WO2023125085A1 - Battery module, battery pack, and energy storage system - Google Patents

Abstract

The technical solution of the present application provides a battery module, comprising a housing, a plurality of square battery cells, and a water flow channel; said battery cells are mounted in the housing, a thermal superconducting pipeline and a refrigerant channel are arranged on a first side face of the battery cell housing, and plug connectors protruding towards the outer side of the housing are arranged at the two ends of the refrigerant channel; the water flow channel is provided with a socket corresponding to the plug connector, and the battery cells are insert-connected on the water flow channel. The present application also provides a battery pack and an energy storage system having the battery module.

Description

Battery modules, battery packs and energy storage systems

This application claims the priority of the Chinese patent application with application number 202111651634.X filed on December 31, 2021.

technical field

The present application relates to the technical field of batteries, in particular to a battery module, a battery pack and an energy storage system.

Background technique

With the extensive application of batteries in production and life, battery safety has become a topic of concern. Failure to dissipate heat in a timely manner during battery charging and discharging will lead to reduced battery performance and life attenuation, and severe problems will lead to breaking, smoking and explosion. At present, the thermal management of batteries mainly adopts air cooling, which has low efficiency; or adopts coil cooling at the bottom of the battery pack for liquid cooling, and the heat dissipation path is long, resulting in low heat dissipation efficiency.

technical problem

The main purpose of this application is to propose a battery module, a battery pack and an energy storage system, aiming to solve at least one of the above technical problems.

technical solution

To achieve the above purpose, the battery module proposed in this application includes:

shell;

A plurality of square electric cores, the electric cores are installed in the casing, the electric cores include a first polarity terminal and a second polarity terminal, and a thermal superconducting circuit is provided on the first side of the electric core housing and a refrigerant channel, the thermal superconducting pipeline is filled with a heat transfer medium, and both ends of the refrigerant channel have plug joints protruding outward from the housing;

A water flow channel, the water flow channel is hollow, one end is closed, and one end has a water inlet or a water outlet. The water flow channel has a socket corresponding to the plug connector, and the electric core is inserted into the water flow channel.

In one embodiment, a thermal superconducting circuit and a refrigerant channel are provided on the second side of the cell casing, the thermal superconducting circuit is filled with a heat transfer medium, and both ends of the refrigerant channel have Plug connector protruding from the outside.

In one embodiment, the refrigerant channel surrounds the thermal superconducting circuit in a U-shape.

In one embodiment, the first polarity terminal and the second polarity terminal are respectively located on two opposite sides of the battery core.

In one embodiment, the first polarity terminal and the second polarity terminal are on the same side of the cell.

In one embodiment, a flexible insulating layer is interposed between the battery cores to play the role of buffering and insulation.

In one embodiment, there is a sealing ring in the socket, the plug connector is inserted into the plug, and the sealing ring plays a role of sealing and waterproofing.

In one embodiment, the water flow channel is fixed on a flat plate to stabilize the module.

The present application also proposes a battery pack, comprising at least two battery modules stacked or arranged side by side.

The present application also proposes an energy storage system, including the battery pack, and the energy storage system is a wind power energy storage system, a solar energy storage system or a grid energy storage system.

Beneficial effect

The technical solution of the present application provides a battery module, including a casing; a plurality of square cells, the cells are installed in the casing, and the first side of the cell casing has a thermal superconducting circuit and a refrigerant channel , the thermal superconducting pipeline is filled with a heat transfer medium, the two ends of the refrigerant channel have plug joints protruding to the outside of the housing; the water flow channel, the water flow channel has a socket corresponding to the plug joint, the The battery cell is plugged into the water flow channel. The square battery shell in the battery module can quickly absorb the heat generated by the battery during charging and discharging and spread it evenly. The water flow channel is connected with the refrigerant channel, and the movement of the refrigerant in the water flow channel and the refrigerant channel can conduct heat. out, or the refrigerant carrying the heat transfers the heat to the battery cell, and then heats the battery cell, so as to realize the rapid heat dissipation and temperature rise of the battery module. The present application also provides a battery pack and an energy storage system with the battery module. Because the battery module can quickly dissipate heat or heat up, it can prevent the normal use of the energy storage system from being affected by insufficient heat dissipation or low temperature.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic diagram of an embodiment of a battery module of the present application.

FIG. 2 is another embodiment of the battery module of the present application.

FIG. 3 is Embodiment 1 of the water flow channel of the present application.

Fig. 4 is the second embodiment of the water flow channel of the present application.

Among them: 11-front-end plate, 12-first side plate, 13-second side plate, 14-rear end plate, 15-cover plate, 2-battery core, 20-first side, 21-thermal superconducting circuit, 22-refrigerant channel, 23-first plug connector, 24-second plug connector, 25-third plug connector, 26-first polarity terminal, 27-second polarity terminal, 3-first water flow channel, 31 - water inlet, 32 - first socket, 4 - second water flow channel, 41 - water outlet, 42 - second socket, 5 - flexible insulating layer.

