood that the plurality of partition walls 71 in the partition device 7 are connected to the end cover 12 .

[0204] In this embodiment, the end cover 12 is the first wall portion 111 , and the multiple partition walls 71 are connected to the end cover 12 . The end cover 12 is smaller in volume and weight than the shell 11 , and the connection difficulty of the multiple partition walls 71 and the end cover 12 is lower.

[0205] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 , the electrode assembly 2 is flat, and the plurality of subspaces 131 are arranged along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly 2 .

[0206] The flat electrode assembly 2 can be a laminated structure or a wound structure. The thickness of the flat electrode assembly 2 is less than the width and length of the electrode assembly 2. The electrode assembly 2 can be roughly rectangular, and the first electrode tab 21 and the second electrode tab 22 can be arranged at one end of the main body 23 in the width direction of the electrode assembly 2. If the electrode assembly 2 is a laminated structure, the stacking direction of the electrode sheets in the electrode assembly 2 is parallel to the thickness direction of the electrode assembly 2; if the electrode assembly 2 is a wound structure, the electrode assembly 2 includes a straight region and a bent region, the bent region is connected to the straight region, and the stacking direction of the electrode sheets in the straight region is parallel to the thickness direction of the electrode assembly 2.

[0207] As an example, multiple subspaces 131 are arranged along the second direction Y, the second direction Y is parallel to the thickness direction of the electrode assembly 2, the first direction X is parallel to the width direction of the electrode assembly 2, and the third direction Z is parallel to the length direction of the electrode assembly 2.

[0208] In this embodiment, the electrode assembly 2 is flat, and the expansion of the electrode assembly 2 in its thickness direction is the largest. Since the multiple subspaces 131 are arranged along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly 2, the expansion force generated by the expansion of the electrode assembly 2 along the thickness direction can be borne by the partition wall 71, thereby reducing the expansion stress accumulation of the electrode assemblies 2 in adjacent subspaces 131, which leads to the risk of mutual squeezing and deformation of the electrode assemblies 2.

[0209] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 , each subspace 131 accommodates a plurality of electrode assemblies 2 , and the plurality of electrode assemblies 2 in each subspace 131 are stacked along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly 2 .

[0210] The number of electrode assemblies 2 in each subspace 131 may be two, three, four, five, etc. The number of electrode assemblies 2 in each subspace 131 may be equal or different. As an example, the number of electrode assemblies 2 in each subspace 131 is equal, that is, two.

[0211] In this embodiment, each subspace 131 accommodates a plurality of electrode assemblies 2 stacked in the thickness direction, so that the thickness of the electrode assembly 2 in each subspace 131 is not too large, thereby reducing the difficulty of manufacturing the electrode assembly 2.

[0212] In some embodiments, please refer to FIG. 11 , which is an exploded view of a battery cell 10 (the electrode assembly 2 is cylindrical) provided in some embodiments of the present application; a subspace 131 is formed inside the separator 7 .

[0213] It is understood that subspace 131 is located both inside housing 1 and inside partition 7. Subspace 131 can have various shapes, such as cylindrical or prism. Prisms can be triangular, quadrangular, pentagonal, or hexagonal. For example, in FIG11 , subspace 131 is in the shape of a hexagonal prism.

[0214] There are multiple subspaces 131 inside the partition device 7, and the multiple subspaces 131 can be arranged along a certain direction. Taking the battery cell 10 as a rectangular battery cell as an example, the multiple subspaces 131 can be arranged in the partition device 7 along the length, width or thickness direction of the battery cell 10; the multiple subspaces 131 can also be arranged in the partition device 7 along multiple directions. For example, the multiple subspaces 131 are distributed in multiple rows and columns in the partition device 7.

[0215] In this embodiment, the subspace 131 is formed inside the separator 7 . After the electrode assembly 2 is accommodated in the subspace 131 , the separator 7 can bear the expansion force of the electrode assembly 2 in multiple directions, further improving the reliability of the battery cell 10 .

[0216] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figure 12, which is a schematic structural diagram of the partitioning device 7 shown in Figure 11. The partitioning device 7 includes a plurality of receiving units 72 disposed in the accommodating space 13, and each receiving unit 72 forms a subspace 131 therein.

[0217] The multiple receiving units 72 in the partitioning device 7 can be independent of each other, or at least two receiving units 72 can be connected together. As an example, in Figure 12, all receiving units 72 are connected to each other to form a whole. In the case of two adjacent receiving units 72, if the two receiving units 72 are connected to each other, they can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate connecting member. If two adjacent receiving units 72 are directly connected, the outer surfaces of the two receiving units 72 can be directly connected, or the two receiving units 72 can share a wall portion.

[0218] In this embodiment, a subspace 131 is formed within each receiving unit 72. Multiple receiving units 72 can accommodate an electrode assembly 2. Each receiving unit 72 can bear the expansion force of the electrode assembly 2 in multiple directions within the subspace 131. Furthermore, after the electrode assembly 2 is accommodated within the receiving unit 72, the receiving unit 72 can restrain the electrode assembly 2, reducing the risk of the electrode assembly 2 tilting or shaking within the housing 1.

[0219] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to FIG. 12 , two adjacent receiving units 72 share a partition wall 71 , and the partition wall 71 is configured to separate the subspaces 131 of the two adjacent receiving units 72 .

[0220] The partition wall 71 is a wall portion shared by adjacent receiving units 72 , and the electrode assemblies 2 in two adjacent receiving units 72 are respectively located on both sides of the partition wall 71 .

[0221] As an example, in FIG12 , all the receiving units 72 in the partition device 7 are integrally formed, the receiving units 72 are in the shape of a hexagonal prism, the subspaces 131 in the receiving units 72 are also in the shape of a hexagonal prism, and the partition device 7 is in the shape of a honeycomb.

