WO2012164837A1

WO2012164837A1 - Power supply apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2012164837A1
Application number: PCT/JP2012/003111
Authority: WO
Inventors: 細谷　直人; 仰奥谷
Original assignee: パナソニック株式会社
Priority date: 2011-05-31
Filing date: 2012-05-11
Publication date: 2012-12-06
Also published as: JPWO2012164837A1

Abstract

This power supply apparatus includes an assembled battery (A) having a plurality of unit batteries (a) disposed on a same plane, and an assembled battery (B) having a plurality of unit batteries (b) disposed on a same plane. In the power supply apparatus, the electrodes of the assembled battery (A), and the electrodes of the assembled battery (B) are electrically connected to each other via a bus bar, and at least a part of the bus bar is disposed in a gap between the unit batteries (a) of the assembled battery (A). In this power supply apparatus having the assembled batteries connected therein, energy density of the power supply apparatus can be easily increased and the assembled batteries can be easily electrically connected to each other by reducing the capacity of an electrically connecting section of the assembled batteries.

Description

Power supply

The present invention relates to a power supply device, and more particularly to a power supply device in which assembled batteries including a plurality of single cells are electrically connected to each other.

In order to obtain a large-capacity power supply device, a plurality of battery units (assembled batteries) that accommodate a plurality of single cells may be electrically connected to form a power supply device (see Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 proposes that each battery unit is provided with a metal lead plate and the battery units are electrically connected to each other via the metal lead plate. At this time, the metal lead plates may be brought into direct contact with each other, may be connected with lead wires, or may be connected by soldering.
In addition, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3 propose a power supply device in which a plurality of assembled batteries are connected in series via a bus bar. However, there is a problem that a space for arranging the bus bars is required, and the volume of the entire power supply apparatus is increased.

JP 2000-133227 A JP 2003-45504 A US Patent Application Publication No. 2011/010455

In recent years, there has been a demand for a power supply apparatus having a large energy density, that is, a capacity reduction of the power supply apparatus, that is, a high energy density. On the other hand, the electrical connection work of the battery unit (assembled battery) constituting the power supply device is required to be simple.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to increase the energy density of a power supply device by reducing the volume of an electrical connection portion of a battery unit (assembled battery) and to easily perform electrical connection between assembled batteries. .

That is, this invention relates to the power supply device shown below.
[1] A power supply device including an assembled battery A in which a plurality of unit cells a are arranged on the same plane and an assembled battery B in which a plurality of unit cells b are arranged on the same plane, The battery B is electrically connected to the electrode of the battery B through a bus bar, and at least a part of the bus bar is disposed in the gap between the cells a of the assembled battery A.
[2] The assembled battery A includes a plurality of cylindrical unit cells a, an electrode plate α-1 disposed at the top of the unit cell a, and an electrode plate α-2 disposed at the bottom of the unit cell a. The assembled battery B includes a plurality of cylindrical unit cells b, an electrode plate β-1 disposed at the top of the unit cell b, and an electrode plate β-2 disposed at the bottom of the unit cell b. The bus bar connects the electrode plate α-1 disposed at the top of the unit cell a and the electrode plate β-2 disposed at the bottom of the unit cell b, according to [1].
[3] The power supply device according to [1] or [2], wherein at least a part of the bus bar is disposed in a gap between the cells b of the assembled battery B.

[4] The power supply device according to [1] or [2], wherein the bus bar is copper, iron, nickel, aluminum, or an alloy thereof, or a multilayer plywood containing them.
[5] The power supply device according to [1] or [2], wherein the bus bar is a solid bar having an outer diameter of Φ5 to 20 mm.
[6] The power supply device according to [1] or [2], wherein the bus bar is a hollow bar having an outer diameter of 5 to 20 mm and an inner diameter of 4 to 19 mm.
[7] The power supply device according to [6], wherein the hollow portion of the bus bar serves as an exhaust passage for gas discharged from the single cell a or the single cell b.

[8] The power supply device according to [2], wherein the bus bar is mechanically or metallurgically joined to the electrode plate α-1 or the electrode plate β-2.

