TWM573900U - Battery component and power battery - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery assembly and a power battery, the battery assembly including: a cooling unit having a housing, the cooling unit housing internally defining a battery unit cavity, the battery unit cavity and the cooling unit a fluid inlet in communication with the fluid outlet, the cooling unit housing further defining a socket leading to the battery unit cavity; and a battery unit through which the battery unit is sealingly fitted into the battery unit cavity And filling the socket such that the battery cell cavity is closed and the cooling fluid does not leak when passing through the battery cell cavity, and the electrode side of the battery cell is located outside the cooling unit housing. The battery assembly and power battery according to the present invention simplify the battery cooling system, improve cooling efficiency, and improve the safety of the cooling system.

Description

Battery pack and power battery

The present invention relates to the field of power batteries, and more particularly, to a battery assembly and a power battery having an improved cooling system.

High-density power batteries are constantly being used in new-energy electric vehicles, and higher requirements are placed on battery cooling systems. In the current battery cooling scheme design, most of them focus on the module-level battery cooling scheme, and most of them use the cooling plate/cooling tube method. The cooling liquid is in indirect contact with the battery, and there is a large thermal resistance between the battery and the refrigerant to cause cooling efficiency. The best is not achieved, and there is a risk that the cooling plate/cooling tube will rupture and the coolant will flow out, and the safety factor of the battery power system will be reduced.

In addition, in the prior art solution, the liquid cooling system and the battery module are designed and processed according to specific requirements, and the design is directed to a fixed battery pack structure, the structure size is fixed, and when the battery module or the battery pack structure changes, the cooling is performed. The system needs to be redesigned and processed, and it needs to be re-opened, the product is less portable and the processing cost is higher.

The purpose of the present invention is to solve or at least alleviate the problems in the prior art.

The purpose of the novel is to simplify the battery cooling system, improve cooling efficiency and increase the safety of the cooling system.

The purpose of the novel is to simplify the assembly of the battery unit and the cooling system.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a battery assembly is provided, comprising: a cooling unit having a housing, the cooling unit housing internally defining a battery unit cavity, the battery unit cavity and the cooling unit a fluid inlet in communication with the fluid outlet, the cooling unit housing further defining a socket leading to the battery unit cavity; and a battery unit through which the battery unit is sealingly fitted into the battery unit cavity And filling the socket such that the battery cell cavity is closed, and the cooling fluid does not leak when passing through the battery cell cavity, and the electrode side of the battery cell is located outside the cooling unit housing.

Optionally, in the above battery assembly, the inner wall of the cooling unit housing or the outer casing of the battery unit has a plurality of ribs, and the plurality of ribs guide fluid to flow in a direction defined by the plurality of ribs Passing through the outer casing of the battery unit.

Alternatively, in the above battery assembly, the battery unit is in the form of a cube, and the battery unit has a positive electrode column and a negative electrode column at the electrode side.

Optionally, in the above battery assembly, the battery unit cavity of the cooling unit is a cube, the battery unit cavity includes opposing first and second side walls, and the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet are respectively disposed The battery cell cavity further includes opposing third and fourth side walls and a bottom wall between the first side wall and the second side wall on the first side wall and the second side wall.

Optionally, in the above battery assembly, the first side wall and the second side wall define a plurality of ribs diverging from the fluid inlet or the fluid outlet.

Optionally, in the above battery assembly, the third side wall, the fourth side wall and the bottom wall define a plurality of parallel ribs extending between the first side wall and the second side wall.

Optionally, in the above battery assembly, the third side wall, the fourth side wall and the bottom wall define a rounded rib to define a meandering fluid path.

Alternatively, in the above battery assembly, the inner wall of the cooling unit casing or the outer casing of the battery unit is provided with a seal around the socket near the socket.

Optionally, in the above battery assembly, the cooling unit housing and the battery unit are further subjected to a second resealing by welding or an adhesive in the vicinity of the socket.

Optionally, in the above battery assembly, the cooling unit housing defines a cavity of the plurality of battery cells, the cooling unit housing further defining a plurality of sockets to the plurality of battery cell cavities, the plurality of A battery unit is sealingly fitted in the plurality of battery cell cavities through the plurality of sockets, and an electrode side of each of the battery cells is located at a same side of the cooling unit housing.

Optionally, in the above battery assembly, the plurality of battery cell cavities are connected in parallel or in series on the fluid path.