[0222] In this embodiment, two adjacent receiving units 72 share a partition wall 71. Given a constant volume of the accommodating space 13, the volume of the subspace 131 can be increased to free up more space for the electrode assembly 2, thereby increasing the volumetric energy density of the battery cell 10. Furthermore, the shared partition wall 71 between two adjacent receiving units 72 allows the multiple receiving units 72 to function as a single unit, further simplifying the installation of the partition device 7 within the housing 1.

[0223] In some embodiments, please refer to Figures 13 to 15. Figure 13 is a top view of the partition device 7 provided in some embodiments of the present application; Figure 14 is a partial enlarged view of point A in Figure 13; and Figure 15 is a structural schematic diagram of the shell 11 provided in some embodiments of the present application. The battery cell 10 also includes a thermal management component 8. A receiving cavity 711 is formed inside the partition wall 71, and the thermal management component 8 is accommodated in the receiving cavity 711. Among them, a second opening 721 for the electrode assembly 2 to enter the subspace 131 is formed at at least one end of the receiving unit 72 along the first direction X. Along the first direction X, the shell 1 includes a first wall portion 111 arranged opposite to the partition device 7. The outer surface 1111 of the first wall portion is provided with an opening 1112 for the thermal management component 8 to enter the receiving cavity 711. The opening 1112 is connected to the receiving cavity 711.

[0224] Along the first direction X, the receiving unit 72 may have a second opening 721 formed at one end (as shown in FIG. 12 ), or may have second openings 721 formed at both opposing ends. The first wall portion 111 is a wall portion of the housing 1 disposed opposite the partitioning device 7 along the first direction X. Taking the housing 1 as a rectangular parallelepiped as an example, any one of the length, width, and thickness directions of the battery cell 10 may be parallel to the first direction X. In other words, the first wall portion 111 may be the wall portion of the housing 1 along the length direction of the battery cell 10, the wall portion of the housing 1 along the width direction of the battery cell 10, or the wall portion of the housing 1 along the thickness direction of the battery cell 10.

[0225] The end cap 12 may serve as the first wall portion 111, or a wall portion in the housing 11 may serve as the first wall portion 111. In the embodiment where a wall portion in the housing 11 serves as the first wall portion 111, the wall portion of the housing 11 opposite the end cap 12 may serve as the first wall portion 111, or the wall portion of the housing 11 adjacent to the end cap 12 may serve as the first wall portion 111. As an example, in FIG15 , a wall portion of the housing 11 adjacent to the end cap 12 serves as the first wall portion 111, the first direction X is parallel to the thickness direction of the battery cell 10, and the first wall portion 111 is located in the thickness direction of the battery cell 10.

[0226] The opening 1112 on the outer surface 1111 of the first wall portion serves as an entrance for the thermal management component 8 to enter the accommodating cavity 711. The thermal management component 8 can enter the accommodating cavity 711 through the opening 1112. The opening 1112 on the outer surface 1111 of the first wall portion can correspond one-to-one with the partition wall 71. The receiving unit 72 and the first wall portion 111 can be connected so that the second opening 721 is not connected to the accommodating space 13 of the housing 1. The receiving unit 72 and the second wall portion 112 can also be spaced apart along the first direction X so that there is a distance between the partition wall 71 and the first wall portion 111. The receiving unit 72 and the first wall portion 111 can also simply maintain contact, without being fixed to each other.

[0227] In this embodiment, since the thermal management component 8 is disposed within the accommodating cavity 711 of the partition wall 71, the space within the partition wall 71 is fully utilized. While achieving temperature management for the electrode assembly 2, the space occupied by the thermal management component 8 within the housing 1 is reduced, freeing up more space for the electrode assembly 2, thereby facilitating an increase in the volumetric energy density of the battery cell 10. Furthermore, since the outer surface 1111 of the first wall portion is provided with an opening 1112 communicating with the accommodating cavity 711, the thermal management component 8 can be inserted into the accommodating cavity 711 from outside the housing 1 through the opening 1112. This allows for more convenient installation and removal of the thermal management component 8 without opening the housing 1, making the operation more convenient.

[0228] Continuing with FIG. 11 , in some embodiments, the electrode assembly 2 may include a main body 23, a first electrode tab 21, and a second electrode tab 22. The first electrode tab 21 and the second electrode tab 22 have opposite polarities and are disposed at opposite ends of the main body 23 along a first direction X. Second openings 721 for allowing the electrode assembly 2 to enter the subspace 131 are provided at opposite ends of the receiving unit 72 along the first direction X. The battery cell 10 includes a first current collecting member 5 and a second current collecting member 6. The first current collecting member 5 and the second current collecting member 6 are disposed at opposite sides of the main body 23 along the first direction X. The first current collecting member 5 connects the first electrode tabs 21 of the plurality of electrode assemblies 2, and the second current collecting member 6 connects the second electrode tabs 22 of the plurality of electrode assemblies 2.

[0229] The first electrode tab 21 and the second electrode tab 22 are respectively disposed at opposite ends of the main body 23 along the first direction X. One of the first electrode tab 21 and the second electrode tab 22 is a positive electrode tab, and the other is a negative electrode tab. The receiving unit 72 is provided with second openings 721 at both opposite ends along the first direction X. The second openings 721 communicate with the subspace 131. The first electrode tab 21 and the second electrode tab 22 can pass through the two second openings 721 and connect to the first current collecting member 5 and the second current collecting member 6, respectively.