[9] The power supply apparatus according to [1] or [2], wherein the assembled battery A or the assembled battery B includes a housing that holds a plurality of single cells, and the bus bar is separated from the housing.
[10] The power source according to [1] or [2], wherein a temperature or voltage sensor is disposed in a gap between the single cells a of the assembled battery A or a single cell b of the assembled battery B. apparatus.
[11] An assembled battery A in which a plurality of single cells a are arranged on the same plane and an assembled battery B in which a plurality of single cells b are arranged on the same plane are alternately and continuously arranged. 1st battery module which is electrically connected with the electrode of the assembled battery B through the bus bar, and at least a part of the bus bar is disposed in the gap between the cells a, and manufactured in the same manner as the first battery module The first and second battery modules are arranged such that the anode sides face each other, the anode at one end of the first battery module, and the second battery module A power supply device in which a negative electrode at one end is electrically connected via a bus bar.
[12] The power supply device according to [11], further including an explosion-proof hood disposed on the anodes of the first and second battery modules.
[13] An assembled battery A in which a plurality of single cells a are arranged on the same plane and an assembled battery B in which a plurality of single cells b are arranged on the same plane are alternately and continuously arranged. 1st battery module which is electrically connected with the electrode of the assembled battery B through the bus bar, and at least a part of the bus bar is disposed in the gap between the cells a, and manufactured in the same manner as the first battery module A second battery module, and the anode side of the first battery module and the anode side of the second battery module are arranged to face each other, and the anode at one end of the first battery module The power supply device in which the negative electrode at one end of the second battery module is electrically connected via a bus bar.

The power supply device of the present invention has a large capacity by electrically connecting a plurality of assembled batteries having a plurality of single cells. And since the electrical connection part of assembled batteries is compact, the energy density of a power supply device increases. Therefore, it can be used for a power supply device for applications where an increase in capacity and an improvement in energy density are desired.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an example of an assembled battery constituting a power supply device. FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of an example of an assembled battery constituting the power supply device. FIG. 2A is a side view of the assembled battery 100 in FIG. 1A as viewed from the arrow X1 side. FIG. 2B is a side view of the assembled battery 100 in FIG. 1A as viewed from the side of the arrow X2. FIG. 2C is a side view of the assembled battery 100 in FIG. 1A as viewed from the direction of the arrow Y. FIG. 2D is a top view of the assembled battery 100 in FIG. 1A as viewed from the direction of the arrow Z. FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing a position where a bus bar is arranged in a case where a group of unit cells is arranged in the closest packing. FIG. 3B is a top view showing a position where the bus bars are arranged when the group of single cells is arranged in the closest packing. FIG. 3C is a perspective view showing a position where a bus bar is arranged when a group of unit cells is arranged in a cube. FIG. 3D is a top view showing a position where the bus bar is arranged when the group of single cells is arranged in a cube. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an example of an assembled battery constituting a power supply device having an explosion-proof structure. FIG. 4B is an exploded perspective view of an example of an assembled battery constituting a power supply device having an explosion-proof structure. It is a figure which shows the state which connects two assembled batteries. FIG. 6A is an external perspective view of one embodiment of a power supply device. FIG. 6B is an internal perspective view of one embodiment of the power supply device. FIG. 6C is an internal top view of one embodiment of the power supply. FIG. 7 is an internal top view of a modification of the embodiment of the power supply device.

The power supply device of the present invention includes two or more assembled batteries, and the assembled batteries are electrically connected to each other. The electrical connection between the assembled batteries may be a series connection or a parallel connection. The battery pack is electrically connected through a bus bar.

In the assembled battery, each unit cell is preferably arranged on the same plane. Specifically, the battery pack includes a plurality of columnar unit cells, an electrode plate disposed on the column top of the unit cell, and an electrode plate disposed on the column bottom of the unit cell. The electrode plate arranged at the column top of the unit cell is connected to the electrode terminal at the column top of the unit cell. The electrode plate arranged at the column bottom of the unit cell is connected to the electrode terminal at the column bottom of the unit cell.