According to another aspect, a power battery is provided that includes a battery assembly in accordance with various embodiments.

It is to be understood that, in accordance with the technical solutions of the present invention, those skilled in the art can propose various structural forms and implementations that are interchangeable without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description and the drawings are merely illustrative of the embodiments of the present invention, and are not to be construed as limiting or limiting the invention.

The orientations of the top, bottom, left, right, front, back, front, back, top, bottom, etc. mentioned or possibly mentioned in this specification are defined with respect to the configurations shown in the respective drawings, they are Relative concepts, so it is possible to change accordingly according to their different locations and different usage states. Therefore, these or other orientation terms should not be interpreted as restrictive terms.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, there are shown assembled and exploded views, respectively, of a battery assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The battery assembly includes a cooling unit 1 having a cooling unit housing 19 that internally defines a battery unit cavity that communicates with the fluid inlet 11 and the fluid outlet 12. In addition, the cooling unit housing 19 also defines a socket 13 that leads to the battery unit cavity. The battery assembly further includes a battery unit 2 that is sealingly fitted into the battery unit cavity through the socket 13 and fills the socket 13 so that the battery unit cavity is closed, and the cooling fluid therein does not leak, and the electrode of the battery unit 2 Side 25 is located outside of the housing. With such an arrangement, the cooling fluid can enter the battery cell cavity of the cooling unit 1 from the fluid inlet 11 and pass between the inner wall of the cooling unit housing 19 and the outer casing 24 of the battery unit, and finally from the fluid outlet 12. Thereby, the cooling fluid can be directly in contact with the outer casing 24 of the battery unit, the cooling efficiency is remarkably improved, and at the same time, the battery unit 2 can be easily and conveniently mounted through the socket 13.

Although the battery unit 2 can have any suitable shape, in the illustrated embodiment, the battery unit can be in the form of a cube, and more specifically, can be in the form of a sheet. In addition, in some embodiments, the electrode side 25 of the battery cell 2 is at the top, and the battery cell 2 has the positive electrode column 21 and the negative electrode column 22 at the electrode side 25. Of course, the battery unit 2 can also have other forms of electrodes at the electrode side 25. As the battery unit 2, the outer casing 24 may be made of a plastic material. Alternatively, the outer casing 24 of the battery unit 2 may be made of a metal material which is more thermally conductive, such as an aluminum-based alloy. At a position close to the electrode side of the outer casing 24 of the battery unit 2, the battery unit 2 may have a sealing member 23, such as a sealing strip, which assists the battery unit 2 to sealingly fit into the battery unit cavity of the cooling unit 1, and prevents The cooling fluid leaks from the cell compartment. In order to ensure the sealing, in addition to the seal 23, the cooling unit housing 19 and the battery unit housing may be second resealed by welding or adhesive near the socket 13 to provide an additional seal.

Although the cooling unit 1 may have any suitable shape and may define a battery cell cavity of any shape, in some embodiments, the outer shape of the cooling unit housing 19 of the cooling unit 1 may have a cubic shape corresponding to the battery unit 2 and A battery cell cavity corresponding to the shape of the battery unit 2 is defined. The cooling unit housing 19 may be substantially comprised of a first side wall 15, a second side wall 14, a third side wall 17, a fourth side wall 16, and a bottom wall 18, while the top of the cooling unit housing 19 is open and defines a socket 13. The cooling unit housing 19 has a fluid inlet 11 for connection with a cooling fluid supply end and a fluid outlet 12 for connection with a cooling fluid discharge end. In some embodiments, fluid inlet 11 and fluid outlet 12 may be disposed at opposing first side wall 15 and second side wall 16. In some embodiments, the inner wall of the cooling unit housing 19 may also be provided with a seal 131 (labeled in FIG. 3) surrounding the socket 13 in the vicinity of the socket 13, for example, the seal 131 may include a weather strip receiving groove and a seal therein. article. The cooling unit housing 19 can also be made of a plastic material. Alternatively, the cooling unit housing 19 can also be made of a metal material that is more thermally conductive, such as an aluminum-based alloy.