[0230] The first and second current collecting members 5 and 6 are both located within the accommodating space 13. They are located on opposite sides of the main body 23 along the first direction X, respectively, to connect with the first and second electrode tabs 21 and 22 located at opposite ends of the main body 23. The first and second current collecting members 5 and 6 are also located on opposite sides of the separator 7 along the first direction X. The first electrode tabs 21 of all electrode assemblies 2 are connected to the first current collecting member 5, and the second electrode tabs 22 of all electrode assemblies 2 are connected to the second current collecting member 6. The first electrode tabs 21 and the first current collecting member 5 can be electrically connected by various means, such as welding or bonding with conductive adhesive. The second electrode tabs 22 and the second current collecting member 6 can be electrically connected by various means, such as welding or bonding with conductive adhesive.

[0231] In this embodiment, the first electrode tab 21 and the second electrode tab 22 are respectively disposed at opposite ends of the main body 23 along the first direction X. Furthermore, the first current collecting member 5 connected to the first electrode tab 21 and the second current collecting member 6 connected to the second electrode tab 22 are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the main body 23. This reduces the risk of interference and short circuit between the first and second current collecting members 5 and 6. Furthermore, the first current collecting member 5 connects the first electrode tabs 21 of multiple electrode assemblies 2, thereby converging the currents of the first electrode tabs 21 of the multiple electrode assemblies 2. The second current collecting member 6 connects the second electrode tabs 22 of the multiple electrode assemblies 2, thereby converging the currents of the second electrode tabs 22 of the multiple electrode assemblies 2. This eliminates the need to increase the thickness or volume of a single electrode assembly 2, thereby reducing the manufacturing difficulty of a high-capacity battery cell 10.

[0232] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figure 11. The housing 1 may include a first wall portion 111 and a second wall portion 112. Along the first direction X, the first wall portion 111 and the second wall portion 112 are arranged opposite to each other. The first wall portion 111 is provided with one end of the first pole ear 21 facing the main body 23, and the second wall portion 112 is provided with one end of the second pole ear 22 facing the main body 23. The first wall portion 111 is provided with a first electrode terminal 3, and the second wall portion 112 is provided with a second electrode terminal 4. The first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4 are respectively connected to the first current collecting member 5 and the second current collecting member 6.

[0233] The second wall portion 112 is a wall portion of the housing 1 that is opposite to the first wall portion 111. In an embodiment where the housing 11 is open at one end, one of the second wall portion 112 and the first wall portion 111 may be the end cap 12, and the other may be the wall portion of the housing 11 that is opposite to the end cap 12. Alternatively, the second wall portion 112 and the first wall portion 111 may be two opposite walls of the housing 11. In an embodiment where the housing 11 is open at both ends, the second wall portion 112 and the first wall portion 111 may be two opposite walls of the housing 11, or the second wall portion 112 and the first wall portion 111 may be two end caps 12. As an example, in FIG11 , an opening is formed at one end of the housing 11, and the first wall portion 111 and the second wall portion 112 are two opposite walls of the housing 11.

[0234] The first electrode terminal 3 can be insulated and mounted on the first wall portion 111, and the second electrode terminal 4 can be insulated and mounted on the second wall portion 112. Along the first direction X, the first current collecting member 5 is located between the separator 7 and the first wall portion 111, and the second current collecting member 6 is located between the separator 7 and the second wall portion 112. The first current collecting member 5 and the first electrode terminal 3 can be electrically connected by various means, such as welding or bonding with a conductive adhesive. The second current collecting member 6 and the second electrode terminal 4 can be electrically connected by various means, such as welding or bonding with a conductive adhesive.

[0235] In this embodiment, the first wall portion 111 is disposed at one end of the first electrode tab 21, facing the main body 23. The first electrode terminal 3 is disposed on the first wall portion 111. The first current collecting member 5 connects the first electrode terminal 3 and the first electrode tab 21. This reduces the distance between the first electrode terminal 3 and the first electrode tab 21, reduces the size of the first current collecting member 5, and shortens the flow path from the first electrode tab 21 to the first electrode terminal 3. The second wall portion 112 is disposed at one end of the second electrode tab 22, facing the main body 23. The second electrode terminal 4 is disposed on the second wall portion 112. The second current collecting member 6 connects the second electrode terminal 4 and the second electrode tab 22. This reduces the distance between the second electrode terminal 4 and the second electrode tab 22, reduces the size of the second current collecting member 6, and shortens the flow path from the second electrode tab 22 to the second electrode terminal 4.

[0236] In some embodiments, please refer to FIG. 16 , which is an exploded view of a battery cell 10 (with a cylindrical electrode assembly 2) provided in other embodiments of the present application. The housing 1 includes a first wall 111, a second wall 112, and a third wall 113. Along a first direction X, the first wall 111 and the second wall 112 are disposed opposite each other. The third wall 113 connects the first and second walls 111 and 112. The third wall 113 is provided with the first and second electrode terminals 3 and 4. The first current collecting member 5 is provided with a first extension 53, and the second current collecting member 6 is provided with a second extension 63. Along a second direction Y, the first and second extensions 53 and 63 are both located between the main body 23 and the third wall 113. The first and second extensions 53 and 63 are connected to the first and second electrode terminals 3 and 4, respectively. The second direction Y intersects the first direction X.

[0237] The third wall portion 113 is a wall portion of the housing 1 that connects the second wall portion 112 and the first wall portion 111 and is located in the second direction Y. The first wall portion 111 and the second wall portion 112 are both adjacent to the third wall portion 113. If the first wall portion 111 and the second wall portion 112 are two opposing walls of the housing 11, the third wall portion 113 may be the wall portion of the housing 11 that connects the first wall portion 111 and the second wall portion 112, or the third wall portion 113 may be the end cap 12 that connects the first wall portion 111 and the second wall portion 112.

