WO2023072224A1

WO2023072224A1 - Cylindrical cell module

Info

Publication number: WO2023072224A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/128120
Authority: WO
Inventors: 李凡; 黄莹; 陈智伟; 陈朝海
Original assignee: 湖北亿纬动力有限公司
Priority date: 2021-10-28
Filing date: 2022-10-28
Publication date: 2023-05-04
Also published as: CN216529180U

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application is a cylindrical cell module. The cylindrical cell module comprises a shell, a support, a battery pack, a busbar and an explosion-proof valve. The support is disposed in the shell; an exhaust part is provided at the bottom of the support; the battery pack is placed on the support; the busbar is connected to the battery pack; the side of the shell proximate to the bottom of the support is provided with protrusions; a flow channel is formed between the protrusions; the flow channel is communicated with the exhaust part; the explosion-proof valve is provided on the shell; the explosion-proof valve is configured as that when the explosion-proof valve is opened, gas in the flow channel can be exhausted from the shell through the explosion-proof valve, so that gas generated when thermal runaway happens to a battery cell can be exhausted, and cell explosion is avoided.

Description

Cylindrical cell module

This disclosure claims priority to a Chinese patent application with application number 202122613040.1 filed with the China Patent Office on October 28, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

technical field

The present application relates to the technical field of batteries, for example, to a cylindrical battery cell module.

Background technique

In recent years, pure electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles have attracted the attention of the government and various automobile companies because of their advantages of greatly eliminating or even zero-emission vehicle exhaust. However, battery service life and capacity fading in pure electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles are problems that need to be solved urgently.

Battery service life and capacity decay are closely related to the temperature difference and temperature rise of the battery system. The battery module will generate a lot of heat when it is working. If the heat cannot be discharged in time, the temperature inside the battery module will continue to rise, which will affect the service life of the battery module, and even thermal runaway will cause the battery cell to catch fire and explode. wait.

Thermal runaway refers to the phenomenon of overheating, fire, and explosion caused by the rapid change of battery temperature rise rate caused by the chain reaction of exothermic battery cells. In related technologies, in order to prevent thermal runaway, the cells, modules, and battery systems are generally insulated and protected to avoid serious safety hazards caused by the rapid temperature rise of the battery pack during charging and discharging, and to avoid or suppress the occurrence of thermal runaway. However, there is no separate exhaust slot on the battery module of the related technology. Once thermal runaway occurs, the gas generated cannot be discharged, which may cause the battery cell to explode, affecting the working status of other cells, the entire module, and even the life of the car. .

Contents of the invention

The present application provides a cylindrical cell module, which can discharge the gas generated when the cell is thermally out of control, so as to prevent the cell from exploding.

An embodiment of the present application provides a cylindrical cell module, including:

case;

a bracket, the bracket is arranged in the housing, and an exhaust component is arranged on the bracket;

A battery pack, the above-mentioned battery pack is placed on the above-mentioned bracket;

a bus bar, the bus bar is connected to the battery pack;

Protrusions are provided on the side of the housing close to the bottom of the bracket, flow passages are formed between the protrusions, and the flow passages communicate with the exhaust components;

Explosion-proof valve, the above-mentioned explosion-proof valve is arranged on the above-mentioned casing, and the above-mentioned explosion-proof valve is configured so that when the above-mentioned explosion-proof valve is opened, the gas in the above-mentioned flow channel can be discharged from the above-mentioned casing through the above-mentioned explosion-proof valve.

In one embodiment, the above-mentioned bracket and the above-mentioned housing are bonded by a first glue.

In one embodiment, the first colloid is disposed between the protrusion and the bracket.

In one embodiment, a first glue overflow groove is provided at the bottom of the bracket, and the first glue overflow groove can accommodate the first glue.

In one embodiment, the battery pack includes a plurality of cylindrical cells arranged in sequence to form a plurality of rows, and the plurality of rows are arranged in parallel.

In one embodiment, it further includes a liquid cooling plate, and the liquid cooling plate is wound between each row of the above-mentioned rows.

In one embodiment, the bracket is provided with a mounting slot, and the cylindrical cell is plugged into the mounting slot.

In one embodiment, the above-mentioned installation groove and the above-mentioned cylindrical battery cell are bonded by the second glue.

In one embodiment, the exhaust component is disposed at the bottom of the installation groove, and a second glue overflow groove is provided on the inner wall of the exhaust component.

In one embodiment, a limit portion is provided on the edge of the bracket, and the limit portion is configured to limit the liquid cooling plate.