The plurality of single cells included in the assembled battery may be supported by a housing member called a housing. The housing can be, for example, an assembly of pipe-shaped members that can accommodate each unit cell (see the pipe-shaped member 30 in FIG. 1), a casting that has holes that can accommodate each unit cell, and the like.

The bus bar may be a conductor member that electrically connects the assembled batteries, and may be a flexible wiring member or a rigid metal bar. However, from the viewpoint of facilitating connection work between the assembled batteries, a rigid metal rod may be used. The metal bar may be a solid bar or a hollow bar. Examples of metals include copper, iron, nickel, aluminum, or alloys thereof. The bus bar may be a multilayer plywood containing those metals.

The metal bar constituting the bus bar preferably has an outer diameter of Φ5 to 20 mm. Sufficient strength is obtained by setting the outer diameter Φ to 5 mm or more. On the other hand, when the outer diameter Φ is 20 mm or less, the assembled batteries can be connected to each other in a space efficient manner. Further, the metal bar constituting the bus bar may be a solid bar or a hollow bar (pipe shape).

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an assembled battery 100 constituting a power supply device. FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the assembled battery 100 constituting the power supply device. As shown in FIG. 1B, the assembled battery 100 includes an electrode plate 10, a holder 20, a housing formed of a plurality of pipe-shaped members 30 (30a, 30b,... 30t), and a plurality of single cells 40 (40a, 40b). ,..., 40t), a holder 50, an electrode plate 60, and a bus bar 70.

Each cell 40 is accommodated in the pipe-shaped member 30. The accommodated unit cell 40 is supported by the holder 20 and the holder 50. One electrode 41 of the unit cell is connected to the electrode plate 10, and the other electrode 42 is connected to the electrode plate 60.

The bus bar 70 is connected to the electrode plate 10, but is not connected to the electrode plate 60. The bus bar 70 may be inseparably connected to the electrode plate 10 or may be detachably connected. For example, if the bus bar 70 is metallurgically joined to the electrode plate 10, it is usually inseparable. If the bus bar 70 is fixed to the electrode plate 10 with a screw, it is detachably connected.

FIG. 2A is a side view of the assembled battery 100 in FIG. 1A as viewed from the arrow X1 side. FIG. 2B is a side view of the assembled battery 100 in FIG. 1A as viewed from the side of the arrow X2. FIG. 2C is a side view of the assembled battery 100 in FIG. 1A as viewed from the direction of the arrow Y. FIG. 2D is a top view of the assembled battery 100 in FIG. 1A as viewed from the direction of the arrow Z.

As shown in FIG. 2A, a bus bar 70 is sandwiched between the pipe-shaped

members

30g and 30t on one side surface. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2B, the bus bar 70 is not disposed between the other side surfaces, that is, between 30a and 30n. As shown in FIG. 2C, a part of the bus bar 70 enters the gap between the pipe-shaped members 30. Thus, it is preferable that the axial direction of the bus bar 70 and the axial direction of the unit cell 40 are parallel.

As shown in FIG. 2D, a bus bar 70 is disposed at one end in the length direction of the electrode plate 10 (the assembled battery 100). One end of the bus bar 70 is joined to the electrode plate 10. On the other hand, the other end of the bus bar 70 is not joined to the electrode plate 60 but can be joined to another member. The bus bar 70 is bonded to the electrode plate 10 by mechanical or metallurgical bonding.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2C, the electrode plate 60 has a connection portion 61 on the side opposite to the side where the bus bar 70 is disposed. The connection part 61 can be a part to which the bus bar 70 of another assembled electrode is connected (see FIG. 5).