[0238] The first extension 53 may be a sheet-like structure connected to the first current collecting member 5. The first extension 53 may be connected to the end of the first current collecting member 5 facing the third wall 113 along the second direction Y. The angle between the first extension 53 and the first current collecting member 5 may be acute, right, or obtuse. Along the second direction Y, the first extension 53 is located between the main body 23 and the third wall 113. It should be understood that along the second direction Y, the first extension 53 is located between the third wall 113 and each main body 23. In other words, along the second direction Y, the main bodies 23 of all electrode assemblies 2 are located on the side of the first extension 53 facing away from the third wall 113. The first extension 53 and the first electrode terminal 3 can be connected in various ways to achieve electrical connection between the first current collecting member 5 and the first electrode terminal 3, such as welding or bonding with conductive adhesive.

[0239] The second extension 63 may be a sheet-like structure connected to the second current collecting member 6. The second extension 63 may be connected to the end of the second current collecting member 6 facing the third wall 113 along the second direction Y. The angle between the second extension 63 and the second current collecting member 6 may be acute, right, or obtuse. Along the second direction Y, the second extension 63 is located between the main body 23 and the third wall 113. It should be understood that along the second direction Y, the second extension 63 is located between the third wall 113 and each main body 23. In other words, along the second direction Y, the main bodies 23 of all electrode assemblies 2 are located on the side of the second extension 63 facing away from the third wall 113. The second extension 63 and the second electrode terminal 4 can be connected in various ways to achieve electrical connection between the second current collecting member 6 and the second electrode terminal 4, such as welding or bonding with conductive adhesive.

[0240] The first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4 are both disposed on the third wall portion 113. The first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4 can be arranged along the third direction Z. The first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z intersect with each other and are not coplanar. Any two of the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z can be arranged at an acute angle, a right angle, or an obtuse angle. Taking the example of the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z being perpendicular to each other, one of the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z can be parallel to the length direction of the battery cell 10, another can be parallel to the width direction of the battery cell 10, and yet another can be parallel to the thickness direction of the battery cell 10.

[0241] In this embodiment, the first and second electrode terminals 3 and 4 are disposed on the third wall portion 113 connected to the first and second wall portions 111 and 112 , so that the first and second electrode terminals 3 and 4 are not disposed on the first and second wall portions 111 and 112 . This makes it less susceptible to interference from the first and second electrode terminals 3 and 4 when the battery cells 10 are stacked along the first direction X, allowing the battery cells 10 to be tightly stacked along the first direction X. Furthermore, the first current collecting member 5 is provided with a first extension portion 53 , which is located between the main body 23 and the third wall portion 113 and connected to the first electrode terminal 3 . This allows the connection region between the first current collecting member 5 and the first electrode tab 21 to be further away from the connection region between the first extension portion 53 and the first electrode terminal 3 , reducing the risk of mutual interference and facilitating easier connection between the first current collecting member 5 , the first electrode tab 21 , and the first electrode terminal 3 . The second current collecting member 6 is provided with a second extension portion 63, which is located between the main body 23 and the third wall portion 113. The second extension portion 63 is connected to the second electrode terminal 4, so that the connection area between the second current collecting member 6 and the second electrode tab 22 and the connection area between the second extension portion 63 and the second electrode terminal 4 can be further apart, reducing the risk of mutual influence, which is conducive to reducing the difficulty of connecting the second current collecting member 6, the second electrode tab 22 and the second electrode terminal 4.

[0242] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 16 , a second opening 721 for allowing the electrode assembly 2 to enter the subspace 131 is formed at at least one end of the receiving unit 72 along the first direction X. The housing 1 includes a shell 11 and an end cap 12 . A first opening 114 is formed at at least one end of the shell 11 along the second direction Y. The end cap 12 corresponds to the first opening 114 in a one-to-one manner and covers the first opening 114. The second direction Y intersects the first direction X.

[0243] Along the first direction X, the receiving unit 72 may have a second opening 721 formed at one end, or at both opposing ends. Along the second direction Y, the housing 11 may have a first opening 114 formed at one end, or at both opposing ends. The second direction Y may form an acute angle, a right angle, or an obtuse angle with the first direction X.

[0244] As an example, the receiving unit 72 has second openings 721 formed at both ends along the first direction X, the housing 11 has a first opening 114 formed at one end along the second direction Y, and there is one end cap 12 , which is correspondingly engaged with the first opening 114 of the housing 11 to close the first opening 114. The second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X.

[0245] In this embodiment, the receiving unit 72 is provided with a second opening 721, through which the electrode assembly 2 can enter the receiving unit 72, thereby facilitating the installation of the electrode assembly 2. The second opening 721 of the receiving unit 72 is in the first direction X, and the first opening 114 of the housing 11 is in the second direction Y. The first direction X intersects with the second direction Y. In this way, the housing 11 can block the second opening 721 of the receiving unit 72 to confine the electrode assembly 2 within the receiving unit 72. Even if the end cap 12 is not covered with the first opening 114, the electrode assembly 2 is not easily separated from the receiving unit 72 through the second opening 721.

[0246] In some embodiments, please refer to FIG. 17 , which is an exploded view of a battery cell 10 (with a cylindrical electrode assembly 2) provided in yet other embodiments of the present application. A second opening 721 for the electrode assembly 2 to enter the subspace 131 is formed at at least one end of the receiving unit 72 along the first direction X. The housing 1 includes a shell 11 and an end cap 12 . The shell 11 has a first opening 114 formed at one end along the first direction X and at one end along the second direction Y. The end cap 12 corresponds to the first opening 114 one-to-one, and the end cap 12 covers the first opening 114. The second direction Y intersects with the first direction X.

[0247] In this embodiment, there are two end caps 12 in the housing 1, which respectively close the two first openings 114 of the housing 11. The two end caps 12 are arranged adjacent to each other. In this way, the partition device 7 can be installed in the housing 1 through either of the two first openings 114 as required.

[0248] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 , at least one wall portion of the housing 1 disposed opposite to the partition device 7 along the first direction X is the wall portion of the housing 1 with the largest outer surface area.