The beneficial effect of this application:

In this application, by providing protrusions on the bottom of the housing, flow channels are formed between the protrusions, and an exhaust component is provided on the bracket to communicate with the flow channels. When a single cylindrical cell in the above-mentioned cylindrical cell module generates heat When out of control occurs, the gas generated by the cylindrical cell can be discharged into the flow channel through the exhaust part, and discharged through the explosion-proof valve installed at the bottom of the shell, so as to prevent the explosion of the cylindrical cell from affecting the normal operation of other cylindrical cells and improve the efficiency of the above-mentioned cylindrical cells. The safety performance of the core module reduces the loss when the battery core is thermally out of control and saves costs;

In this application, by arranging a liquid cold plate between the cylindrical cells, the working temperature of the cylindrical cells can be adjusted, and the service life of the cylindrical cells and the working reliability of the above-mentioned cylindrical cell modules can be improved;

In this application, the support is connected to the housing through the first colloid, and the cylindrical battery cell is connected to the installation groove through the second colloid. Compared with the related technology of fixing the cylindrical battery cell by bolt connection, the installation efficiency can be improved, and it is convenient Automated manufacturing.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the structure of the cylindrical cell module provided by the embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural view of the bracket provided by the embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 3 is a partial enlarged view at A of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a schematic structural view of the bottom of the housing provided by the embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the bracket structure provided by the embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid cold plate provided in an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a cylindrical cell module provided in an embodiment of the present application.

In the picture:

100, shell; 110, upper cover plate; 120, lower cover plate; 121, protrusion; 122, flow channel; 130, explosion-proof valve; 200, bracket; 210, exhaust component; 220, first overflow groove; 230, installation groove; 240, limit part; 250, second overflow glue tank; 300, battery pack; 30, row group; 310, cylindrical battery cell; 400, bus bar; plate; 610, liquid inlet; 620, liquid outlet; 630, channel; 700, second colloid; 800, end plate.

Detailed ways

In the description of this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected", "connected" and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated ; It can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediary, and it can be the internal communication of two components or the interaction relationship between two components. Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand the meanings of the above terms in this application according to the situation.

In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "on" or "under" a second feature may include the first feature being in direct contact with the second feature, and may also include the first feature and the second feature. Two features are not in direct contact but through another feature between them. Moreover, "above", "above" and "above" the first feature on the second feature include that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is horizontally higher than the second feature. "Below", "beneath" and "under" the first feature to the second feature include that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature has a lower level than the second feature.

In the description of this embodiment, the terms "up", "down", "left", "right" and other orientations or positional relationships are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of description and simplification of operations. It does not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a particular orientation, be constructed, or operate in a particular orientation. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish in description, and have no special meaning.

There is no separate exhaust groove on the battery module of the related technology. When a single battery cell experiences thermal runaway, a large amount of high-temperature and high-pressure gas will be generated. If the high-temperature and high-pressure gas cannot be released, it will cause an explosion, causing other undamaged battery cells to be damaged. Affected, even affects the working performance of the entire module, reducing the safety performance and service life of the battery module.

In view of the above problems, in one embodiment of the present application, a cylindrical battery module (for example: a new type of cylindrical battery module) is provided, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 7, the cylindrical battery module It includes a housing 100, a bracket 200, a battery pack 300, a bus bar 400 and an explosion-proof valve 130, wherein the bracket 200 is set in the housing 100, an exhaust component 210 is provided on the bracket 200, and the battery pack 300 is set on the bracket 200, The battery pack 300 includes a plurality of cylindrical batteries 310, the bracket 200 is configured to fix the battery pack 300, the bus bar 400 is connected to the battery pack 300, and the electric energy in the battery pack 300 is converged and then output. There is a protrusion 121 on one side, and a flow channel 122 is formed between the protrusion 121 and the protrusion 121. The flow channel 122 communicates with the exhaust component 210 on the bracket 200, and the gas generated when the battery pack 300 is damaged is released through the exhaust component 210 Into the flow channel 122 , an explosion-proof valve 130 is provided on the housing 100 , and the gas in the flow channel 122 can be discharged from the housing 100 through the explosion-proof valve 130 when the explosion-proof valve 130 is opened.

