Battery module and battery pack

Abstract

A battery module and a battery pack. The battery module comprises at least one cell module (1), which comprises at least one cell row. The cell row comprises a plurality of cylindrical cells (11) arranged in sequence in a first direction, wherein the axial direction of each cylindrical cell (11) is parallel to a second direction; an explosion-proof valve (111) of each cylindrical cell (11) is arranged on an end face of the cylindrical cell (11) in the second direction; the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction; and when the battery module is mounted on a vehicle, the second direction is parallel to a bottom support plate of the vehicle.

Description

Battery modules and battery packs

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202521493618.6, filed on July 16, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of energy storage equipment technology, such as a battery module and battery pack. Background Technology

[0003] In related technologies, in order to simplify the design and manufacturing process of battery packs, the cells are usually installed upright with the tabs facing upwards inside the battery pack.

[0004] Technical issues

[0005] Upright cell placement hinders the compression of the battery pack's vertical space. Furthermore, in the event of thermal runaway, upright cells with their tabs facing upwards will release pressure and exhaust gas upwards. High-temperature flames can easily burn through the battery pack's cover and the bottom of the car, directly threatening the safety of the occupants. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical solutions

[0007] This application provides a battery module and battery pack, which makes it possible to compress the vertical height space of the battery pack and helps to avoid the threat to the safety of vehicle occupants from thermal runaway of the battery cells.

[0008] In a first aspect, this application provides a battery module, including at least one cell module, the cell module including at least one cell array, the cell array including a plurality of cylindrical cells arranged sequentially along a first direction, the axial direction of each cylindrical cell being parallel to a second direction, an explosion-proof valve of the cylindrical cell being disposed on the end face of the cylindrical cell along the second direction, the first direction being perpendicular to the second direction, and when the battery module is installed in a vehicle, the second direction being parallel to the bottom support plate of the vehicle.

[0009] Secondly, this application provides a battery pack, including a housing and at least one of the above-described battery modules, wherein the battery modules are disposed within the housing.

[0010] Beneficial effects

[0011] This application provides a battery module including at least one cell module. The cell module includes at least one cell array, which includes a plurality of cylindrical cells arranged sequentially along a first direction. The axial direction of each cylindrical cell is parallel to a second direction. An explosion-proof valve for each cylindrical cell is disposed on the end face of the cylindrical cell along the second direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. When the battery module is installed in a vehicle, the second direction is parallel to the bottom support plate of the vehicle. Placing the cylindrical cells horizontally helps to compress the vertical height space of the battery pack. Furthermore, since the explosion-proof valve is located on the end face of the cylindrical cell, in the event of thermal runaway of the cell, the high-temperature gas flow will be ejected horizontally, which can prevent direct burn-through of the battery pack cover and the bottom of the vehicle, thus helping to avoid the direct threat to the safety of the vehicle occupants from thermal runaway of the cell.

[0012] This application also provides a battery pack, including a housing and at least one of the aforementioned battery modules, the battery modules being disposed within the housing. This battery pack allows for compression of the vertical space of the battery pack and helps to prevent thermal runaway of the battery cells from threatening the safety of vehicle occupants. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 is an exploded view of the battery cell module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0014] Figure 2 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the battery pack provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0015] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the horizontal tray provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0016] Figure 4 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the battery cell module provided in the embodiment of this application.

[0017] In the picture:

[0018] 1. Battery cell module; 11. Cylindrical battery cell; 111. Explosion-proof valve; 12. Liquid cooling plate; 13. Support plate; 14. Busbar; 15. Insulation layer;

[0019] 2. Horizontal support plate; 21. Limiting groove; 211. Positioning groove; 3. Box body; 31. Base plate; 32. Crossbeam; 33. Side wall; 4. Fixing component; 5. Inclined support component. Detailed Implementation

[0020] In related technologies, to simplify the design, manufacturing, and installation processes of battery packs, the cells are typically installed upright with the tabs facing upwards inside the battery pack. However, the upright arrangement of the cells hinders the compression of the vertical space of the battery pack. Furthermore, in the event of thermal runaway, the upright cells with the tabs facing upwards will release pressure and exhaust air upwards. High-temperature flames can easily burn through the battery pack cover and the bottom of the car, directly threatening the safety of the occupants.