[0249] Taking a rectangular parallelepiped as an example, the housing 1 has two walls arranged opposite the separator 7 along the first direction X. Of these two walls, only one or both may have the largest outer surface area within the housing 1. The wall with the largest outer surface area within the housing 1 is the wall of the housing 1 extending in the thickness direction of the battery cell 10. The wall with the largest outer surface area within the housing 1 may be a wall within the casing 11 or the end cap 12. In Figures 16 and 17, the first wall 111 and / or the second wall 112 within the housing 1 may serve as the wall with the largest outer surface area within the housing 1. The outer surface area of ​​the second wall 112 may be equal to the outer surface area of ​​the first wall 1111. In the embodiment shown in Figure 16, the wall within the casing 11 extending in the thickness direction of the battery cell 10 serves as the wall with the largest outer surface area within the housing 1; in the embodiment shown in Figure 17, the end cap 12 within the casing 1 extending in the thickness direction of the battery cell 10 serves as the wall with the largest outer surface area within the housing 1.

[0250] In this embodiment, a second opening 721 is formed at at least one end of the receiving unit 72 along the first direction X, and the electrode assembly 2 can enter the receiving unit 72 along the first direction X from the second opening 721. Since at least one wall portion of the outer shell 1 is arranged opposite to the separator 7 along the first direction X, the wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the outer shell 1 is located in the first direction X, so that the direction of the second opening 721 is basically perpendicular to the wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the outer shell 1. In this way, more receiving units 72 can be arranged in the receiving space 13 of the outer shell 1 to accommodate more electrode assemblies 2.

[0251] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figures 16 and 17. Along the first direction X, the accommodating space 13 only accommodates one accommodating unit 72; along the second direction Y, the accommodating space 13 accommodates multiple accommodating units 72; along the third direction Z, the accommodating space 13 accommodates multiple accommodating units 72. The first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z are not coplanar and intersect with each other.

[0252] As an example, the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z are perpendicular to each other. The first direction X is parallel to the thickness direction of the battery cell 10 , the second direction Y is parallel to the length direction of the battery cell 10 , and the third direction Z is parallel to the width direction of the battery cell 10 .

[0253] In this embodiment, the accommodating space 13 only accommodates one accommodating unit 72 along the first direction X, and the accommodating space 13 accommodates multiple accommodating units 72 along the second direction Y and the third direction Z. Without making the size of the shell 1 along the first direction X too large, the accommodating space 13 can accommodate more accommodating units 72 to accommodate more electrode assemblies 2, which is conducive to realizing a large-capacity battery cell 10.

[0254] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 18 , FIG. 18 is an exploded view of a battery cell 10 (with a cylindrical electrode assembly 2) provided in yet other embodiments of the present application. At least one wall portion of the housing 1, disposed opposite the separator 7 along the third direction Z, is the wall portion of the housing 1 with the largest outer surface area. The first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z are non-coplanar and intersect with each other.

[0255] Taking the rectangular parallelepiped as an example, the outer shell 1 has two walls disposed opposite the separator 7 along the third direction Z. Of these two walls, only one or both may have the largest outer surface area within the outer shell 1. The wall of the outer shell 1 with the largest outer surface area is the wall of the outer shell 1 extending in the thickness direction of the battery cell 10. The wall of the outer shell 1 with the largest outer surface area may be a wall within the housing 11 or the end cap 12.

[0256] As an example, in the embodiment shown in FIG18 , the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z are perpendicular to each other. The first direction X is parallel to the width of the battery cell 10, the second direction Y is parallel to the length of the battery cell 10, and the third direction Z is parallel to the thickness of the battery cell 10. The wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the outer casing 1 is the wall portion of the housing 11 in the thickness direction of the battery cell 10. The wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the outer casing 1 connects the first wall portion 111 and the second wall portion 112. The third wall portion 113 serves as the end cap 12. The first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4 are disposed on the third wall portion 113.

[0257] In this embodiment, a second opening 721 is formed at at least one end of the receiving unit 72 along the first direction X, and the electrode assembly 2 can enter the receiving unit 72 along the first direction X from the second opening 721. Since at least one wall portion of the outer shell 1 is arranged opposite to the separator 7 along the third direction Z, the wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the outer shell 1 is located in the third direction Z, so that the direction of the second opening 721 is basically parallel to the wall portion with the largest outer surface area in the outer shell 1. The outer shell 1 can provide more space for the receiving unit 72 in the first direction X to increase the size of the receiving unit 72 in the first direction X.

[0258] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figure 18. Along the first direction X, the accommodating space 13 only accommodates one receiving unit 72; along the second direction Y, the accommodating space 13 accommodates multiple receiving units 72; along the third direction Z, the accommodating space 13 only accommodates one receiving unit 72.

[0259] In this embodiment, the accommodating space 13 only accommodates one accommodating unit 72 along the first direction X and the third direction Z, and the accommodating space 13 accommodates multiple accommodating units 72 along the second direction Y. While ensuring that the size of the shell 1 along the first direction X and the third direction Z is not too large, the accommodating space 13 can accommodate more accommodating units 72 to accommodate more electrode assemblies 2, which is conducive to realizing a large-capacity battery cell 10.

[0260] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figures 16 to 18 , the electrode assembly 2 is cylindrical, and each subspace 131 only accommodates one electrode assembly 2.

[0261] In this embodiment, the electrode assembly 2 is cylindrical, and each subspace 131 accommodates only one electrode assembly 2. Each electrode assembly 2 is constrained by the separator 7, reducing the accumulation of expansion stress between two adjacent electrode assemblies 2. In addition, after each electrode assembly 2 is accommodated in a corresponding subspace 131, each subspace 131 can serve to limit the corresponding electrode assembly 2 to a certain extent, reducing the risk of tilting or shaking of the electrode assembly 2.