By setting the protrusions 121 at the bottom of the housing 100, the flow channels 122 are formed between the protrusions 121, and the exhaust part 210 is provided on the bracket 200 to communicate with the flow channels 122, when a single cylindrical cell 310 in the battery pack 300 When thermal runaway occurs, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas generated is released from the exhaust part 210 on the bracket 200 into the flow channel 122, and finally the explosion-proof valve 130 is opened, so that the gas in the flow channel 122 is discharged from the housing 100, which can avoid the thermal runaway caused by The occurrence of the explosion phenomenon ensures the working performance of the cylindrical battery cell 310 without thermal runaway, improves the safety performance of the cylindrical battery cell module, reduces the loss of the cylindrical battery cell 310 when the thermal runaway occurs, and saves costs.

Exemplarily, continuing to refer to FIG. 1, the housing 100 may include an upper cover 110 and a lower cover 120. In one embodiment, the upper cover 110 and the lower cover 120 may be connected by welding. Connecting the upper cover plate 110 and the lower cover plate 120 in this way can improve installation efficiency and facilitate automatic assembly. The housing 100 can be made of aluminum alloy, which has good mechanical properties, light weight and low cost. Exemplarily, the casing 100 can be integrally formed by extruding aluminum.

Exemplarily, continuing to refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 7 , an end plate 800 can be provided on the casing 100 to facilitate the connection between the above-mentioned cylindrical cell modules through the end plate 800, and to connect the above-mentioned cylindrical cell modules to other device to connect. In one embodiment, the end plate 800 can be arranged on the side wall of the housing 100, and according to actual needs, one or more end plates 800 can be arranged; in other embodiments, the end plate 800 can also be arranged on Other parts of the housing 100 can be set according to actual needs. The end plate 800 can be connected to the housing 100 by bolts, or can be connected to the housing 100 by welding; it can also be connected to the housing 100 by other means, as long as the housing 100 can be fixedly connected to the end plate 800 The way.

In one embodiment, the battery pack 300 includes a plurality of cylindrical cells 310, which can be arranged in sequence to form a plurality of rows 30, which can be arranged in parallel. The electric core 310 is cylindrical, so the cylindrical electric cores 310 between adjacent rows 30 can be arranged alternately, so that one cylindrical electric core 310 in one row 30 is placed in two adjacent rows 30 Between the cylindrical cells 310, the occupied space of the battery pack 300 can be saved, and the structure of the above-mentioned cylindrical cell module can be made more compact.

In one embodiment, the exhaust component 210 can be an exhaust hole arranged at the bottom of the bracket 200, and the exhaust hole communicates with the flow channel 122; in other embodiments, the exhaust component 210 can also be arranged on the side wall of the bracket 200 The exhaust channel on the top, the exhaust channel communicates with the flow channel 122, and the arrangement of the exhaust component 210 can be designed according to actual needs, as long as it can ensure that the gas generated by the cylindrical cell 310 can be discharged into the flow channel 122 through the exhaust component Structure.

Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 2 , a mounting groove 230 can be provided on the bracket 200, and the cylindrical battery cell 310 can be inserted into the mounting groove 230. The mounting groove 230 can play a role in radially positioning the cylindrical battery cell 310, Avoid skewing of the cylindrical battery cell 310 , so that the cylindrical battery cell 310 cannot be connected to the bus bar 400 , which will affect the power of the above-mentioned cylindrical battery cell module.

Exemplarily, continuing to refer to FIG. 2 , in order to achieve an axial positioning effect on the cylindrical battery cell 310 , the cylindrical battery cell 310 can be bonded in the installation groove 230 by the second glue 700 , and the cylinder can be fixed by the second glue 700 The battery cell 310 can improve the assembly efficiency of the above-mentioned cylindrical battery cell module, and is beneficial to automatic production. In one embodiment, the second colloid 700 can be a structural glue, which has high strength, can withstand a large load, and is resistant to aging, fatigue, and corrosion, and has stable performance within the expected service life; in other embodiments , the second colloid 700 may also be a thermally conductive adhesive, which has good thermal conductivity, can improve the heat dissipation effect of the cylindrical battery cell 310 , and has strong adhesive force and high hardness after curing.

Exemplarily, continuing to refer to FIG. 2 , a vent hole can be provided at the bottom of the installation groove 230 , and the inner diameter of the vent hole should be smaller than the diameter of the installation groove 230 to ensure the support of the installation groove 230 to the cylindrical cell 310 . Since it is difficult to accurately control the amount of the second colloid 700 when applying glue, it is easy to cause excessive glue application. In order to avoid excess colloid from overflowing, as shown in Figure 3, a second colloid can be set on the inner wall of the vent hole. The overflowing glue tank 250 accommodates the excess second glue 700 to prevent the second glue 700 from overflowing to other parts of the bracket 200, thereby affecting the installation of the cylindrical cell module.