The realization, functional features and advantages of the present application will be further described in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Embodiments of the present invention

In order to make the technical problems solved by the application, the technical solutions adopted and the technical effects achieved clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only the technical solutions of the application. Some, but not all, embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of this application.

It should be noted that when a component is said to be “fixed” to another component, it may be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. When a component is said to be "connected" to another component, it may be directly connected to the other component or there may be intervening components at the same time. When a component is said to be "set on" another component, it may be set directly on the other component or there may be an intervening component at the same time. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions are used herein for purposes of illustration only.

It should also be noted that if the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are involved in the embodiment of the present application, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. Implying their relative importance or implying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of these features. In addition, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the realization of those skilled in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be realized, it should be considered that the combination of technical solutions does not exist , nor within the scope of protection required by the present application.

This application proposes a battery module, as shown in FIG. 1 , the battery module includes a casing, a plurality of square cells 2 and water flow channels. A plurality of battery cells 2 are installed in the casing to prevent the battery cells 2 from being impacted and disturbed by the external environment.

The shell includes a front end plate 11, a first side plate 12, a second side plate 13, a rear end plate 14 and a cover plate 15, the front end plate 11 is parallel to the rear end plate 14, the first side plate 12 and the second side plate The two side plates 13 are parallel, and the front end plate 11, the first side plate 12, the second side plate 13, and the rear end plate 14 are fastened and connected to each other to form a hollow cavity. After the cover plate 15 is covered, it is covered outside the cell 2. , to protect the cell 2.

The electric core 2 is a square electric core, and the first side 20 of the electric core 2 is provided with a thermal superconducting circuit 21 and a refrigerant channel 22, and a heat transfer working fluid (not shown) is sealed in the thermal superconducting circuit 21 ), the refrigerant channel 22 surrounds the thermal superconducting circuit 21 in a U-shape, and the two ends of the refrigerant channel 22 are respectively provided with a first plug joint 23 and a second plug joint 24, and the first plug joint 23 and the second plug joint 24 Two plug joints 24 protrude to the outside of the housing.

The water flow channel includes a first water flow channel 3 and a second water flow channel 4, the first water flow channel 3 and the second water flow channel 4 are elongated, the first water flow channel 3 is provided with a water inlet 31 and a first socket 32, The second water flow channel is provided with a water outlet 41 and a second socket 42, the first plug connector 23 corresponds to the first socket 32, the second plug connector 24 corresponds to the second socket 42, the The battery cell 2 is plugged into the water flow channel through the cooperation of the plug connector and the socket.

The heat transfer medium filled in the thermal superconducting circuit 21 may be gas or liquid or a mixture of gas and liquid, such as water, oil, alcohol, and the like. The cell shell filled with heat transfer fluid has the characteristics of heat absorption, fast heat transfer rate and good temperature uniformity. The suitable working temperature of the battery cell 2 is between 20-50°C. When the temperature of the battery cell 2 is higher than 50°C, the battery cell 2 needs to be cooled. Therefore, the refrigerant enters the first water flow channel 3 from the water inlet 31. Then enter the refrigerant channel 22 through the first plug joint 23, the thermal superconducting circuit 21 absorbs the heat of the battery cell 2 and spreads it to the refrigerant channel 22, and the refrigerant in the refrigerant channel 22 absorbs heat from the second water flow channel 4 The water outlet 41 flows out, so as to achieve the purpose of cooling; when the temperature of the battery cell 2 is lower than 20°C, the battery cell needs to be heated, so hot water is passed into the first water flow channel 3, and the heat is transferred after flowing through the refrigerant channel 22 The thermal superconducting line 21 is used to heat the inside of the cell to achieve the purpose of temperature rise.

The refrigerant channel 22 on the cell 2 surrounds the thermal superconducting circuit 21 in a U-shape, and the refrigerant channel 22 and the thermal superconducting circuit 21 have a single-sided expansion, double-sided expansion or double-sided flat structure. The thermal superconducting pipeline 21 is a closed pipeline, and the shape of the closed thermal superconducting pipeline can be a hexagonal honeycomb shape that communicates with each other, or a quadrangular shape that communicates with each other. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , the refrigerant channel 22 and the thermal superconducting circuit 21 are protruded on the surface of the electric core 2 and protrude toward the outside of the cavity of the electric core 2 .

The second side (not shown) opposite to the first side 20 on the battery cell 2 is also provided with a thermal superconducting circuit and a refrigerant channel, the thermal superconducting circuit is sealed with a heat transfer medium, and the refrigerant channel is provided with The third plug joint 25 and the fourth plug joint (not shown), it can be understood that when the second side is also provided with thermal superconducting lines and refrigerant channels, the ability of the battery cell 2 to adjust the temperature is stronger and the time is shorter , the effect is more pronounced.