[0021] Therefore, this embodiment provides a battery module to solve the above problems. The battery module makes it possible to compress the vertical height space of the battery pack and helps to avoid the threat of thermal runaway of the battery cells to the safety of the occupants of the vehicle.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1-4, the battery module of this embodiment includes at least one cell module 1, and the cell module 1 includes at least one cell array. The cell array includes a plurality of cylindrical cells 11 arranged sequentially along a first direction. An explosion-proof valve 111 of each cylindrical cell 11 is disposed on the end face of the cylindrical cell 11 along a second direction. The axial direction of each cylindrical cell 11 is parallel to the second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. When the battery module is installed in a vehicle, the second direction is parallel to the bottom support plate of the vehicle. Here, "parallel" does not mean strictly parallel; a certain angle may exist depending on the actual installation. In this embodiment, both the first and second directions are parallel to the bottom support plate of the vehicle.

[0023] In Figure 1, direction ab is the first direction, direction cd is the second direction, and direction ef is the third direction. In this embodiment, the bottom support plate of the car is considered to be horizontally arranged, the first and second directions are both horizontal, and the third direction is vertical.

[0024] Placing the cylindrical cell 11 horizontally helps to compress the vertical space of the battery pack. Since the explosion-proof valve 111 is located on the end face of the cylindrical cell 11, when the cell thermally runs away, the high-temperature airflow will be ejected in the horizontal direction, which can prevent the battery pack cover and the bottom of the car from being directly burned through, thus helping to avoid the direct threat to the safety of the occupants by the thermal runaway of the cell.

[0025] In some embodiments, the cell module 1 further includes a liquid cooling plate 12. Multiple cell rows are arranged sequentially along a third direction, which is perpendicular to both the first and second directions. In this embodiment, a liquid cooling plate 12 is sandwiched between adjacent cell rows, and a liquid cooling plate 12 is also provided on the outer side of the cell rows at the ends along the third direction. In other embodiments, a liquid cooling plate 12 may be sandwiched only between adjacent cell rows, or only provided on the outer side of the cell rows at the ends along the third direction. The multiple liquid cooling plates 12 are arranged at intervals along the third direction.

[0026] In some embodiments, the liquid cooling plate 12 has a wavy curved panel structure to conform to the outer wall of the cylindrical battery cell 11, thereby increasing the contact area between the liquid cooling plate 12 and the cylindrical battery cell 11 and improving heat exchange efficiency. The wavy curved panel structure refers to the liquid cooling plate 12 having a continuous undulating structure along a first direction, with each protrusion and recess extending along a second direction to accommodate the cylindrical battery cell 11 extending along the second direction. The undulating structure of the liquid cooling plate 12 can define the position of the cylindrical battery cell 11, preventing adjacent cylindrical battery cells 11 from being too close or too far apart.

[0027] To further improve the stability of the cylindrical battery cell 11, in some embodiments, the cylindrical battery cell 11 and the liquid cooling plate 12 are bonded and fixed together with thermally conductive structural adhesive to ensure sufficient heat transfer between the liquid cooling plate 12 and the cylindrical battery cell 11. At the same time, the liquid cooling plate 12 can also position and support the stacking of the cylindrical battery cells 11. In some embodiments, the gaps between adjacent cylindrical battery cells 11 are filled with structural adhesive, so that each cell array is fixed to form a whole, increasing the structural strength of the cell array and the cell module 1.

[0028] To further secure the battery cell array, in some embodiments, the battery cell module 1 further includes two support plates 13. Both support plates 13 are vertically oriented, and at least one battery cell array is sandwiched between them. Each support plate 13 has multiple through holes, and the end of each cylindrical battery cell 11 along its axial direction passes through one of these through holes. That is, the two support plates 13 are spaced apart and opposite each other along a second direction, with one end of each cylindrical battery cell 11 passing through a through hole in one support plate 13 and the other end passing through a through hole in the other support plate 13. The support plates 13 further define the position of the cylindrical battery cells 11, preventing them from shifting. The negative electrode of the cylindrical battery cell 11 is bonded to the support plates 13 with structural adhesive, forming a unified structure with the battery cell array, liquid cooling plate 12, and the two support plates 13, further improving the structural strength of the battery cell module 1.