[0262] In some embodiments, the partitioning device 7 includes a partition wall 71 configured to separate two adjacent subspaces 131 , and an accommodation cavity 711 is formed inside the partition wall 71 . The battery cell 10 further includes a thermal management component 8 accommodated in the accommodation cavity 711 .

[0263] In this embodiment, the accommodating cavity 711 may be a closed structure or an open structure. The thermal management component 8 may be fully accommodated in the accommodating cavity 711 or only partially accommodated in the accommodating cavity 711 .

[0264] In this embodiment, a accommodating cavity 711 is formed inside the partition wall 71, and the thermal management component 8 is arranged in the accommodating cavity 711 of the partition wall 71, making full use of the space inside the partition wall 71. While achieving temperature management of the electrode assembly 2, the space occupied by the thermal management component 8 inside the outer shell 1 is reduced, freeing up more space for the electrode assembly 2, which is beneficial to improving the volume energy density of the battery cell 10.

[0265] In some embodiments, an outer surface of the housing 1 is provided with an opening 1112 for the heat management component 8 to enter the accommodating cavity 711 , and the opening 1112 is in communication with the accommodating cavity 711 .

[0266] In this embodiment, the opening 1112 can be provided on the outer surface of the housing 11 or on the outer surface of the end cover 12, and the opening 1112 can correspond one-to-one with the partition wall. It should be noted that in the embodiment where the partition wall 71 is connected to the first wall 111 of the housing 1, the opening 1112 can be provided on the outer surface 1111 of the first wall, or on the outer surface of the second wall 112 opposite the first wall 111.

[0267] In this embodiment, the outer surface of the shell 1 is provided with a mouth 1112 connected to the accommodating cavity 711. The thermal management component 8 can enter the accommodating cavity 711 through the mouth 1112 from the outside of the shell 1. When installing or removing the thermal management component 8, there is no need to open the shell 1, which makes the operation more convenient.

[0268] In some embodiments, the housing 1 is in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The multiple electrode assemblies 2 can fully utilize the internal space of the housing 1, improve the space utilization of the electrode assemblies 2, and facilitate the realization of a large-capacity battery cell 10.

[0269] An embodiment of the present application provides a battery 100 , comprising the battery cell 10 provided in any one of the above embodiments.

[0270] An embodiment of the present application provides an electrical device, comprising a battery cell 10 provided by any one of the above embodiments, and the battery cell 10 is used to provide electrical energy to the electrical device.

[0271] An embodiment of the present application provides an energy storage device, comprising the battery cell 10 provided in any one of the above embodiments.

[0272] Among them, the energy storage device can be a container, an energy storage cabinet, etc.

[0273] Referring to Figures 4-8, an embodiment of the present application further provides a battery cell 10, comprising a housing 1, a separator 7, a first current collecting member 5, a second current collecting member 6, a first electrode terminal 3, a second electrode terminal 4, and a plurality of electrode assemblies 2. The housing 1 has a storage space 13, within which the plurality of electrode assemblies 2 are stored. The housing 1 comprises a shell 11 and an end cap 12. The shell 11 has a first opening 114, and the end cap 12 covers the first opening 114. The electrode assembly 2 is a flat device comprising a main body 23, a first electrode tab 21, and a second electrode tab 22. The first electrode tab 21 and the second electrode tab 22 are disposed at the same end of the main body 23 along a first direction X. Along the first direction X, the housing 1 has a first wall 111 and a second wall 112 facing each other. The separator 7 includes a plurality of partition walls 71 connected to the first wall portion 111 and spaced apart along the second direction Y. The partition walls 71 divide the accommodating space 13 into a plurality of subspaces 131. Each partition wall 71 is configured to separate two adjacent subspaces 131, and each subspace 131 accommodates one or more electrode assemblies 2. A first current collecting member 5 and a second current collecting member 6 are disposed on the side of the main body 23 facing away from the first wall portion 111. The first current collecting member 5 connects to the first electrode tabs 21 of the plurality of electrode assemblies 2, and the second current collecting member 6 connects to the second electrode tabs 22 of the electrode assemblies 2. The first current collecting members 5 and 6 are arranged along the third direction Z, with the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z being perpendicular to each other. The first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4 are both disposed on the second wall portion 112 and connected to the first current collecting member 5 and the second current collecting member 6, respectively. The first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4 are arranged along the third direction Z. The first wall portion 111 is the end cover 12 , or the first wall portion 111 is a wall portion of the housing 11 opposite to the end cover 12 .

[0274] Among them, the battery cell 10 also includes a thermal management component 8, a accommodating cavity 711 is formed inside the partition wall 71, and the thermal management component 8 is accommodated in the accommodating cavity 711. The outer surface 1111 of the first wall portion is provided with an opening 1112 for the heat management component 8 to enter the accommodating cavity 711, and the opening 1112 is connected to the accommodating cavity 711.

[0275] In such a battery cell 10, a separator 7 is provided within the housing space 13 of the housing 1. The separator 7 divides the housing space 13 into multiple subspaces 131. The separator 7 separates the electrode assemblies 2 within each subspace 131, thereby reducing the risk of expansion stress accumulation within the electrode assemblies 2 in adjacent subspaces 131, which could lead to mutual compression and deformation of the electrode assemblies 2. This effectively improves the reliability of the battery cell 10. Because the thermal management component 8 is disposed within the housing cavity 711 of the partition wall 71, the space within the partition wall 71 is fully utilized. While achieving temperature management for the electrode assemblies 2, the space occupied by the thermal management component 8 within the housing 1 is reduced, freeing up more space for the electrode assemblies 2, thereby facilitating an improvement in the volumetric energy density of the battery cell 10. Furthermore, because the outer surface 1111 of the first wall portion is provided with an opening 1112 communicating with the housing cavity 711, the thermal management component 8 can be accessed from outside the housing 1 through the opening 1112 into the housing cavity 711. This allows for easier installation and removal of the thermal management component 8 without opening the housing 1, making operation more convenient.