Two openings are provided on the front end plate 11 of the housing, corresponding to the water inlet 31 and the water outlet 41 respectively, and the water inlet 31 and the water outlet 41 are connected to the external cooling system and play a role in regulating the battery module. The first water flow channel 3 and the second water flow channel 4 are distributed in parallel. In this embodiment, the water inlet 31 and the water outlet 41 are distributed on the same side. Of course, in other embodiments, the water inlet 31 and the water outlet 41 are also Can be distributed on different sides, the application is not limited thereto.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 1 , a plurality of battery cells 2 are inserted in a row on the water flow channel, and a flexible insulating layer 5 is arranged between the multiple battery cells 2 , and the flexible insulating layer 5 is sandwiched between adjacent battery cells 2 ; Facilitate heat transfer between the cells 2 and share the heat, while the flexibility and insulation of the flexible insulating layer 5 can protect the cells 2 from collisions and conductive interference. Because thermally conductive silica gel has good electrical conductivity and insulating properties, thermally conductive silica gel is usually used as the main material of the flexible insulating layer. The flexible insulating layer 5 can also use other flexible insulating materials or flexible phase change materials with insulating properties.

The battery cell 2 is provided with a first polarity terminal 26 and a second polarity terminal 27. In this embodiment, the first polarity terminal 26 and the second polarity terminal 27 are respectively located on two opposite sides of the battery cell 2. . In other embodiments, the first polarity terminal 26 and the second polarity terminal 27 may also be on the same side, as shown in FIG. 2 .

Please refer to Fig. 3, the inside of the first water flow channel 3 is hollow, one end is closed, and the other end is provided with an opening, that is, a water inlet 31, and the first water flow channel 3 is provided with several first sockets 32, and the first sockets 32 are distributed in a row on the first water flow channel, corresponding to the connectors of the battery cells 2 . A sealing ring (not shown) is arranged in the first socket, the plug joint is inserted into the socket, and the sealing ring plays a role of sealing and waterproofing.

Please refer to FIG. 4, the first water flow channel 3 and the second water flow channel 4 are arranged on a flat plate, and the water inlet 31 and the water outlet 41 are distributed on the same side of the plate. In other embodiments, the water inlet 31 and the water outlet The water outlets 41 can be distributed on different sides of the plate. It can be understood that the first water flow channel 3 and the second water flow channel 4 are arranged on a flat plate, which increases the stability of the battery module.

The present application also proposes a battery pack, comprising at least two battery modules stacked or arranged side by side.

The present application also proposes an energy storage system. The energy storage system includes the above-mentioned battery pack. Since the energy storage system adopts all the technical solutions of all the above-mentioned embodiments, it at least has all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here. It can be understood that the energy storage system may be a wind power energy storage system, a solar energy storage system, or a grid energy storage system.

The above-mentioned embodiments are only illustrative to illustrate the principles and effects of the present application, but not to limit the present application. Any person familiar with the technology can modify or change the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by persons with ordinary knowledge in the technical field without departing from the spirit and technical ideas disclosed in this application should still be covered by the claims of this application.

Claims (10)

1. A battery module, comprising:

   shell;

   A plurality of square electric cores, the electric cores are installed in the casing, the electric cores include a first polarity terminal and a second polarity terminal, and a thermal superconducting circuit is provided on the first side of the electric core housing and a refrigerant channel, the thermal superconducting pipeline is filled with a heat transfer medium, and both ends of the refrigerant channel have plug joints protruding outward from the housing;

   A water flow channel, the water flow channel is hollow, one end is closed, and one end has a water inlet or a water outlet. The water flow channel has a socket corresponding to the plug connector, and the square battery is plugged into the water flow channel.
2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the second side of the battery case has a thermal superconducting circuit and a refrigerant channel, the thermal superconducting circuit is filled with a heat transfer medium, and the refrigerant Both ends of the channel have plug connectors protruding outward from the housing.
3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the refrigerant channel surrounds the thermal superconducting circuit in a U-shape.
4. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein the first polarity terminal and the second polarity terminal are respectively located on two opposite sides of the battery cell.
5. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein the first polarity terminal and the second polarity terminal are on the same side of the battery cell.
6. The battery module according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a flexible insulating layer is interposed between the battery cores to play the role of buffering and insulation.
7. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein a sealing ring is provided in the socket, and when the plug connector is inserted into the plug, the sealing ring plays a role of sealing and waterproofing.
8. The battery module according to claim 7, wherein the water flow channel is arranged on a flat plate to stabilize the module.
9. A battery pack, comprising at least two battery modules according to any one of claims 1 to 8 arranged in stacks or side by side.
10. An energy storage system, comprising the battery pack according to claim 9, the energy storage system being a wind power energy storage system, a solar energy storage system or a grid energy storage system.