As shown in FIG. 4 , in one embodiment, the protrusions 121 can be arranged along the length direction of the housing 100, and the protrusions 121 include a plurality, and the plurality of protrusions 121 are arranged at intervals, and the protrusions 121 and the protrusions 121 The spaces therebetween form flow channels 122 . At the same time, in order to avoid affecting the discharge of gas in the above-mentioned cylindrical cell module, the protrusion 121 should be set away from the exhaust hole. Moreover, the adjacent flow channels 122 can be separated by the protrusions 121 , preventing high temperature and high pressure gas from escaping into other flow channels 122 , thereby affecting other normal cylindrical cells 310 .

Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 5 , in order to fix the bracket 200 in the housing 100 , the bracket 200 can be bonded to the bottom of the housing 100 through the first glue 500 , and the bracket 200 can be fixed through the first glue 500 , which can improve The assembly efficiency of the above-mentioned cylindrical cell module is conducive to automatic production. In one embodiment, the first colloid 500 can be a structural glue, which has high strength, can bear a large load, and is resistant to aging, fatigue, and corrosion, and has stable performance within the expected service life; in other embodiments , the first colloid 500 may also be a thermally conductive adhesive, which has good thermal conductivity, can improve the heat dissipation effect of the cylindrical battery cell 310 , and has strong adhesive force and high hardness after curing.

Exemplarily, continuing to refer to FIG. 5 , since it is difficult to accurately control the amount of the first colloid 500 when applying glue, it is easy to cause excessive glue application. A glue overflow groove 220, which accommodates the redundant first glue 500, prevents the first glue 500 from overflowing to other parts of the bracket 200, thereby affecting the installation of the flow channel 122 and the above-mentioned cylindrical battery module, the depth of the first glue overflow groove 220 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm, for example, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, and 0.5 mm.

In one embodiment, the first colloid 500 can be disposed between the protrusion 121 and the housing 100 , which can increase the space of the flow channel 122 , optimize the installation structure, and improve the rigidity of the cylindrical cell module.

In one embodiment, a liquid cooling plate 600 can also be provided in the above-mentioned cylindrical cell module, and the liquid cooling plate 600 is wound between the rows of cylindrical cells 310 30 to ensure that each cylindrical cell 310 is compatible with The liquid cooling plate 600 is in contact with the battery. Since the optimal working temperature of the battery is between 20 degrees Celsius (°C) and 35 degrees Celsius (°C), too high or too low a temperature will affect the service life of the battery, so the liquid cooling plate 600 can be used to The working temperature of the cylindrical battery cell 310 is guaranteed, and the service life of the cylindrical battery cell 310 is improved. According to actual production needs, one or more liquid cooling plates 600 may be provided.

As shown in Figure 6, in one embodiment, the liquid cooling plate 600 includes a liquid inlet 610, a liquid outlet 620 and a channel 630, the channel 630 communicates with the liquid inlet 610 and the liquid outlet 620, and the liquid inlet 610 and the The liquid outlet 620 is pierced through the housing 100. When the temperature of the cylindrical battery cell 310 is low, hot water can be introduced into the channel 630 through the liquid inlet 610 to increase the temperature of the cylindrical battery cell 310 and pass through the liquid outlet. 620 discharges the hot water after heat dissipation. When the liquid cooling plate 600 is working, the liquid in the channel 630 keeps flowing; The temperature of the cylindrical battery cell 310 is controlled, and the heated cold water is discharged through the liquid outlet 620. When the liquid cold plate 600 is working, the liquid in the channel 630 keeps flowing.

In one embodiment, the liquid cooling plate 600 can be welded and formed by bending metal materials, such as aluminum alloy or copper, and is connected by welding, which is simple to manufacture and has good sealing performance.

Exemplarily, in order to prevent the liquid cooling plate 600 from being electrified after being in contact with the cylindrical cells 310 and affecting the safety of workers, in one embodiment, an insulating layer may be sprayed on the surface of the liquid cooling plate 600 to prevent the liquid cooling plate 600 from conducting electricity.

Exemplarily, in order to improve the heat conduction effect of the liquid cold plate 600, in one embodiment, thermal conductive silica gel can be pasted on the surface of the liquid cold plate 600. The thermal conductive silica gel itself has thermal conductivity and good elasticity. The liquid cooling plate 600 is wound between the cylindrical cells 310, and the temperature can be transferred to the cylindrical cells 310 by utilizing the thermal conductivity of the thermal silica gel, and the liquid cooling plate 600 is tightly attached to the cylindrical cells 310 by utilizing the deformation ability of the thermal silica gel. Above all, it prevents the cylindrical cells 310 from being squeezed and collided due to external impact, and at the same time prevents the liquid cooling plate 600 from detaching from the cylindrical cells 310 to cause dry burning, thereby improving the reliability of the liquid cooling plate 600 .