[0276] Referring to Figures 16-18 , an embodiment of the present application further provides a battery cell 10. The battery cell 10 includes a housing 1, a separator 7, a first current collecting member 5, a second current collecting member 6, a first electrode terminal 3, a second electrode terminal 4, and a plurality of electrode assemblies 2. The housing 1 has a storage space 13, within which the plurality of electrode assemblies 2 are stored. The housing 1 includes a shell 11 and an end cap 12. The shell 11 has a first opening 114, which the end cap 12 covers. The electrode assembly 2 is cylindrical and includes a main body 23, a first electrode tab 21, and a second electrode tab 22. The first electrode tab 21 and the second electrode tab 22 are disposed at opposite ends of the main body 23 along a first direction X. The housing 1 has a first wall 111, a second wall 112, and a third wall 113. The first wall 111 and the second wall 112 are disposed opposite each other along the first direction X, and the third wall 113 connects the first wall 111 and the second wall 112. The separator 7 is housed in the accommodating space 13 and includes multiple receiving units 72. Each receiving unit 72 defines a subspace 131 therein. Each subspace 131 accommodates one or more electrode assemblies 2. Adjacent receiving units 72 share a partition wall 71. Second openings 721 are formed at opposite ends of each receiving unit 72 along the first direction X. A first current collecting member 5 and a second current collecting member 6 are disposed on opposite sides of the main body 23 along the first direction X. The first current collecting member 5 connects to the first tabs 21 of the multiple electrode assemblies 2, while the second current collecting member 6 connects to the second tabs 22 of the multiple electrode assemblies 2. The first tab 21 extends through one second opening 721 of the receiving unit 72 to connect to the first current collecting member 5, while the second tab 22 extends through the other second opening 721 of the receiving unit 72 to connect to the second current collecting member 6. The first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4 are disposed on the third wall. The first current collecting member 5 is provided with a first extension portion 53, and the second current collecting member 6 is provided with a second extension portion 63. Along the second direction Y, the first extension portion 53 and the second extension portion 63 are both located between the main body 23 and the third wall portion 113. The first extension portion 53 and the second extension portion 63 are respectively connected to the first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4. The first electrode terminal 3 and the second electrode terminal 4 are arranged along the third direction Z, and the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z are perpendicular to each other.

[0277] Among them, the battery cell 10 also includes a thermal management component 8, a accommodating cavity 711 is formed inside the partition wall 71, and the thermal management component 8 is accommodated in the accommodating cavity 711. The outer surface 1111 of the first wall portion is provided with an opening 1112 for the heat management component 8 to enter the accommodating cavity 711, and the opening 1112 is connected to the accommodating cavity 711.

[0278] In such a battery cell 10, a separator 7 is disposed within the housing space 13 of the housing 1. Multiple subspaces 131 are formed within the separator 7. The separator 7 separates the electrode assemblies 2 within each subspace 131, reducing the risk of expansion stress accumulation within the electrode assemblies 2 in adjacent subspaces 131, which could lead to mutual compression and deformation of the electrode assemblies 2. This effectively improves the reliability of the battery cell 10. Because the thermal management component 8 is disposed within the housing cavity 711 of the partition wall 71, the space within the partition wall 71 is fully utilized. While achieving temperature management for the electrode assemblies 2, the space occupied by the thermal management component 8 within the housing 1 is reduced, freeing up more space for the electrode assemblies 2, thereby facilitating improved volumetric energy density of the battery cell 10. Furthermore, because the outer surface 1111 of the first wall portion is provided with an opening 1112 communicating with the housing cavity 711, the thermal management component 8 can be accessed from outside the housing 1 through the opening 1112 into the housing cavity 711. This allows for easier installation and removal of the thermal management component 8 without opening the housing 1, making operation more convenient.

[0279] It should be noted that, unless there is any conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0280] The above embodiments are intended only to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application are intended to be within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A battery cell, comprising: A housing having a receiving space; A plurality of electrode assemblies are accommodated in the accommodation space; The partition device is arranged in the accommodating space, and is configured to divide the accommodating space into a plurality of sub-spaces, each of which accommodates at least one electrode assembly.

2. The battery cell according to claim 1, wherein: The partition device includes at least one partition wall, which is disposed in the accommodating space and connected to the housing, and is configured to separate two adjacent sub-spaces.

3. The battery cell according to claim 2, wherein: The partition device includes a plurality of partition walls, and the plurality of partition walls are arranged at intervals in the accommodation space.

4. The battery cell according to claim 3, wherein: The housing includes a first wall portion, and the plurality of partition walls are connected to the first wall portion.

5. The battery cell according to claim 4, wherein: The battery cell further includes a heat management component. A receiving cavity is formed inside the partition wall. The heat management component is received in the receiving cavity. An opening for the heat management component to enter the receiving cavity is provided on the outer surface of the first wall portion. The opening is communicated with the receiving cavity.

6. The battery cell according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The first wall portion is a wall portion of the housing having the largest outer surface area.

7. The battery cell according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein: The electrode assembly comprises a main body, a first electrode tab and a second electrode tab, wherein the first electrode tab and the second electrode tab have opposite polarities, are arranged at one end of the main body away from the first wall along a first direction, and a plurality of partition walls are arranged at intervals along a second direction, and the first direction intersects with the second direction; The battery cell includes a first current collecting member and a second current collecting member. Along the first direction, the first current collecting member and the second current collecting member are arranged on a side of the main body away from the first wall portion. The first current collecting member connects the first pole tabs of the plurality of electrode assemblies, and the second current collecting member connects the second pole tabs of the plurality of electrode assemblies.

8. The battery cell according to claim 7, wherein: The housing includes a second wall portion, which is arranged opposite to the first wall portion along the first direction, and the second wall portion is provided with a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal, which are respectively connected to the first current collecting member and the second current collecting member.