[0029] In some embodiments, the support plate 13 is made of plastic to prevent short circuits between cylindrical cells 11 due to metal contact.

[0030] In some embodiments, the cell module 1 further includes a busbar 14 connected to the output end of the cylindrical cell 11 to enable series, parallel, or mixed connection of multiple cylindrical cells 11. In some embodiments, the busbar 14 is welded to the output end of the cylindrical cell 11 to improve the connection strength between the busbar 14 and the cylindrical cell 11. The output ends of the cylindrical cell 11 are located at both ends along the second direction.

[0031] In some embodiments, the battery cell module 1 further includes two insulating layers 15, which are respectively attached to two support plates 13. Each insulating layer 15 is located on the wall surface of the corresponding support plate 13 facing away from the other support plate 13, and the busbar 14 is sandwiched between the insulating layer 15 and the support plate 13. Taking the two support plates 13 as a first support plate and a second support plate as an example, one insulating layer 15 is located on the wall surface of the first support plate facing away from the second support plate, and the other insulating layer 15 is located on the wall surface of the second support plate facing away from the first support plate. The insulating layer 15 is bonded to the wall surface of the support plate 13, and the insulating layer 15 can provide insulation protection for the busbar 14 and fix the position of the busbar 14.

[0032] For example, in this embodiment, the insulating layer 15 is mica paper. The insulating layer 15 not only has insulating properties, but also prevents the flame from directly spraying onto the cylindrical cell 11 of the adjacent cell module 1 when a certain cylindrical cell 11 thermally runs away, thereby delaying the spread of thermal runaway.

[0033] In some embodiments, the battery module further includes a horizontal support plate 2, on which at least one cell module 1 is disposed. In this embodiment, a battery module has two cell modules 1; in other embodiments, a battery module may have only one cell module 1, or three, four, five, six or more cell modules 1.

[0034] To ensure that the position of the battery cell module 1 remains unchanged on the horizontal support plate 2, in some embodiments, the battery cell module 1 and the horizontal support plate 2 are bonded and fixed together with structural adhesive. In some embodiments, the support plate 13 has fixing ears, which are screwed and fixed to the horizontal support plate 2 by bolts. In some embodiments, the support plate 13 has one fixing ear at each end along its length.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3, in some embodiments, a limiting groove 21 is formed on the horizontal support plate 2, and a battery cell module 1 is located in a limiting groove 21 to limit the overall position of the battery cell module 1. In some embodiments, a plurality of positioning grooves 211 are also formed at the bottom of the limiting groove 21, and a plurality of protruding positions of the bottommost liquid cooling plate 12 are respectively embedded in the plurality of positioning grooves 211 to limit and fix the bottommost liquid cooling plate 12.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2, this embodiment also provides a battery pack, including a housing 3 and at least one of the aforementioned battery modules, with the battery modules disposed within the housing 3. In this embodiment, only one battery module is disposed within the battery pack; in other embodiments, two, three, four, five, or more battery modules may be disposed.

[0037] In some embodiments, the housing 3 includes a base plate 31 and a crossbeam 32. The horizontal support plate 2 of the battery module is bonded to the base plate 31 and screwed to the crossbeam 32 to ensure a firm connection between the battery module and the housing 3 and to improve the structural strength of the entire package. In some embodiments, the horizontal support plate 2 of the battery module is bonded to the base plate 31 with expanding foam.

[0038] In some embodiments, the battery pack further includes a fixing member 4, which includes a C-shaped structure with an opening facing the base plate 31. The C-shaped structure surrounds the outside of the cell module 1, and both ends of the fixing member 4 are connected to the housing 3 to improve the connection strength of the battery module. The C-shaped structure is not a curved surface structure. The C-shaped structure includes a horizontally arranged crossbar at the top and two vertically arranged vertical bars. The two vertical bars are respectively connected to the two ends of the crossbar. The crossbar is located above the cell module 1, and the two vertical bars are located on both sides of the cell module 1.