Exemplarily, a limiting portion 240 may be provided on an edge of the bracket 200 , and the limiting portion 240 is configured to limit the circumferential direction of the liquid cooling plate 600 to ensure the reliability of the liquid cooling plate 600 . In one embodiment, a notch can be provided on the limiting part 240 for heat dissipation, and at the same time, the weight of the above-mentioned cylindrical cell module can be reduced. Length direction interval setting. The limit position can be set on opposite sides of the bracket 200 , and can also be set around the bracket 200 .

In this application, protrusions 121 are provided at the bottom of the housing 100, flow channels 122 are formed between the protrusions 121, and an exhaust component 210 communicating with the flow channels 122 is provided on the bracket 200. When the above-mentioned cylindrical cell module When thermal runaway occurs in a single cylindrical battery cell 310, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas generated by the cylindrical battery cell 310 can be discharged into the flow channel 122 through the exhaust component 210, and discharged through the explosion-proof valve 130 arranged at the bottom of the housing 100 to avoid The explosion of the battery cell 310 affects the normal operation of other cylindrical battery cells 310, improves the safety performance of the above-mentioned cylindrical battery cell module, reduces the loss when the battery core is thermally out of control, and saves costs; by setting the liquid cooling plate 600 between the cylindrical battery cells 310 , can adjust the working temperature of the cylindrical battery cell 310, improve the service life of the cylindrical battery cell 310 and the working reliability of the above-mentioned cylindrical battery cell module; connect the bracket 200 with the housing 100 through the first colloid 500, and connect the bracket 200 with the housing 100 through the first glue The two colloids 700 connect the cylindrical battery cell 310 with the installation groove 230 , and compared with the related art of fixing the cylindrical battery cell 310 by means of bolt connection, it can improve installation efficiency and facilitate automatic production.

Claims

A cylindrical cell module, comprising:

housing (100);

a bracket (200), the bracket (200) is arranged in the housing (100), and an exhaust component (210) is arranged on the bracket (200);

a battery pack (300), the battery pack (300) is placed on the support (200);

a bus bar (400), the bus bar (400) is connected to the battery pack (300);

The shell (100) is provided with protrusions (121) on the side close to the bottom of the support (200), and a flow channel (122) is formed between the protrusions (121), and the flow channel (122) is connected with the The exhaust component (210) communicates;

An explosion-proof valve (130), the explosion-proof valve (130) is arranged on the housing (100), and the explosion-proof valve (130) is configured such that when the explosion-proof valve (130) is opened, the flow path ( The gas in 122) can exit the casing (100) through the explosion-proof valve (130).
The cylindrical cell module according to claim 1, wherein the bracket (200) is bonded to the casing (100) by a first glue (500).
The cylindrical cell module according to claim 2, wherein the first colloid (500) is disposed between the protrusion (121) and the bracket (200).
The cylindrical cell module according to claim 3, wherein a first glue overflow groove (220) is provided at the bottom of the bracket (200), and the first glue overflow groove (220) can accommodate the first glue (500).
The cylindrical cell module according to claim 1, wherein the battery pack (300) comprises a plurality of cylindrical cells (310), and a plurality of the cylindrical cells (310) are arranged in sequence to form a plurality of rows ( 30), a plurality of rows (30) are arranged in parallel.
The cylindrical cell module according to claim 5, further comprising a liquid cooling plate (600), and the liquid cooling plate (600) is wound between each row of the rows (30).
The cylindrical cell module according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein, the bracket (200) is provided with a mounting groove (230), and the cylindrical cell (310) is connected to the mounting groove (230) ) plug-in.
The cylindrical cell module according to claim 7, wherein the installation groove (230) is bonded to the cylindrical cell (310) by a second glue (700).
The cylindrical electric module set according to claim 8, wherein the exhaust component (210) is arranged at the bottom of the installation groove (230), and a second overflow is provided on the inner wall of the exhaust component (210). Glue tank (250).
The cylindrical cell module according to claim 6, wherein the edge of the bracket (200) is provided with a limiting portion (240), and the limiting portion (240) is configured to limit the liquid cooling plate ( 600).