The cells in the assembled battery are preferably arranged in the same plane. The arrangement is not particularly limited, but it is necessary to provide a gap between the arranged cells. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the cells may be arranged in the closest packing. Further, as shown in FIG. 3C and FIG. 3D, they may be arranged in a cube.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of unit cells 40 (40a, 40b,... 40t) are arranged in the closest packed arrangement. FIG. 3B is a top view of the plurality of unit cells 40 corresponding to FIG. 3A. As shown in FIG. 3B, the plurality of single cells 40 (40a, 40b,... 40t) are arranged in three rows in a close-packed state. As shown in FIG. 3A, the bus bar 70 is disposed along a dotted line 71 between the cells 40g at the right end of the first row and the cells 40t at the right end of the third row. 3B, the bus bar 70 is arranged at the right end in the length (X) direction and the position 72 in the second row in the width (Y) direction of the plurality of unit cells 40. By arranging the bus bar 70 in this way, a part of the bus bar 70 is arranged in the gap between the single cells 40.

3C is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of unit cells 40 (40a, 40b,... 40t) are arranged in a cubic manner. FIG. 3D is a top view of the plurality of unit cells 40 corresponding to FIG. 3C. As shown in FIG. 3D, the plurality of single cells 40 (40a, 40b,... 40t) are arranged in three rows in a cubic arrangement state. As shown in FIG. 3C, the bus bar 70 is arranged along a dotted line 71 between the cells 40g at the right end of the first row and the cells 40t at the right end of the third row. Further, as shown in FIG. 3D, the bus bar 70 is disposed at the right end in the length (X) direction and the position 72 in the second row in the width (Y) direction of the plurality of unit cells 40. By arranging the bus bar 70 in this way, a part of the bus bar 70 is arranged in the gap between the single cells 40.
As described above, by arranging the plurality of single cells 40 as shown in FIGS. 3A to 3D, the space for arranging the bus bars can be minimized. Therefore, when the power supply device is manufactured by combining the assembled

batteries

100A and 100B, the volume of the entire power supply device can be reduced.

A part of bus bar 70 should just be arrange | positioned in the clearance gap between the single cells 40. FIG. For example, as shown in the dotted lines in FIG. 3B and FIG. 3D, it is only necessary that a part of the bus bar 70 is disposed inside the straight line (common tangent line) connecting the edges of the unit cells. .

Although the bus bar 70 is disposed in the gap between the single cells 40, it is preferable that the bus bars 70 are separated without contacting the single cells 40 or the pipe-shaped member 30 covering the single cells 40. This is to prevent heat generation of the assembled battery during power generation by flowing the refrigerant through the separation portion.

As described above, the bus bar 70 may be a pipe-shaped hollow bar. In that case, you may use the hollow part of a hollow bar as an exhaust flow path. Each unit cell 40 has a possibility of thermal runaway due to some trouble. For such fear, each cell 40 preferably has a safety valve called an explosion-proof valve 43 (see FIG. 4B). The explosion-proof valve 43 prevents the single cell 40 from exploding by releasing the internal pressure when the internal pressure of the single cell 40 increases excessively. The gas when the explosion-proof valve 43 is opened can be exhausted to the outside through a flow path composed of the hollow portions of the explosion-proof hood 80 and the bus bar 70.

4A and 4B show an assembled battery 100 'having an explosion-proof structure. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the battery pack 100 ′. FIG. 4B is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack 100 ′. As shown in FIG. 4B, the assembled battery 100 ′ includes an explosion-proof hood 80, an electrode plate 10, a holder 20, a housing including a plurality of pipe-shaped members 30, a plurality of unit cells 40 ′, and a holder 50. The electrode plate 60 and the bus bar 70 are provided. The electrode plate 10, the holder 20, a housing made up of a plurality of pipe-shaped members 30, the holder 50, the electrode plate 60, and the bus bar 70 are the same as those shown in FIG. 1A.

The unit cell 40 ′ of the assembled battery 100 ′ has an explosion-proof valve 43. Further, the explosion-proof hood 80 forms a sealed space above the unit cell 40 '. The sealed space formed by the explosion-proof hood 80 communicates with the hollow portion of the bus bar 70. Therefore, if the explosion-proof valve of the unit cell 40 ′ is opened, the exhaust gas is produced outside the assembled battery 100 ′ through the sealed space formed by the explosion-proof hood 80 and the hollow portion of the bus bar 70.