[0039] In some embodiments, the uppermost horizontal bar of the fixing member 4 is bonded to the uppermost liquid cooling plate 12 of the cell module 1, exemplarily, the two are bonded together with structural adhesive. In some embodiments, the two ends of the fixing member 4 are provided with connecting ears parallel to the bottom plate 31, and bolts pass through the through holes on the connecting ears and the through holes on the horizontal support plate 2, and are screwed onto the bottom plate 31 of the housing 3. The number of fixing members 4 can be adjusted according to the length of the cell module 1. In this embodiment, three fixing members 4 are evenly spaced along the length of one cell module 1, and a total of six fixing members 4 are provided for two cell modules 1. The fixing members 4 can further reinforce the battery module and prevent the battery module from being blown off the housing 3 under stress or vibration.

[0040] In some embodiments, the battery pack further includes an inclined support 5, with its two ends connected to the bottom plate 31 and the side wall 33 of the housing 3, respectively. The inclined support 5 is disposed between the battery module and the side wall 33 of the housing 3, and can prevent the side wall 33 of the housing 3 from deforming and damaging the battery module when it is squeezed.

[0041] The cylindrical cells 11 within the battery pack are arranged horizontally, which allows for compression of the vertical height of the battery pack. This means that the height of the battery pack can be reduced by appropriately setting the number of cell rows, and it also helps to prevent thermal runaway of the cells from directly threatening the safety of the vehicle occupants. The battery pack also utilizes a liquid cooling plate 12 to cool the cell rows at different heights, avoiding the problem of severe localized overheating in the cell module 1. Simultaneously, the liquid cooling plate 12 is bonded to the cell rows as a single unit, improving the structural strength of the cell module 1. Furthermore, the battery pack further ensures its overall structural strength through bonding, screwing, and component reinforcement, resulting in higher safety performance.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising at least one cell module (1), the cell module (1) comprising at least one cell array, the cell array comprising a plurality of cylindrical cells (11) arranged sequentially along a first direction, the axial direction of each cylindrical cell (11) being parallel to a second direction, an explosion-proof valve (111) of the cylindrical cell (11) being disposed on the end face of the cylindrical cell (11) along the second direction, the first direction being perpendicular to the second direction, and when the battery module is installed in a vehicle, the second direction being parallel to the bottom support plate of the vehicle.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein, The cell module (1) further includes a liquid cooling plate (12). Multiple cell rows are arranged in sequence along a third direction. The third direction is perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction. The liquid cooling plate (12) has a wavy curved panel structure to fit the outer wall of the cylindrical cell (11). The liquid cooling plate (12) is configured as at least one of the following: the liquid cooling plate (12) is sandwiched between adjacent cell rows; or, the liquid cooling plate (12) is arranged on the outer side of the cell row at the end of the third direction.

3. The battery module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The battery cell module (1) also includes two support plates (13), which are spaced apart along the second direction. At least one battery cell array is sandwiched between the two support plates (13). Each support plate (13) has multiple through holes, and the end of each cylindrical battery cell (11) along its own axial direction passes through the through hole.

4. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein, The cell module (1) also includes a bus (14), which is connected to the output end of the cylindrical cell (11) to realize the series, parallel or mixed connection of multiple cylindrical cells (11).

5. The battery module according to claim 4, wherein, The battery cell module (1) further includes two insulating layers (15), which are respectively attached to the two support plates (13), and each insulating layer (15) is located on the wall surface of the corresponding support plate (13) away from the other support plate (13). The busbar (14) is sandwiched between the insulating layer (15) and the support plate (13).

6. The battery module according to claim 1 or 2 further includes a horizontal support plate (2), and at least one of the battery cell modules (1) is disposed on the horizontal support plate (2).

7. A battery pack comprising a housing (3) and at least one battery module as claimed in any one of claims 1-6, the battery module being disposed within the housing (3).

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein, The housing (3) includes a bottom plate (31) and a crossbeam (32). The horizontal support plate (2) of the battery module is bonded to the bottom plate (31) and screwed to the crossbeam (32).

9. The battery pack according to claim 8 further includes a fixing member (4), the fixing member (4) including a C-shaped structure with an opening facing the bottom plate (31), the C-shaped structure surrounding the outside of the cell module (1), and both ends of the fixing member (4) being connected to the housing (3).

10. The battery pack according to claim 7 further includes an inclined support member (5), the two ends of which are respectively connected to the bottom plate (31) and the side wall (33) of the housing (3), and the inclined support member (5) is disposed between the battery module and the side wall (33) of the housing (3).

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