9. The battery cell according to claim 7, wherein: The housing comprises a second wall portion and a third wall portion, the first wall portion is arranged opposite to the second wall portion along the first direction, the third wall portion connects the first wall portion and the second wall portion, and the third wall portion is provided with a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal; The first current collecting member is provided with a first extension portion, and the second current collecting member is provided with a second extension portion. Along the second direction, the first extension portion and the second extension portion are both located between the main body portion and the third wall portion, and the first extension portion and the second extension portion are respectively connected to the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal.

10. The battery cell according to any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein: The housing comprises: A housing having a first opening; an end cover, covering the first opening; Wherein, the end cover is the first wall portion; or, the wall portion of the shell body opposite to the end cover is the first wall portion.

11. The battery cell according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein: The electrode assembly is flat, and a plurality of the subspaces are arranged along the thickness direction of the electrode assembly.

12. The battery cell according to claim 11, wherein: Each of the subspaces accommodates a plurality of the electrode assemblies, and the plurality of the electrode assemblies in each of the subspaces are stacked along a thickness direction of the electrode assembly.

13. The battery cell according to claim 1, wherein: The subspace is formed inside the partitioning device.

14. The battery cell according to claim 13, wherein: The partition device comprises a plurality of receiving units arranged in the accommodating space, and a subspace is formed inside each of the receiving units.

15. The battery cell according to claim 14, wherein: Two adjacent storage units share a partition wall, and the partition wall is configured to separate the subspaces of the two adjacent storage units.

16. The battery cell according to claim 15, wherein: The battery cell further includes a heat management component, a receiving cavity is formed inside the partition wall, and the heat management component is received in the receiving cavity; In which, a second opening for the electrode assembly to enter the subspace is formed at at least one end of the containing unit along the first direction, and along the first direction, the outer shell includes a first wall portion arranged opposite to the partition device, and the outer surface of the first wall portion is provided with a mouth portion for the thermal management component to enter the containing cavity, and the mouth portion is connected to the containing cavity.

17. The battery cell according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein: The electrode assembly comprises a main body, a first pole ear and a second pole ear, wherein the first pole ear and the second pole ear have opposite polarities, and the first pole ear and the second pole ear are respectively arranged at two opposite ends of the main body along a first direction, and along the first direction, two opposite ends of the receiving unit are both provided with a second opening for the electrode assembly to enter the subspace; The battery cell includes a first current collecting member and a second current collecting member. Along the first direction, the first current collecting member and the second current collecting member are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the main body. The first current collecting member connects the first pole tabs of the plurality of electrode assemblies, and the second current collecting member connects the second pole tabs of the plurality of electrode assemblies.

18. The battery cell according to claim 17, wherein: The shell includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion. The first wall portion and the second wall portion are arranged opposite to each other along the first direction. The first wall portion is provided with one end of the first pole ear facing the main body, and the second wall portion is provided with one end of the second pole ear facing the main body. The first wall portion is provided with a first electrode terminal, and the second wall portion is provided with a second electrode terminal. The first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal are respectively connected to the first current collecting component and the second current collecting component.

19. The battery cell according to claim 17, wherein: The housing comprises a first wall portion, a second wall portion and a third wall portion, wherein the first wall portion is arranged opposite to the second wall portion along the first direction, the third wall portion connects the first wall portion and the second wall portion, and the third wall portion is provided with a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal; Among them, the first current collecting member is provided with a first extension portion, and the second current collecting member is provided with a second extension portion. Along the second direction, the first extension portion and the second extension portion are both located between the main body portion and the third wall portion, the first extension portion and the second extension portion are respectively connected to the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal, and the second direction intersects with the first direction.

20. The battery cell according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein: A second opening for the electrode assembly to enter the subspace is formed at at least one end of the receiving unit along the first direction; The housing includes a shell and an end cover. The shell is provided with a first opening at at least one end along the second direction. The end cover corresponds to the first opening one by one and covers the first opening. The second direction intersects with the first direction.

21. The battery cell according to claim 20, wherein: At least one wall portion of the shell disposed opposite to the partition device along the first direction is a wall portion of the shell with the largest outer surface area.

22. The battery cell according to claim 21, wherein: Along the first direction, the accommodating space accommodates only one accommodating unit; Along the second direction, the accommodation space accommodates a plurality of the accommodation units; Along the third direction, the accommodating space accommodates a plurality of the accommodating units, and the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are not coplanar and intersect with each other.

23. The battery cell according to claim 20, wherein: At least one wall portion of the shell arranged opposite to the partition device along the third direction is the wall portion of the shell with the largest outer surface area, and the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are not coplanar and intersect each other.

24. The battery cell according to claim 23, wherein: Along the first direction, the accommodating space accommodates only one accommodating unit; Along the second direction, the accommodation space accommodates a plurality of the accommodation units; Along the third direction, the accommodating space only accommodates one accommodating unit.

25. The battery cell according to any one of claims 13 to 24, wherein: The electrode assembly is cylindrical, and each of the subspaces accommodates only one electrode assembly.

26. The battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 25, wherein: The partition device comprises a partition wall, the partition wall is configured to separate two adjacent sub-spaces, and a receiving cavity is formed inside the partition wall; The battery cell further includes a heat management component, and the heat management component is accommodated in the accommodation cavity.

27. The battery cell according to claim 26, wherein: The outer surface of the housing is provided with an opening for the heat management component to enter the accommodating cavity, and the opening is communicated with the accommodating cavity.

28. The battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 27, wherein: The shell is in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

29. A battery comprising the battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 28.

30. An electrical device, comprising the battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 28, wherein the battery cell is used to provide electrical energy to the electrical device.

31. An energy storage device comprising the battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 28.

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