FIG. 3 shows the internal structure of the battery cell cavity of the cooling unit 1. For the sake of clarity, only the first side wall 15, the third side wall 17, and the bottom wall 18 are shown in Fig. 3, and the other inner walls are omitted. As can be seen in Figure 3, in some embodiments, the inner wall of the cooling unit housing 19 can have a plurality of ribs 151, 171 and 181 that direct fluid flow through the outer casing 24 of the battery unit in a direction defined by the plurality of ribs. In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of ribs (not shown) may be disposed on the outer casing 24 of the battery unit, and the plurality of ribs on the outer casing 24 of the battery unit may also direct fluid to flow through the battery unit casing 24 along a particular path. . In other embodiments, the inner wall of the cooling unit housing 19 and the outer casing 24 of the battery unit may each be provided with a plurality of ribs.

With further reference to FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the inner wall of the cooling unit housing 19 can define a plurality of ribs 151 diverging from the fluid inlet 11 at the first side wall 15 such that the incoming fluid can be dispersedly flowed from the battery unit housing Over. Although not shown, identically or similarly, the inner wall of the cooling unit housing 19 can define a plurality of ribs diverging from the fluid outlet 12 at the second side wall 14 to concentrate the cooling fluid. The cooling unit housing 19 further includes a third side wall 17, a fourth side wall 16, and a bottom wall 18 between the first side wall 15 and the second side wall 14. In some embodiments, the inner wall of the cooling unit housing 19 defines a plurality of parallel ribs extending between the first side wall 15 and the second side wall 14 at the third side wall 17, the fourth side wall 16, and the bottom wall 18. These parallel ribs define a plurality of parallel cooling liquid paths 301, 302, 401, 402, whereby the cooling liquid can cover the five surfaces of the battery unit 2 except the electrode side, and is in full contact with the battery unit 2. Although in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the cooling unit housing 19 defines a plurality of parallel ribs at the third side wall 17, the fourth side wall 16, and the bottom wall 18, in an alternative embodiment, the cooling unit housing The inner wall of 19 may define a rounded rib at the third side wall 17, the fourth side wall 16, and the bottom wall 18 to define a meandering fluid path, such as an S-type, a Z-shape or a U-shape, etc., whereby the cooling fluid may These inner walls are twisted back to increase the contact of the cooling fluid with the battery unit casing. It should be understood that the term "returned tendons" refers to at least one pair of ribs that are angled to each other, such as ribs that are perpendicular to each other.

With continued reference to FIG. 4, a path of cooling fluid in a battery assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is generally illustrated. The cooling fluid enters the battery cell cavity from the fluid inlet 11 in the direction of the arrow F1 and is dispersed along the plurality of ribs 151 at the first side wall 15, and a portion of the cooling fluid is substantially along the path defined by the plurality of ribs 171 from the side of the battery cell 2 The direction of the arrow F2 passes, and another portion of the cooling fluid passes from the bottom of the battery unit 2 along the path defined by the plurality of ribs 181 substantially in the direction of the arrow F3. Finally, the cooling fluid converges at the fluid outlet 12 and flows out in the direction of the arrow F4.

With continued reference to FIG. 5, a path of cooling fluid in a battery assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention is generally illustrated. In this embodiment, the housing of the cooling unit 1 in the battery assembly defines a cavity of two battery cells, the cooling unit housing further defining two sockets to the two battery cell compartments, the two battery cells 201, 202 sealingly Fitted in the two sockets, and the electrode side of each battery unit fills the socket and is located at the same side of the housing. Although FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of two battery cell compartments, battery assemblies in accordance with other embodiments may include more battery cell compartments, such as three, five, and the like. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the cells of the battery cells are connected in parallel between the fluid inlet 11 and the fluid outlet 12, in particular, the cooling fluid entering in the direction of the arrow F1 along the cell casing and the cooling unit casing The bodies flow in the direction of the arrow F2 or along the direction of the arrow F5 between the battery unit casings to the fluid outlet 12 and flow out in the direction of the arrow F4. In an alternative embodiment, the chambers of the plurality of battery cells may also be connected in series between the fluid inlet 11 and the fluid outlet 12, for example, baffles 501, 502 may be provided such that fluid flows sequentially through the battery cells 202 and the battery cells along the S-shape. The outer casing of 201. In the case of more than two cell compartments, the cells of these cells can also be connected in parallel or in series on the fluid path.

Further, in the battery assembly according to various embodiments of the present invention, the cooling fluid may be selected from an insulating heat insulating cooling liquid, thereby providing better safety.

In other embodiments, the present invention is also directed to protecting a power battery including a battery assembly in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, the power battery being usable in a new energy vehicle.