FIG. 5 shows a state where two assembled batteries (100A and 100B) are connected via a bus bar. The assembled battery 100A includes a plurality of pipe-shaped members 30A that accommodate the unit cells 40A, and further includes an electrode plate 10A and an electrode plate 60A. On the other hand, the assembled battery 100B includes a plurality of pipe-shaped members 30B that accommodate the unit cells 40B, and includes an electrode plate 10B and an electrode plate 60B.

The assembled battery 100A has a bus bar 70A, and one end of the bus bar 70A is connected to the electrode plate 10A, but the other end is not connected to the electrode plate 60A. On the other hand, the electrode plate 60B of the assembled battery 100B has a connection part 61B for connecting the other end of the bus bar 70A.

When the assembled battery 100A and the assembled battery 100B are connected to form a power supply device, the bus bar 70A of the assembled battery 100A may be connected to the connection part 61B of the assembled battery 100B. The bus bar 70A can be mechanically or metallurgically joined to the connection portion 61B. Since the bus bar 70A is a rigid body, it is easy to align with the connection part 61B, and the connection work is easy. Further, if the bus bar 70A and the connection part 61B are fixed with screws, the bus bar 70A and the connection part 61B can be easily re-separated.

Furthermore, the assembled battery 100B may also have a bus bar 70B (not shown) connected to the electrode plate 10B, similarly to the assembled battery 100A. The bus bar 70B may be connected to the connection portion 61C of the electrode plate 60C of the assembled battery 100C (not shown) to obtain a higher-capacity power supply device.

As an example of use of the above-described assembled

batteries

100A and 100B, an embodiment of a power supply device including the assembled

batteries

100A and 100B will be described.
FIG. 6A is an external perspective view of one embodiment of a power supply device. FIG. 6B is an internal perspective view of one embodiment of the power supply device. FIG. 6C is an internal top view of one embodiment of the power supply.
As shown in FIG. 6A, the power supply device 200 includes a rectangular parallelepiped main body case 201 and a lid body 202 disposed on the upper surface of the main body case. In the body case 201, as shown in FIG. 6B, assembled batteries 100A in which a plurality of single cells a are arranged on the same plane and assembled batteries 100B in which a plurality of single cells b are arranged on the same plane are alternately arranged. A first battery module 301 arranged continuously and a second battery module 302 manufactured in the same manner as the first battery module 301 are housed. The first battery module 301 and the second battery module 302 are arranged so that the anode sides face each other. The anode at one end of the first battery module 301 and the negative electrode at one end of the second battery module 302 are electrically connected via a bus bar 70. 6C, the electrode of the assembled battery 100A and the electrode of the assembled battery 100B are electrically connected via a bus bar. At least a part of the bus bar is disposed in a gap between the cells a at one end in the length direction of the assembled battery 100A.
As indicated by phantom lines in FIG. 6C, it is preferable to provide an explosion-proof hood 80 on the anodes of the first and

second battery modules

301 and 302. This is because even if the unit cell a (b) is ruptured, parts can be prevented from being scattered outside the power supply device 200, and the safety of the power supply device 200 can be improved.

FIG. 7 is an internal top view of a modification of the embodiment of the power supply device. As shown in FIG. 7, the first and

second battery modules

301 and 302 may be arranged so that the anode side of the first battery module 301 and the negative electrode side of the second battery module 302 face each other. Good. In that case, the anode at one end of the first battery module 301 and the anode at one end of the second battery module 302 are preferably electrically connected via the bus bar 70. Further, as indicated by phantom lines in FIG. 7, it is preferable to provide an explosion-proof hood 80 on each anode of the first and

second battery modules

301 and 302. This is because the safety of the power supply device 200 is improved as described above.
Among the arrangements of the first and

second battery modules

301 and 302 shown in FIGS. 6C and 7, the arrangement shown in FIG. 6C is preferable. This is because the number of members can be reduced because only one explosion-proof hood is required.

This application is accompanied by a priority claim based on a Japanese patent application filed earlier by the same applicant, ie, Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-121640 (filing date: May 31, 2011). The contents of which are incorporated herein as part of the present invention.