Battery assembly advantages in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to: 1. The cooling fluid is in direct contact with the battery cells and preferably contacts the five surfaces of the battery cells, providing improved cooling efficiency; 2. The cooling fluid is in cooling Between the unit housing and the battery case, special pipes, cooling plates, etc. are omitted, which simplifies the structure of the battery cooling system; 3. The battery unit and the cooling unit are easier to assemble; and 4. Even if the cooling fluid leaks, it will not Contact the electrode side for improved safety.

The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention, and the various features are clearly illustrated or described in the context of the invention. Various modifications or changes can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. It should be understood that these modifications or variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

1‧‧‧Cooling unit

11‧‧‧ fluid inlet

12‧‧‧ Fluid outlet

13‧‧‧ socket

14‧‧‧ second side wall

15‧‧‧First side wall

151‧‧ ‧ ribs

16‧‧‧fourth sidewall

17‧‧‧ third side wall

171‧‧ ‧ ribs

18‧‧‧ bottom wall

181‧‧ ‧ ribs

19‧‧‧Cooling unit housing

2‧‧‧ battery unit

21‧‧‧ positive column

22‧‧‧ negative column

23‧‧‧Seal

24‧‧‧ Shell

25‧‧‧electrode side

201‧‧‧ battery unit

202‧‧‧ battery unit

301‧‧‧Cooling liquid path

302‧‧‧Cooling liquid path

401‧‧‧Cooling liquid path

402‧‧‧Cooling liquid path

501‧‧ ‧ baffle

502‧‧ ‧Baffle

F1‧‧‧ arrow

F2‧‧‧ arrow

F3‧‧‧ arrow

F4‧‧‧ arrow

F5‧‧‧ arrow

The disclosure of the present invention will become more readily apparent with reference to the drawings. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that these drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In addition, like numerals are used to indicate like components, in which: FIG. 1 shows a battery assembly in an assembled state according to one embodiment; FIG. 2 shows a battery assembly in an exploded state according to one embodiment; An internal area view of a battery cell cavity of a battery assembly in accordance with one embodiment is shown; FIG. 4 illustrates a flow of cooling fluid inside the battery assembly in accordance with one embodiment; and FIG. 5 illustrates a battery in accordance with another embodiment Cooling fluid flow inside the assembly.

Claims (12)

A battery assembly comprising: a cooling unit having a housing, the cooling unit housing internally defining a battery unit cavity, the battery unit cavity communicating with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet of the cooling unit, The cooling unit housing further defines a socket leading to the battery unit cavity; and a battery unit through which the battery unit is sealingly fitted into the battery unit cavity and fills the socket such that The battery cell cavity is closed and the electrode side of the battery cell is located outside the cooling unit housing. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner wall of the cooling unit housing or the outer casing of the battery unit has a plurality of ribs, the plurality of ribs guiding a fluid in a direction defined by the plurality of ribs Flow through the outer casing of the battery unit. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the battery unit is in the form of a cube, the electrode side of the battery unit is on the top side, and the battery unit has a positive electrode column and a negative electrode column at the electrode side. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the battery unit cavity of the cooling unit is a cube, the battery unit cavity includes opposing first and second side walls, and the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet are respectively Disposed on the first side wall and the second side wall, the battery cell cavity further includes opposing third and fourth side walls and a bottom wall between the first side wall and the second side wall. The battery assembly of claim 4, wherein the first side wall and the second side wall define a plurality of ribs that diverge from a fluid inlet or a fluid outlet. The battery assembly of claim 4, wherein the third side wall, the fourth side wall, and the bottom wall define a plurality of parallel ribs extending between the first side wall and the second side wall. The battery assembly of claim 4, wherein the third side wall, the fourth side wall, and the bottom wall define a rounded rib to define a circuitous fluid path. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein an inner wall of the cooling unit housing or an outer casing of the battery unit is provided with a seal surrounding the socket near the socket. The battery assembly of claim 8, wherein the cooling unit housing and the battery unit are further subjected to a second resealing by welding or an adhesive in the vicinity of the socket. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the cooling unit housing defines a cavity of the plurality of battery cells, the cooling unit housing further defining a plurality of sockets to the plurality of battery cell cavities, The battery cells are sealingly fitted in the plurality of battery cell cavities through the plurality of sockets, and the electrode sides of each of the battery cells are located at the same side of the cooling unit housing. The battery assembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of battery cell cavities are connected in parallel or in series on the fluid path. A power battery, characterized in that the power battery includes the battery assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 11.