The power supply device of the present invention is a large-capacity power supply device because it has a plurality of assembled batteries electrically connected to each other. And since the connection part which electrically connects an assembled battery is compact, it is a power supply device with high energy density. Therefore, it can be used for a power supply device for applications where an increase in capacity and an improvement in energy density are desired.

10, 10A, 10B Electrode plate 20

Holder

30, 30A, 30B Pipe-like member 40 Single cell 40 'Single cell with explosion-proof valve 41 Electrode 42 Electrode 43 Explosion-proof valve 50

Holder

60, 60A,

60B Electrode plate

70, 70A, 70B Bus bar 80 Explosion-

proof hood

100, 100A, 100B Battery pack 100 'Battery pack having explosion-proof structure 200 Power supply device 201 Main body case 202 Lid 301 First battery module 302 Second battery module

Claims

A power supply device including an assembled battery A in which a plurality of single cells a are arranged on the same plane, and an assembled battery B in which a plurality of single cells b are arranged on the same plane,
The electrode of the assembled battery A and the electrode of the assembled battery B are electrically connected via a bus bar, and at least a part of the bus bar is disposed in a gap between the unit cells a of the assembled battery A. The power supply.
The assembled battery A includes a plurality of cylindrical unit cells a, an electrode plate α-1 disposed at the top of the unit cell a, and an electrode plate α-2 disposed at the bottom of the unit cell a. Including
The assembled battery B includes a plurality of cylindrical unit cells b, an electrode plate β-1 disposed at the top of the unit cell b, and an electrode plate β-2 disposed at the bottom of the unit cell b. The bus bar includes: an electrode plate α-1 disposed on a top portion of the unit cell a and an electrode plate β-2 disposed on a bottom portion of the unit cell b. Power supply.
The power supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least a part of the bus bar is disposed in a gap between the unit cells b of the assembled battery B.
The power supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bus bar is copper, iron, nickel, aluminum, an alloy thereof, or a multilayer plywood containing them.
The power supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bus bar is a solid bar having an outer diameter of Φ5 to 20 mm.
3. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the bus bar is a hollow bar having an outer diameter of 5 to 20 mm and an inner diameter of 4 to 19 mm.
The power supply device according to claim 6, wherein the hollow portion of the bus bar serves as an exhaust passage for gas discharged from the unit cell a or the unit cell b.
The power supply device according to claim 2, wherein the bus bar is mechanically or metallurgically joined to the electrode plate α-1 or the electrode plate β-2.
3. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the assembled battery A or the assembled battery B includes a housing that holds the plurality of unit cells, and the bus bar is separated from the housing.
3. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein a temperature or voltage sensor is disposed in a gap between the single cells a of the assembled battery A or a gap between the single cells b of the assembled battery B. 4. .
An assembled battery A in which a plurality of single cells a are arranged on the same plane and an assembled battery B in which a plurality of single cells b are arranged on the same plane are alternately and continuously arranged, and the electrode of the assembled battery A and the set A first battery module electrically connected to the electrode of the battery B via a bus bar, wherein at least a part of the bus bar is disposed in a gap between the unit cells a;
A second battery module manufactured in the same manner as the first battery module,
The first and second battery modules are arranged so that the anode sides face each other, and an anode at one end of the first battery module and an anode at one end of the second battery module are electrically connected via a bus bar. Connected power supply.
The power supply device according to claim 11, further comprising an explosion-proof hood disposed on the anodes of the first and second battery modules.
An assembled battery A in which a plurality of single cells a are arranged on the same plane and an assembled battery B in which a plurality of single cells b are arranged on the same plane are alternately and continuously arranged, and the electrode of the assembled battery A and the set A first battery module electrically connected to the electrode of the battery B via a bus bar, wherein at least a part of the bus bar is disposed in a gap between the unit cells a;
A second battery module manufactured in the same manner as the first battery module,
The anode side of the first battery module and the anode side of the second battery module are arranged to face each other, and the anode at one end of the first battery module and the one end of the second battery module are arranged. A power supply device in which the negative electrode is electrically connected via a bus bar.